The "Instincts" Edition

Dabo Swinney says he needs to get back to his instincts. Plus Tommy Bowden joins the show to give us his thoughts on Clemson vs. FSU and the special relationship with his family.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Each time, or Clipson Sports Talk with Lawton Swan.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Finally, Clemson Sports Talk has come back to drive time.
Hell everybody, and Swan back in the saddle once again.
It is the show that shakes the South Lane. Clemson
Sports Talk for you each and every afternoon as you
make your way around the great state of South Carolina
and beyond, listening to us on incredible radio stations like

(01:04):
Fox Sports Radio fourteen hundred in the Midlands, heard around
the world on the iHeartRadio application. Download today is free
the website, but the dot com on it dog gone
at That's Clemson Sports dot dot com and the show
that Shakespeare South Holene brought you in part by our
good friends overrat Met's Plumbing A Matt's Plumbing dot com
two two six seven one oh eight. That's two two

(01:26):
six seven one zero eight. Now you might say, swannye
you you missed a note there. Yeah, As I said,
I've been dealing with my vocal cords bothering me, and
I think it's because I'm singing a little bit too
much singing that part of the show. Honestly, the more
I researched it, so pulling back on that today, also

(01:49):
going to try to be a little conservative with the
vocal chords by playing some of our interview with Chad
Morris earlier in the week here and now at number one,
because I know most you hour number one listeners have
not heard that, so we'll give that to you. But
we've also got Jason Priester from the Clemson Insider joining
us as well, so we'll jump out to the phone

(02:09):
lines right now. JP. Welcome in, buddy. How are you.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
I'm doing well. How about you?

Speaker 2 (02:15):
I'm good man. You know, it's a such a weird
season in so many ways because, like I think, if
you have a starting quarterback and they break their leg
at the beginning of the season and you got to
go to the backup and your expectations aren't met, people
look at that and I think they go, well, you

(02:37):
know what, but our quarterback got hurt. This is so sporadic,
it's almost I wasn't very good at battleship when I
was a kid, but that's what I feel like I'm
playing with this Clemson Tiger football team because if it's
not this, it's that. And and I think for me,
that's what probably concerns me the most is that I
can't just pen it on one thing in particular, at least,

(02:58):
it doesn't feel like that from the outside looking in.

Speaker 4 (03:03):
Absolutely, man that the problems have been widespread. As you
just said, you can't really pinpoint it on just one area.
You know, one week the offense is clicking on all
cylinders and scoreding forty five points, yet the defense can't
hold up. Another week the offense struggles into defenses holding
a team like LSU to seventeen points.

Speaker 3 (03:25):
I mean, it's just been.

Speaker 4 (03:26):
A little bit all over the place, and for a program.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
That's been as consistent as.

Speaker 4 (03:32):
Clempson has under Dabo Sweeney, you know, it just it
just kind of comes out of nowhere, and I think
that makes it even a little bit more surprising.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
One of the things that a lot of people comment
on when I if I post anything about Clemson at
this point, whether it's about a historic win at Florida
State in nineteen eighty nine, bouncing back after that punt
Ruski game, or whether it's Dabo Sweeney talking this week
about the fact that you know, if you were to
sat him down at the end into the twenty ten

(04:00):
season and said, hey, you're gonna have these these great runs,
but twenty five is gonna suck, he said, You know,
I would have taken that deal immediately. But fans like
you really start to learn, in at least in my business,
what fanatics are, and that's why that's what a fan is,
because they do not want to talk about what's happened before.

(04:24):
And I got to in my position, I grant Davos
Winny a little bit of leeway in that we've had
a heck of a run on this show. Like, they've
lost more games this year than I did on the
radio for like the first six or seven years I
was on the radio, so or the past two seasons,
I should say, they've lost more games than they lost
in the first six or seven years I was on

(04:45):
the air. And like, I just look at that, Jason,
and I go, Man, the consistency and how rare what
CLIPS has done is in college football. Fans do kind
of need to realize that.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
I think, oh, I agree with that.

Speaker 4 (04:57):
I absolutely think there were probably a a lot of
fans that did not enjoy the ride enough while it
was happening. But this new era that we're in now
doesn't help at all. You know, It's all, what have
you done for me? Lately type of thing. You look
at the firings at LSU in State we're talking about

(05:20):
at Penn State. We're talking about a school that made this,
you know, a deep run in the playoff last year,
and they're firing a coach.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
Yes, in my final point of the season. Yeah, in
a couple of plays away from beating Notre Dame and
playing for the national title.

Speaker 4 (05:33):
I mean, we're just in a crazy era right now,
and I don't think you know, fans care about what
happened last year, year before last, And there's so much
money that that's being invested now with the rev share
and the NIL stuff. It's just created a whole different
type of animal. And you know, fans don't want to

(05:54):
hear about what's going to happen next year, or or
building a program, you know, with with dad of the portal,
you can go, you know, build a team in one offseason.
They want it now. It's taken the word fan or
fanatic to a whole different type of level.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
Jason Priester from the Clemson Insider hanging out with us
here on the program. Go follow him on Twitter at
JP Underscore Priester. One of the other interesting things is
JP I feel like with the openings that we have
in the world of college football, whether it's LSU, whether
it's Auburn, Penn State. I mean, you can go all
across the country, Florida, Arkansas, et cetera. In the old days,

(06:34):
Dabo Sweeney's name would have most certainly been thrown out
for one, if not all of those programs. And it
wouldn't have been thrown out either by just like some
little sidebar conversation. It would have been on ESPN and
Fox during their big neon kickoff. His name would have
come up. But is it fair to say that most

(06:56):
of that isn't happening right now because people wonder if
Dablo Sweenie can be successful in this era, because to
be fair, he really hasn't been.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
No.

Speaker 4 (07:09):
I think that's totally fair, you know, I mean, this
was the year that was supposed to kind of prove
his way was going to work. You know, all that retention,
you're returning eighty eighty five percent of your production from
last year. You know, you've added three portal pieces, but
that that's hitting it. You know that that's a small
number compared to most other programs. So so that you

(07:32):
know all the preseason height some of some analysts out
there predicting the national title run. This was supposed to
be the year that that proved his model was gonna work.

Speaker 3 (07:42):
But it's it's it's been anything but a success. It's
been an abject failure at this point, to be quite honest,
and I think there are legitimate questions about whether he
can he can survive, not only win in this era,
but survive in this era.

Speaker 2 (07:57):
This is gonna be.

Speaker 3 (07:57):
A big off season for Dabbo. I think there's going
to be If you look what's coming off of the
team or what's expected to come off of the team
after this season, there's gonna be holes at a bunch
of different positions if they want to be competitive next year.
I don't see any way they can do that without,
you know, hitting the portal a lot harder than he's
hit it in the past.

Speaker 2 (08:19):
There have been moments in Sweeney's tenure where I would
say that, and look, I can regardless of how religious
you are, regardless of the way you try to live,
I think it is hard to stay humble when you
have the success that he has had, And there have

(08:41):
been moments in his tenure where I felt that he
came across as being arrogant and quite frankly, and I
love interviewing him one on one at the ACC kickoff,
but some of that, I would say even happened in
times where I've interviewed him there. And so I started
to change a few years back the dynamics of my
question recordognizing that he would hear the same things and

(09:03):
I would get just this coach speak of who they
are and what they've done. So I tried to change
that up a little bit and ask him more personal stuff,
to try to dig in a little bit deeper on
him as a person. And I bring that up because
this is a season where I feel like he has
been humbled, and I think if you just flashed back
to his comments early on in the year, you know

(09:26):
where he was saying about, you know, say we suck again,
you know all of that stuff, I think that's come
to bite him in the rear end. And I think
he recognizes that. Would you say that he's changed it
all from where we were at kick off of LSU
to where he is today.

Speaker 4 (09:45):
Yeah, I think at least a little bit. Definitely, the
tone has kind of changed, you know, you bring up
those comments about say we suck again. I can't remember
if it was that same day or a week later,
but he said something to him to the effect, you know,
we might end up being six seven, but I don't
think that's gonna happen. You know what, it turns out
that that's kind might be best case scenario right now.

(10:07):
I think maybe this season might have humbled him a
little bit. You know, all head coaches at that level
have got a little you know, they got some ego,
There's some stubbornness, you know, Dabostween he even said the
other day that, you know, people like to call him stubborn,
but he believes he's just strong in his conviction. I
think he got to have a little bit of.

Speaker 3 (10:25):
That to be a successful head coach at this level.

