NCAA Football Florida State

It's becoming clear that Florida State's Bobby Bowden, who turn 80 on Sunday, wants to coach the Seminoles in 2010.

The feisty Bowden has tipped his hand many times since coming under fire from high-level boosters, fans and the media following a 2-4 start.

Consecutive victories over North Carolina and North Carolina State have helped quiet restless critics -- and a victory Saturday at Clemson would vault FSU into second place in the ACC Atlantic Division -- and Bowden said Wednesday he will make the final call on who replaces retiring Mickey Andrews as defensive coordinator.

However, Bowden also stressed that head coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher will make a strong contribution to the process, so don't expect a disagreement conspiracy between the pair.

Both Virginia Tech and North Carolina want to move forward Thursday night following difficult losses. One of the two will be disappointed.

The No. 14 Hokies (5-2 overall, 3-1 ACC) say they are no longer stewing over their 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech on Oct. 17, despite the lingering chatter about the Yellow Jackets' chop-blocking techniques and how Virginia Tech no longer controls its destiny in the ACC's Coastal Division.

UNC is coming off a tough loss, too. Playing its first Thursday night home game a week ago, the Tar Heels led Florida State 24-6 after halftime and then fell apart, losing 30-27. The Seminoles had 285 of their 395 passing yards in the second half to keep the Tar Heels (4-3, 0-3) winless in the ACC.

It has reached this point at Florida State: panicking Seminole fans are searching for victories.

At 2-4, FSU and head coach Bobby Bowden need to find four more victories in their remaining six games to become bowl eligible. That challenge starts Thursday night in a nationally-televised game at North Carolina. The Seminoles close October against North Carolina State and tangle with Clemson, Wake Forest, Maryland and Florida in November.

FSU has played in 27 consecutive bowl games dating back to 1981, when the Seminoles went 6-5.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Herb Gainer's heart sagged.

As Gainer read the details Monday afternoon surrounding the stabbing death of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard, an eerie feeling overcame him. A day doesn't go by that Gainer doesn't think about -- even talk to -- his former friend and Florida State teammate, Pablo Lopez (pictured right).

Lopez was shot to death outside a campus dance in 1986. Gainer rushed to Lopez's side and held his hand as the offensive lineman lay mortally wounded.

There are at least two unidentified Connecticut players who have been so strongly affected by the stabbing death of Howard that they may not play Saturday at West Virginia. One player held Howard in his arms, while another tried to address the wound and was covered in blood.

Gainer can relate to their grief and emotion.

Virginia Tech travels to Georgia Tech on Saturday in what may be the biggest hurdle left on the Hokies' regular season schedule. The fourth-ranked Hokies are in prime position to be in the national title race with some help. They will also virtually wrap up the ACC Coastal Division with a win in Atlanta.

Of course, this isn't expected to be a walk in the park for Tech either.

The Yellow Jackets, who have won three straight, present a unique challenge to the Virginia Tech defense behind their triple-option. Over the last three games, Georgia Tech has averaged 472.3 yards of total offense. The Hokies, always strong on defense and special teams, appear to be finally clicking on all cylinders now that quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running back Ryan Williams are propelling the offense.

The 695-page transcript of the NCAA's committee on infractions meeting with Florida State in October 2008 in Indianapolis failed to answer one lingering mystery. Come on now, where did the black binder from Brenda Monk's office disappear to? There's also more intrigue, wink-wink, in the NCAA documents released Wednesday as the result of a news media lawsuit.

To think that FSU President T.K. Wetherell and the NCAA played so nicely together, with Wetherell going as far as to say in his closing comments that the pair's working relationship to come to a resolution in the university's academic fraud case would be a "classic case study" for others to review.

And if a pig had wings.

That honeymoon ended last month on Labor Day, when Wetherell went on national television before the FSU-Miami season opener and described the NCAA's dealings with the university as "bait-and-switch." The NCAA, of course, thought about it and fired back two days later and basically said Wetherell was out of his mind.

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Florida State has released 695 pages of testimony from the school's sanctions appeal before the NCAA Committee on Infractions last October, even as the NCAA is appealing to the Florida Supreme Court to retain control of those documents.

FanHouse acquired the transcript from a printing service Wednesday morning. According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the document was dropped off by FSU employees earlier Wednesday.

FanHouse senior writer Jim Henry will have full analysis Wednesday evening.

The 695-page transcript is of testimony given Oct. 18 in Indianapolis, with Dennis Thomas presiding for the athletic organization. Florida State president T.K. Wetherell and Brenda Monk, the learning specialist at Florida State who was in charge of the tutoring program in which the infractions took place, testified for FSU.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Sweet Ol' Bobby.

Bobby Bowden, who turns 80 years old in less than a month, once uttered that fans call him "Sweet Ol' Bobby" when he's winning. When he's losing? They just abbreviate it to "Ol' Bobby." Well, Ol' Bobby has to live with another frustrating loss and criticism for the next 12 days.

In an ACC shootout that featured dynamic offense and dismal defense -- and ended early Sunday morning due to a 78-minute weather delay -- No. 22 Georgia Tech beat FSU 49-44.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles entered Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday night locked arm-in-arm in a sign of solidarity. However, a strong, unified start against Georgia Tech has been slowed by the threat of lightning and severe weather, however.

The Seminoles-Yellow Jackets game is in a weather delay tied at 7-7 with 6:50 remaining in the first quarter. Both teams headed into their respective locker rooms after a Tech touchdown and extra point that tied the game. A severe weather alert was issued and a light rain started to fall.

A solid rivalry has developed between Boston College and Virginia Tech.

While the Eagles have won the last three regular-season games against the Hokies, Virginia Tech has beaten Boston College when its counted most in the past two ACC Championship games. Plenty is at stake again when the two tangle Saturday in Blacksburg, Va.

"These guys are a premier program in the country and they haven't skipped a beat since the last time we saw them," BC coach Frank Spaziani said.