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Mark Richt's final memory at Florida State is a painful one as it is for most Seminole fans. Going into the 2001 Orange Bowl the 'Noles were on top of the college football world playing in their third straight national championship game and going for a back-to-back titles. With a match-up versus upstart Oklahoma it looked like FSU would continue its run as one of the greatest dynasties of all-time.

Something funny happened on the way down victory lane. It started when star wide receiver Marvin Minnis was dismissed from school for academic reasons. A couple weeks later offensive coordinator Mark Richt was hired away to become the head coach at Georgia. Because of the timing of the hiring, Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden decided to retain his offensive coordinator of seven years to coach in one final game.


Georgia is 21-5 under Mark Richt

Looking back you have to wonder if that was the best decision.

The Seminoles rolled into Miami with the nation's No. 1 ranked offense. In fact, Mark Richt's unit finished the 2000 regular season averaging a remarkable 42.9 points and 549 yards per game, not to mention having Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke running the show from behind center.

With the massive arsenal and experience at Richt's disposal many expected the Tribe to easily roll over the Sooners, and in the process, bring home a third Sears trophy. At the time Vegas felt the same way and had FSU tabbed as a heavy favorite. Instead, the offense sputtered, clunked and finally crashed failing to score a single point while turning the ball over three times. When the final gun sounded the 'Noles had suffered a humiliating 13-2 loss.

As had happened so many times in the past after a loss, Mark Richt was left holding the bag and took most of the blame for the offense's shockingly poor performance. Instead of answering questions about the loss, Richt was off to Athens and on the recruiting trail within hours of the infamous bowl game. After that, he has barely commented on what happened that evening.

During a radio interview on Wednesday's Warchant.com Hour that changed. Georiga's head coach of two years personally took some of the blame for the loss. He also admitted that trying to juggle two jobs at the same time contributed to his poor performance in the coaches' box.

"You know what happened was, it was such an unbelievably busy time that I didn't have much time to feel sorry for myself," Richt said. "I felt bad for Florida State that I didn't do a great job of getting our guys in the endzone that day. I felt bad for me personally too. Even before that game after accepting the job and trying to do both jobs was very difficult to do and I didn't do a very good job of it."

Since that infamous evening FSU's football program has hit a bump in a road suffering back-to-back four-loss seasons. Meanwhile, Georgia's program has been on rise and is one win away from its first ever 13-win season.

For the first time since that night in Miami, Bobby Bowden and Mark Richt will be on the same field in New Orleans for the 2003 Sugar Bowl. This time, however, the two coaches will line up on opposite sides when the ACC and SEC champs square-off.

"I'm not too excited about playing him," Richt said of facing his former mentor. "I'm excited about the week and getting to spend some time together with everybody and just getting to know everybody again and then spending time with friends. But then you've got to play which won't be very much fun."

What FSU's former offensive coordinator has done in Athens since arriving is nothing short of remarkable. After a respectable 8-4 rookie season, which included a win over Tennessee in Knoxville, Richt has led the Bulldogs to an impressive 12-1 mark and the school's first SEC title in over 20 years. He doesn't hesitate in giving credit to his former boss and the Seminole assistant coaches for his success as a head coach.

"Just about everything I learned from coaching I learned from coach Bowden and Mickey Andrews, Chuck Amato, Jim Gladden, Billy Sexton and all those guys," said Richt. "Those guys are the ones I learned everything from. I was a graduate assistant when I showed up."

Although many fans in Tallahassee focus on Richt's last game as a Seminole, his memories of his time under Bobby Bowden are much different.

"The most important things off the field were all the great relationships that I had with the coaches and the players, the quarterbacks especially because that's what I coached most of the time. A lot of those relationships, I still have very strong relationships still.

"As far as games the two things that stick out in my mind are number one the 31-31 tie (vs. UF in 1994) was about an exciting time for me personally. That was my first year as a coordinator and we were about to get run out of the stadium and I guess it was more relief than joy but to come back like that was (good) and then winning the rematch in the Sugar Bowl was a great time. Winning the national championship in the 13-0 season was about as much as anyone could ask for."

It will be interesting to look back in a couple years from now and see where these programs, and coaches, are after this rare Georgia-Florida State match-up.

Hind sight is always 20/20...but it was a horrible decision
to keep Richt, after he accepted the Ga position.

At halftime...Bowden went to Richt to see what Plan
B was...That's when he discovered...There was no
Plan B!

Quote:"I'm not too excited about playing him," Richt said of facing his former mentor. "I'm excited about the week and getting to spend some time together with everybody and just getting to know everybody again and then spending time with friends. But then you've got to play which won't be very much fun."

What this doesn't say, but what UGA fans know is the reason he is not too excited about playing FSU is that he wanted to play a real BCS team like USC.

HA!

Yup, why would he want to play his former boss, who taught him everything and then left us in a pickle when we were to play for another National Championship. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

He left you in a pickle because Bowden has not run that team in years. And Richt should have told UGA to hold on to that offer and he will let them know as soon as he is finished with the season at hand....cause that is always how it is done. No coach ever gets offered a job or accepts one while his current season is still in progress.

:laugh: :laugh: opinions, opinions, opinions - you will always have your opinion and this woman who has been following college football longer than UGI will have hers... yeah right UGI... why should a man who taught those under him for 15+ years not let those under him run the show... give me another excuse :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

or as you say blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah




:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :D :D :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Quote:this woman who has been following college football longer than UGI

Now you're giving away your age, you old coot.

Stick and stones will break your bones, but calling me names will only get you in trouble... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: My profile would tell you how old I am. Old coot... hardly... a wise woman... more than likely unless I lose my temper with you youngster... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

This the season to be jolly :D

You should had censorship to your interests.



<!--EDIT|YouGeeAye|Dec 13 2002, 01:38 PM-->

Ms Nole, I think hamburglar may have migrated south-east for the winter.

MsNole,

I think it was a bad decision to let Mark Richt coach in the Orange Bowl after taking the UGA job. As I recall when Mark Richt took the job in Athens, Bobby Bowden had called Vince Dooley to suggest Richt in the first place.

Sentiment aside, he should have made him leave right then and there. His leaving along with Chuck Amato the year before has to have had a negative short term impact.

But that was then, this is now. And you are right...all UGI can do is offer an opinion. He can't possibly know which pants leg Bobby Bowden puts on first every morning, but you continue to imply you are privvy to the inner workings of the Seminoles football program. You have said more than once that you are a Friend of Bobby's. Good for you. But isn't the purpose of this bbs to provide a forum to post opinions?

You see, it all gets back to the original point UGI made back on November 26th: FSU has everything to gain and nothing to lose. If you lose, it is because Mark Richt betrayed Bobby Bowden. If you win, then losing Mark Richt wasn't such a big deal after all.

On the other hand, UGA has everything to lose. For that reason alone I pray we win!

Now go ahead and edit my post, or censor my comments, or post one of your condescending messages which always come across as a mother scolding her children.