Friday, Oct. 10, 2008

Morris: Ugly loss could signal Bowden’s end

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.

IF THE LOSS TO Maryland nearly two weeks ago served as the funeral for Clemson’s football season, then Thursday’s defeat at the hands of Wake Forest served as the graveside service.

The same rites could have been administered to Tommy Bowden’s coaching career at the school. In fact, Clemson fans might want to begin passing the hat. They will need to pony up $4 million to buy out Bowden’s contract and send him on his way at season’s end.

It is not likely Terry Don Phillips, Clemson’s athletics director, will make a coaching change at midseason. He often has said he waits until season’s end to make that call. For now, though, it appears Bowden is the program’s caretaker for six more games.

That kind of talk appeared to be the least of Bowden’s concerns following Thursday’s 12-7 loss to No. 21 Wake Forest.

“I’ve been coaching 12 years. I’ve been there a couple of times,” Bowden said. “If you’re going to worry about that, then you choose another profession.”

Make no mistake about it, a Clemson season with so much promise has morphed into one of extreme disappointment. Clemson’s record now stands at 3-3, and the Tigers are 1-2 in the ACC.

Clemson undoubtedly is college football’s biggest flop this season. It began with a No. 9 national ranking and an ACC championship and a BCS bowl seemed to be a forgone conclusion.

That was then. Both the BCS bowl and the league title appear to be off the table.

“I didn’t think we’d be 3-3,” Bowden said outside Clemson’s locker room Thursday. “I thought we’d be better than that.”

On this evening, the problems were with an offense that generated one 70-yard touchdown drive and not much else. No doubt, key injuries to running back C.J. Spiller and starting guards Cory Lambert and Mason Cloy played havoc with an offense that has sputtered most of the season.

To generate 21 yards rushing and 198 yards of offense is inconceivable for a unit that features so many explosive weapons. After the game, Clemson offensive coordinator Rob Spence appeared to be fighting back tears as he attempted to explain his unit’s ineffectiveness.

“I don’t understand that, OK,” Spence said. “That’s something we’ve got to just keep working on.”

There is a lot about this Clemson team that its fans do not understand, not the least of which are the woeful offensive showings against the three quality teams the Tigers have faced. Clemson managed 10 points against Alabama, 17 against Maryland and the one touchdown Thursday.

With any kind of offensive output, Clemson would have turned back Wake Forest. Its defense yielded 342 yards, yet kept the Tigers in the game by throwing up a brick wall near the goal line. Wake Forest finally penetrated it with the game-winning touchdown 5:28 from the end.

That touchdown, a 7-yard pass from Riley Skinner to D.J. Boldin could have sealed the fate of Clemson’s season and Bowden’s career.

“We play 12, and we’ve only played six,” Bowden said he told his team afterward. “We’re halfway through the season, let’s go get healed up, let’s circle the wagons and come out swinging. Let’s go to work and come out swinging.”

Accomplishing that will be the most difficult test of Bowden’s 10 seasons at Clemson. Equally difficult will be for Bowden to keep the support of Clemson’s fan base.

“At 3-3, you’re going to struggle to see who your leadership is,” Bowden said of his team. “We’ve got to struggle to keep some unity on the team, some cohesiveness. They’ve been pretty resilient so far, as far as coming and going to work at practice and keeping your head up. Again, the more you lose, the more of a challenge it is. There is no doubt about that.”

And what about the fans, many of whom began calling for Bowden’s head following the loss to Maryland?

“I know they’re disappointed. I’m disappointed,” Bowden said. “They’re as frustrated and disappointed as I am. So, you surely feel for them. ... You understand. You’re surely not naive to the disappointment.”

Finally, there is Bowden and his job. He certainly has vast experience at dealing with fan unrest. He has faced the firing squad at least four times the past five seasons. Each time, he has mastered the art of rallying his team and saving his job.

Never was that more apparent than a season ago when a total meltdown on special teams against Virginia Tech seemed to signal that Clemson was incapable of getting over the hump under Bowden.

Clemson rebounded to win five of its final seven games, and it seemed that Bowden had positioned his program for big-time results.

Unfortunately for Clemson and Bowden it has not worked out that way. A disappointing season has cast a dark cloud over the program and his head.

The sound was faint around BB&T Field Thursday night, but it probably could be heard loud and clear back in Clemson. No doubt, TAPS was being played on the Clemson season — and possibly on Bowden’s Clemson coaching career.

Listen to Morris Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m. on ESPN Radio 93.1 FM.