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Let's try to confine all news articles concerning Clemson to this thread and leave the Clemson Countdown thread as is.

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This is from TigerNet.com


Thursday, August 24, 2006 8:47 PM
Tigers Begin Work on Florida Atlantic

by com.portal.news.Author@14a77b98



CLEMSON – Taking over a program from a recently fired coach is a challenge Tommy Bowden has undertaken twice in his career. But building one from scratch?
For Bowden, that's hard to fathom.

"I imagine it would be hard. You go there and there's probably very little equipment. Your budget's restricted, your staff is restricted and your facilities are restricted," he said. "I've never been in that environment, but reading (about) people that have there are a lot of headaches."



Yet that's exactly what Howard Schnellenberger is doing at Florida Atlantic.

The legendary coach who won a national championship at Miami in the early 1980s has come full circle. And on Sept. 2, his Owls swoop into Death Valley to open the 2006 college football season.

For Bowden, Schnellenberger is another of the veteran coaches he has watched with great interest.

"When I was at Florida State as a young (graduate assistant) he was at Miami. He had just won a national championship and turned that program around," said Bowden. "He was a two-back, split-back (offense), while my father was a two-back, I-back. They always played and competed, good games. So yeah, I studied him as a young coach."

And what made Schnellenberger's Hurricane teams so good?

"He won," Bowden said with a laugh.

"They were real fundamentally sound. They ran the same thing over and over and over and over. You knew what was coming. They had good players and just out-executed you."

Bowden's comments came after the Tigers wrapped up a three-hour practice Thursday afternoon.

After three weeks of installing aspects of the offense and defense, learning proper technique, conditioning and scrimmaging, the time has finally come to begin zeroing in on Florida Atlantic. Bowden said almost the entire workout Thursday was against scout teams playing the Owls.

"About a three-hour practice. Long, hard, full pads. We divided up the scout teams and went against Florida Atlantic. The whole day was (preparing for) Florida Atlantic. We did a little bit against our defense for a fastball look, but the rest of it was Florida Atlantic work."

Clemson will hold the annual Beanie Bowl Friday in Death Valley, a full-scale dress rehearsal for game day. The team will take Saturday and Sunday off, then resume preparation for the Owls on Monday

NOTES
- Nelson Faerber, a junior wide receiver from Duluth, Ga., was placed on scholarship Thursday;
- Redshirt sophomore linebacker Adrian Kindred (Opelika, Ala.) has left the team and decided to transfer. His destination is not known at this time.
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From Greenville Online Paper:


Bowden got first taste of FAU coach under dad

Published: Friday, August 25, 2006 - 6:00 am



By Ed McGranahan
STAFF WRITER
[email protected]


CLEMSON – Tommy Bowden first got a look at a Howard Schnellenberger team while serving as a graduate assistant coach on his dad's staff at Florida State University.

Schnellenberger, whose Florida Atlantic Univeristy Owls will make the trip to face Clemson on Sept. 2, had revived the football program at the University of Miami.

"They always played and competed and had good games," said Bowden of the in-state rivalry. Asked what made those Miami team unique, he smiled. "They won."

"They were real fundamentally sound," he said. "They ran the same thing over and over, but they ran it so well. You knew it was coming, but they had good players and you couldn't stop them."
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In five seasons at Miami he had a 41-16 record including a national championship season in 1983.


One in, one out
Junior wide receiver Nelson Faerber of Duluth, Ga., was awarded a scholarship Thursday, Bowden said.
Linebacker Adrian Kindred, a third-year sophomore, has chosen to transfer, the coach said. Kindred, of Opelika, Ala., had been working at strongside linebacker.

Faerber was one of the more productive receivers during the Tigers' most recent scrimmage with five catches for 32 yards.


Choreography
The Tigers spent three hours Thursday honing in on Florida Atlantic. Practice today will consist of the annual dress rehearsal at the stadium, learning the game day routine and protocol including running down the hill.
The team will not practice Saturday and Sunday.


Injury report
Guard Jamarcus Grant (broken foot), WR Andrew Diomande (knee) and center Barry Humphries (ankle) all missed the practice.
Grant and linebacker Tramaine Billie (broken foot) will miss the first game. Diomande and Humphries will be back next week.


