Tommy Bowden on:
Extra practice
"With so many returning players, it's really a chance to get
additional work for next year's team. With most players returning on
the two-deep depth chart, on both sides of the ball, a win would give
you some momentum. All of your preparations are to win the game as
far as formations and what personnel you are going to use. You plan
to use the best guys to win the game. But again, because of whom we
have coming back it's virtually next year's team. The priority is
still to win a bowl game, especially here, where Clemson has not won
one since 1993."
Cold weather
"For the guys that are playing, I don't think it's going to
be that big of a factor because they're going to be warm. The guys on
the sideline, I hope they're warm, but that's not my main priority.
When we played Wake Forest it was really cold. It was about 47
degrees plus the wind chill in Winston-Salem that day. It'll be cold
during practice a couple of days in Boise so there will be time to
get used to the weather. Unless there's a snowstorm I don't think
it's going to be that big of a factor. "
The field
"On Astroturf, it's pretty good footing. I would think with
our skill and their skill people will have an advantage. It's not
like some of the new stuff at Wisconsin where you can see the
footprints, but it would be very similar to what the Peach Bowl was a
couple of years ago and probably the Superdome in New Orleans. We
practiced on grass five days a week at Tulane and played game day on
Astroturf and it wasn't that much different. "
Bernard Rambert
"He's practically played every bowl game I've had here as a
starter because Travis [Zachery] has gone down early with injuries.
If we were an I-formation team where we slug it up there 30-35 times
a game it might be a factor to where he needs some rest. With the way
our offense is right now with Woody being the quarterback/tailback,
the duties are split as far as carries. Chad [Jasmin] will get work
as a tailback rather than just fullback. Tore White would be third.
Winning a bowl game
"It's been close to two weeks since the Duke game and there's
still a positive flavor in the players' attitudes. With a bowl win I
think it would be the same way, it's just a longer amount of time
until you play again. We haven't had that experience since I've been
here. But being an assistant at other programs where we've won a bowl
game going into the spring, it's a pretty positive feeling. That's a
lot of guys that are going to be coming back in the spring that can
carry a positive feeling into the lifting in January and the mat
drills and then spring ball. We're anxious to see how productive
we'll be because we haven't done it in the two years I've been here."
Feeling on how the team will play
"I wish you could tell, but it's hard to tell on a
week-to-week basis. I really don't know. How you prepare is a key
sometimes, but you just never know. I think a lot of it as to do with
your team's leadership, chemistry of the team. An older, experienced
team that's been to a bowl game three times in a row might react
differently in their fourth bowl as opposed to a team that hasn't
been to a bowl game in three years and then all of a sudden it's
there first one."
Playing in a new bowl game
"I've never really heard of the head coach at a school
meeting with the governor for a long time, but we did when I went to
Boise last Monday. It wasn't one of those meet him and head out the
door things, he actually sat down and talked with us for a long time.
I think that shows it is a strong commitment from the community."
Tech quarterback Luke McCown
"He's a very tough guy at about 6-4 and 195 pounds. He'll
stay in the pocket and take a hit. If protection breaks down he'll
scramble and dump it whereas our guy will probably scramble and run.
Their offense, like ours, puts a lot of the burden on the shoulders
of the quarterback. Louisiana Tech, their tradition and history is
throwing the football. I guess it's easy to recruit a quarterback
when you do it year in and year out and they found a good one in him.
He's just a young guy, but their offense gives him a lot of
opportunities to make plays and he's been real productive doing it. "
High scoring game
"I'm sure ESPN is going to be relatively happy because
there's going to be points scored. It's not going to be a
run-oriented game. If it's three-and-out, it's going to be three
passing downs and out. We might run it a little bit more, but both
teams are going to try to get it in the end zone as quick as
possible."
Tommy Bowden Press Conference
- Real | Windows Media
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