Steve Spurrier once lived to torment Florida State.
As coach of Florida, he sparred regularly on and off the field with the Seminoles. He was 5-8-1 against them, but won the 1996 national championship at Florida State's expense and famously derided FSU as "Free Shoes University" after players got in trouble for going on an agent-funded shopping spree at a Foot Locker store. He once accused a Florida State player of trying to intentionally injure Gators players.
On Tuesday, former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was in town as the keynote speaker at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast that South Carolina and Florida State attended, and love was in the Chick-fil-A Bowl air.
"I like Steve," Bowden said on his way out of the banquet hall at the Marriott Marquis hotel. "I always respected him."
Bowden, who retired after the 2009 season, said any semblance of a feud was a media creation, that there were never hard feelings.
At a news conference in the afternoon, Spurrier returned the gesture. He said a lot of fans don't realize how good Bowden's teams were, particularly in the stretch when Florida State finished in the top five of the Associated Press poll every year from 1987 to 2000.
"I think he's a little bit of an unlucky coach as far as having only two national championships," Spurrier said. "He could have had six or seven of them."
Spurrier said that playing Florida State does not have the same spark now that it once did, calling it a whole different scenario.
"I guess when they start playing that song, their Indian chant," and here Spurrier took a turn at the Seminole war chant, "then I'll say, ‘Oh, god, I've got to hear that all night again."
Ponder cleared
After elbow surgery in early December, Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder will play Friday. Ponder originally hurt the elbow on his right (throwing) arm in an Oct. 16 win over Boston College and has had trouble with it since.
But since beginning on-site practice Sunday, Ponder has been whistling tight spirals.
"It feels fine," said Ponder, who will play his final college game against the Gamecocks. "The past couple practices, no swelling or anything, no pain."
On South Carolina's side, guard Garrett Chisolm is doubtful to play after re-aggravating a knee injury during Tuesday's practice at the Georgia Dome.
Piling on
Both teams went to Fogo de Chao, the Brazilian steakhouse in Buckhead, on Monday, part of a weeklong competition. South Carolina's players and team staff edged Florida State, averaging 3.19 pounds of meat per person to 3.10 for the Seminoles. The average diner eats about 1.9 pounds, said general manager Rudimar Bonfada, who reported that the filet mignon, bacon-wrapped chicken breast and cheese bread were in high demand.
Said Bonfada, "Those guys can really eat some meat."
The teams were scheduled to continue the competition at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games in Roswell on Tuesday.
Double-digit goal
Both teams are trying to get to 10 wins, a number that Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher called "magical." It would be historic for South Carolina. The Gamecocks' 1984 team is the only one in school history to win 10 games in a season.
"It'd definitely be an honor, being our senior years, to go out and win 10 games and be regarded as one of the best teams ever at the University of South Carolina," fullback/tight end Patrick DiMarco said.
Florida State last won 10 games in 2003.
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