European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 14, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday july 14, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 21 College football for starters Bowden la take no. 1 by Bucky Fox staff writer Pitburg a West Germany the no. 1 ques Tion in College football is who s no. 1? maybe Florida state. For the first time. We be never been ranked no. 1," said Seminole coach Bobby Bowden but this year we will be ranked no. 1."Bowden was t guaranteeing a National championship. He was simply stating fact a few National publications including Playboy have tipped him off that they will pick Florida state no. 1 before the seminoles season kicks off sept. 3. A lot of people saw us get no. 2 last year and though maybe we should be been no. 1," said Bowden Between sessions of his Safe football coaching clinic wednes Day. We lost but we got a lot of hell take it. We simply want to be the Best he said. If you want to pick us no. 1, do it every year. They do that with Oklahoma. They did it with be Rbryant for if no. 1 is new to Bowden winning in t. In 22 years of coaching at Samford West Virginia and Florida state this 58-year-old alabamian stands 174-69-3. Those victories rank fourth among Active coaches. His seminoles corralled that no. 2 ranking last year by going 11-1, capped by a 31-28 thriller Over Nebraska in the fiesta bowl. Yet there s that nagging no. 1. It might be belonged to Bowden in 1987 except for an agonizing series of ones one decision in a one Point loss to eventual no. 1 Miami that dealt Florida state its one defeat. That Florida state frustration occurred oct. 3 on the seminoles Field in Tallahassee. They led Miami 19-3 in the third Quarter. They then rallied from a 26-19deficit in the fourth Quarter. Danny Mcmanus the seminoles senior Quarter Back found Ronald Lewis in the left Comer of the end zone from 18 Yards out to Cut the Gap to 26-25 with 42seconds left. What to do Ever since a 10-9 loss to Miami in1980, Bowden believed in going for the tie Early in the season. This time he sent out the kicking team to tithe hurricanes. But after a timeout Bowden changed his mind. His kicker Derek Schmidt had blown an extra Point and two Short Field goals. Bowden checked the Cross wind called his kicker Back and called for a two Point pass instead. Mcmanus aimed for tight end Pat Carter in the right Side of the end zone but the pass fell incomplete. Exactly three months later 12-0 Miami was voted no. 1 and 11-1 Florida state no. 2. Out of every 100 letters maybe one said should be gone for one said Bowden at the Pitburg officers club. Most Are positive from All Over the world Germany Japan England. Servicemen write and say they re glad i went for two. They say it s the american Way the patriotic thing. After the game i went into the locker room an apologized to the team. They said shoot no. We Don t want to go for one. We want two now i la Al ways go for two. I won t Here s Why what if i kicked and missed i could live with that. That s the first possibility. The second is if we got a tie and we were still not invited to the Orange bowl. We would t have had a shot at Oklahoma and the National championship. The third thing is if we made the two Points and got the National championship. The thing that Hurt so much is we executed the two Point play so bad. Just executed it is. Ken George Florida state head football coach Bobby Bowden has a Clear goal for his team we simply want to be the best/1 so on to 1988. The seminoles waste Little time seek ing revenge. They open sept. 3 at Miami. Then they play Southern Mississippi at Home visit Clemson an take on Michigan state at Home. That s maybe three top 10 teams in the firs month. I Don t know if we can survive it said Bow Den. We be got to get out of the blocks fast and Haven Florida state will have no Mcmanus. The Man who gassed for a fiesta bowl record 375 Yards was drafted y the Kansas City chiefs. That leaves senior Chi Ferguson and Junior Peter Tom Willis vying for the quarterback seminoles do boast four pre season All Ameri cans tailback Sammie Smith offensive tackle Pat Tomberlin cornerback Deion Sanders and nose guard Odell need two things to win a National championship said Bowden. You have to be darn Good. Weare. And you have to be Lucky. I can t predict that. All it takes is one crushing injury and you re like everyone Bowden and Bradley Faircloth supervisor of officials in the Atlantic coast conference were to con clude their Safe clinics Here thursday with morn ing and afternoon sessions at the officers club. The will move to Wiesbaden for More clinics saturday and sunday at Lindsey As. The clinics in Lindsey s recreation Center ballroom go from 9 30 . To noon and 1 3 . Each Day. The game plan for football 88 Pitburg a West Germany Bobby Bow Den s Florida state seminoles Aren t the Only col lege football team aiming for the National Champi Bowden considers Clemson Miami Oklahoma Nebraska and notre Dame As the top five threats to his no. 1 intentions. Bowden likes his tailback Sammie Smith As Heisman trophy candidate. The coach figures Florida s Emmitt Smith Urcla s Troy Aikman Alabama s Bobby Humphrey Peon state s Blair Thomas and leu s Tom Hodson Are other to Heisman contenders. Best coaches Othet than Bowden he Points to Miami s Jimmy Johnson Penn state s Joe a temo Oklahoma s Barry Switzer Georgia since Dooley Tad Michigan s to Schembechler. Bowden lived up to his King of the Road Moniker by winning lit Auburn Michigan state and Tor Foft in or. His Fife Evorite visiting Sites in order Nebraska notre Dame leu Penn state and Michigan. Houston gets notification of Mcaa investigation Houston a the no armally notified officials at the University of Houston tuesday of its investigation into allegations of recruiting violation Sand that coaches frequently gave Cash to football players. School officials released copies of the three Page letter from the Mcaa which was dated july 9. The school has until oct. 17 to re Spond to the letter. After that the Mcaa will consider what penalties if any to assess. The allegations Center on the Cougar football program from 1978 to 1984 when Bill Yeoman was head coach. Yeoman who resigned As head coach after the 1986 season declined tuesday to comment on specifics of the a Carletter. I m immediately reminded that someone else has indicated that they la take care of All revenge and they la Takecare of the judgment. So i think it would be vastly better for me to keep my Mouth shut Yeoman said. Us athletic director Rudy Davol Salso declined to comment on specific allegations. We re glad to get the inquiry an now Well have 90 Days to react to it Davalos said. It s already affected our program just like it affected some of the other schools in our area and around the country. We be just got to make sure things like that Don t happen again. Some of the things May have happened and some of them might not. It s our Job to respond and go i front of the infractions committee prob ably in Yeoman admitted last year that heave Money for humanitarian purposes to players who were broke or whose fam Ilies needed Money to cover rent or Utility Bills. Yeoman told a Houston in House investigation that players were never Given More than $35 at a time and the Cash was used to buy Gas and take care of specific needs. In March 1986, several former Cougar athletes told of receiving Large amounts of Money during their playing careers at Houston. Former players Lonell Phea and David Roberson said they received $18,000 and $10,000. Former running Back Kelvin Gill said he received about $ 150 Over two years. He was a also said he knew of an estimated 20 to 30 players who got personal Loans of up to $200 in the copies of the Mcaa letter re leased to the news Media names of play ers or coaches were blanked out and i their place the phrase a player or a coach were allegation involves a coach giving three players $500 during the 1984 sea son. During the fall of 1981, a coach allegedly gave a player $900 while Riding Inan automobile. During the 1982-82 academic year Acoach was alleged to have Given $100 loan athlete so his Mother could pay he electric Bill and then arranged Lor the player to obtain a round trip airplay ticket at no Cost so he could travel be tween Houston and Dallas to give the Money to his Mother
