Clemson"s Bowden still chasing elusive ACC title
editor1 |Aug 25,2008
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Alabama at No. 9 Clemson, 8:00 pm EDT
ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Clemson coach Tommy Bowden has gained a
reputation for not being able to win the big one, but at least
he enters this season with more job security.
Bowden, who signed a four-year contract extension in the
offseason after contemplating an offer from Arkansas, opens his
10th season at Clemson with a potentially difficult
non-conference contest Saturday against Alabama in the Georgia
Dome.
Bowden, who owns a 69-42 record at Clemson, is still seeking his
first Atlantic Coast Conference title and may never win one if
it doesn't happen this season. With plenty of firepower, the
Tigers are an overwhelming favorite to capture their first ACC
crown since 1991.
Quarterback Cullen Harper returns for his senior season after
passing for 2,991 yards and 27 touchdowns with only six
interceptions. His favorite target was Aaron Kelly, who caught
88 passes for 1,081 yards and 11 TDs.
Clemson, which went 9-4 in 2007, also boasts one of the nation's
top backfield tandems in James Davis and C.J. Spiller, who
combined for 1,832 yards and 13 scores last season.
The outlook at Alabama is entirely different, as the Crimson
Tide looks to rebound from a disastrous finish in Nick Saban's
first season as coach.
Alabama dropped its final four regular-season games, including
an inexplicable 21-14 defeat to Louisiana-Monroe, then needed to
beat Colorado in the Independence Bowl to salvage a winning
season at 7-6.
John Parker Wilson returns for his third season as the Crimson
Tide's starter after passing for a school-record 2,846 yards
last year.
Wilson has started every game for Alabama the last two seasons,
but he has a propensity for making costly mistakes and ranked
only 92nd in passing efficiency in 2007 in the Football Bowl
Subdivision.
Alabama owns an 11-3 record in the all-time series with Clemson,
which posted a 56-0 rout of the Crimson Tide in 1975 - the last
time these teams met.
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