Before he gets into evangelizing, Bobby Bowden has a football game to coach against West Virginia. It’s the Gator Bowl Jan. 1 at Alltel Stadium Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and the chief Seminole will not apologize for finally getting what his squad deserves.

“We’re the fortunate ones in my opinion to be there because there are other teams that have better records, but I’m glad we’re there,” Bowden said Tuesday. “1978, we were 8-3 and did not get a bowl bid and there were other people who got ’em with poorer records. We felt like we had not been done right.”