08-06-2002, 07:55 AM
From the 8/5/02 edition of the Macon Telegraph:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">CLEMSON TIGERS
Bowden faces make-or-break year
By Joseph Person
Telegraph Staff Writer
• Coach: Tommy Bowden, fourth season, 22-14; sixth season overall, 40-18.
• 2001 finish: 7-4, 4-4 (tied for fourth) in the ACC.
• Postseason: Beat Louisiana Tech 49-24 in Humanitarian Bowl.
• Returning starters: Offense (4), Defense (8), Special Teams (2).
• Local impact: QB Chansi Stuckey (Northside), LB Rodney Thomas (W. Laurens), LB LeRoy Hill (Baldwin), DE Rod Whipple (Wilkinson Co.), DT Nick Eason (Toombs Co.).
• Season opener: Aug. 31 at Georgia.
• Projected finish: 6-6, 4-4 in ACC.
At the ACC kickoff meetings last month, Tommy Bowden actually used the words "Clemson fans" and "objective" in the same sentence.
Surely, in the name of Tommy West, Bowden was joking.
After all, these are the same fans who called for West's head in 1998, never mind that that West had led the Tigers to bowl games in four of his five seasons. So it should come as no surprise that the death watch has already begun in Death Valley for Bowden, who is the only coach to lead Clemson to three bowl appearances in his first three seasons.
Perhaps Bowden was launching a preemptive strike, but the oldest son of Florida State legend Bobby Bowden believes that the Tiger faithful will give him at least a little leeway for taking what he portrays as West's chicken scraps and making chicken salad.
The spring after he left Tulane for Clemson, Bowden watched seven of West's defensive starters get picked in the '99 draft. In the years since the Tigers have had only three players go in the draft, and two of those were in the final round.
"Whether they're objective or whether they believe it or not, the draft is black and white," Bowden said. "I can't make the draft up."
But Bowden is living in make-believe if he thinks his job's secure even with another 6-6 or 7-5 record. After all, the Tigers had to buy their way into the Humanitarian Bowl last year, putting up $614,000 (with help from the ACC) for the right to go to Boise, Idaho and beat Louisiana Tech 49-24.
The word around Clemson was that Bowden pushed for the bowl trip to reach an incentive in his contract. If the Tigers struggle with Life After Woody (Dantzler), the only contract talk this December could be about the school buying it out.
Bowden bought himself some time last off-season by dismissing defensive coordinator Reggie Herring and replacing him with John Lovett, who was relieved of his duties at Auburn in a similar buck-passing move by Tommy Tuberville.
All this soap opera stuff might be a distraction at other schools, but it's as much a part of campus life at Clemson as orange Tiger paws and Howard's Rock.
"If something ever happens, it happens. That's the name of the game," linebacker John Leake said. "I think Coach Bowden's fine. Nothing's going to happen. We're not planning on having a losing season, anyway."
The key, of course, is how effectively Willie Simmons can replace Dantzler, who last year became the first quarterback in Division I history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. Because both quarterbacks are black and right-handed, Simmons hears Dantzler comparisons just about every time he leaves his dorm room.
But the 6-1, 195-pound Simmons is a better drop-back passer than Dantzler, who was the ACC's best tailback the last few years.
"We're really two different quarterbacks," said Simmons. "He's a more athletic type and he's going to do more with his legs. I'm going to stay in the pocket more."
The 21-year-old Simmons is not your typical first-year starter. The redshirt junior has played in 13 games and taken nearly 350 snaps in addition to graduating in only three years.
"He's got some discipline about himself," said Bowden, while conceding that Simmons faces new challenges this season.
"Live bullets are different than practice bullets," he added. "The real ones get you."
And if he's not careful, Bowden may end up in front of the firing squad himself.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Talk about a challenging beginning to "Life After Woody" with a visit to Sanford Stadium.
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">CLEMSON TIGERS
Bowden faces make-or-break year
By Joseph Person
Telegraph Staff Writer
• Coach: Tommy Bowden, fourth season, 22-14; sixth season overall, 40-18.
• 2001 finish: 7-4, 4-4 (tied for fourth) in the ACC.
• Postseason: Beat Louisiana Tech 49-24 in Humanitarian Bowl.
• Returning starters: Offense (4), Defense (8), Special Teams (2).
• Local impact: QB Chansi Stuckey (Northside), LB Rodney Thomas (W. Laurens), LB LeRoy Hill (Baldwin), DE Rod Whipple (Wilkinson Co.), DT Nick Eason (Toombs Co.).
• Season opener: Aug. 31 at Georgia.
• Projected finish: 6-6, 4-4 in ACC.
At the ACC kickoff meetings last month, Tommy Bowden actually used the words "Clemson fans" and "objective" in the same sentence.
Surely, in the name of Tommy West, Bowden was joking.
After all, these are the same fans who called for West's head in 1998, never mind that that West had led the Tigers to bowl games in four of his five seasons. So it should come as no surprise that the death watch has already begun in Death Valley for Bowden, who is the only coach to lead Clemson to three bowl appearances in his first three seasons.
Perhaps Bowden was launching a preemptive strike, but the oldest son of Florida State legend Bobby Bowden believes that the Tiger faithful will give him at least a little leeway for taking what he portrays as West's chicken scraps and making chicken salad.
The spring after he left Tulane for Clemson, Bowden watched seven of West's defensive starters get picked in the '99 draft. In the years since the Tigers have had only three players go in the draft, and two of those were in the final round.
"Whether they're objective or whether they believe it or not, the draft is black and white," Bowden said. "I can't make the draft up."
But Bowden is living in make-believe if he thinks his job's secure even with another 6-6 or 7-5 record. After all, the Tigers had to buy their way into the Humanitarian Bowl last year, putting up $614,000 (with help from the ACC) for the right to go to Boise, Idaho and beat Louisiana Tech 49-24.
The word around Clemson was that Bowden pushed for the bowl trip to reach an incentive in his contract. If the Tigers struggle with Life After Woody (Dantzler), the only contract talk this December could be about the school buying it out.
Bowden bought himself some time last off-season by dismissing defensive coordinator Reggie Herring and replacing him with John Lovett, who was relieved of his duties at Auburn in a similar buck-passing move by Tommy Tuberville.
All this soap opera stuff might be a distraction at other schools, but it's as much a part of campus life at Clemson as orange Tiger paws and Howard's Rock.
"If something ever happens, it happens. That's the name of the game," linebacker John Leake said. "I think Coach Bowden's fine. Nothing's going to happen. We're not planning on having a losing season, anyway."
The key, of course, is how effectively Willie Simmons can replace Dantzler, who last year became the first quarterback in Division I history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. Because both quarterbacks are black and right-handed, Simmons hears Dantzler comparisons just about every time he leaves his dorm room.
But the 6-1, 195-pound Simmons is a better drop-back passer than Dantzler, who was the ACC's best tailback the last few years.
"We're really two different quarterbacks," said Simmons. "He's a more athletic type and he's going to do more with his legs. I'm going to stay in the pocket more."
The 21-year-old Simmons is not your typical first-year starter. The redshirt junior has played in 13 games and taken nearly 350 snaps in addition to graduating in only three years.
"He's got some discipline about himself," said Bowden, while conceding that Simmons faces new challenges this season.
"Live bullets are different than practice bullets," he added. "The real ones get you."
And if he's not careful, Bowden may end up in front of the firing squad himself.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Talk about a challenging beginning to "Life After Woody" with a visit to Sanford Stadium.