Bowers: "The season isn't over" |
CHESTNUT HILL, MA – Junior defensive Da’Quan Bowers sat quietly in the interview room following Saturday’s loss against Boston College, and said he will do whatever it takes to ensure his teammates don’t give up on the season.
The loss leaves the Tigers on the outside looking in as far as a run at the Atlantic Division championship, and Bowers said he wants everyone, including his teammates, to know the season isn’t over. “We knew what we had to do, and we came out and fell short,” Bowers said. “Now we are playing for the rest of the season, and we have to come back and just go to work. This doesn’t mean the season is over. We just have to come back and keep grinding and not lose focus. We need to come together and make something for the end of the season.” The Clemson defense was gouged by Boston College’s running game in the first half as the Eagles rang up 16 first downs, 220 yards of total offense and kept the ball for over 20 minutes. Running back Montel Harris was particularly effective in the half, carrying the ball 23 times for 109 yards for an Eagle offense that ran 36 plays to Clemson’s 20. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said following the game that Boston College ran two tight ends and used the fullback to create mismatches, but the Tigers eventually adjusted. “They had a good plan in terms of two tight ends and the two backs and trading some people early and creating mismatches,” Steele said. “They were loading up the run game. We knew what was happening, and we got it corrected. “The two biggest things that were costly were the 36-yarder [wheel route touchdown pass to Harris] and the roughing-the-passer penalty when we had them third and half the way back home. On the touchdown, we had a guy that just lost his eyes. And we’ve seen that before. Add to that the third down penalty, and that’s 10 free points.” In the second half, the Tiger defense limited Boston College to just three first downs, 84 yards of total offense, and held Harris to just 33 yards on 13 attempts in shutting the Eagles out. “Coach Steele came in and made some small adjustments that worked in our favor,” Bowers said. “We were able to get them off the field quite a bit. A lot of times in the first half, we knew what they would do, and they did a great job. But we played better in the second half.” At one point in the second half, Bowers was seen in the offensive huddle trying to exhort his offensive teammates to get a score. “I was just trying to pick them up,” he said. “I was telling them we needed them to score, but that no matter what the outcome was we were behind them 100 percent. I was just trying to tell them the defense was standing up for them. We put our offense in a bad situation by letting them run it down our throats in the first half. If we could have stopped them in the first half, it could have made a difference.” Bowers said that no matter Clemson’s record, he would continue to try and lead the team. “This was a very emotional loss, and we couldn’t overcome some adversity today,” he said. “But we have to come in next week with the same attitude that we have a chance to win the ACC. We can’t let this game be a shadow over us. We have to work every week to get better.”
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