The Clemson tradition, Part V of V: The current era

By Marc Hudgens  |   Sunday, August 19, 2007  |  Comments( 9 )

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Tommy West is respected as the one who sealed the deep chasm among Clemson's fans regarding his controversial predecessor, Ken Hatfield. It was under West that the Clemson family became a family again, putting the pain of the early 1990s behind them.

In spite of this spiritual renewal, it wasn't enough to save West's job in light of his two losing seasons, particularly when there was a head coach in New Orleans who was the hottest commodity in the NCAA.

Tommy Bowden left an 11-0 Tulane team for Clemson, only two weeks after West was fired. Bowden entered Tigertown after taking the Green Wave to their first winning record in 16 years (7-4) during his first season as a head coach in 1998, then followed that up by going undefeated the next year.

Bowden, however, wasn't present for the Green Wave's finale -- a 41-27 Liberty Bowl victory over BYU. His bags were packed for Clemson.

Bowden's first season as Tiger skipper was 1999. That regular season ended with a 6-5 mark and in a rather unorthodox fashion, in that Clemson lost every home game and won every away contest. While still lackluster, it was a marked improvement from the previous season under West. At least Clemson made some headway; it exacted revenge upon opponents it lost to the previous year -- Virginia, North Carolina, Wake Forest and especially Duke with a 58-7 demolition. Clemson received a Peach Bowl invite, but it lost to Mississippi State, 17-7.

The next year was far different as Clemson improved to a 9-2 regular-season mark. The Tigers went undefeated in their first eight games, reaching the No. 4 ranking in the nation, until they were edged by Georgia Tech in Clemson, 31-28. The following week, the No. 10 Tigers faced off against the fourth-ranked Seminoles. That day, Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke and an impenetrable defense destroyed the Tigers by a score of 54-7.

Down in spirit, Clemson came back to Death Valley and squeaked out a two-point win over archrival South Carolina, then trudged into Jacksonville on New Year's Day rated 13th for a sound defeat by the fifth-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in the 2001 Gator Bowl, 41-20.

On top of that, Bowden and Clemson football were dealt a tough blow. Eight days after the win over South Carolina, offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez resigned to head up West Virginia. Rodriguez's contributions to the Clemson program became increasingly evident over the next few years as the offense couldn't fire like it did in 2000. And the records suffered because of it.

In 2001, Clemson went 7-5; the next season, the Tigers finished 7-6. Through the Wake Forest game of the 2003 season, it appeared Clemson was headed full-steam toward an even worse outcome. The Demon Deacons humiliated the Tigers that year, 45-17, giving Clemson a 5-4 record as it headed into its next game, against the third-ranked Seminoles. To lose to perennial doormat Wake Forest is completely unacceptable to Clemson fans, but to face a top-ranked team after that embarrassment was downright disheartening.

Expecting certain loss, fans erupted and Bowden's seat was nuclear. But Tommy Bowden shocked the college football world when Clemson defeated Florida State 26-10 in Death Valley, giving Clemson's Bowden his first win over his father, handing Bobby a birthday gift he wished he never received. This victory marked the highest-ranked opponent Clemson had defeated in school history.

Momentum on its side, Clemson ran through its opponents the rest of the season, including a 40-7 thrashing of Duke and a 46-point annihilation of South Carolina in Columbia. Clemson was the hottest team in the NCAA, and that attracted a Peach Bowl invite to play sixth-ranked Tennessee, where Clemson humbled the SEC powerhouse by a score of 27-14. As a result, Bowden was awarded a contract extension through the 2010 season.

Expectations were naturally high entering 2004. But just nine months after signing the extension, fans turned on the burners and Bowden was on the hot seat once more. Clemson flopped in four of its first five games, and it lost yet again five weeks later to conference doormat Duke. That came only a week after stunning Miami on the road. The media immediately blasted Clemson as the most disappointing team in the nation. With a win over South Carolina, the Tigers ended the season with a 6-5 mark and would've gone to a bowl had a brawl not occurred between the two teams' players.

Despite another flop, a three-gamer between the third and fifth contests, 2005 ended better than the previous season with Clemson finishing 8-4, including a win over Colorado in the Champs Sports Bowl. Ending on that high note, expectations rose again for Clemson going into 2006, with the media then calling for an ACC title.

Clemson appeared to be on that path, winning seven of its first eight games, most notably victories over ninth-ranked Florida State in Tallahassee (the first time the Tigers won in Doak Campbell since 1989); over a tough Wake Forest team (future ACC champs); and 12th-ranked Georgia Tech (future ACC runner-up) in a nationally televised game that showcased running backs C.J. Spiller and James Davis and defensive end Gaines Adams.

Those dreams were dashed quickly, however. Five days after the emotional Georgia Tech win, Clemson flew to Blacksburg, Va., to take on a Hokie team with a chip on its shoulder. With Clemson's inept passing game and just an overall uninspired performance, unranked Virginia Tech defeated 10th-ranked Clemson, 24-7. Simply put, the Hokies stacked the box and stuffed Davis and Spiller, shutting Clemson's offense down completely.

That game was the beginning of a big slide for Clemson, which was inexplicably defeated by Maryland the next week. After, the Tigers came up with a low-scoring win over NC State, a home defeat to South Carolina, and a loss to Kentucky in the Music City Bowl. Clemson's popping in and out of the top 25 on three separate occasions also marked the season. Because of that inconsistency, Bowden was and currently is on the hot seat.

Since he was hired almost nine years ago, Bowden has accomplished many great things. Better Facilities, improved recruiting, and success against Florida State have all marked Bowden's era. Few fans can argue that. The atmosphere in Clemson is far more positive than it was during the dreadful '90s.

However, Bowden has also been under fire countless times because none of the positives have turned into intended an ACC title. Given the chronic failure to meet higher expectations that has plagued the modern era, Clemson fans are split on Bowden.

How Bowden fares this season will determine whether yet another new era will begin.

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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He ...
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