Bowden Speaks On Schedule, Injuries, Spurrier

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Wed Nov 10 19:17:57 GMT-04:00 2004

CLEMSON - Though there are still two regular season games and a possible bowl berth left in 2004, Clemson - and the rest of the ACC - was given a glimpse of what the 2005 conference schedule will entail.

According to the Wednesday's release from the ACC office, Clemson will play each of the five other schools inside the Atlantic Division - Boston College and Florida State at home, while traveling to Maryland, N.C. State and Wake Forest.

From the Coastal Division, the Tigers will face yearly foe Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and will host Miami and Duke.

Boston College, who will join the ACC in 2005, is the only school in the country with a bowl win in each of the last four years.

Virginia drops off the schedule as part of the rotation, and the Tigers also will miss North Carolina and Virginia Tech.

"Boston College has been to more straight bowls than Virginia. That's nice to know," Bowden joked after Wednesday's practice.

Clemson's home schedule stacks up nicely for season-ticket holders. Joining the conference teams already scheduled to visit Death Valley are Texas A&M (27-6 winners over the Tigers earlier this year) and Louisiana-Monroe.

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Bowden continues to be pessimistic about the chances of wide receiver Chansi Stuckey seeing action Saturday at Duke.

"I'd say 50-50 at the best, the way he's hobbling around out there," Bowden said. "He's a skill guy, and that's what happens when skill guys (get hurt). You can't tell when most linemen limp. They waddle."

Fullback Cliff Harrell continues to work his way back from a sprained ankle, but his status also remains up in the air.

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Bowden said starting right guard Nathan Bennett still holds the upper hand on second teamer Chip Myrick. Myrick has been coming on strong of late after fully recovering from an early-season bout with mononucleosis.

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Bowden on the suddenly strong rumors placing Steve Spurrier in Columbia next season as head coach of South Carolina:

"He'll have 30 schools (after him), and half of them will have coaches who don't even know about it," Bowden said with a laugh. "I hope I ain't one of them 30."