Tommy Bowden Tuesday Press Conference

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Tue Sep 25 11:43:13 GMT-04:00 2007

Quick notes and quotes from Tommy Bowden's regular Tuesday press conference:

- Ga. Tech defense: They lead the ACC in tackle for loss and sacks. He brings multiple pressure looks. Five man pressure, three deep and three under. His deal is getting to you before you can decide where the hole is in that three deep, three under. He wins a lot more than he loses. He record bears that out.

- They are considered creative. Everybody does bits and pieces of what he does, but that's their main package. What's unique about him (John Tenuta) is the amount of times he uses it and the variations he does it.

- Last year we weren't that good, they weren't that bad.

- Clemson offense: Screen game is good vs. pressure. Multiple formations make you play a gap-sound defense. Sometimes that can take away from defensive aggressiveness and defensive calls. If we're on with the screens you have to be careful rushing the passer.

- They will play single coverage. Boston College attacked them downfield, but their quarterback might be the first guy taken in the draft. He's very accurate. Cullen has been accurate, too. But the further downfield you throw, the less the percentage of completion.

- Why didn't Harper play last year? Even he's said he didn't believe he was ready to play last year. If he said it, that verifies what we thought as a staff. He got better when he got more work, when we said in the spring 'You're the guy. It's your job to lose."

- No plans to redshirt Korn. Still intent to play him in a meaningful situation.

- We know more now about our team than we did four weeks ago. And we'll know even more after the Georgia Tech game. There's so much football left and the meat of our schedule is coming up.

- Tried to take a different approach with the team, and it seems like they've bought into it. I think the whole team's attitude is a little different about being 4-0 this year.

- Don't think we can answer the talent level of N.C. State until we see how the season goes. If they win 7-8 games, then it was a pretty big win.

- Offense getting it? Still too early. Thought we had it last year, and you saw what happened.

- If I had to make a choice, I'd take scheme over talent. LSU and Oklahoma have both, and we're on our way to that here. Never had a team here with as many weapons as we do right now.

- Players from Georgia: It's our second most important recruiting state. South Carolina is No. 1. We go to Florida and Alabama, too. But Georgia is important.

- Talked Sunday about coming back from a great performance. Ga. Tech responded after being humiliated on national TV last year. We went to Va. Tech and got humiliated. Tried to use Ga. Tech as an example of being focused week to week like they were last year.

- I did a poor job last year of getting the team better from week to week, rather than just beating the opponent at hand. We were competitive in those games we lost last year, but if we had done things differently last year week to week maybe we would have won some of them.

- Capote: Great example and great lesson. Christian Capote is a prime example of a guy who if he'll just stay here, try hard and you've got some toughness to you I think you'll eventually play. Like Chris Wade, a walk-on, getting on special teams.