Speaker 4 (10:27):
But I mean there's probably something to it that he's
been humbled a little bit this season. I think the
tone in his pressers has kind of changed over the
past through three weeks. You know, I think he's realizing that,
you know, what he thought he hadn't placed there maybe
is not what he's got in place. I think he's
realizing there's probably some aspects in that program, you know,

(10:49):
maybe foundationally that that need to be addressed or tweaked
or overhauled. And you know, it's gonna be interesting to
see if he can identify those issues and get them
addressed in the off season because we've seen, you know,
I think we all expect, you know, some changes to
the staff, but we've seen several changes to the staff
over the past few years, yet the results haven't quite changed.

(11:11):
Maybe it's time to look a little bit deeper than
who's on the staff and see if you can identify
some of those issues you have maybe with the process,
you know, how you go about bringing players in right,
how you go about evaluating players, and those kinds of things.
I think there's a lot to look at and it's
going to be it's gonna make for one one interesting

(11:33):
off season in my opinion.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
Again, Jason Priester with us here this afternoon, talked about
the Clemson Tigers and one thing I said, for several
years during the incredible run that Clemson went on, and dabboshween,
you had the ability to be very selective in the
recruiting process. I said this quite a bit, and I
don't know that Dabos Sweeney would ever agree to this.
I think he would stand by his player. But I

(11:57):
said that I wondered, you know, during when when Clyps
is like in the midst of their incredible run, right
like say twenty eighteen ish, I would say on the air,
I'm like, I don't know if Dabosweeney would recruit Sammy
Watkins today. And I look at that statement now and

(12:17):
I wonder, does he need to go get some more
Sammy Watkins, some guys that might be a little bit
rougher around the edge, but you know, you got to
get a playmaker. You can't go get just this guy
that's just clean cut and maybe you know, like he's
come through this perfect system to set him up. You
gotta go get some guys that you know, as as
Shaq Lawson said on social media, you go find some

(12:40):
dogs out there.

Speaker 4 (12:42):
I was just fixing to say, just like you know,
Shaq Lawson's been pretty vocal on social media about this
team maybe lacking those kind of dogs.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
You know, if you watch it, watch these this teams
play from week to week, you certainly doesn't don't see.

Speaker 4 (12:56):
A lot of that on the field. Maybe he as
gotten away from recruiting those type of guys. I certainly
think if you kind of look at the recruiting classes
from one year to the next. You look at the
last four or five and compare it to the previous
four or five. They might stack up on paper, you know,
from a rating standpoint, or however that you know, the

(13:19):
average star rating thing. If you start looking a little deeper,
maybe they're not getting the guys that have that edge.
And that's kind of what it takes if you want
to win at the highest level.

Speaker 2 (13:29):
I just haven't seen a lot of that Jason Priest
with us here on the program. So Jason, I know
you focus on recruiting again. He covers the Tigers for
the Clemson Insider dot com. I think about like the offers, right,
and how Clemson holds those until guys are in their
junior season, until you've made a visit, And I think

(13:51):
about all of the recruits from coast to coast that
I hear say things like this, Well, the reason I
committed to Georgia was they were my first offer. And
you know, being somebody's first offer is still a big
deal for some of these kids. And I'm not saying
you're gonna land everybody that you offer first, but it
certainly doesn't hurt to go ahead and get your foot

(14:12):
in the door. Would you say that might be an
area that we see a change from Clemson or will
they continue to kind of keep it, you know, status
quo on that front.

Speaker 4 (14:24):
I think when you're winning, you know, winning cure's a
lot of ills, and I think when you're winning at
the level they won at for so long, you can
kind of keep its status quo and make that offer
be special, make it mean a little something more than
than an offer from say.

Speaker 3 (14:40):
Florida, who seems to offer everybody.

Speaker 4 (14:43):
You know, they'll hand out an offer and then not
even recruit the kid anymore. You know, Clemson doesn't do that.
They haven't done that for a long time. Like you
just hit on, they won't offer you to till the
June before the beginning of your junior year.

Speaker 3 (14:55):
And it's worked.

Speaker 4 (14:56):
But but you know, when you're not winning, you know,
some of the shine comes off of your program and
that offer maybe not maybe doesn't mean quite as much.
I talk to a lot of these recruits on the phone,
you know, after they visit and and things like that,
and I ask a lot of them, you know, how
they view Clemson's process compared to some of the other schools,

(15:18):
and most of them will tell you that they kind
of respect that, they like the they like the fact
that you have to earn an offer. But here over
you know, the past, since the beginning of the season,
let's say, you know, I've had a few more tell
me that you know that that's something they're not a
big fan of. You know, Clemson seems to be a
little late getting in getting their foot in the door.

(15:39):
I mean, although, to be fair, you can recruit a
guy hard and you know, not offer him until a
few months later, but still not having that offer, it
sounds like it's starting to make a difference with some
guys more so than it did two three years ago.

Speaker 2 (15:53):
Chason Priesters on Twitter at jp underscore Priester And so
let's talk a little bit about some of the good
I guess that we've seen with this team this year,
because it hasn't all been bad, right, I mean, I
think you you look at Braden Jacobs and his development,

(16:14):
I think I see a future NFL guy. I think,
you know, Clemson and through all this run really hasn't
had overly successful NFL caliber talent on the offensive line. Incredibly,
even going back to the you know, twenty fifteen, fourteen
to one season through ten years till today. But I
think he's got a chance to be a guy that
plays in the NFL for a long time and could
become maybe one of those dominant pieces that NFL teams

(16:37):
like to have.

Speaker 4 (16:39):
Absolutely, man, and it's when you stand next to him
or right close to him, you don't it's hard to
believe he's still a freshman in college and he looks
like a full grown dude six seven, six foot eight
or whatever he is. But you know, not only how
good he's been, but he kind of showed off that
versatility last weekend moving into out to guard.

Speaker 3 (17:00):
You know, he kind of.

Speaker 4 (17:01):
Proved he could play tackle and guard at this level,
which which is a very good trait to have. When
did you start talking about playing at the next level.
He has absolutely been one of the bright spots. Kind
of had a feeling we'd probably see him at some
point this season. Dabo even said in his Tuesday press
or that you know, we're not taking him off the field.
He's one of the best five, you know, on a

(17:23):
team that has definitely had a lot of disappointing moments
and a lot of disappointing performances. He's definitely been one
of the bright spots, you know, kind of like will
help on the other side of the ball. You bring
him in from Purdue, you know, want to hear very
few poor impactful portal takes and and he's kind of

(17:44):
set the tone along that defensive line along as he
lost him who I think has been another bright spot.
So I mean, it's not all been bad. Like you
said that, there had definitely been some some bright spots
along the way.

Speaker 2 (17:56):
And a final thing. We got a break coming up.
But final thing, I'll ask you when you kind of
look at the running back situation too, Like I think
we all would agree what Adam Randall has done has
been remarkable kind of giving the story line in the
story arc. But I think what is peculiar is how
long it's kind of taken them to bring along Gideon Davidson.

(18:17):
Given what we saw from him last week, I just
looked at him and I think, Man, why was this
kid not getting more opportunities earlier in the year.

Speaker 4 (18:25):
I've been asking that for weeks. You know, we kind
of saw the same thing last year with Phil MafA.
They kept running him out there and running him out
there even after he was hurt, basically playing with one arm,
and it wasn't really.

Speaker 3 (18:37):
To the ACC Championship game that we.

Speaker 4 (18:39):
Started to see a lot of Jay Haynes, if I'm
remembering right. Yeah, you would have thought they'd have learned
their lesson from last year when it comes to having
one of those younger guys ready to go. Gideon Davidson
is absolutely somebody I thought we would see, you know,
much earlier than we did. Understand, you don't see him
against the LSU an opening game of you know, of

(19:00):
that caliber, I get it, you know, but not seeing
him much against Troy the following week, I mean, it's
it's been a little head scratching, you know. He did
say when he spoke to the media tuesday, you know
that that kind of learning to pass blocking at this
level is something that he, you know, was a challenge
for him. He wasn't asked to do much at the
high school level. So maybe that factored in a little

(19:23):
bit when it comes to why we haven't seen him.
But but you think at least at some level he'd
start having that down a little bit earlier, you know.
Then right now, that's definitely been one of The biggest
head scratcher for me is why we have not seen
more of those younger running backs him and and Easy.
You know who's who's now in his second year. You

(19:46):
got to have more than one back to be successful
at this level. And for whatever reason, you know, they
have just solely relied on Rando up until last week's
lost to Duke.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
All Right, quick breat We'll come back with more. Jason
Priester right after this rocket and rolling along on a Friday,
Jason Priester the Clemson Insider dot com. That's the website.
He's on Twitter at jp Underscore Priester making his way
up to Clemson for the Tigers and the Florida State Seminoles.
And it's weird, Jason, because this matchup for most of

(20:19):
my life has had something in the bag for one
of these teams down the road. This year, it looks
like for these two teams it may just be which
one can qualify for a bowl game, which is wild
because I've been going and seeing Clemson in Florida State
since the punt Ruskie game, and to think that these

(20:41):
two teams are where they are given the expectations for both,
I would say in a large part coming into the season.
It's stunning.

