University of Tennessee Athletics
Opponent Coach Q&A
December 15, 2003 | Football
Dec. 15, 2003
 |
2004 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl |
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH CLEMSON HEAD COACH TOMMY BOWDEN:
1. What is it about Tennessee's defense that catches your eye?
A- "Their defense is very lean. There's not a lot of flesh on
those guys. They've very athletic and have great acceleration. They're
not on the ground a lot, defensively. They're on their feet, which you've
got to be to run the ball down and make tackles. A lot of times with a guy
who is not very athletic, you'll kind of nip him a little bit and he
will fall down and bounce up. But they don't spend a lot of time on the
ground."
2. Looking at Tennessee, is there a certain area that may give you a greater
concern? And likewise, looking at your team, is there a certain area that may
give you a greater concern?
A- "When you look at Tennessee you can talk about special teams, and
they've always been really good at that. But you just don't win
10 games, including the last six in the SEC and beat Miami at Miami, if you've
got some obvious weaknesses. There will be a couple of areas that we think
we can attack.
"But three of the last five teams they played did not even score touchdowns. They had to account for field goals. Offensively, they play to what Coach Fulmer thinks his strengths are. I guess his philosophy is a hard run, run and then run-action pass team. I don't see any weaknesses that you can attack. We will have to play very, very well - we'll have to play our best - to make it competitive."
3. This is a season where teams started the season well, had a struggle in
the middle and then came back. What are your thoughts on how teams like Clemson
and Tennessee made that rebound?
A- Talking with Coach Fulmer a little bit at
the luncheon, I think we both mentioned our leadership and some of the players
stepping up to demand a little
bit more accountability out of their teammates. And I think, in both our cases,
that would be how it was initiated in bouncing back from losses. It came more
so from within, at least from our standpoint, rather than something I did or
said. I think it is more from good leadership from the team."
4. Talk about playing in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
A- "We're
really excited about it. We have about 23 players from that area. The Chick-fil-A
Peach Bowl is a great geographical location for
our fans that are close. I think they enjoy Atlanta, because Atlanta has a
lot to offer.
"The bowl, of course, has always been good. The hospitality to the teams, the staff and the coaches' wives, they are all treated well. From an administrative standpoint, it's a well-paid non-BCS bowl. From our perspective, we just think it has everything you need to have a successful and positive experience for the players, staff and fans."
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