Intensity Marks Monday Two-A-Days

Aug. 21, 2000

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Monday practices were more intense than coach Tommy Bowden expected coming off of Saturday’s scrimmage at Death Valley.

“The team was real intense this morning,” Bowden said following the afternoon practice session. “There was a lot of emotion out there, but the enthusiasm and effort was very good.”

Bowden indicated there were a handful of fights between his players at the morning session, but nothing to be worried about. He said they are the type of thing that typically happen late in the week when the team has been working together all week, not the type of thing that happens first thing Monday morning.

“That just goes to show the emotion our guys are playing with and the effort they are putting in it,” Bowden said.

Bowden said he had a chance to go back and watch the highlight film from Saturday’s scrimmage and said it didn’t really show anything that he hadn’t seen at the scrimmage.

“We were more detailed from a defensive standpoint,” he said. “The defensive is rolling with three teams and we are only going two on offense. I think they (the offense) are a little leg weary.

Bowden said it is good for the offense to practice against a tough and more athletic defense because it gives them good practice against a top defense.

“It puts them in the most adverse conditions and that is what you want them to perform against,” Bowden said. “I like it from that standpoint.”

The team will have a closed scrimmage Tuesday at Death Valley and that will bring another chance for individuals to prove themselves in the Clemson system. It will be the last time for the Clemson offense to work against the Clemson defense since the team will begin preparation Wednesday on the game plan against The Citadel, which will open the Clemson schedule Saturday, Sept. 2 in Clemson Memorial Stadium.

“If you want to get in the program, you had better stand out,” Bowden said of individuals fighting for a position on the depth chart. “Hey boys, this is about it.”

Junior linebacker Altory Bodrick, who played well in Saturday’s scrimmage, missed Monday’s practices with an ankle injury. He is expected to return to practice on Tuesday. Freshman walkon running back Ron Allen is out with a fractured hand. Junior center Kyle Young (foot), senior wide receiver Justin Watts (knee) and junior offensive guard Neely Page (back) remain out of practice. Derrick Hamilton, who had missed time because of a hamstring injury, returned to practice on Monday.

Tuesday is the final day of two-a-day practices since classes begin Wednesday.