Speaker 4 (20:51):
Yeah, Florida State kind of let me down last week
when they beat Wake Forest. That was their first ACC
win in over four hundred and something days. I was
kind of looking forward to, you know, promoting this game
is Florida State looking for its first ACC winning over
four hundred days and against Clips and looking for their
first Power five win at home in over a year.

(21:13):
But Florida State threw a ranch into those plans. But
man it is you go back to the preseason and
everybody would have thought this game was going to have
ACC championship implications and man, it just it just did
not play out that way. Both these programs have fallen
on some really hard time second season in a row
for Mike Norvel down there at Florida State. It's it's

(21:36):
really hard to put into words what we've seen with
both these programs, because, you know, I thought both these
teams are going to be really good coming into the season.
I thought Florida State had found the guy they needed
at quarterback with cost Castellanos, and man, it just has
not worked out for them down there. If they would
do come in again on a high after kind of
thoking Wait Forest last week. But one of these teams

(21:59):
is gonna to get right tomorrow and it we just
have to wait and see which one it is.

Speaker 2 (22:03):
Yeah, I'll be honest, I had not really paid much
attention to like their offensive numbers per se, But when
Demante k Part said, hey, they're one of the you know,
top offenses in the country, I thought, nah, he is
not all over and there they are five hundred and
somemid yards per game, but still just really struggling in
conference play and I guess kind of running up their

(22:24):
statistics in two of their first three games of the
season against you know, some directional schools if you will.
But still, I mean, to be this late in the
season and have an offense has put up those kind
of numbers, I mean, that is still pretty impressive for
Gus Malson in my opinion.

Speaker 4 (22:43):
Yeah, I think he's I think Myles On is one
of the better play callers in the country, to be
quite honest, tom And if you look at their numbers,
they're pretty impressive offensively. Anyways, you know, seven games into
the season, you know that that's a trend more so
than an anomaly in my opinion. But It's gonna lead
to some challenges for eclipsing defense that has not played

(23:04):
particularly well over the past two games, with all the
busts on the back end and all the chunk plays
they've been allowing. You know, this is this is a
dangerous offense that's coming into town, and they like to
pick up you know, yard, They like to pick up
those chunk yards.

Speaker 3 (23:21):
If if Clinton.

Speaker 4 (23:23):
Doesn't get some of those issues on the back end fixed,
it couldn't make for a very long night again in
dep Valley.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
Well, I I started thinking about that secondary and you
mentioned it earlier about the percentage of you know, offense
and players and snaps that are back for this team.
I mean, was was Mickens just that good for Clemson? What?

Speaker 3 (23:45):
What?

Speaker 2 (23:45):
What has happened on the back end?

Speaker 4 (23:49):
I think Mickens was that good. People like to rag
on Clemson's lack of development, but I think RJ. Mickens
was is a is the epitome of what development looks like.
He got better and better and better each year of
his career, and he was kind of the anchor back
there last year for that defense, and replacing him has
not been an easy task. I kind of figured coming

(24:11):
into the season, we'd kind of see Shelton Lewis at
the nickel or the tiger or whatever you want to
call it in this defense, and Khalil Barnes at one
safety spot and Ricardo Jones at another safety spot. But
that's not the way it worked out. You know, Tink
Kelly ends up beating out Shelton Lewis and then you're
getting Ron and Hannifin and Ricardo Jones and played a

(24:32):
ton of snaps those three guys. One thing they like
is experienced. That's a lot of inexperience on the back
end of one defense, and I think, you know, their
lack of snaps or their lack of experience, however you
want to term it, is just one of the things
that's impacting their play back there. You know, Jones has
kind of been It's kind of been trial by fire

(24:54):
for him. He's been good one minute and he'll have
a bust the next minute, something we see in young
players sometimes. I just think they have got far too
much inexperience on the back end of that defense.

Speaker 2 (25:04):
What do you make of Khalil Barnes, Jason, We know
he had the hamstring at the beginning of the season,
maybe that's part of the reason that he was loafing
against SMU on one of their big touchdown runs and
then this weekend kind of the face. I don't know
if all of that is indicative of one thing or another,
but what's been your take on his play, because I

(25:25):
thought when he was a young player, again, he was
a three star recruit that had committed to Wake Forest
and ends up flipping that commitment to Clemson, he was
becoming a pretty big story. Had a couple of big
plays against South Carolina, had to open that ball game
in Columbia two years ago. And now I just feel
like everybody's turned on this kid and he doesn't look
like the player we saw when he started at Clemson.

Speaker 4 (25:48):
He was outstanding as a freshman. I mean, he was
one of the surprises on the defense that season. Thought
he took a little bit of a step back last year,
maybe a sophomore slump, however you want to describe it.
He's definitely not been the same guy since his freshman year.
I hate the question of I hate to question some
guy's effort, you know. I think frustration can lead to

(26:12):
a lot of things out there on the field, and
maybe sometimes it looks like you might not be trying
as hard as you can. I think we've probably seen
some of that with Khalil. Don't know how much the
hamstrings still bothering him, if it is at all. We
know he had an issue with that in fall camp
and missed most of camp. You those are the type
of things that can kind of linger, you know, for

(26:34):
a while, sometimes throughout an entire season.

Speaker 3 (26:37):
But there have.

Speaker 4 (26:38):
Definitely been times where it kind of looks like maybe
he's not giving it as all. And you know, I'm
the kind of person that I'm gonna give you the
benefit of the doubt and I'll lay that on frustration
until until I'm proven otherwise.

Speaker 2 (26:54):
There you go again on Twitter at JP Underscore Priester.
Jason Priester from the Clemson Insider. Again, Jason, enjoy that
Clemson Florida State game man. Thank you so much for
your insight.

Speaker 4 (27:05):
Always a pressure a lot and appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (27:07):
There you go. He's on Twitter at JP Underscore Priester.
That's Jason Priester. All right, A three four five zero
zero eighty six. As I mentioned earlier, we're going to
jump into some of our conversation from earlier this week
with Chad Morris, and then will bounce back with Tommy
Bowden coming up as he joins us every Friday afternoon.
We'll catch up with Coach Bowden in our number two

(27:29):
quick break. We'll come back with more here on the
Show that Shakes the south Land Lawton Swine, Clemson Sports
all back with you on a Friday afternoon. Hey, don't
forgive our friends when you're up in Tigertown this weekend.
In Alumni Hall right there on the corner of campus
on College Avenue of downtown Clemson. It's Alumni Hall for
all your officially licensed Clemson merchandise, hats, T shirts, tailgate,
Gary Moore, don't forget to ask them about their Alumni

(27:51):
Hall rewards program. And Clemson students, faculty, and all military
get ten percent off of a shopping in store right
there on the corner campus on College Avenue, just across
from Bowmenfield. It's Alumni Hall where Tiger fans shop. All right,
as I mentioned, we're gonna jump into some of our
conversation from earlier this week with former Climson offensive coordinator

(28:14):
Chad Morris, who joins us every Wednesday. Coach, I know
you and the wife and family made your way out
to Berkeley, California. Was that your first time being there?

Speaker 5 (28:21):
You know, it's been it's been a it's been many
many minutes ago. I went out there and shot a
video for an offensive like an offensive video that h
that for DVDs and VHS tapes went out. All that
was in play back in the day, and uh, we
were able to get out in the into the Bay

(28:42):
area and go down to Monterey and but but yeah,
you know, for you know, for a couple of days,
Paul and I went out there and got there a
little early, and it was it was it was good.
It was it was good to go visit. Let's just
put it that way.

Speaker 2 (28:54):
Well, with some of the things that have gone on
in the world of college football over the past week,
Virginia now sitting on top of the eighth c C
five and zero in the conference. Their lone loss coming
to a conference team at NC State. We've talked about that,
but it was an out of conference game and it
was that same wolf Pack team that beat Georgia Tech.
I would imagine the wolf Pack faithful and Raleigh today
are saying to themselves, why did we schedule that Virginia

(29:17):
game is a now the conference game, Yeah, you know, and.

