Bobby Bowden Sunday Media Q & A: Part 1

This is Bobby Bowden's Sunday press conference, Part 1. You get the feeling from reading his answers that there is a real disconnect regarding what is happening with this program.

How much recruiting does your staff do in December?

BOWDEN: Most of it is a dead period. A lot of it is a dead period. I think from Christmas to the bowls is kind of a dead period. So there's really not much you can do in there at that time anyway. Plus, this is not a big year for us to sign a lot of kids. We've got nearly everybody coming back, which is not going to give us a lot of numbers. If we don't use them this year we certainly can use them the next year. We'll still try to sign the best players we can get.

You said last night that you'd like to get a commitment from a new offensive coordinator before the bowl or as close to it as possible, right?

BOWDEN: I thought I said after the bowl, around January ... But there's no telling what I said last night. After a game, it don't count.

Just to be clear, are you just looking to get someone committed or are you looking to make an announcement before the bowl?

BOWDEN: I'm not concerned about a dadgum announcement. I ain't worried about an announcement. That's yawl's problem. I want a dadgum offensive coordinator. I want to get the best one I can get no matter what it takes. I'm not going to worry about announcing it. When it's a sure thing, I'll get it out as soon as I can. I'm not going to pin myself down to having to work under a deadline.

You also said last night that you would look for someone who has an offensive scheme that you would be comfortable with. Do you have something in your own mind what you'd like to do with the offense or are you open-minded as you talk to different coordinator candidates?

BOWDEN: Well, let me just say, I know what I'm looking for. I know what I'm looking for.

Can you elaborate?

BOWDEN: Can I elaborate? No, I wouldn't want to do that. Y'all are trying to find out who's going to be the coordinator. If I knew, I wouldn't want to be giving that information out yet.

We can rule out the wishbone?

BOWDEN: I don't know (he laughs).

Did you see any of the Wake Forest-Maryland game, Coach?

BOWDEN: I fell asleep . . . (Wake) had just gone ahead when I feel asleep. When I woke up this morning I had to find out who won so that I could vote.

Talking about being comfortable with a new coordinator, would you be comfortable with someone you didn't know, someone out of the Bowden circle?

BOWDEN: I'm looking for whatever was missing to find someone who can fill that, whatever that is. Whatever we just lacked ... I can honestly say I never came close to going through a year like this; not in wins and losses. I can't ever remember a year like this. You get blown out one time. You blow out three. The other eight games came down to the last minute. We won three of them. We lost the rest of them, five of them. But they all could have been won in the last minute.

We've lost games here before where you didn't have a chance. Look at Florida last year, they had us out of there by about the third quarter. They had us out of there by the third quarter. And you can look at other losses, but gosh this year, every dadgum one of them, if we could have won another minute we could have had a heck of a year. We got blown out by Wake Forest, who also blew out Boston College out and also blew out whoever (Maryland) they were playing last night. I mean as far as scoring points.

Golly, anyway, you've got most of these guys coming back next year. Can't you improve them a minute's worth? Yeah, I think we can improve them a minute's worth. That's what you are looking forward to next year.

How much can you put the problems on offense on the development of the offensive line?

BOWDEN: How much do I put it on the development of the offensive line? I don't like to put it on anybody. I don't like to say we lost because of this or because of that. Again, it's a case of where we all lose the ballgame.

But do you feel like you would have been in better shape if the offensive line had more depth?

BOWDEN: More depth? Well, if you had more depth everywhere it would be good. I'm not going to point fingers at the offensive line.

Is it fair to say that because the running game has been inconsistent and you've been lacking balance on offense, that you might have won some of those games with a better line?

BOWDEN: Well, it's obvious we don't block good enough.

You don't snap it very well, either?

BOWDEN: What in the world happened there? How many did we have (against Florida). (Poor snaps alone) nearly cost us the Boston College. We had third and three on their 5-yard line and got a rollback. Well, your quarterback can't look down field and try to pick up a darn ball. You look up and everybody is in your face. But we had a bunch of them last night. I don't know what caused that. You go two ballgames without one then all of a sudden you get that many. It hurt.

. . . We really needed that win yesterday . . . They are good, by the way.
I told Urban (Meyer) after the game that I believe that's the best Florida team I've seen since the '96 team as far as people. They have a ballclub, and I've said this about us, but not lately, sometimes you go into a season where you are set. You've got a kicker. You've got a punter. You've got a returner. You've got a defense. You've got an offense. You've got it all.

I kind of felt that way in '99, going into the '99 season. Florida has got all of that. They've got all the pieces. They've got great pass rushers. That's the best thing we did yesterday was protect the passer. They got to us some, but we did a good job protecting the passer because they've been eating everybody up, especially in the pass rush.

Now next year I think we'll be closer to that category. If you stay healthy.

Most of Florida's games have come down to the last minute as well.
Bowden: Yeah, and they've won them. They sure have.

And they don't have a good kicker.

BOWDEN: That's right. They have had a rough time. That's where we've matched them on. We didn't want them to have a disadvantage there.
. . . That's the way it goes with them kickers.