FAU QB
Rusty Smith, a redshirt freshman, beat out junior Sean Clayton for the job as Florida Atlantic starting quarterback.
Clayton, who transferred from Michigan State, was the backup last season although he started the final two games.









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Tigers' secondary improving to dispel 'weak link' criticisms

Published: Friday, August 25, 2006 - 6:00 am



By Ed McGranahan
STAFF WRITER
[email protected]


CLEMSON – For now, there's no need to apologize for referring to the Clemson University secondary as the weak link.

No area of the team needed more attention after losing a first-round NFL draft pick at corner and a three-year starter at free safety.

It speaks to the state of matters last season that a tailback who hadn't played a lick of defense came over and started three games at cornerback.

So other than quarterback and punter, no two positions are likely to receive as much scrutiny when the Tigers open the season next Saturday.



"That observation is very fair," said corner C.J. Gaddis. "But it's an advantage to us because I think we're going to surprise people."

The secondary is deeper, richer and more confident in their understanding of coordinator Vic Koenning's zone scheme.

"We are way better than we were at any time last year," said Koenning. "We've just got to go out and do it."

It starts at corner with Gaddis and Duane Coleman, the aforementioned offensive expatriate. Both are still learning so in the interim Gaddis gets by on raw athleticism and Coleman on guile.

"I think C.J. and Duane started camp blazing, but they've kind of gotten bored at times," Koenning said. "They've gotten beat on a couple plays which is good because they need to get humbled up a little bit. I think they'll be just fine."

Sophomore Haydrian Lewis should backup Coleman with redshirt freshman Chris Chancellor and freshman Crezdon Butler behind Gaddis.

Senior Sergio Gilliam, who started nine games last season, will battle for a sniff of action. "I don't know if he slipped or if we've just gotten better," Koenning said.

Sophomore Mike Hamlin returns at Cat safety after replacing Gaddis the final seven games last season, and sophomore Chris Clemons steps in at free safety replacing Jamal Fudge.

"The guy that's really made the improvement at safety is Roy Walker," Koenning said of the player who lker blew out a knee two years ago and played primarily on special teams last season. "Roy's made some plays, I think the team's got some trust in him right now. He's a guy they like, they rally around him. I'm gaining confidence in him."

Koenning would like to see transfer Chris Russell, who played both offense and defense at the University of Colorado, stake out a place for himself behind Hamlin.

"Russell's doing things right," Koenning said. "He needs to continue to work on his ball skills.

"I think that's still in the transition of going from more of an offensive player to a defensive player. I'm hoping we can get that rust off."

Gaddis slides over in nickel coverage, although Butler "has done a good job."

"He'll try to hit you. He's fast. He's got great temperament," Koenning said of Butler. "The old demeanor thing goes a long way, and he has a tremendous demeanor."

While there's more talent across the board, Koenning said he was pleased that the secondary reported with its skills intact. Both he and Gaddis said they can't over-emphasize the importance of understanding of the scheme, which required a good deal of patience early last season.

"We haven't logged as many snaps, and we have some fresh names and we're in some new positions," Gaddis said. "But with our caliber of athletes and just understanding the defense way better than last year gives us an advantage."



Looking to surprise: Clemson corner C.J. Gaddis is part of the Tigers' improving seconday.
BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff file






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Article from TigerNet.com:


Friday, August 25, 2006 11:15 PM
Tigers Play Dress Up

by com.portal.news.Author@6ec5f31e


CLEMSON ? With the exception of loading the buses and running down ?The Hill?, the Clemson Tigers completed a dress rehearsal for the 2006 football season Friday inside Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers, who kickoff the season a week from today against Florida Atlantic on ESPNU, covered just about everything they will normally do in a football game as coaches simulated game-time situations. From what to do after a safety to starting center Dustin Fry playing injured, the coaching staff left no stone unturned.

?He was good. He was real good at that,? Bowden said about Fry?s acting performance ?He laid on the field pretty good.? But in all seriousness, Bowden said the three-hour practice was geared to make sure the coaches and the players know how to handle every situation that can comes up in a game.



