Bowers talks about bowl and returning for a senior season

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Dec 30 15:41:03 GMT-04:00 2010

Da'Quan Bowers TigerNet interview (mp3 Format)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A relaxed Da’Quan Bowers was the center of attention at the media day function for the Meineke Car Care Bowl, despite the fact that he was having to answer more questions about his plans for next season than questions about Clemson’s opponent – South Florida – in the bowl game.

Bowers said he just wishes he was getting paid for answering questions.

“If I had $20 for every time someone has asked me about the draft, I wouldn’t need the draft,” Bowers said during the interview session at Fuel Pizza in downtown Charlotte. “I haven’t made a decision yet, and I won't make any kind of a decision until after the bowl game. That might be two days after the game or it might be on the deadline date. I really don’t know. Once I feel comfortable with the decision is when I will make it.”

Bowers, who sits a half-sack shy of Clemson’s single season sack record, said he is concentrating on South Florida and getting the record. Bowers said he had hoped to get the record in the final regular season game against South Carolina, but the Gamecocks’ game plan didn’t allow it.

“Run the opposite way and hold me on every play; I guess that was their game plan,” Bowers said of the Gamecocks. “I am definitely going after the record. I have to go and get it somehow, some way. But our entire front four should come to play, and if we do that it shouldn’t even be close because we have the best front four in the nation.”

Another hot topic of conversation was who South Florida head coach Skip Holtz would start at quarterback – runner B.J. Daniels or passer Bobby Eveld. Bowers said he is hoping for the runner.

“I want the runner, definitely,” he said. “Because at some point he is going to slip up and run my way and I am going to get him.”

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said he fully expects to see both quarterbacks play for the Bulls on Friday, and safety DeAndre McDaniel said the Clemson defense will be prepared for either one.

“One is definitely a scrambler and one is more of a passer, but we have been preparing for both all week,” McDaniel said. “I don’t know who we are going to play. I guess we will have to wait until tomorrow to see. They run more option plays with Daniels, but they run out of the spread and they pass out of the spread, so it really doesn’t matter. We can force them to react to what we are doing.”

*Clemson senior left tackle Chris Hairston said he has been hearing plenty about his potential draft possibilities, and that it ranges everywhere from the third round to not even being drafted. He said he has already committed to play in the East-West Shrine Game to be played on January 22nd in Orlando, Florida, and is thinking about playing in the Texas vs. The Nation game that is sponsored by the NFL Players Association.

*Quarterback Kyle Parker said he will take a week off following the bowl game, and then start training for his professional baseball career. He will begin hitting in the cages at home before reporting to Phoenix for spring training in mid-February. He said he expects to start with the Asheville Tourists, but is also excited about the opportunity to move up in the organization.

“I think I have the opportunity to progress,” he said. “They want me to be successful, and they have a lot invested in me, so I think I will have the chance to move up. I will kind of be on my own time until then, with weekends off, but I already feel like I need to get to work and get ready for the next level.”

Parker said he wants to end his Clemson career on a high note, and expects to play the majority of the bowl game, but hasn’t heard what the coaches’ plans are.

“I have good feelings about Clemson,” he said. “Clemson has been very good to me, and I want there to be good feelings whenever I leave. No one has told me anything [about playing time], but I just want to go out there and do what it takes to win. If he [Tajh Boyd] is playing well and that is what it takes for us to win, then go ahead and let him play. Obviously, I want to be the one out there making plays, but as long as we come out of there with a win then I will be happy.”

*Knowing how TigerNet sometimes turns into Uniform Central, I thought this was an interesting note. The Tigers are designated as the home team for the game [the ACC is always the home team], but will be wearing white tops with purple pants according the players I spoke with this morning. With the ACC always having the home team designation, the bowl still alternates years in which team [either Big East or ACC] can take first choice of uniforms. North Carolina had the pick last year, so South Florida had the choice this season and elected to wear their green tops.