Speaker 5 (29:22):
It was it was good, of course, you know, that
was a that was I think week two of the season,
and and uh, I think you know, Virginia actually had
jumped up on them pretty good and and they you know,
they battled back and and uh kind of low and
they lost the lead right there at the end, and
then Channel let them down and had an interception right
there in the end zone. And but you know, a
heck of the game, and they were a good football

(29:42):
team playing them at third place, and just like Georgia
Tech found out, I mean, you know, anybody can beat
anyone on any given night in this league.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
Yeah, it is a very competitive league, especially at the top.
And now with the way some of us shaping up,
who knows who's gonna end up being in Charlotte for
the ACC Championship. But you know, you've been in situations
like this and you've got eight games in, you know,
or so and four remaining. How do you keep the
focus of a team, how do you kind of keep

(30:09):
that drive and determination locked in? Because I know these
guys have to be worn down physically and maybe more
importantly even mentally at this point.

Speaker 5 (30:17):
Well, you know, every every year this time of the year,
everybody's in the same position. Everybody's got bumps and bruises,
and everybody's you know, they're there. They don't have as
fresh legs as they had back in August, and and
it becomes more of a mental grind than a physical grind.
And because now it's just like with Virginia and coach
Elli Antoni and I were talking about this last week
after the game, is that you know, there's they got

(30:39):
three games left, they got this week, next week, they
got an open week, and then they finished up with
Virginia Tech and so and what you try to do
is just focus on one week at a time. You're
in the driver's seat, you control your own destiny. All
you do is just just focus on just let's let's
don't change what we've been doing. Let's focus on being
the best we can be every day. And you know,

(31:00):
let's go play this week, and then we'll regather and
regroup and then go play next week and then step
back and finish it. But very few teams, you know,
have the capability when you get into November to be
able to see the finish line and actually get through
the finish line. And Virginia is one of the rare
teams right now and that hey, they control their own

(31:22):
destiny and the sky's the limit for them. And staying
focused and just staying task on hand and keep playing
good football. And you have to be able to run
the football in the month of November. I've said that before.
You got to be able to run the football. It
takes so much pressure off of your passing game, and
it opens up so much of your passing game. And defensively,
you got to be a stop the run. And that's

(31:43):
those teams that come out of November are usually those
that can do those things.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
Again, Chad Moore is hanging out with us here on
the program off the heels of Virginia's win at CAL
thirty one twenty one. His son Chandler the quarterback there,
And we've been talking a lot about the world of
college football. So I'm gonna make you commision for a minute,
because the commission of the whole thing. Coach you've been hired,
it doesn't pay well. But Davosweeney got fined in the institution,

(32:11):
got fined ten thousand dollars for complaining about officiating, and
then today sort of doubled down, doubled down on his comment,
saying that, look, the officials are the only people in
sports that or at least at the collegiate level, that
really don't have to be accountable publicly for their cause. Now,
whether or not it was a pass interference, defensive pass interference,
offensive pass interference, should have been defensive holding, whatever, it

(32:33):
doesn't really matter. Do you think there needs to be
more accountability at this point in the sport for officials
or are you okay with kind of where we are
on that front.

Speaker 5 (32:43):
Well, there's always a human element that's involved, and that's
kind of what's made the sport all through the years.
It's what's made baseball. You know, they used to never
be the world of review, and so the human element
was a part of it, and and that just happened.
That just kind of came with the territory. But then

(33:05):
review came along and and to kind of help some
of those those things. And what I would say would
be this is that, yes, there's got to be accountability
on the on the officials apart. There has to be,
you know, because it's held accountable with every coach is
held of accountaboy. It can't be just oops, my bad,
we missed it and let's go on to the next thing.

(33:26):
I mean, there has to be accountability involved. So to
take that and to take more stress off of those
officials to whether or not that they make the right
decision or wrong decision at that in that in the
heat of that moment is take the final two minutes
of the game and make it make it under review.
So if you throw a pass interferance, we're going to
take it to review. I mean, we review just about

(33:47):
every spot that there is anyways, we review just about
anything and everything. Let's go ahead and just add those
those plays involved in it, or give a coach a
challenge flag or two challenge flags or whatever it is,
I don't matter, and to say, hey, okay, if you
didn't like it, let's challenge it and now you at
least you at least take some of the pressure off
those officials and whether they make the call, they don't

(34:09):
make the call, you know, the coach still has an
opportunity to to you know, to see if it wasn't
you know, if it was or if it wasn't. I
think I don't think you have to review every pass
interference call or no call. But I do think in
the final two minutes of a game, I think it's
you know, again, let's add that, let's add it to
the game. It's not going to add much more link
to the game. It's going to help the officials out.

(34:31):
You know, they're more apt kind of like targeting. They're
more apt to call a pass interference and then take
it to review than they are not. And so that's
my I was commissioner, I think I would be pushing
hard for let's do the final two minutes of the
game and let's help let's you know, because again it
comes down to some of these things and it's it's
it right wrong and different. You know, Let's don't let

(34:53):
something like that be an outcome that controls the final
call of the game, you know, so to speak.

Speaker 2 (35:00):
All right, that's some of our talk or our conversation
with Chad Morse from earlier this week a break. We'll
come back and wrap that interview with you right here
on the show that Shakes the south Land. Final segment
of our wood coming up Tommy Bowden around the Bend.
But first we jump into our conversation with Chad Morris
from earlier this week, coach, I know one of the
things you and I have talked about off the air,
and I know we want to get to this and

(35:22):
our listeners certainly appreciate and value the Olympic sports on
these campuses. But you know, there's this huge impact with
how much money's involved in football and the importance of
those Olympic sports, and some schools have already lost some
sports because of the financial situations that we're dealing with
at some of these universities. Just give us your thoughts

(35:42):
on that from the standpoint of you know, when you're
a head coach, you're of a college football program. I mean,
you're arguably the biggest figure on campus, but you know
those other coaches, you know those other players. What is
the impact that we're seeing and how valuable are those
Olympic sports.

Speaker 5 (36:00):
I'm actually I'm actually a part of a of a
group and we'll call it Fair Foundation, and it's it's
a project Hope, and it's it is it is the
fact of recognizing the Olympic sports are in jeopardy in
college athletics and even high school athletics. And so, you know,
because there is there's so much, there's so much money
being being pumped into these into the into the obviously

(36:23):
the other sports and and England that we just can't
lose focus on the fact that there's so many other
student athletes that are competing at a high level that
are part of the Olympic sports, and we we just
got to make sure that we bring awareness to the
fact that that this is this is real, the funding
in these sports are real, and and so yeah, I'm

(36:45):
I'm I've really taken a big interest in that. And
obviously I love the game of football and that's who
I am. But it's you know, it's but it is, uh,
you know, I just feel like there's a lot of
other student athletes out there that we just got to
bring awareness to well.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
And certainly you've got a daughter, and I know she's
grown and off and working at Old Miss as part
of their football staff. The fact of the matter remains that,
you know, some of these coaches do have daughters. Many
of them are very athletic. Some of them might play
volleyball or tennis or soccer, and if those Olympic sports
dry up at the collegiate level, there's really nowhere for

(37:23):
these young individuals to go and play after high school.

Speaker 5 (37:26):
Well, it's so true, and everybody puts so much time
and energy and effort into the training aspect of all sports,
and you want to make sure that they have a
fair and opportunity, fair opportunity to be able to compete
at the collegiate level. And again, you know, it may
not affect as much the Clemsons of the world because

(37:47):
there's so many more resources, but it does have an impact.
But you know, some of the other smaller schools, you know,
some of the funding they just can't hold up. And
there's just got to be an awareness about that and
just to understand that we can't let these these student
athletes go go go unnoticed.

Speaker 2 (38:03):
One of the things that we had a texture right
in about listening to your segment was about the aspects
of education at the collegiate level. And I don't I
don't know if you have these numbers now, I'm not
even sure really matters, but are most of these kids
the question was about do most of these kids go
to class on campus or are most of these kids

(38:24):
that are playing college football. Are are they doing, like
you know, enrollment online. Do you have any idea about that?
And when you were a head coach, did a lot
of kids do online stuff or most of these guys
going to class as student athletes?

Speaker 5 (38:37):
Well, I think probably a little bit of fifty to fifty.
I would say it's probably maybe sixty forty those that
go to class. But there's a lot of student athletes,
a lot a lot of the football players are on
you know, take classes online on Zoom or you know,
and so yes, that's that's a real thing. And more
of the older, older guys that are doing that, I know,

(39:00):
like Chandler at Virginia right now. I mean I think
the majority of his our zoom classes. And then you
you know, some of it is the fact that you know,
for some of the student athletes that may be more
of a higher profile athletes, but that is it's to
it's you know, get them on an online class and

(39:22):
let them let them excel there. But you know, you
still can't miss the college experience. So it's more of
the older guys than anything. But but yes, that's that's
I would say probably if went across the country's probably
sixty forty wow, in class to online.