?We tried to go over every situation you can have in a game,? Bowden said. Clemson started practice Friday at 2:33 p.m. as they walked through their pre-game routine as if they had a 3:30 kickoff, which will be the start of next Saturday?s game.

With the new rule that starts the clock right when the ball is spotted on punts, kickoffs and turnovers, Bowden and his staff used Friday also as a time to make sure each player knew their role and the play once the ball is spotted.

?When the ball is punted, you have to have the played called,? Bowden said. ?A lot of times we waited to see what yard line it hits and all that junk. Now you have to have it called before.?

Bowden said he was in favor of the new rule because in his opinion the game was getting too long.

?Anything that speeds it up,? he said. ?I like the game sped up.?

With the game?s being played at a faster pace, some offensive coaches don?t like the new rules because it eliminates plays. Bowden, however, says it does not bother him because the strategy of the game is still the same.

?That?s just the way it is,? he said. ?It doesn?t bother me too much. That strategy is not going to change. You are just going to have one less play. You don?t know when or how many seconds there will be (lost).?

Captains announced. Bowden announced inside linebacker Anthony Waters, center Dustin Fry and kicker Jad Dean will be the captains for next week?s 3:30 p.m. kickoff against Florida Atlantic.

No surprise. Bowden said he doesn?t expect Clemson fans to be too surprised next week if indeed Jimmy Maners runs out on the field for the Tigers first punt of the season.

?(They should be surprised) only in the fact that they have seen Cole for three straight years,? he said. ?That would be the surprise. ?It is like Charlie (Whitehurst) and Will (Proctor). They were used to seeing number six out there, now they are seeing number 14. They?re use to seeing number thirty, now they might see whatever (Maners?) number is.?

Bowden plans on naming the starting punter after he watches the two during pre-game warm-ups. Right now, the battle is still tight. Maners had a 48-yard punt during Friday?s workout, while Chason got off a 46-yard punt. The thing Bowden has been the most surprised with during this whole battle is the way both punters have stepped up and improved as punters.

?(Maners?) get-off time was so far (off) in the spring,? Bowden said. ?He now has his get-off time more consistent and his kicks are consistently pretty good.

?I really didn?t anticipate him being a factor. Now Cole has kicked well too, and I didn?t anticipate that. He said he went and got with a guy that has worked with him. I didn?t expect that or Jimmy.?

No decision. The only other battle up for debate besides the punter?s position is at the X-position between receivers Aaron Kelly and Rendrick Taylor. Bowden and wide receivers coach Dabo Swinney say the battle is back-and-forth and is too close to call at this point on which one will get the start next Saturday.

Weekend off. The Clemson football team will get the weekend off from practice and will have to report back to school Sunday evening. As for the coaches, they will continue to work as they get set for the Florida Atlantic game. ?We (the offense) will meet from 8-12 tomorrow and the defense will be 7-11,? Bowden said. ?We will watch tape and game plan some more.?

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Article from GreenvilleOnline:

Clemson: Tigers poised to strike

Published: Saturday, August 26, 2006 - 6:00 am
Last updated: Sunday, August 27, 2006 - 12:00 Am



By Ed McGranahan
STAFF WRITER
[email protected]


CLEMSON – Tommy Bowden never claimed to be a "genius," but it's become a hackneyed label for a coach who captures lightning in a bottle.

Einstein and DaVinci weren't football coaches; Lombardi and Brown were, but their genius is undeniable.

Pete Carroll was college football's "genius du jour" for three seasons. Steve Spurrier's college prowess didn't carry over to the NFL or he'd still be coaching the Washington Redskins.

When Tulane went undefeated in his second year as a head coach, it was suggested that Bowden might be an offensive genius and it got him the Clemson job.


There's been little evidence of genius since Bowden took up residence on the banks of Lake Hartwell, but the accumulated sweat equity may begin to pay dividends with the Tigers' best season of his eight years at the school.

Clemson returns a player with experience as a starter at all but two positions, and there's significant depth at linebacker, defensive tackle, the offense line, running back and receiver.

Defensive end Gaines Adams and middle linebacker Anthony Waters chose to return rather than make an early jump to the NFL, but the Tigers lost first-round cornerback Tye Hill and third-round quarterback Charlie Whitehurst to The League.

