Statistics a Double-edged Sword for Bowden |
CLEMSON - Statistics are for losers.
It's an old football axiom, and one that Tommy Bowden himself believes in strongly. Yet the Clemson head coach also is quick to pull out plenty of numbers when referring to his team's progress in a season that has quickly deteriorated from a 3-1, upbeat beginning to a .500 record and much sniping among fans about the direction of the program. He talks about quarterback Willie Simmons' completion percentage, the weekly increase - until last Saturday at Virginia, anyway - in total yardage, and defensive numbers which rank the Tigers No. 10 in the country. To fans, many of whom have been voicing their displeasure on local sports talk radio over Clemson's recent play, such statistical talk can come across as Bowden making excuses. But he, more than anyone, understands the only thing that matters is the bottom line. "I would say the phrase 'statistics are for losers' is very accurate," he said following Tuesday's rain-induced indoor workout. "What I try to use statistics for is for evaluation of personnel. Missed tackles, missed assignments, average yards per play - I use them more for evaluation. When I was asked about the play of my quarterback (during his Tuesday press conference), that's why I was giving those numbers. "But people are going to read that, and because of lack of space - and I know you'd never do this on purpose - (reporters) might write half of my answer, so it would be perceived by some people as making excuses. Statistics are insignificant if you lose the game. But they're very important for evaluating personnel." He continued to explain. "The offensive statistics we had at 3-1 aren't as good as we are now at 3-3. But in the evaluation of if you need to do a whole reconstruction of what you're doing, (the answer is) no. We just have to find out why we're not scoring points (Clemson is No. 7 in ACC scoring at 27.7 points per game). "But again you take all those things into context. "When I mention this year and last year, we're halfway through the season with what you lost (from the 2001 team and injuries in 2002), as the head coach I've got to look at that and block out the other." NOTES - The day-long rain kept Clemson from two very important aspects of its practice routine - its heaviest day of live hitting and live work with the kicking game. Bowden said he did spend alignment/assignment time on the punting game, but obviously wasn't able to have walk-on Kyle Tucker kick in full-speed conditions. He plans to watch Tucker today and Thursday before deciding if he will replace struggling senior Wynn Kopp Saturday against Wake Forest. - The indoor workout also failed to show if the injured Tigers - wide receiver Kevin Youngblood (hip), offensive tackle Gary Byrd (sprained knee and ankle), and running backs Yusef Kelly (groin), Bernard Rambert (bruised ribs) and Chad Jasmin (groin) had made any progress. "Youngblood was the only one who didn't do anything today," Bowden said. "He's still the furthest away." Dan Scott covers Clemson University for the Florence Morning News. He also hosts SportsTalk from 10 a.m.-Noon, Monday-Friday, on WCCP-Fm, 104.9. Click here for Dan Scott's SportsTalk discussion board.
Upgrade Your Account
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now
