Audio And Quotes From Coach Bowden’s Press Conference

Dec. 14, 2001

Audio Media Player Sport Event Date Notes Football PressConference 12/14/01 TommyBowden

Extra practice “With so many returning players, it’s really a chance to get additional work for next year’s team. With most players returning on the two-deep depth chart, on both sides of the ball, a win would give you some momentum. All of your preparations are to win the game as far as formations and what personnel you are going to use. You plan to use the best guys to win the game. But again, because of whom we have coming back it’s virtually next year’s team. The priority is still to win a bowl game, especially here, where Clemson has not won one since 1993.”

Cold weather “For the guys that are playing, I don’t think it’s going to be that big of a factor because they’re going to be warm. The guys on the sideline, I hope they’re warm, but that’s not my main priority. When we played Wake Forest it was really cold. It was about 47 degrees plus the wind chill in Winston-Salem that day. It’ll be cold during practice a couple of days in Boise so there will be time to get used to the weather. Unless there’s a snowstorm I don’t think it’s going to be that big of a factor. “

The field “On Astroturf, it’s pretty good footing. I would think with our skill and their skill people will have an advantage. It’s not like some of the new stuff at Wisconsin where you can see the footprints, but it would be very similar to what the Peach Bowl was a couple of years ago and probably the Superdome in New Orleans. We practiced on grass five days a week at Tulane and played game day on Astroturf and it wasn’t that much different. “

Bernard Rambert “He’s practically played every bowl game I’ve had here as a starter because Travis [Zachery] has gone down early with injuries. If we were an I-formation team where we slug it up there 30-35 times a game it might be a factor to where he needs some rest. With the way our offense is right now with Woody being the quarterback/tailback, the duties are split as far as carries. Chad [Jasmin] will get work as a tailback rather than just fullback. Tore White would be third.

Winning a bowl game “It’s been close to two weeks since the Duke game and there’s still a positive flavor in the players’ attitudes. With a bowl win I think it would be the same way, it’s just a longer amount of time until you play again. We haven’t had that experience since I’ve been here. But being an assistant at other programs where we’ve won a bowl game going into the spring, it’s a pretty positive feeling. That’s a lot of guys that are going to be coming back in the spring that can carry a positive feeling into the lifting in January and the mat drills and then spring ball. We’re anxious to see how productive we’ll be because we haven’t done it in the two years I’ve been here.”

Feeling on how the team will play “I wish you could tell, but it’s hard to tell on a week-to-week basis. I really don’t know. How you prepare is a key sometimes, but you just never know. I think a lot of it as to do with your team’s leadership, chemistry of the team. An older, experienced team that’s been to a bowl game three times in a row might react differently in their fourth bowl as opposed to a team that hasn’t been to a bowl game in three years and then all of a sudden it’s there first one.”

Playing in a new bowl game “I’ve never really heard of the head coach at a school meeting with the governor for a long time, but we did when I went to Boise last Monday. It wasn’t one of those meet him and head out the door things, he actually sat down and talked with us for a long time. I think that shows it is a strong commitment from the community.”

Tech quarterback Luke McCown “He’s a very tough guy at about 6-4 and 195 pounds. He’ll stay in the pocket and take a hit. If protection breaks down he’ll scramble and dump it whereas our guy will probably scramble and run. Their offense, like ours, puts a lot of the burden on the shoulders of the quarterback. Louisiana Tech, their tradition and history is throwing the football. I guess it’s easy to recruit a quarterback when you do it year in and year out and they found a good one in him. He’s just a young guy, but their offense gives him a lot of opportunities to make plays and he’s been real productive doing it. “

High scoring game “I’m sure ESPN is going to be relatively happy because there’s going to be points scored. It’s not going to be a run-oriented game. If it’s three-and-out, it’s going to be three passing downs and out. We might run it a little bit more, but both teams are going to try to get it in the end zone as quick as possible.”