Hill's loss could be the most troublesome. C.J. Gaddis, a junior, has bounced from quarterback to corner to Cat safety and now back to "field" corner, where his quickness will be most valuable.

Actually, replacing Whitehurst, who set 46 school passing and offense records, should be easier. Senior Will Proctor came off the bench in the opener last season to rally the team over Texas A&M, then started the Duke game while Whitehurst rested a bum shoulder. One of the team's best athletes, Proctor is a far better runner and his arm isn't shabby, but the biggest difference in the offense will be that the Tigers won't be relying on him to make plays as much as they had on Whitehurst.

That, in a large measure, is because of the return of the five offensive line starters, the team's best running back (James Davis), best receiver (Chansi Stuckey) and resident "genius," offensive coordinator Rob Spence.

At his disposal are a trunk full of "toys," beginning with C.J. Spiller, who chose Clemson over Florida and Southern Cal to give Clemson not one but two explosive backs. Spence has also fashioned an identity for Rendrick Taylor, who at 6-2, 230 more resembles a linebacker or fullback than a receiver. As the "J" back, Taylor might start from any-

where on the field as the Tigers attempt to probe the underbelly of a defense with a physical mismatch.

With a group of talented receivers of diverse skills, Bowden insists the Tigers will stretch defenses more than last season. Freshman Jacoby Ford may be the chief deep threat, although Stuckey, Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham are all capable of getting deep.

One thing to watch is the number of "home runs" the offense delivers. For example, last season Whitehurst had the longest run from scrimmage and the longest pass went to Curtis Baham, the slowest primary receiver.

There's still work to be done on the other side of the ball, but defensive coordinator Vic Koenning doesn't have the same level of angst as he did a year ago, when he didn't know where to find depth. After three strong years of recruiting, it's more a matter of developing it.

Adams, the featured bandit end, has been projected as a Top 5 NFL pick. Coaches believe his backup, freshman Rick Sapp, has the skills to be even better.

End Phillip Merling and tackles Rashaad Jackson, Jock McKissic and Dorell Scott are the future and present of the defense. Linebackers Waters, Nick Watkins and Tramaine Billie started 11 games together last season, and Koenning already has the next generation behind them, led by Antonio Clay and Josh Miller. Billie suffered a fractured ankle in preseason and may be out for eight weeks.

Koenning, hands on with the secondary, has Duane Coleman at the corner opposite Gaddis, and Michael Hamlin took over at Cat when Gaddis struggled with the game coming at him from three directions. At free safety, redshirt sophomore Chris Clemons is bigger and more athletic than Jamal Fudge, but Fudge's leadership may be irreplaceable. Freshman Crezdon Butler could see a good bit of playing time by midseason.

The kicking game should be better now that Bowden has scrapped that funky punt formation. If senior Cole Chason struggles, Bowden won't hesitate to go to either Jimmy Maners or freshman Richard Jackson.

And kicker Jad Dean is on the Groza Award watch list again.

For all the optimism, there are reasons to pause and step cautiously.

Bowden has twice been voted conference coach of the year and his offenses have rewritten the school record book, but he's been through four offensive coordinators and three defensive coordinators.

Over the past three seasons Clemson has beaten Miami, Tennessee, Florida State (twice) and South Carolina (three times). Conversely, during the same period Bowden's teams have lost to Wake Forest (twice) and Duke and his 23-13 record is one win shy of the guy he was hired to replace – Tommy West is 24-13 at the University of Memphis.

Bowden's teams seem to play best when their backs are against the wall. During those three seasons, the Tigers are 11-1 in the final four games.

It would be "genius" if he can convince the team to play with that same edge from the outset.



Running like a veteran: James Davis rushed for 879 yards as a freshman last season.
BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff file photo











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I pulled from TigerNet.com:

First time Winners at Death Valley

Florida Atlantic will attempt to become just the third first-time visitor in the last 29 years to win at Death Valley. The only opponents since 1978 to win in their first visit to Clemson have been Marshall, a 13- 10 winner in the season opener of the 1999 season, and Miami (FL), last year in a 36-30 triple overtime game. Prior to that, the last firstappearance winner at Clemson was Notre Dame in 1977.