Speaker 2 (39:39):
Well, I even heard the thing that got me thinking
about this week too. To go back to that question,
that came in from Tom a couple of weeks ago,
and Anderson listening to the show is the fact that
you know Wade would ass this week after Clemson's lost
to duke, the first time they've lost a duke at home.
Coach in forty five years, since nineteen eighty. I don't
know where you were in nineteen eighty, but I was
about three years old. It is probably running around shirtless

(40:01):
in the backyard. And uh he and way would. I said,
you think I want to show my facing class this week?
You think I want to show my face on campus?
And I thought to myself, well, it sounds like a
guy that's going to class. Let me dig that back
up when coach comes on with us this week. And man,
it was painful watching Clemson. You know again this time
it's the offense, coach. The defense really lets him down.

(40:21):
Uh just if the if the right one is not
getting them, the left one is. It's amazing the struggles
that Dabosweeny's teams had this season.

Speaker 5 (40:29):
It is and it's and it's sad. It's sad to see,
but you know, you know those again, those guys are
they're working their tails office. Those kids put so much
time and energy in and you know that's somebody's son.
Well you know what has it. That's somebody's sign out there.
And and and he hurts, you know, it's he shoulders

(40:50):
the burden as as so many of those guys do.
And it is, it's it is. It's sad, it hurts,
you know, but you know it's it is. It's just
it's one of those years right now, and you just
got to keep pushing through and playing through. But and
I feel again, I love this university and and love

(41:13):
what it has done, and and you know the success
that we've had, and and and and and the coaches
said and I'll continue to say as well, it will
get back. It will get back.

Speaker 3 (41:24):
It's it is.

Speaker 5 (41:24):
It is some challenging times right now. The fans feel it,
everybody feels it. But to lose at home and not
play well at home and protect protect the home field,
that that's you know, that's been a challenge, and that's
been that's been tough on everybody. And but uh, you
know it's a one. You you got to find a
way to finish November. You know, you got four they had,
you know, Clemson has four games left and you know,

(41:47):
let's let's go try to get a win this week
against a good Florida State team. And I say, good,
They're They're a team that's very capable of of you know,
they could be sitting here with with one loss on
the year, just as just as clem I'm gonna be
sitting here undefeated. I mean, it's it's a play here,
play there, and so yeah, it's it's it's tough right now,
but uh, you know, you know, it'll it'll it'll make

(42:11):
everybody continue to appreciate when when it does turn back around,
and it will turn back around, that there's greater days ahead.

Speaker 2 (42:17):
There you go. That's our Time with Chad Morris, that
fully interview in the Wednesday edition of the program. Our
two tell me about enjoys. Just keep it locked.

Speaker 1 (42:25):
It's time for Clipson Sports Talk with Luwton swan.

Speaker 2 (43:05):
It is our number two. That'st drive time rad on
the show The Shakes of South Planta Clempson Sports Salon
Swan Hey now with you. Former Clipson Tiger Head coach
Tommy Bowden joins us here on a Friday afternoon, and
it's a special game always when Clemson and Florida State
meet for the Bowden family as Tommy's father, Bobby is

(43:30):
the legendary head coach, former head coach at FSU. Again,
you can be a part of the program anytime on
our website, Clympsonsupports dot com. And don't forget our two
of the programs brought to you in part by our
good friends over at mets Plumb in mets Plumb and
dot com two two six seven, that's two two six
seven to one zero eight and we'll get joined up

(43:53):
with Coach Bowden here in a few minutes. You know,
I've been putting together each week some of these graphics
of the games, you know, like Clemson versus Florida State
two thousand and nine. CJ. Spiller had a huge performance
that game, and you'll put together, you know, when Clemson

(44:14):
went down to Tallahassee following the punt Rouskie season and
one down there. What's hilarious to me. I can't remember
if I mentioned this to you guys or not. I
know I told one of my buddies this today is
that people will post their first response to me is
why are we talking about the past? Why are you

(44:35):
why swanee? Are you talking about the past? And you
know what I want to say. What am I supposed
to make a graphic about a future score? Would that
be great if I put together a score for what
I think Clemson in Florida State will be in twenty
twenty nine. Would that be more fun for you than

(44:57):
a graphic of Derek Hamilton noodle taking one to the house.
When Clemson beat number three Florida State twenty six to ten,
did they radio ran down the hill? Will says that
was the last time that the goalpost came down in

(45:19):
Death Valley. I didn't realize that fact. Will's dropping nuggets
on us, talking about somebody that can drop some nuggets
with us. Year about this Clemson Florida State rivalry. Tommy Boalten,
former Clemson Tiger head coach, joins us now on a
Friday afternoon. Coach, welcome in, man. What a special game
for your family anytime Florida State and Clemson face off.

Speaker 3 (45:44):
Yeah, it really is. You know. My first year at
Florida State, of course, my father went undefeated and won
the national championship, and then I think the first time
we beat them, I think they were number three in
the nation. So you know, we had some great games.
It was good for television. But you know, Lord, I
was thinking about this week. I cannot remember a time

(46:06):
when these two teams were at this stage in their programs.
And it's just when I came in ninety nine, Florida
State was so much better and it was who was second?
But how far was the second place team behind them?
Then Clemson turns the tables and now it's last few

(46:28):
years of Dad Boat. Who was second? How far were
they behind Clemson? Now Clemson's not in the talk, Florida
State's not the talk, Miami's not in the talk, and
Virginia check is not in the talk at all. Unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (46:42):
Listen, I said earlier this week, Miami's got to be
the team that's really kicking themselves this season because you
have Clemson and Florida State both with just epic stumbles
and they can't capitalize on it. And that's a team
coach has been in the league for twenty one seasons
and the Miami Hurricanes have never won the Atlantic Coast Conference.

(47:04):
And you could certainly speak to how good that program
was in the nineteen eighties.

Speaker 3 (47:10):
Oh, it's unbelievable. And I can remember we beat him
one year down there when it's the first game they
had lost in like twenty Some games are are in
a long time at home, and they were just Gary
Gary Cocher I think was the head coach and had
won a national championship right before they came in, and

(47:31):
they have never That's why I kind of mentioned Clemson,
Florida State, Miami, who everybody thought for years would surface
near the top, and in Virginia Tech, which I think
my father played for national championship. Yeah, those teams right now,
you just it's there. They're not a factor. Miami did
the same thing low and seems like last year Miami's

(47:54):
back looks like their signs they make it. They're making it,
and again some a couple of losses back to back
and they're back to normal.

Speaker 2 (48:02):
Miami, normal Miami. And this week I think tickets to
get in there to see them play, I want to
say they might be playing Syracuse. It's six dollars coach,
six bus to get in unbelievable. But yeah, this rivalry,
let's just talk a little bit about it because over
the years, obviously you and I have hashed it out

(48:23):
a lot, and each year, obviously with the radio, there's
new listeners and people that maybe don't know the stories.
But how do you see this game as a guy
that was employed by Clemson, as a guy whose father
is the legend in terms of the head coach at
Florida State? How do you how do you even view
this theme? Because when I try to place myself in

(48:44):
a similar situation, it really doesn't compute. It's very hard
for me to process.

Speaker 3 (48:51):
Well, it really is. Especially I think as long as
I have been run doing this show and been in
the conference, it's been Farida State. When I was in
I was coaching at Clemson. Who can catch them? How
soon can you catch them? And then Clemson flipped the
script and it's Clemson? And then how far they've be
ahead of everybody else? But now this year, Lord, I

(49:14):
cannot remember a year. You know, Florida State went two
and ten last year, but Clemson won the ACC this year?
Do they both have three wins? Is that where it's at?

Speaker 2 (49:25):
Well, I think Florida State's got four. But it's not pretty.

Speaker 3 (49:28):
I mean, yeah, yeah, no, no, it's just unbelievable. I
you know, we're sitting there talking and I just can't
remember in the last gosh, twenty some years when we've
ever faced this scenario where you've got to kind of
really really I wouldn't say average teams that've got really
a good coaching. They've got above above average talent both

(49:49):
of them, but just underachieved both of them so far
this year.

Speaker 2 (49:54):
Yeah. No, I mean, look, it's pretty easy to calculate.
You look at Dabo Sweeney over the past t you know,
fifteen years, the job that he's done. You think about
the short stretch when Jimbo Fisher was there competing against
Dabo Sweeney in the National Championship in twenty thirteen, and
it wasn't long before that you hand it back to
your father, and we know how good his run was

(50:15):
at Florida State. So the last time I would assume
that these two teams met up in a game that
had little to no significance in terms of the national picture,
probably predates your dad's arrival in Florida State, I would imagine.

Speaker 3 (50:30):
Yeah, I would think so, because they were not very
good before they got there. And I don't know if
he played, if they played Clempson before my father got there,
but yeah, you're right, that's I can't remember when there
was less on the table than what there is other
than both teams are just trying to get back some
kind of confidence needed. Teams play with any confidence right now,

(50:54):
and I ain's gonna be really important. Yeah tomorrow, you
know who has something good happened where they can they
give a little bit of confidence.

