Coach Speak with Tommy Bowden

Clemson Sports Talk airs weeknights on Fox Sports Radio 1400 in Columbia and Fox Sports Radio 101.9 and 1050 in Myrtle Beach and Conway. You can also listen on www.ClemsonSportsTalk.com between 6-8PM or listen to our podcasts at your leisure.

Each week, we are joined by former Clemson Tiger head football coach Tommy Bowden. This week we talked about Clemson's loss to Syracuse, Kelly Bryant's ankle injury, and much more.

On Clemson and Syracuse:

That offense reminds me of the adverse of the Georgia Tech offense. The Georgia Tech offense is unique in the fact that not very many people do it and they do it so well. This offense runs extremely fast-paced, and Dino Babers knows what he's doing. He's got a difference-maker at quarterback and wide receiver, and anytime you have that, you can protect them, not protect them, get the ball off quick with screens, draws, and stuff to slow the pass rush down, move the pocket.

It was the perfect setting for the upset on a Friday night, the 13th, large crowd, playing at home. Dabo’s done such a good job, of not letting his team get complacent, but man they’ve won so many games in a row, it's hard to convince them every game that you better bring your A game.

On when Kelly Bryant should have come out:

The final decision is going to be the doctors. Usually, the doctor makes his decision based on if the kid can hurt it worse. Now he's going to hobble around, but he can't get worse. A lot of times he will call the parents and will say, “Listen here's the situation. I'm going to release him. He's going to hobble around; he's going to be sore. You’re not 100%, but you can still play.”

The parents and the doctor say, “Listen, you go out pregame, and if you feel this way, you come see me and YOU let me know.” And I'm sure that's what happened, once the doctor clears him it is with the parents and that young man. Dabo could have vetoed him, as the head coach he's got veto power, but once the doctor clears him, that’s the decision. Obviously, there's a lot of separation between #1 and #2 at Clemson.

On having to go with the backup:

The most difficult thing is that the first team guy gets most of the practice time. Then the second team guy has got to go in there, and he's not nearly as prepared. His preparation is not as much as the first-teamer and a lot of times, the plays you've given your second guy, are the plays that you think he runs best. Those are the plays that you want to call for him during the game, so you go in there with a short stick. Simply from the preparation standpoint, when he gets about 50% of what the starter does at practice. That's what really hurts you.

Would being "worn down" be a legitimate excuse?:

Not really, players like that go out after playing a 3 and 1/2 hour game. They'll be out the door, in Clemson they'll be out on the dance floor dancing until 4:00 in the morning.  The more talented team just didn't come out with the most intensity.

No matter how much Dabo would tell them, you didn't have a Deshaun Watson or Ben Boulware there like you did last year. Sometimes it depends on the leadership of the team. Every year your leadership is different.  It happened to them last year, but they bounced back, but it doesn't happen to them much.