|
Friedgen |
BY JIM McCONNELL
They have known each other since both were graduate assistants under Jerry Claiborne at Maryland in 1972. They took Lamaze classes together when their wives were expecting their first children. They both own summer homes on Georgia's Lake Oconee and their families frequently vacation there together.
But for three hours tonight, Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer and Maryland's Ralph Friedgen will put their close personal friendship aside and try to win a football game that has significant postseason implications for both teams.
"He's a guy I highly respect. I've coached with him. I'd rather not coach against him, but both of us are going to work real hard to win," Beamer said of his matchup with Friedgen, whose Terps invade Lane Stadium for a 7:45 p.m. kickoff.
Maryland leads the Atlantic Division by one game in the loss column over Wake Forest and Florida State, but Friedgen hasn't had much luck against Beamer in the teams' previous two ESPN Thursday night matchups.
The coaches' friendship was seriously tested in 2004, when Virginia Tech rolled to a 55-6 victory in Blacksburg. A year later, the Hokies overcame four turnovers to win 28-9 in College Park, Md.
"That was one of those nights everything just started our way and went our way. It was an odd ballgame," Beamer said of the '04 game.
The ACC's schedule-maker granted the coaches a reprieve the last two years, but they weren't so fortunate this season. So tonight, as Beamer and Friedgen prepare their teams for battle, their wives will be exchanging pleasantries high above the field in the Beamers' luxury box.
"It's always hard when you coach against a friend," Friedgen said, "but we're in the same league so it's going to happen."
BOWDENS GET BREATHER
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden knows all about awkward encounters, having coached against son Tommy for the last nine seasons.
A 10th Bowden Bowl was canceled last month when the younger Bowden resigned as Clemson's coach, making this weekend the most stress-free Florida State-Clemson game family matriarch Anne Bowden has enjoyed in a long time.
"It takes out the fact that somebody in your family has to lose and somebody has to win," Bobby Bowden said. "But I will miss seeing Tommy out on the field before the game because you hardly get to see your children any more."
He probably won't miss having to match wits with his son, since Tommy's Tigers had won three straight and four of the last five against Bobby's Seminoles.
"Since I've been here it has kind of been business as usual because you just want to really win the game," said Clemson's interim coach, Dabo Swinney. "Coach [Tommy] Bowden never made it an issue. He never made it a bigger deal than it was. [It was] always a big game because it was Florida State."
That won't change Saturday for the elder Bowden, who insisted he harbors no ill feelings toward Clemson for pushing his son out the door.
"I'll be just as fired up for them as I am for Virginia Tech or anybody else because it's your opponent this week," he said. "As far as what happened up there, how can I try harder? What can I do?"
UNDER THE KNIFE
Georgia Tech's conference-leading ground attack took a hit earlier this week when left tackle Andrew Gardner decided to undergo season-ending surgery on his injured left shoulder.
Gardner, who was a first-team all-ACC pick last season as a junior, played with a torn labrum this season but aggravated the injury during the Yellow Jackets' Oct. 25 game against Virginia.
Instead of waiting to have surgery at the end of the season, he wanted to get it done now so he could be ready for the NFL scouting combine in February.
"It's going to be awful tough to replace Andrew. Without question he was our best offensive lineman," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "I'm very supportive of his decision. I understand it. He's played a lot of great football for Georgia Tech, so we were with him whatever he decided."
In Gardner's absence, sophomore Austin Barrick will take over at left tackle Saturday when Georgia Tech visits North Carolina. Barrick is one of 16 freshmen or sophomores projected to start for the Yellow Jackets.
Jim McConnell: 540/374-5444
Email: jmcconnell@freelancestar.com
