The Associated Press

New Orleans – With the clock showing zeros and his second championship secure at last, Bobby Bowden pulled off his cap and wiped his brow.

Wednesday, January 05, 2000

New Orleans – With the clock showing zeros and his second championship secure at last, Bobby Bowden pulled off his cap and wiped his brow.

He had a right to feel relieved. Perfection is never easy.

Florida State, led by Peter Warrick and Chris Weinke, gave its 70-year-old coach his first undefeated season with a 46-29 victory over scrambling Michael Vick and Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.

”I’m as glad for my guys and Florida State that we were able to share it together,” Bowden said Tuesday night. ”It’s a milestone. I could’ve gone the rest of my life and not had it happen.”

With sons Terry and Tommy watching – they coached Auburn and Tulane to unblemished seasons in the ’90s – the No. 1 Seminoles became the first team to go wire-to-wire in The Associated Press poll since the preseason ratings began in 1950.

Fittingly, their imperfect star provided the biggest plays on a night when Vick almost single-handedly won the highest-scoring Sugar Bowl ever.

Warrick scored a Sugar Bowl-record 20 points, catching touchdown passes of 64 and 43 yards from Weinke, running 59 yards on a punt return for a TD and adding a 2-point conversion grab.

”I had to go out and have the best game of my life,” the All-American Warrick said.

Warrick did little in Florida State’s championship losses in the 1998 and 1996 seasons. That changed this time as he wound up with six catches for 163 yards to win the most outstanding player award and earn a sideline handshake from NFL star Randy Moss.

While the Seminoles were 12-0 on the field, losses mounted off the field earlier in the season.

At least five players were suspended or kicked off the team for various reasons, including Warrick, who missed two games for his role in a shopping-mall scam.

”I wasn’t really focused on last year. That’s all behind me,” Warrick said.

The game was filled with big scoring plays and momentum swings. The Seminoles raced to a 28-7 lead, then the Hokies (11-1) came back to lead 29-28 late in the third quarter behind the electrifying Vick.

He spent the entire game on the run, leaving Florida State defenders and even a game official sprawled on the Superdome turf.

The unstoppable freshman quarterback scrambled for 97 yards and a score, and also threw for 225 yards and another touchdown. He was sacked seven times and pressured throughout in the Hokies’ first championship game in the 107-year history of the program.

”We did everything in our power we could, but that wasn’t good enough,” Vick said.

The 27-year-old Weinke, playing perhaps the final game of his college career – he’ll announce Friday whether he’ll return for his senior season – completed 20 of 34 passes for 329 yards. He threw for four TDs, two to Ron Dugans.

All week, Warrick and his senior pals promised each other they would do everything possible to avoid losing three title games. They did, helping Bowden complete a remarkable year.

Bowden won his 300th game in the first father vs. son coaching matchup against Clemson and Tommy, celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary and finally posted his first perfect season in 40 years as a coach.

The Seminoles were automatically crowned national champs in the USA Today-ESPN coaches’ poll under the Bowl Championship Series format.

Warrick, who lost his chance at the Heisman Trophy after his arrest, showed the big-play potential that might make him the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft in April.

Last season, he was held to one catch for 7 yards against Tennessee in the title game. In three previous bowl games, Warrick totaled five catches and no TDs.

He opened the scoring with his 64-yard grab, then took a punt and blazed to the end zone.

Late in the game, with half the crowd of 79,280 chanting ”Peter Warrick, Peter Warrick,” Weinke reared back and threw a 43-yard TD pass to the wide receiver, who caught the ball while diving into the end zone with a Virginia Tech defender draped over him.

”We made a great comeback in the second half, but they came back, too, and you have to give them credit,” Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said a few minutes after taking a telephone call from President Clinton. ”They keep popping at you and that Warrick, he had a great night. What a performance.”

Clinton also called the Seminoles, who lost last year’s title game to Tennessee 23-16 in the Fiesta Bowl.

”This is something I was waiting for,” said Weinke, who missed that game because of a neck injury. ”I rehabbed for eight months for this one. We said last year we could go wire-to-wire and when we went down in the third quarter, we responded.”

Bowden was glad for the players, and himself.

”It’s a load off your shoulder to win this one,” he said. ”This one I can enjoy. I already had a national championship ring, but these guys didn’t have a ring. Now they do. I have two.”