Bobby Bowden on BYU

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden just finished up a conference call with reporters from Utah.

He had a lot of interesting things to say, such as calling this BYU team the best one that his team has played (the Cougars and Seminoles have met twice before since 1991). He added that this year’s Cougars “might be the best BYU team I’ve seen on film.”

“I just remember how physical they’ve always been and it’s no different this year,” Bowden said, recalling the past two games. “They’re always a physical football team. They have to be. Out there, they don’t have the skill that they have in the deep south or in southern California, although I’m sure they recruit it. They’re a lot bigger than us, boy.”

He also called Saturday’s game “a defining moment” for his team, which lost to Miami and squeaked by Jacksonville State.

Bowden, who is almost 80, was asked several questions about his relationship with former BYU coach LaVell Edwards. He was also asked about current Cougar coach Bronco Mendenhall.

“I met him there (at a Nike-sponsored function),” Bowden said about Mendenhall. “I’m very impressed with him … He’ll be sitting beside you and you won’t even realize who it is. I don’t know a lot of these young coaches. I was impressed with his modesty and his mannerisms. I thought I saw a lot of class.”

Asked about scheduling this game, which happened when Edwards was the coach, Bowden said, “I don’t make the schedule, but I do approve it. It looks like I made a wrong choice, doesn’t it?”

Asked if the altitude will play a factor on Saturday, Bowden said, “We’ve played at Colorado once or twice. I don’t think Arizona State would be like Provo. We’ve never been to Provo. I don’t know if that’s worse — by that I mean, it could affect you — than Denver. I don’t know the relationship there. It never bothered us at Denver. It’s something I’ll never mention to my players.”

Bowden also said he doesn’t like the rain, or cold weather.