Speaker 2 (51:02):
The first meeting between the Seminoles and the Tigers nineteen
seventy a thirty eight thirteen Florida State victory.

Speaker 3 (51:10):
So yeah, that surprised me.

Speaker 2 (51:13):
Twenty one and sixteen, the Seminoles lead the all time
series again. Tommy Bawden, former Clemson Tiger head coach, here
on the program with US and and so, how are
you viewed coach in Tallahassee when you're down there when
they're honoring your father. I know you're certainly met with,
you know, handshakes and pats on the back for his legacy.
But are there any fans that do they still view

(51:36):
you as Clemson's old coach or are you Bobby's son?
How is that?

Speaker 3 (51:41):
I think in tallahassee' is more Bobby's son. Okay, well
it's been that way my whole life, especially in Tallahassee.
But you know, it's amazing. One thing we're dealing some
a little bit of florist state now and some personal
family business type things. And they they quickly forget Lawton.

(52:03):
They hadn't forgotten so much don Tommy Balden, they have
forgotten Bobby Bowden. So it's it's kind of amazing how
quickly they forget what he accomplished and how much he
invested in the program when you deal with him from
a different aspect. But yeah, it's it's it's not when
I go it's not, that's not Tommy Balden, head coach
at Clympson. It's it's more Bobby Bowden's son. And then uh, Now,

(52:27):
the more I go back and the further he gets
away from his tenure, it's Bobby who.

Speaker 2 (52:34):
Well, hey, that that hat and signature though right there
on the field at Dope Campbell Stadium, Bobby Badenfield. That
is a pretty indelible and incredible legacy to have that
there for you, and I know that's got to be
special when you see that down there on the field
and from that standpoint, you know, talking about your father
and maybe where the game is today, what do you

(52:55):
think he would think of this portal era? And and
forget n I l just the way players can move
from from team to team without any penalty. What would
you dad think of that? You think.

Speaker 3 (53:08):
You know, I was somebody asked I was on the
show and asked to asked me a very similar question
or all the all the same questions. And I think
he would have had a really difficult time, you know,
because he started as a head coach a long time ago.
You know, he was a head coach to five decades,
and I just think it would be I think, you know,
a coach Saban got out of it because he he

(53:30):
wasn't this wasn't his lane that he's coached with for
so long. He felt so uncomfortable he got out of it.
And the same thing with my father brought up in
another generation on on players and how players reacted to
the game, and how players got Lottle to the university
and to a school, and you just don't see that anymore.

(53:52):
I think he would have struggled really, really hard because
the generation that he was brought up, and how many
years he spent with another generation.

Speaker 2 (54:00):
Coach Tommy Bowden. With this year on the program again
Clipson in Florida State. They'll kick off under the lights
in Death Valley on Saturday and coach you mentioned that
two thousand and three ball game when you guys faced
a third ranked Florida State team. Dabosweeney mentioned it as well.
You guys had just lost to Wake Forest and he

(54:22):
was worried that that maybe you guys wouldn't have a job,
But that game not only saved your job, got you
a new contract. I think he said, you got acc
coach of the year. You went on, you wallop South
Carolina sixty three seventeen and then went and beat Tennessee
in the bowl game. It was one of the better
finishes that Clipson fans had remembered up until that point
in a long time. And Sweeney, with four games remaining,

(54:45):
is looking at that year like that's the model, That's
what we got to do.

Speaker 3 (54:51):
Well. It's amazing how a game like that can instill
a lot of confidence in your team, and that game
did because losing that game to Wake Forest, you know it.
You don't do that at Clemson. You know, you just
don't do it, and that was eventually my downfall. But
the confidence boost and I think the same thing's gonna

(55:11):
go because even though Clemson and Florida State aren't having
the kind of year. They still have a very marketable
name and in a nationally recognized brand, and uh so
I think a win will get whoever gets to win
is gonna get them a boost, and then they need
to finish. They'll need to finish strong and back it up,

(55:33):
which Neil on them have really shown the ability to
do this year. But I think whoever wins the game
is gonna be a shot in the arm and has
the ability to turn around both teams. Lawtner calended there
really are talent. That's that's been the mystery on their
performances so far this year.

Speaker 2 (55:49):
Yes, somebody's gonna win it. Florida State four and four,
one and four in the ACC, Clemson enters three and
five and two and four. Now. Florida State hired a
new offensive coordinator, but its name everybody knows, Gus Malsan.
And one of the more shocking stats for me is
the fact that they currently lead the country in yards
per game with over five hundred, and they're eighth I

(56:10):
think in the country in scoring even though they're four
and four and just one and four in the Atlantic
Coast Conference. How much do you know about coach Malsan.
I know you and I were talking about coach Fisher
last week. Do you have any have you had any
you know, time spent around Malason and what do you
think of his you know, his play calling abilities.

Speaker 3 (56:32):
You know, I haven't spending time with him, but I
followed him because he was kind of getting into the
profession and his offenses were really ahead of the curve.
And it reminds me a little bit when we were
at tu Lane. Our offense was ahead of the curve.
We had a great balance attack. We were running for
two hundred and some and throwing for two hundred and
some and it was a balance attack. It was ahead
of it was ahead of defenses, and then people call

(56:55):
up with it, and you know, you really had to
stay on top of your game because defenses catch up
with it. And I think his offense has been very similar.
He got away from play calling down Central Florida. He
wanted to take it back over. He's had some success,
but again, you really have to be on top of
your game offensively with an offense like his, because people

(57:18):
catch up with you, and I think they've caught up
with him. Had a preseason to get hold of to
put in some new things for Alabama. They jumped on
them quickly and have not really been really productive since then.
And I think people are catching up a little bit.
They're getting a lot of yards, but a lot of
times really struggling with points.

Speaker 2 (57:38):
Yeah, there's no question about that. I think you look at,
you know, the nature of bringing in a quarterback like
Thomas Castelana's from Boston College, you certainly like the productivity.
I think they thought they were going to get maybe
a player similar to Jordan Travis. But you know, I
think the reality of it all is coaching. I think

(57:58):
Clemson fans are kind of in this with Kay Clubney.
I'm not saying Kay Clubney's a bad quarterback, but he's
not Trevor Lawrence. He's not Deshaun Watson. And I think
you're seeing that Thomas Castellanos is not Jordan Travis and
and and that kind of tells the story of of
what it means to maybe have a win. I don't

(58:18):
want to call this is bad. I don't want to
say winner. That's not fair. Coach, But a guy that
can win you ball games at quarterback maybe versus a
guy that can help you win ball games. Does that
make sense. I don't because I don't want to make
it sound like I think these guys are losers, because
that's not fair.

Speaker 3 (58:33):
Yeah no, But there's a reason, you know, bring, there's
a reason Bill O'Brien, who's who's he's kind of a
quarterback whisper. He's had a lot of success training quarterbacks
and being around quality quarterbacks in college and in the NFL.
So something happened up there. He wants to win games.
He would not have he would mind have let that
guy go or benched him or encouraged him to go

(58:56):
if he didn't see a future for him at that
position doing the things you need to do to be successful.
And I think that that type of consistency that he
saw back then has shown its faith in some of
Florida State's giving this with some bad decisions he's made
and trying to take the game into his own hands.

(59:16):
And Kate, I don't see that. I don't see that
that being the same thing with cad Is. I see
maybe more of a confidence thing. I just hadn't studied
the offense to know how much of chances they're giving
him from a play calling standpoint. I hadn't studied enough.
But I look at Kate in a little bit different

(59:37):
lights than I look at the Florida State quarterback as
far as consistent productivity.

Speaker 2 (59:43):
Again, Tommy Bowden with this year on the program, you
recognize his voice from his years hanging out with this
year the former Clemson Tiger head coach. One of the
other things Dabos Sweeney said this week talking about just
his program at general is he felt like he'd gotten
away from his instincts just I don't know if that
means hiring coaches or evaluating talent. I mean, he really
didn't go further in that, but if you had to

(01:00:05):
talk about, you know, Sweeney's instincts just in general being
around him, what would you say when you and Terry
Don Phillips sit down and you guys say, hey, this
is the guy I think that should take this over.
What were the instincts you saw then? And do you
think he's gotten away from any of that?

