Bowden not ready to panic
By Larry Williams
CLEMSON — A disappointing 3-2 start and a devastating, come-from-ahead home defeat to Maryland don't necessitate fundamental changes in Clemson's football program, coach Tommy Bowden said Monday.
Bowden expressed little alarm about the state of his program two days after a 20-17 upset loss to the Terrapins. With a few less penalties and botched plays, he said, the outcome would've been different.
"We've got a conference loss," he said. "It puts us behind the 8-ball. We're going to try to correct those mistakes and go win the next one. That's all we can do."
Fan discontent is at abnormally high levels because, in the 10th year under Bowden, the Tigers haven't shown
signs of fulfilling the great expectations they carried into the season.
Even Bowden's job security — thought to be strong after he signed a major contract extension last December — appears on shaky ground, according to sources. At this point, anything short of a trip to Tampa for the ACC title game could bring a change.
But Bowden, who has gone 10-10 in his past 20 games against Football Bowl Subdivision teams, says he's been through this drill before.
The Tigers get this weekend off before a Thursday night trip to Wake Forest on Oct. 9.
"In the 10 years I've been here, this is surely not the first time this has happened," he said of speculation about his job security. "That's kind of what you do is motivate your team and get them back up after a loss. That's kind of what coaching is. … There's major disappointment inside this building, and I know it is outside the building also. You feel the pain of not only disappointing yourself and your players, but 80,000 people."
Bowden said he's not planning to make a change at quarterback nor on his coaching staff.
"Usually you don't make them until after the season, but things start going through your mind during the season if you're not producing," he said. "That has not happened this year."
Clemson mustered just 112 yards in the second half after the offense seemed virtually unstoppable before halftime.
Bowden dismissed the criticisms that he abandoned the running game while not focusing enough on downfield passing to exploit a Maryland defense that had adjusted to limit tailbacks James Davis and C.J. Spiller, who combined for 193 rushing yards in the first half but just 31 yards thereafter.
Davis and Spiller had 21 carries in the first half and 10 after halftime. Quarterback Cullen Harper threw for 151 yards, and the longest pass was 24 yards.
Maryland turned two first-half turnovers into six points, and Bowden said second-half penalties were the culprit in creating long-yardage situations that made play-calling difficult.
The Tigers were up 17-6 on their second possession of the second half when Spiller took a quick pitch and raced 59 yards for a seemingly decisive touchdown. The score was nullified by a holding call on receiver Aaron Kelly, and the Tigers eventually punted.
On the Tigers' final possession, a 7-yard run by Davis gave Clemson a second-and-3 at Maryland's 42-yard line. A late hit by receiver Xavier Dye forced the Tigers into third-and-18, and they ended up turning the ball over on downs.
On their first four possessions of the game, the Tigers faced just one third down while building the 17-6 lead. They had nine in the second half, and they required an average of 9.4 yards. They converted four of them.
"If you look at the penalties and when you got them — I don't know," Bowden told reporters. "Y'all might call plays differently, but I've done it for a long time. And there's not much more we could have done."
Reach Larry Williams at lwilliams@postandcourier.com and check out the Clemson blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/tiger_tracks/
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Comments
tgrfan2 (anonymous) says...
"Not much more we could have done"?!!!! We have had ten years of that attitude. It is time to say change the attitude and direction TB or we will force the change.
September 30, 2008 at 6:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drcmlc (anonymous) says...
Yeah Bowden I think I would call plays differently...or at least different from the play calling of the second half. Maybe that's because I find it illogical to give two great running backs who dominated in the first half only ten carries in the second half. Nick Saban's motto to his team before they played Clemson and started their season was to "Finish". To finish every play and every game strong. I guess Saban didn't tell Bowden that when Tommy called him after Clemson's loss...that's too bad because Clemson could probably be good if they "Finished". At least they wouldn't be losing to Maryland.
September 30, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sbs920 (anonymous) says...
I just can't stop shaking my head everytime I read a tommy bowden quote. . . He just doesn't get it, does he?
all that freakin talent, it just blows me away. . .
its tough being a gamecock fan, I would think even tougher being a tiger fan these days. . .
September 30, 2008 at 10:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
huj (anonymous) says...
I see a lot of "we'll try" or "we'll attempt" to correct mistakes and win games. Just try? No "we WILL" anything. Not exactly confidence-building. This guy is out of ideas, but then again when has he ever had any to begin with? He's now officially useless.
September 30, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rebel1 (anonymous) says...
Please dont fire tammy. He is all USC has. With all that talent and powder puff sch any other coach would go 12-0. Please, please keep him and Im serious
September 30, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
GreenvilleGirl (anonymous) says...
Can Clemson afford the big $$ they would have to pay if they DID fire Tommy? And what idiot would want the job.
Cullen Harper has already graduated and is just riding out his eligibility. I don't see the same leadership from him as last year. The team seems very fragmented. Is it time to let Willie Korn get his feet wet? Maybe so. Can Korn rally the troups? I don't know.
With the payroll as high as it is at Clemson this year, you'd think there would have been at least one coach who was qualified to have:
1) seen the changes that Maryland was making in the second half;
2) known how to adjust Clemson's offense or defense accordingly;
3) make sure the change-ups were made;
4) know when to substitute players who weren't getting the job done.
The USC/Clemson game is looking more interesting. Spurrier needs to go, as did Holtz. Carolina deserves more than a coach who was once a good coach .... they need someone who is STILL a good coach.
September 30, 2008 at 1:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nappyd (anonymous) says...
I'm sure there were coaches there who saw them, he just didn't bother to ask them.
Can anyone name the # of times they've made adjustments to their gameplan during games though? They never want to admit they're wrong and it always comes down to execution or a few missed plays here & there, or the players aren't motivated, etc. Never "that was a bad mismatch but we kept trying it anyway and should've done something else", which can also help someone to look bad or like they aren't executing a play properly.
Dabo might not be ready for a head coaching job the way some people may be calling for, but surely he's at least ready to be an OC.
September 30, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tgrfan2 (anonymous) says...
GreenvilleGirl I think the question is "Can Clemson afford not to fire TB?".If he digs in because he has a LTC and huge buyout and continues down this path what choice does the administration have? The offense is not getting the job done vs good competition. It didn't get it done last year.
Last year it was Buchholtz and Kelly's fault according to the excuse makers. This year it is the O line, Jacoby Ford, Kelly again, and Harper?
Harper is setting the stage now for his pro career. Do you seriously think he is just riding out his eligibility and throwing away millions of $s possibly? Korn himself says CH is the better QB right now. Do you think he is just being nice?
CW and WP had an opportunity in the pros despite TB and RS. I hope Cullen can too.
I hope Korn has more time to develop and a new OC. Otherwise RS will probably make a pocket QB out of him next year to go with the experienced O line we should have!
September 30, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sbs920 (anonymous) says...
Need to go after Bobby Johnson at Vandy!
a '73 CU grad and D-Cood at CU in 93 with a 9-3 record.
Grobe at WF would be a good fit too.
Better do something soon, UT will be looking as will VA for a coach too!
Go after the Tex Tech coach too!
October 1, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
huj (anonymous) says...
There is $79 million in the university's rainy day fund. So yeah, Clemson can afford it; it's just a matter of actually, you know, doing it. More than enough to pay the buyout and hire a truly proven coach, which a good one will run at least $3 million. Unless Clemson goes the cheap route, again.
October 1, 2008 at 10:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drock4484 (anonymous) says...
Rainy day fund is not for athletics. That money came from tuitions and grants and is for academic use only.
The buyout will have to come strictly from IPTAY and booster's donations.
October 1, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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