When West Virginia heads to the Gator Bowl to play Florida State Jan. 1 in Jacksonville, the overriding theme of that game will be as easily identifiable as a wide, straw hat and a charming Birmingham, Ala., drawl.

Everything will turn into one big going-away party for Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, 80, who announced his retirement Tuesday, effective after the Seminoles' bowl game.

And while it had been widely speculated for about a week that Florida State (6-6) was going to play No. 18 West Virginia (9-3), it didn't become official until just after 5:30 p.m. yesterday.It sets up a matchup between a program that Bowden has coached since 1976 and a program he guided from 1970-75.

"There isn't going to be another Bobby Bowden in this world," Gator Bowl chairman Dan Murphy said of the coach, who has 388 career wins: 315 at Florida State, 42 at West Virginia and 31 at Howard College (now Samford University). "This is going to be a celebration of a great coach, an icon and a true ambassador for college football."

On the other sideline will be a man able to attest to as much -- firsthand. West Virginia coach Bill Stewart, before transferring to Fairmont State, spent his freshman season at West Virginia. That was 1970 and Stewart was an offensive lineman who needed to put on a few pounds.

The West Virginia coach at the time? Bobby Bowden.

"I was a little, skinny kid out of Magnolia High School [in New Martinsville, W.Va.]," said Stewart, who competed on the freshman team that season, but was on the scout team for the varsity. "He was one of my heroes then and he is one of them to this day, and I am a drop in the bucket compared to him as a coach. ... When they do everything to honor him down there [at the Gator Bowl] I'm going to be right there clapping as loud as anyone."

The Gator Bowl officials should be applauded for their efforts in putting this matchup together as they eschewed a team with a better record -- a 9-3 Miami squad -- for a showcase with a nod to history.

The Gator Bowl, per its contract, needed to pit a Big East Conference team or Notre Dame against an Atlantic Coast Conference school this season.

Chairman Dan Murphy was interviewed on a conference call last night and had no qualms about piecing together what he felt was the best matchup that fell within the confines of the contract, regardless of Florida State's win total.

"I am not exactly sure what we should apologize for," he said. "We are putting together two great teams, two great programs, and I am not sure a bowl could put together a more compelling matchup."

It is also a matchup the fans from both schools have seen before. This will be the third time West Virginia and Florida State play in a Gator Bowl.

This also marks the 28th consecutive year Bowden has advanced his Florida State team to a bowl game, and there is a tremendous coincidence: The streak began in 1982 in the Gator Bowl when the Seminoles played the Mountaineers.

For West Virginia, it will be the seventh time the program competes in the Gator Bowl.

West Virginia is 1-5 in its Gator Bowl appearances, losing to Florida State (1982, 2005) Clemson ('89), North Carolina ('97) and Maryland ('04) while earning its only win in the game against Georgia Tech in '07.

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