Seminoles are ready to defend national title

Sporting News, The, May 15, 2000 by Mark Blaudschun

Seminoles are ready to defend national title

The question has to do with hunger as much as talent. Now that Florida State and coach Bobby Bowden are coming off their first unbeaten season and second national championship, are they hungry enough to repeat? "What you're always worried about are signs of complacency," says Bowden, still savoring his second national championship. "Our ultimate goal is to defend the national championship. We are the only team in the country that has that opportunity."

Ask quarterback Chris Weinke, who surprised some people by coming back for his senior season. Is he hungry? He must be. He shed almost 20 pounds in the offseason and looked very fit for the team's spring drills.

It's one thing to have a senior quarterback returning from a national championship team. It's an added bonus to have a 28-year-old senior who probably wouldn't be awed if he stepped into the Miami Dolphins' huddle in September.

Until last season, one characteristic of the Seminoles under Bowden--even as good as they have been with a string of top-5 finishes that dates back to the final years of the Reagan administration--was that every season they would have that one misstep, one loss that no one could have predicted.

Last year, they avoided that, right through their win over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl for the national championship.

But as the spring drills ended this year, Bowden found out a few things about his team. He learned that there might be life after Corey Simon and Jerry Johnson on the defensive line. Freshman Kevin Emanuel, who did a nice job at defensive tackle in spring practice, should be fun to watch this season.

And look at the depth the Seminoles have at running back, where Travis Minor will be a prime offensive threat alongside Weinke. But watch sophomore Nick Maddox, waiting to get his starring role at tailback. After knee injuries in 1997 and '98 and limited duty last year, Davy Ford appears healthy and also should get some prime playing time.

There also is life at wide receiver, where Marvin Minnis and Robert Morgan will do their best to make Seminoles fans forget Peter Warrick and Ron Dugans.

And there is sophomore Talman Gardner, who had a solid spring and drew raves in the spring game with three catches for 96 yards.

"If we spread the ball around, I don't know who can stop us," says Gardner, who has excellent size at 6-2, 195.

You won't find any arguments from offensive coordinator Mark Richt, who raved about the play of the offensive line, thinking it might be the best the Seminoles have had since the mid-'90s.

Richt also likes the talent ready to bloom at running back and wide receiver, as well as the return of Weinke.

"Every one of our skill-position players is capable of making a big play," says Richt.

Bowden just sits back and smiles. He has long since passed the point where he really worries about rebuilding.

"I can deal with a loss or even two," he says. "But anything more than that, I don't know if I want to be a part of that."

Which means the shelves once again are stocked with talent. Freshman linebacker Kendyll Pope, for example, was a star this spring and could be the first of the next generation of great Seminoles defensive players.

"We had a real good spring, and all of our kids improved," says Bowden.

Improvement, of course, is relative. The Seminoles were good coming into the spring. They figure to be good this season. Perhaps even good enough to win it all.

Though the odds are against them going undefeated again and winning back-to-back national championships, it would be foolish to say they won't be in the title mix at the end of the season.

Mark Blaudschun covers college football for the Boston Globe. E-mail him at blaudschun@sportingnews.com.