Florida Atlantic is the 47th different team to come to Clemson Memorial Stadium and the previous 46 have a record of 12-33-1 in their first game at Clemson. Three of the 12 first-time winners (Alabama, Kentucky, Marshall) have beaten the Tigers by the exact same score, 13-10.

A look to Clemson?s home record over the years shows why the Tigers enjoy playing in Death Valley. Clemson has a record of 304- 116-15 at home over the years, a .716 winning percentage. Clemson is 248-257-25 away from home, a .492 winning percentage for those 530 games on an opponent?s home field. Clemson is 56-44-5 in neutral site games. You might notice that Clemson now has 608 all-time victories, 304 at home and 304 away from home.

Clemson has a 231-90-7 record in Death Valley (since 1942), a .716 winning percentage for 328 games. Tommy Bowden has followed the lead of his predecessors when it comes to playing at home. He is 33- 12 so far in his 45 home games, a .733 winning percentage. Clemson has won 16 of the last 19 at home with the only three losses in overtime or within the last 10 seconds of the game, all by six points or less.

First-time Winners at Death Valley
Year Opponent Score
1942 George Washington 7-0
1943 Wake Forest 41-12
1946 NC State 14-7
1952 Villanova 14-7
1953 Maryland 20-0
1967 Alabama 13-10
1971 Kentucky 13-10
1973 Texas A&M 30-15
1975 Florida State 43-7
1977 Notre Dame 21-17
1999 Marshall 13-10
2005 Miami (FL) 36-30 (3OT)


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More stuff from TigerNet - Game Preview:


Clemson Overview Offense
Clemson has eight starters and 21 lettermen returning on offense for 2006. The list of starters on the August 27 depth chart has seven seniors on the first team, one junior and three sophomores.

The offensive line returns all five starters from last year, including seniors Roman Fry, Dustin Fry, Nathan Bennett and Marion Dukes, and junior Barry Richardson. Bennett is in his fourth season as a starter, while Dukes and Richardson are in their third seasons, respectively. Overall, nine of Clemson?s top 10 linemen from 2005 return this year.

Will Proctor is the starting quarterback, his first year in that capacity. The senior from Winter Park, FL has started just one game and taken just 99 snaps from center in his career as a reserve behind 2005 senior Charlie Whitehurst, who was a three-year starter for the Tigers. Proctor was 13-21 for 201 yards in his only start last year, a victory over Duke. He has completed over 70 percent of his passes in the preseason scrimmages.

Clemson has depth at running back and in the secondary. Chansi Stuckey is the only returning first-team All-ACC player on the offense. He had 64 catches for 770 yards and four scores last year and was also Clemson?s top punt returner. Aaron Kelly and Rendrick Taylor have been in a battle for a starting wide receiver position all fall. Kelly had 47 catches as a freshman, the second highest freshman total in Clemson history. Taylor, who was injured much of last year, had a strong spring, including a record 174 receiving yards in the Spring Game.

The running back position is led by James Davis, the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2005 when he gained 879 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He ranked fourth in the ACC in rushing yards per game, a figure that was enhanced by his 150 yards rushing in the Champs Sports Bowl against Colorado, the second best bowl game rushing total in Clemson history.

Reggie Merriweather gained 715 yards rushing and scored seven touchdowns last year. He had three straight 100-yard rushing games at midseason. Freshman C.J. Spiller is also slated to see playing time at running back, as is Demerick Chancellor, who was Clemson?s top ground gainer in scrimmages in the spring and fall.

Clemson will play as many as six tight ends this year. Players in that position caught 35 passes last year, most by Clemson tight ends since 1975 when all-time great Bennie Cunningham was a Tiger.Thomas Hunter is the top player at that position after he had 13 receptions for 120 yards last season.



Defense

Clemson has seven starters and 22 lettermen returning in 2006. The defense is led by seniors Gaines Adams and Anthony Waters, two players who considered turning pro last January. Adams is a first-team All-American by many services and is on the preseason list for five different college football awards in 2006. He had 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks last year.

Waters was the team?s top tackler last year with 109, including 13.5 tackles for loss. He is the top returning tackler in the ACC. He had six different double figure tackle games last year. Sophomore Phillip Merling is another lineman who figures to have a strong year, while many sophomores lead the defensive tackle position. Senior Donnell Clark is coming off a torn ACL suffered in the middle of last season.

