CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Clemson Defense Hit Hard by Injuries


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CLEMSON -- Clemson was without two of its returning starters at linebacker in

Anthony Waters and Tramaine Billie at Boston College. They were ranked

first and third in tackles on the Clemson defensive last year,

respectively. Billie suffered a broken foot in the preseason and could

miss the entire season, while Waters tore an ACL in the opener against

Florida Atlantic and is lost for the season.

A third returning starter from Clemson’s 11th ranked scoring defense of 2005

is also injured. Michael Hamlin suffered broken foot while attempting

to make an interception in the fourth period of the Boston College game

and is out for at least 4-6 weeks. He will have surgery on Monday,

September 11. Cornerback C.J. Gaddis played sparingly due to sprained

ankle and is questionable for the Florida State game.

Hamlin is the third returning starter from 2005 on defense who will be

out for the Florida State game. Injuries had not been a problem in the

first seven years of the Bowden era. In his first seven seasons, a

total of 142 player games were missed due to injury, an average of 20.2

player games per season. That included 78 player games by would be

starters, an average of 11.1 player games per season. The most player

games missed due to injury since Tommy Bowden came to Clemson in 1999

was 40 by the

2002 team. That season there were 26 games missed due to injury by

would be starters, also the most in his era at Clemson.

Prior to this year, Bowden has had just five would be starters suffer

injuries within the first half of the season who missed he rest of the

season. Those players are Marcus Houskin, safety in 2001 who missed the

last 10 games of the year, Derrick Brantley, defensive tackle in 2002

who missed the last 11 games of the year, Toure Francis, CB, who missed

the last 12 games of the 2002 season, J.J. Howard, DE, who missed the

last seven games of 2003, and Vontrell Jamison, defensive tackle, who

missed the last eight games of 2004.

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