Bobby Bowden on Spurrier at USC: ‘Who’s done better?’

Steve Spurrier didn’t miss an opportunity to take a jab at Florida State during his time coaching at Florida, but former Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden said he enjoyed what the Head Ball Coach brought to the rivalry and to college football in general.

Bowden continued to watch Spurrier from a distance as he moved on to the Washington Redskins and then back into the college game at South Carolina, and he was impressed by what he saw.

“I like him. I don’t know if he likes me or not, but I like him,” Bowden said from his home. “I followed him and then after I retired I enjoyed watching them play. I like the way he competes. There’s something special about him.”

Bowden said he was particularly impressed with what Spurrier did at USC, leading the Gamecocks to seven straight winning seasons, an SEC East title and three straight years of 11 wins.

“Who’s done better? Nobody’s done any better have they?” Bowden said of Spurrier’s time at USC. “When he won 11 games three years in a row, that’s unheard of at South Carolina. I’d like to see them get back up there because I think it is a great school.”

Bowden finished with an 8-5-1 record against Spurrier and said the rivalry was special.

“It was always a great game when he was at Florida because either they were No. 1 in the nation or we were,” Bowden recalled. “I think we won a national championship against him, and he beat us one year for the national championship. Back when he was there we both were in the top 10 every time we played, and it made a great game.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Bobby Bowden on Spurrier at USC: ‘Who’s done better?’."