Play calling doomed Tigers in OT

By Bob Wilson  |   Wednesday, September 13, 2006  |  Comments( 6 )

Clemson Tigers
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Can one coaching decision sink an entire season of hope? Probably not, but with Tommy Bowden and his Clemson Tigers, you never know.

The Tigers were poised for a big road victory at Boston College last week despite horrendous special teams play. Had the kickoff coverage team been able to come close to performing their jobs, the game would never have reached overtime. Instead, Jad Dean booted every kickoff short and to the right. Boston College's freshman return man, Jeff Smith, burned Clemson to the tune of 214 yards and a touchdown. In fact, every Eagle score was set up by a kick return.

However, Clemson was sitting pretty with a first-and-goal at the three in the first overtime. Down only three points, a touchdown would have won the game and sent the team to Tallahassee on an emotional high. Both teams' fans were ready for James Davis to pound it up the middle and end the game. The sophomore ran for 94 hard-fought yards and the defense had shown no signs of stopping him. Reggie Merriweather would have been a fine choice, too, as he had demonstrated his tough inside running earlier in the game. To everyone's surprise, except the defense, Bowden put his speed back, C.J. Spiller, in and tried to finesse a sweep instead of lining up and slamming it down the defense's throat.

The Tigers had run this exact play earlier in the game and the defense recognized the formation and stacked the line to the side the offense was running to. Spiller's youth and enthusiasm caused further damage as he tried to bounce the play outside and lost even more yardage. When the play was over, the offense was back at the eight. The crowd, which had been starting to file out of the stadium, was now back into the game and momentum was gone. Clemson eventually settled for a field goal and lost in the second overtime due to another special teams error - a blocked PAT.

True to form, Bowden told reporters that he had the best personnel in the game for that play because it was a speed play. Of course, when the play was run the first time, for a touchdown, Davis carried the ball. The coach also declined to comment on why he ran a speed play when he has, according to the experts, the best offensive line in the ACC and two power backs with noses for the end zone.

Bowden's tenure is full of decisions like the one that cost his team the game in Chestnut Hill. He has continually opted to outsmart or trick opponents rather than overpower them. That may have worked at Tulane and it may have been necessary earlier in his Clemson career, but there is no excuse for those decisions anymore. He has the horses and he needs to use them. There is no reason to believe the big guys up front couldn't have gotten Davis enough room to squeeze in for the score.

In a game where momentum swung back and forth and big plays were made by both teams, Bowden ultimately hung his Tigers out to dry. Sure the special teams play was the reason that the game even reached overtime; and sure the defense couldn't create a rush or defend a third-down pass if their lives depended on it, but in the end, the team was still in position to win. Four tries to gain three yards and redemption was theirs.

Sadly, the people calling the plays didn't show enough faith in the offensive line to get the job done. Spiller had a great game and reminded many of Reggie Bush on a spectacular 82-yard catch and run play where half of the defenders had a shot to take him down but couldn't even touch him, but he should not be the goal-line back. Perhaps the coaching staff was trying to reward him by letting him score the winning points, but they needed to be concerned with winning the game.

Now the Clemson players find themselves in a familiar position. Should they lose to FSU on the road this week, they will be out of the conference race in September once again. Hopefully, the team can overcome adversity and poor coaching decisions and pull out a win in Tallahassee. Unfortunately, Bowden's track record indicates that one loss is usually followed by more losses. Starting out 0-2 in conference play would all but end any hopes of playing in the ACC Championship Game.

Get more on the Clemson Tigers at Realfootball365.com
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