THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608250371
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: V19 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: College Forecast
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 84 lines
Everyone - Bobby Bowden included - agrees that Virginia did the ACC a big favor last year when it snapped Florida State's 29-game winning streak in the league.
For 3 1/2 seasons, league coaches had insisted that as powerful as Bowden's Seminoles were, they were not invincible. But it was not until the Virginia defense stopped the Seminoles inches short of the goal on the final play of the game that there was real proof.
``The league was stronger than everybody thought, but it didn't get much respect nationally because no one had beaten us,'' Bowden says. ``That is why us getting beat was the best thing that happened to this conference, and it probably didn't hurt us any, either.
``Every time we beat someone in the conference, people would say that we hadn't beaten anyone because no one else in the league was any good. I knew that wasn't true, and now my players know it is not true.''
But one loss in 32 league games is hardly proof that the rest of the ACC has caught up with the Seminoles, an annual contender for the national championship.
And no one is suggesting otherwise, which makes Florida State a heavy favorite to win its fifth straight championship.
Thad Busby, a junior, steps in to replace last year's ACC Player of the Year Danny Kanell at quarterback and the Seminoles return tailback Warrick Dunn, a Heisman Trophy candidate, along with a fleet of fast and talented receivers.
``I don't see any difference now than in the last four years they have been in the league,'' North Carolina State coach Mike O'Cain said. ``You have got Florida State, obviously the best team in the conference, and then you've got the rest of us bunched up in a group.''
North Carolina coach Mack Brown said the biggest difference between Florida State and other league members is its enormous depth.
``Most of us are very vulnerable to injuries,'' Brown explained. ``If we get two or three guys hurt at key positions, we are really in trouble. But I remember two years ago, Florida State lost four starters in preseason and no one noticed.''
Florida State's dominance in the league the past four years is not difficult to explain. The Seminoles for several years have been one of the very top programs in the nation, and they entered the league when several of the ACC's normally strong programs were in trouble.
Clemson, Georgia Tech and Maryland - all former national champions, were experiencing difficult times, and no one else had the firepower or speed to match the Seminoles.
Still, Bowden maintains it has not been as easy as the record indicates. ``We should have lost league games to Clemson and Georgia Tech our first year in the league,'' he said. ``We came from behind in the fourth period to win both.''
The league will be at its strongest in four years this season with Clemson, Georgia Tech and Maryland reaping benefits of rebuilding efforts and recent coaching changes. North Carolina also expects improvement as it returns 16 starters and switches to more of a pro-style offense.
Virginia has some patchwork to do in the offensive line and defensive backfield and must settle on a new starting quarterback, but the Cavaliers still are given best chance to challenge the Seminoles for the league title.
And why not? The Cavaliers, who shared last season's title with Florida State, have proved they can do it. But Virginia's victory also gives other teams fresh optimism about their chances against the Seminoles.
``I think we all try to win every game,'' said Clemson coach Tommy West. ``But deep down we knew no one in our league had beaten Florida State until Virginia did it last year. I think now other teams genuinely believe they can beat Florida State.''
Georgia Tech's George O'Leary was so excited by watching Virginia beat the Seminoles on national TV that he sent coach George Welsh a telegram of congratulations the next day.
``We needed for that to happen to get some respect for our league,'' O'Leary said. ``Now the rest of us have got to start beating Florida State, too.'' ILLUSTRATION: B/W file photo
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