Speaker 3 (01:00:23):
Well, you know, that's an interesting word to use, instincts,
because I'm not really sure what he means. But when
I sat down with Terry Don and the reason I
thought he would eventually be a head coach number one,
he was a great recruiter, and the team of the
best players usually wins. He had great communication skills, not
only with players, but as I watched him work around

(01:00:47):
the boosters and the people in the administration. The ability
to talk to two different groups successfully players nineteen twenty
twenty one and academic people and administrative people. His wife
was uns asset, which I think you needed as a
head coach. And then he's he's uh, he he had

(01:01:07):
the things those intangils I think you just that are
important in coaching, number on, the ability to recruit, and
then uh, all of a sudden, you put that type
of background and foundation with a couple of generational quarterbacks
and it's it's a pretty good combination. So when he
says instincts, you know he hired Brenton Vinables, he hired

(01:01:28):
U Chad Morris Dallas pretty instinct I don't know if
that's called instincts or those guys had great resumes though,
so I don't know how much instincts. It's not like
you plucked the Domon out of the rough. Garre Riley
was not a domin out of the rough. He had
a track record and a resume. Tom Allen had a
track record, track record and a resume, So I didn't

(01:01:49):
see those instinctive hires. Those guys had a proven track record.
So at the endesting to know what instincts I know, well,
I talked with Terry Donna. I didn't use the word
he's got great instincts. I just thoughts from recruitings, the
ability to communicate a great football wife, and those are
the things I thought that the head coach need to

(01:02:10):
have and he had them. But instincts, there was not
a word that I used.

Speaker 2 (01:02:14):
That's former Clips the Tiger Head Coach. Tommy Balden with
us with a quick break. We'll come back with more
with Coach Bowden right after this stay with us. Lawton
Swan with you on a Friday afternoon. Tommy Bowden, former
Clips the Tiger Head Coach, joins us heare on the program. Coach,
we were talking about Dabo Sweeney earlier, and what's funny
about what you just said is he would often say

(01:02:38):
about recruiting and stuff like that. He would say, you
know it when you see it, and you know it
when you don't. And I don't know where he got that.
He might have got that from you, he might have
got that from Gene Stallings. But is that kind of
how you would say you felt about him, Like you
just you felt there was something there. Yeah, whether you
could quite put your finger on it or not, it
just seemed right.

Speaker 3 (01:02:59):
I think we've had this discussion before about quarterbacks and
the phrase my father used to use is he's got it.
Whatever it is, he had it, and uh I thought
Dabbo had it. You know, I've been around my father
for a while and his personality and way Dabbo's got
a sense of humor, and there's a toughness aspect to
him and a pride aspect to him which you only

(01:03:22):
see in practice in the field of battle. In a
halftime hearing this conversations, you know, those are things you
pick up that you only see from a head coach
to an assistant. He had those things. So whatever it is,
you know, he had it. I thought, like some quarterbacks
and uh so those are attributes I think some coaches have,

(01:03:42):
some coaches don't. But I thought he had it whatever
it is. Maybe that's instinct.

Speaker 2 (01:03:48):
May final final couple of things again with Tommy Bouten
here on the program on the eve of what was
once known as Balden Ball, and so I'm gonna take
you back just a little bit, coach to ball and
Bowl one for a minute, because, like I think, people
at this point in your life see you as this
guy that coached at Clemson, this power five school, YadA, YadA, YadA.

(01:04:12):
But the reality was that was, you know, the first
season that you were coaching at Clemson. This is your
first time at a school of that magnitude, and your
father was on the other side. There had to be
moments in that game where just as a human being,
it just kind of slapped you right in the face,
like I cannot believe this is happening right now. Like

(01:04:34):
I'm sure for your dad it may have felt weird,
but for you, I mean, that was year one at
the big level, you know, at the highest level of
college football. It just had to be surreal for you.

Speaker 3 (01:04:44):
Well, you know, I had that feeling up until kickoff,
and then once kickoffs start, especially when at that pick
of time I was more involved with play calling and
during the course of the game, and during the course
of the game for three hours and twenty minutes, it's
strictly strategy and and trying to out guess and trying
to think ahead and being two steps ahead. And when

(01:05:06):
to throw the fake field goal, when to go for
it on four. You know, those are the things that
you don't think on the other side of the of
the of the field as your father for State was
so good right number one the nation, and every every play,
every turnover, every series, you know that things happened. It
was such a big factor in the game. So the

(01:05:28):
father son aspect was a thought all the way up
to before the game. Even after the game, it wasn't
a big thought because then it's it's on to the
on to the next one. So that it was a
huge factor building up to that game, and there was
a lot of conversation, a lot of media and a
lot of a lot of print media up and up
until kickoff. It Once the game started, that was it
for me as far as father's son.

Speaker 2 (01:05:49):
Really never really a moment where you just saw him
across the field from you and just thought, I can't
believe this, that's Dad over there.

Speaker 3 (01:05:56):
Yeah, yeah, that there was. There was that, and there
I can remember at times in that game looking across
the field and seeing him, right, what am I doing?

Speaker 5 (01:06:08):
You know?

Speaker 3 (01:06:08):
But yeah, there were times during the game when you
look at you're so used to seeing him on TV.
Even as assistant coach and head coach. I might have
a game at Tulane and I might watch him at
night or watch him early in the day and play
at night. So that camera view, like you see the
head coach across the field, that's how you always see
the opposing head coach on TV is on TV's it's

(01:06:30):
the shot across the field that catches his face and
the statue of his body. And that's what you see
as a coach. And that was thur real. It really
was look over and see him and then what on
TV you were actually on the fields away.

Speaker 2 (01:06:42):
From three hundred wins.

Speaker 3 (01:06:45):
Of course of that predicted time at that particular time
a lot when you looked across the fielding from the
I didn't from the knees up, because that's huge arts
crowns we had on the field a birthday. I see
him all he's only five.

Speaker 2 (01:06:57):
Times that that is outstanding coach. Oh man, that is
great stuff talking about your dad. His legacy. Three hundredth
win came that night. That moment will always be a
special one, certainly for the Balden family, which makes this
Bowl game a special one and it is one of
the my favorite weeks of the year when we get
to talk with you about the clips of Tigers in

(01:07:18):
the Florida State Seminoles because no name has had more
you know, thumb prints on this this this series than
the Bowden family, and we always appreciate you, coach.

Speaker 3 (01:07:28):
It should be a great game. I'm looking forward to
seeing it tomorrow night.

Speaker 2 (01:07:32):
Again. That's former Clempson Tiger head coach Tommy Bowden. Seminoles
four and four, one and four in the ACC, Clemson
three and five, two and four. What a bizarre season
this has been. That's the word. That is the word
for this season in my opinion, Virginia again since a
top the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. They are eight and

(01:07:54):
one and five and zero in the league. Two teams
at five and one, with Georgia Tech and Pitt following
behind them. Three teams at four and one in Louisville,
SMU and Duke. I mean, I'm right, like I was right.
I'm just gonna be honest. Like if Clemson lost to

(01:08:17):
Georgia Tech and just kept winning this season, as I
said after that game, they were gonna give themselves a shot,
I think this league would have pulled back to the pack,
and unfortunately Clemson decided instead of allowing that to happen,
they just tuck their tail between their legs and run

(01:08:39):
away from the run away from Charlotte. I remember when
the big complaint from Clemson fans was the expense of
being in the College Football Playoff, the expense of all
the postseason games you had to go to. I don't
hear you guys crying about that anymore. Ha. You guys
just like me hoping for a bowl game. I just
want to be able to talk about Clemson football into December.

(01:09:04):
Speaking up, Virginia, they host Wake Forest. That's the seven
o'clock start this weekend on ESPN. Virginia favored by six
and a half at Scott Stadium there in Charlottesville. Georgia
Tech's got a bye week this week, as do the
pitt Panthers. So that's where the top three teams in

(01:09:24):
the Atlantic Coast Conference, or that's what the top three
teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference have it going on
this weekend. Louisville's again one of those one loss teams.
They host Cal So we'll see how it all begins
to shake out. But right now, looking back on it,
Clemson just one and a half point favorites at home

(01:09:44):
against Florida State. It certainly feels like the Tigers left
a ton on the table this season. It has gotta
be frustrating for Dabo Sweeney and his instincts right stay
with us Clempson's sports, salt, law and swine don't for again.
If you're up in Tigertown this weekend for Clemson in
Florida State, to stop by Alumni Hall right there across

(01:10:05):
from campus on the corner of College Avenue downtown Clemson
for all your officially licensed Clemson merchandise. Those sweet Nike
drive Fit polos that you know I love, whether I'm
rocking the Clemson one or maybe even you can't get
the River Bluffal's there, but I got some those Nike
drive Fit polos. Make me look good. They'll make you
look good as well. Ask them about their Alumni Hall rewards.

