Tommy Bowden Tuesday Press Conference

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Tue Oct 30 11:30:00 GMT-04:00 2007

Quick Notes and Quotes from Tommy Bowden's Tuesday press conference:

- Wake Forest game is a sellout, first time ever here at Clemson. Still tix available for Boston College.

- Duke atmosphere: All you can go by is history. Last 25 years we're 13-0 at our place, 6-4 there. Coach Ford took an undefeated team up there and lost.

- Motivation: This is 21-year old guys. Sometimes people forget when they were that young. We talk to our team about motivation every week. We talk about it. Talk about how important the game is. How much it means. Then you all (press) will write about Wake Forest and Boston College, and our players read it...Then they've got you. You have to be careful.

- How do you motivate them? Remind them of all those things. Throw it on the table. But eventually you have to get to the point where you show up every week with your 'A' game, regardless of opponent or atmosphere...Hopefully when they walk that 150 yards to the field, come around those pine trees and see 16,000 fans it won't bother them. But we won't know until we get there.

- Ford injury: Can use Spiller out there some, but have to call a formation that puts him in those places.

- Maturity: Like what we did against Central Michigan. Maryland, a tough place to play, good coach. You're behind, then rattle off 30 points. I like that. I like our team's ability to focus the last two weeks and not get distracted and discouraged.

- 2004 loss at Duke: Had big win over Miami the week before, so (being up and down) is a common thing to write. My team knows Duke's last ACC win. Whether that motivates them or not, I don't know.

- Grisham: His mental toughness, tough guy, caught the ball well and been a consistent player. Bouncing back in Va. Tech game after a bad Ga. Tech game, how he responded was impressive. That told me the most about him as a person, with his toughness, his character and perserverance.

- Offensive balance: Have to be pleased the last couple of weeks. Ran for 300-some yards against Central Michigan. Maryland always been tough on us in the running game and we ran for 249. Very happy with the balance.

- Ford's spot: Grisham will move there, and Rendrick Taylor will move into Grisham's spot.