• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Depleted Seminoles make 26th straight bowl appearance

Dec 31, 2007 - 12:12 PM Kentucky (7-5) vs. Florida St (7-5) 4:00 pm EST Music City Bowl December 31

NASHVILLE, Tennessee Ticker) -- Florida State will be severely shorthanded when it faces Kentucky in the Music City Bowl on New Year's Eve.

The Seminoles will be without 36 players due to an academic cheating scandal, other violations of team rules or injuries.

Among those banned for the game in the ongoing investigation into the academic cheating scandal are linebacker Dekoda Watson and cornerback Patrick Robinson, who had six interceptions.

Also not on the travel list for the game is backup quarterback Xavier Lee, who started three games this season. Missing along the offensive line will be tackles Caz Piurowski and Damon Rose along with guard Jackie Claude.

Thirteen players who will not travel with the team have started games this season.

The Seminoles' top playmakers on offense, including quarterback Drew Weatherford, wide receiver Preston Parker and running Antone Smith, will play. Leading tacklers Derek Nicholson and Geno Hayes also will be on the field.

Although offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher has been named as his eventual successor, 78-year-old Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has no immediate plans to retire anytime soon.

After signing a one-year extension, Bowden, the winningest coach in Football Bowl Subdivision history with 373 victories, will return in 2008 for his 33rd season at Florida State.

The Seminoles ended an up-and-down regular season with a 45-12 loss to archrival Florida, their most one-sided defeat in the series since a 53-14 setback in 1983.

With inconsistent play at quarterback throughout the season, Florida State finished fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference's Atlantic Division.

Weatherford was only the ACC's ninth-rated quarterback, passing for just 1,773 yards with eight touchdowns. Smith led the Seminoles on the ground with 663 yards.

Florida State ranked only eighth in the ACC in scoring, averaging 22.9 points per game.

Kentucky will be a handful for the Seminoles, as it features a more prolific offense that averages 36.7 points per game - the fourth-best mark in the Southeastern Conference.

Senior quarterback Andre' Woodson, one of the SEC's most exciting players, is the leader of Wildcats' high-powered attack. He passed for 3,351 yards and an SEC-best 36 touchdowns.

Kentucky has four receivers with 50 or more receptions, topped by Steve Johnson, who caught 54 passes for 928 yards and 11 TDs.

Although Kentucky struggled down the stretch, losing four of its last five games, the Wildcats posted consecutive seven-win seasons for the first time since 1976-77.

Kentucky was involved in two of the season's most exciting games. The highlight of its year was a 43-37 triple overtime victory over then top-ranked Louisiana State on October 13.

The Wildcats nearly pulled off another upset in their regular-season finale before falling to Tennessee, 52-50, in four overtimes. In that game, Woodson passed for 430 yards and six touchdowns.