(01:10:26):
Past program and Clemson students faculty in all military get
ten percent off of shopping in store, or you can
shop online at Alumni Hall dot com. And it's not
just for Clemson. If you go to Alumni Hall dot com,
tons of different schools, including Tony Elliott's Virginia Cavaliers. You
can get their gear there as well. And remember Virginia
will host Wake Force this weekend seven o'clock on the ESPN,

(01:10:48):
same time your Tigers kickoff on the ACC Network. And
I guess the big question is are we gonna get
the four Letter network and the four Letter Network? We're
gonna get that all worked out this weekend before kickoff.
I don't know, man, two weeks of the college football season.

(01:11:08):
I will say this for Dabosweny, of the Climpse of Tigers,
you couldn't have picked a better year to underperform. Not
only did you underperform early and often, so that you've
fallen off the radar for people. You might just emerge
next year and people go, well, where were they last season?
I don't really remember. But not only that, but you've
had a couple of weekends where nobody can watch the

(01:11:31):
majority of the games anyway, nobody's watching College Game Day.
I just like it was weird this past weekend, honestly,
And I don't know what it'll be like tomorrow if
we don't get ESPN and all those channels back. But
I'm taking a look now on YouTube TV as we speak,

(01:11:53):
just up to the minute here. Yeah, nope, still not there,
still not there. But as I said, wouldn't you guys,
how many of you would pay for just a sports
package just you know, sports TV. You can't just be
ESPN though. It's gotta include it's gotta include Fox. You
can maybe put like that Billiards channel on there and Poker.

(01:12:17):
You're just guy TV's. I know the ladies like television.
Two I like sports too Muchie frame back an AI
version of Randy Macho man Savage. Let him do all
the promoting. Oh yeah, get to get the muchiesmo package.

(01:12:42):
That's all I want. Just give me the sports. I
don't need all the other stuff. I guess we'll see
if we get it before now and kickoff and and look,
I'll get my prediction on Clemson in Florida State in
a little bit. But and obviously I write an article
as well. But I I feel foolish picking Clemson at

(01:13:02):
any point in the season the rest of the way
outside of Furman. That's how bad it's been. For seven years.
I could almost pick Clemson without any question, and if
they got beat it was pretty inexplicable. Now I feel

(01:13:24):
like if they play good. I'm more surprised, and that
I think is the biggest problem that Dabosweeney has on
his hands right now. The players, you know, whatever, doesn't
really matter at this point. The reality of what we've

(01:13:49):
seen is a team that just doesn't compete. They don't
fight very hard. And I can't remember who said it,
but I heard this this year. Clemson's showing up for
a football game, and other teams are showing up for

(01:14:10):
a fight. And if you show up for a football game,
you will get beat by the team that shows up
for a fight. Clemson didn't win football games during that
incredible stretch because they were better than everyone. They won

(01:14:31):
football games because they fought harder than everyone. They played harder,
they were more disciplined and better prepared. I wonder how
many times during from twenty fourteen to twenty twenty, how
many times Clemson realistically wound up in a situation where

(01:14:54):
Dabosweeny felt like the other team was better prepared or
the other team played harder. Probably not many. I mean,
think about that fifty eight nothing win at Miami, think
about that first half, and think about that message that
Dabosweeney had for the team about winning with class and

(01:15:15):
losing with class, and keeping the Tigers out of the
locker room. You're talking about his instincts. That's an instinct,
that's a change of pace, that's going against the grain.
When's the last time you felt like Clemson went against
the grain? In terms of just the things that Dabo

(01:15:39):
Sweeney's doing, Everything's become very robotic, everything's become very mundane.
And I think to a degree, Sweeney got spoiled by
his success. And I think Sweeney, unfortunately, just like me
and many others, thought that it wasn't gonna end anytime soon.

(01:16:01):
I mean, you know it's gonna end at some point.
You know it's gonna end at some point. And I
think the foundation is still good in this program, and
I think they can still return to the top of
the ACC rather quickly. But it's gonna take you know,
Dabosweeney being that guy that he was in twenty fifteen,

(01:16:22):
He's got to somehow figure out how to be the
coach that couldn't rest on the laurels of two national
titles and four trips to the College Football Playoff. Because
that guy, that guy, I don't think is gonna get
you back there. I need Dabosweeney that he talked about
this week when he talked about the hardships that he faced.

(01:16:46):
That's the guy Clemson he needs running that programs. Matter
of fact, I hate to say it, but you can
put those national championship trophies somewhere else. They don't need
to be out front at the recruit facility because they're
almost ten years into the wind. They're almost ten years

(01:17:08):
into the wind. Man, I'd put an empty trophy case
in there and say, you know who's next. Who's gonna
put another one in? I don't know. Something's something's, something's amiss,
and it starts with dabbos tween you. All right, we'll
give you our prediction on Clemson in Florida State when

(01:17:29):
we get back. Keep it a lot right here on
Fox Sports Radio fourteen hundred.

Speaker 6 (01:17:34):
What have you done for me lately? It's a fair question.
Just don't lose sight of the bigger picture, don't forget history.
Lucky for us at Clemson, the answers to the questions
what have you done for me lately?

Speaker 2 (01:17:53):
And what have you done? Always are the same.

Speaker 6 (01:18:00):
We win.

Speaker 2 (01:18:47):
Final segment on a Friday afternoon Clemson Sports Talk long
wandering know what youre thinking. To Tommy Bowden for joining us.
Thank you to Jason Priester for being a part of
the program. Gat Clemson in Florida State tomorrow night. We'll
kick off at seven o'clock. So, I mean, can Clemson

(01:19:11):
win this game? Yeah, there's no doubt. There's no doubt
Gus Malesan is a play caller. Definitely makes me nervous.
Some of the stats on Florida State and their numbers
makes me nervous. Clemson's terrible defense, specifically in the secondary

(01:19:33):
and the busting coverage makes me nervous. But Clemson almost
has to win this game, as I said earlier this
week to be Bowl eligible. I mean, if they lose

(01:19:58):
this one, then they have to win out, and I
don't see them winning out. This is the game they
have to win now. Additionally, I think when you look
at the situation in Clemson's secondary, there has to come

(01:20:25):
a point where the backups have to be better than
what you've seen, Like, there has to come a point
where the backup is better than what you've witnessed. And

(01:20:47):
from a coaching standpoint, at some point you just have
to say, all right, we're taking this guy out he's
too much of a liability, too much of a liability.
I don't think Florida State is really that much better
than Clemson, but I don't think Clemson's very good. I

(01:21:12):
think you saw a little bit of a spark last
week from the Clemson offense, and hopefully that will carry
over to this weekend against Florida State. But I expect
Florida State defensively to be better than Duka about say
a year ago, Duke a week ago. It is strange

(01:21:34):
to think that these two teams are as far down
in the conference as they were, or as they are.
I think you have to have some level of hope
that the Clemson Tiger offense felt like Gideon Davidson had

(01:21:55):
done enough to prove that he is there are more
carries to prove that you know, he can be a
complimentary running back to Adam Randall. I think the fact
that this game is being played at night is a
positive for Clemson as well. I think the fact that

(01:22:18):
Clemson got beat by Duke last week is also a
positive for Clemson as well. And you know, while I
think it's easy to pick the Tigers to lose today
here on the program, I think I'm actually gonna lean
in to the belief that the understanding that if you

(01:22:46):
lose this game, you're probably not going to a bowl
is going to carry Clemson through somehow. I don't think
it'll be pretty. And I will go as far as
to say this, if Clemson doesn't create take away they lose.
I don't know that they need to. I think they

(01:23:06):
got to have at least one, and they certainly can't
turn it over. But I think if Clemson wins the
turnover margin and gets more takeaways, I think Clemson wins
this game. And I don't think it's gonna be great.
I mean, can the Tigers score forty something? Who knows?

(01:23:27):
I mean, it's such a I might as well just
like literally just throw some numbers at a wall and
see what sticks. But I'll take Clemson to win against
maybe what should be my better judgment thirty five twenty seven.
I'll just trust that they're going to stand up. I'll
just trust that they're going to figure it out. This

(01:23:50):
is the worst pick I've ever made in the history
of this this show. I can't believe I'm picking them
to win. But the loss and having to win your
final three games does not compute for me, because I
don't think you can do that. And I think, if anything,
CLIPS is gonna ride this possibility of making a Bowl

(01:24:11):
out to that South Carolina game, and I just don't
think you're gonna win three straight. So I think you
have to win this one because winning at Louisville next,
you know, on Friday night next week, is gonna be awful.
So to keep that alive, I'll take the Tigers to win.
Probably should go thirty five thirty, but I'll go thirty
five twenty seven. I'll lean in the Clyps is actually

(01:24:33):
the better team. All Right, we'll see if I'm right
on Monday. Until then, my confidence on this is about
two percent. Well it's on your old Monday until that
is always. You'll take care now and go Tigers,