By BRIAN WOODSON
BLUEFIELD — While the rest of the Gator Bowl world is focused on the final game in the career of Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden, the Mountaineers are worried about...the Mountaineers.
That’s the only way West Virginia second year head coach Bill Stewart knows how to put it.
“I want to worry about the Mountaineers. Will the Mountaineers go down and block? And tackle. And hit. And hustle. The cornerstones of our program,” Stewart said. “That’s what I want to know. Will the Mountaineers, this Mountaineer team, find the resolve and the resiliency to step up to the plate, take the battle to the shoulder, and play the intense football that we’re capable of playing?
“I hope that’s what you see. I hope that’s what I see.”
West Virginia (9-3), ranked 16th in the Bowl Championship Series standings and 17th (coaches poll) and 18th (AP) in the other two major polls will take on Florida State (6-6) in Friday’s Gator Bowl at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m., and the game will be televised by CBS.
Much has been made about it being the final game in the brilliant career of the 80-year-old Bowden, who has won 388 games in 44 seasons, including 42 at West Virginia from 1970-75.
Florida State figures to be on an emotional high entering the game, and Stewart thinks it’s vital for the Mountaineers to answer their early charge, and then settle into playing a 60-minute football game.
“We need to start fast, and we need to match their volley, we really need to start fast,” Stewart said. “We have to — if we can start like we did at Rutgers, play like we did at Pitt, even though we didn’t get points early, we sent a message early.
“If we can play like we did at Cincinnati, we’ll be in the hunt, because they are going to give us their best shot, without a doubt, for coach Bowden.”
While Stewart insists the Mountaineers should be their underdogs despite their favored status (2 1/2-to-3 1/2), the statistics show that West Virginia’s offense could enjoy a good day.
Led by Noel Devine, who has run for 1,297 yards (108.1 per game) and 12 touchdowns, the West Virginia attack is scoring 26.6 points a contest, although they’ve been limited to less than 30 since the schedule toughened after five straight games to start the season with at least 30 points.
Jarrett Brown has thrown for 2,129 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Jock Sanders has pulled down 70 of those passes and scored three times.
However, Florida State has struggled on defense, allowing 30.8 a game, along with 443.5 yards per contest. Dekoda Watson and Markus White lead Florida State with 10 1/2 tackles loss apiece, while Nigel Bradham paces the Seminoles with 88 tackles. Watson also has 4 1/2 sacks, while Ochuko Jenije has four interceptions.
Offensively, the Seminoles — who has averaged 29.8 a contest — will once again be without starting quarterback Christian Ponder, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a loss to Clemson. E.J. Manuel, a redshirt freshman from Virginia Beach, has started the last three games, throwing for 616 yards and running for another 126 and a score. He has, however, thrown six interceptions compared to a pair of touchdowns.
Jermaine Thomas leads Florida State with 711 yards on the ground, while Bert Reed and Rod Owens have 58 catches apiece for the Seminoles.
Since a win at seventh-ranked Brigham Young — one week after the Cougars upset Oklahoma — the ‘Noles are 4-5, including three straight defeats after that win.
Meanwhile, West Virginia has lost three games by a total of 25 points, with an underrated defense that’s held the opposition to 20.8 per contest.
Pat Lazear leads the Mountaineers with 73 tackles, followed by Brandon Hogan (71) and J.T. Thomas (71). Julian Miller has had a breakout season for West Virginia, collecting nine sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Robert Sands has pulled down five interceptions.
While Florida State among the other Florida schools have dominated recruiting the football hotbed that is the Sunshine State, West Virginia has been able to pull much of that talent to Morgantown.
Getting Devine — a highly-touted prospect three years ago — has definitely helped bring even more talented athletes to West Virginia.
“We have so many connections, it’s like a second home,” Stewart said. “That was big. This game will be big in the state of Florida. We’re going to have a big emphasis in the state and we want to continue that
“Noel was just another of many that has come up here from the state of Florida and prospered so much.”
Twenty-one West Virginia products will return to their native Florida to play the Seminoles, including Brown, Devine, Sanders, Sands, punter Mike Koslowski, receiver Alric Arnett and defensive back Kent Richardson.
Not to mention Geno Smith, who could replace Brown as West Virginia’s starting quarterback in 2010.
Stewart said success in this game could play a large role in attracting more talent to leave sunny Florida for colder ground in West Virginia.
“Anytime you have a chance to play in a bowl game...,” Stewart said. “...It’s volumes. Recruiting is such the lifeblood of any program.”
—Contact Brian Woodson
at bwoodson@bdtonline.com
