Last season, Clemson just missed out on winning the ACC’s Atlantic Division title, as a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to Boston College in their conference finale saw the Tigers finish a game behind the Eagles. After finishing the regular season with a 9-3 record, Clemson came up short of a 10-win season, as a 23-20 overtime loss to Auburn in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl saw them finish at 9-4.
This season, many of last season’s key players return, and Clemson is the favorite to take the ACC crown, and maybe, if things fall their way, make a run at something bigger.
Clemson Tigers
Coach: Tommy Bowden (10th year at Clemson, 69-42 record, 87-46 overall)
2007 Record: 9-4, 5-3 ACC
Starters Returning: 16 (8 offense, 8 defense)
Top Returnees: QB Cullen Harper, RB James Davis, RB CJ Spiller, WR Aaron Kelly, WR Jacoby Ford, WR Tyler Grisham, C Thomas Austin, DE Ricky Sapp, NG Dorell Scott, SS Michael Hamlin, FS Chris Clemons, CB Chris Chancellor, CB Crezdon Butler
Key Losses: LT Barry Richardson, LG Chris McDuffie, RT Christian Capote, DE Phillip Merling. LB Nick Watkins, LB Tramaine Billie, MLB Courtney Vincent
2008 Schedule
Aug. 30 Alabama (Neutral site: Atlanta)
Sept. 6 The Citadel
Sept. 13 NC State
Sept. 20 SC State
Sept. 27 Maryland
Oct. 9 @ Wake Forest
Oct. 18 Georgia Tech
Nov. 1 @ Boston College
Nov. 8 @ Florida State
Nov. 15 Duke
Nov. 22 Virginia
Nov. 29 South Carolina
Key Game: Nov. 8 @ Florida State. The 10th Bowden Bowl sees the Tigers and Seminoles continue their rivalry. Clemson is poised to win their first ACC title since 1990 and an improved Florida State team will be the one of their main competitors in the Atlantic Division. Clemson has won the last three meetings, but a fourth straight win could be the most important of them all.
2008 Outlook
Clemson is poised to silence their critics in 2008. They have a veteran team with 16 starters returning and the necessary talent to take it to the next level in Tommy Bowden’s tenth season with the program.
QB Cullen Harper emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation in 2007. Harper threw for 2,991 yards and 27 touchdowns, with just 6 interceptions. He also set numerous team records, including most passing touchdowns in a season, and should be a contender for the Heisman Trophy this season. Backing up Harper will be Willy Korn, who was one of the top ranked quarterback recruits last season, but only played in two games before going down with a shoulder injury. Korn has recovered and is healthy.
Harper will be given a lot more freedom this year, now that he has proven himself and that should only increase offensive production.
What could also increase offensive production is if the talented twosome of James Davis and C.J. Spiller perform at their best. Both backs were inconsistent last season, but when they’re at their best, the bruising Davis and the speedy Spiller are one of the top running back tandems in the country.
In 2006, the two combined for 2,135 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground, but last year, Davis managed just 1,064 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns (down from 1,138 and 17), while Spiller rushed for just 768 yards and 3 touchdowns (down from 938 and 10). They will both need to return to 2006 form if Clemson is to seriously contend for a national title.
The wide receivers benefited the most from QB Cullen Harper’s emergence as a star, none more than WR Aaron Kelly. Kelly became Harper’s go-to guy when WR Jacoby Ford was injured and caught 88 passes for a league-leading 1,081 yards, and found the end zone 11 times, which set a school record for touchdowns in a season and also led the league. Ford (17 catches, 310 yards, 4 TD) started just five games last year, but in his place, Tyler Grisham stepped up and caught 60 passes for 653 yards and four scores.
The offensive line is the Tigers’ weak link. They have major losses on the Line with Second-Team All-American LT Barry Richardson (6th round draft pick by Kansas City) and First-Team All-ACC LG Chris McDuffie departing, among others. C Thomas Austin is the only returning starter.
The Tigers boast one of the top defenses in the nation, with the line and the secondary being especially talent-laden. While Clemson does lose their best player on the line in DE Phillip Merling, who was drafted in the second round by Miami, they return three of their four starters and add the nation’s top defensive line recruit in end Da’Quan Bowers.
Bowers is the total package of size, speed, strength and explosiveness, and is the perfect replacement for Merling. Last season at Bamberg Ehrhardt HS, the 6’5”, 265 pound end had 97 tackles, 14 sacks, and he also added 1,200 yards rushing and a 40 yard average on kick-off returns in being named the 2007 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year. Bowers enrolled in the spring semester, which will prove to be very valuable in him making an early impact and picking up where Merling left off last season.
Joining Bowers in the starting lineup are the three returning starters in NG Dorell Scott (50 tackles, 3 sacks), DE Ricky Sapp (52 tackles, 5 sacks) and DT Rashaad Jackson (37 tackles).
The Tigers are stacked in the secondary. All four starters return, including their top two returning tacklers, SS Michael Hamlin (97 tackles, 4 interceptions) and FS Chris Clemons (94 tackles, 2 interceptions). Hamlin was named a Second-Team All-ACC honoree last season. CB Crezdon Butler (61 tackles, 3 interceptions) and CB Chris Chancellor (52 tackles, 4 interceptions) also had very impressive years in 2007.
The group at linebacker will have three of their top six returning, as they lose their two best in leading tackler Nick Watkins (118 tackles) and Tramaine Billie (79 tackles). MLB Courtney Vincent (68 tackles, 2 interceptions) was supposed to be a leader for the Tigers this year, but he was dismissed from the team.
Besides Bowers, there are several recruits from a very good recruiting class that could contribute to this year’s efforts. Five-star running back Jamie Harper is more in the mold of Davis and similar to former Oregon star Jonathan Stewart, with speed combined with amazing power and strength, and he could get regular touches behind Davis and Spiller. Four-star back Andre Ellington, who’s more of the Spiller type, is expected to contribute as a freshman as well.
And along the offensive line, highly-touted recruits Antoine McClain and Dalton Freeman could factor into the mix early on.
The Tigers have all the pieces in place to win the ACC title and for a potential run at a national championship. Clemson has not won the ACC title since 1990, but they boast the ACC’s most talented team in 2008, with the conference’s top quarterback, top backfield and best wide receiver. They also possess a favorable schedule with their toughest conference games coming on the road against division foes Florida State and Wake Forest.
If they get past those games and a season-opening test against Alabama, the Tigers could be looking an ACC championship, an undefeated season, and a possible shot at their first national title since 1981.