Nick Watkins and Antonio Clay figure to join Waters on the second line of defense. Watkins is a junior from New Orleans who had 99 stops last year, second best on the team. Clay had 27 tackles last year as a reserve. He was in a battle for a starting spot with senior Tramaine Billie in the fall, but Billie suffered a broken foot and will be lost for at least the first four games. He could decide to red-shirt the season.

The secondary must replace firstround draft choice Tye Hill and reliable safety Jamaal Fudge. Duane Coleman is one of the leaders of the defense, remarkable considering he did not enter the starting lineup until the 10th game last year. But the former running back finished strong with 21 tackles in the last three games (all Clemson wins), including a team best nine against Florida State. Michael Hamlin made some freshman All-America teams in 2005, and at 6-3 has the ability to roam the secondary. He had his first career interception last year at Georgia Tech while covering All- American Calvin Johnson.

Clemson has a young defense overall with six sophomores slated to start for Vic Koenning?s unit. Clemson has not had six players who were sophomores or freshmen in the starting lineup for the course of the season since 1994. There are just three seniors slated to start on defense and two juniors.

Special Teams

Clemson has a preseason All- America kicker in Jad Dean. The senior from Greenwood, SC led the ACC in field goals and scoring last year when he scored 106 points, second most in Clemson history for a kicker. Cole Chason has been challenged by walk-on Jimmy Maners and it will be a game time decision as to the punter position against Florida Atlantic. Punting is an area Tommy Bowden is looking for improvement. Clemson averaged just 33.5 yards a punt last year when it had five punts blocked.

The return game will apparently feature a pair of first-year freshmen in Jacoby

Ford and C.J. Spiller.

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Game Notes from Clemson Official site:


Clemson vs. Florida Atlantic Game Notes
Saturday's game will be the first meeting between the Tigers and Owls.


Aug. 28, 2006


Game Notes



Clemson Overview


Offense
Clemson has eight starters and 21 lettermen returning on offense for 2006. The list of starters on the August 27 depth chart has seven seniors on the first team, one junior and three sophomores.

The offensive line returns all five starters from last year, including seniors Roman Fry, Dustin Fry, Nathan Bennett and Marion Dukes, and junior Barry Richardson. Bennett is in his fourth season as a starter, while Dukes and Richardson are in their third seasons, respectively. Overall, nine of Clemson's top 10 linemen from 2005 return this year.

Will Proctor is the starting quarterback, his first year in that capacity. The senior from Winter Park, FL has started just one game and taken just 99 snaps from center in his career as a reserve behind 2005 senior Charlie Whitehurst, who was a four-year starter for the Tigers. Proctor was 13-21 for 201 yards in his only start last year, a victory over Duke. He has completed over 70 percent of his passes in the preseason scrimmages.





Clemson has depth at running back and in the secondary. Chansi Stuckey is the only returning first-team All-ACC player on the offense. He had 64 catches for 770 yards and four scores last year and was also Clemson's top punt returner. Aaron Kelly and Rendrick Taylor have been in a battle for a starting wide receiver position all fall. Kelly had 47 catches as a freshman, the second highest freshman total in Clemson history. Taylor, who was injured much of last year, had a strong spring, including a record 174 receiving yards in the Spring Game.

The running back position is led by James Davis, the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2005 when he gained 879 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He ranked fourth in the ACC in rushing yards per game, a figure that was enhanced by his 150 yards rushing in the Champs Sports Bowl against Colorado, the second best bowl game rushing total in Clemson history. Reggie Merriweather gained 715 yards rushing and scored seven touchdowns last year. He had three straight 100-yard rushing games at midseason. Freshman C.J. Spiller is also slated to see playing time at running back, as is Demerick Chancellor, who was Clemson's top ground gainer in scrimmages in the spring and fall.

Clemson will play as many as six tight ends this year. Players in that position caught 35 passes last year, most by Clemson tight ends since 1975 when all-time great Bennie Cunningham was a Tiger. Thomas Hunter is the top player at that position after he had 13 receptions for 120 yards last season.


Defense
Clemson has seven starters and 22 lettermen returning in 2006. The defense is led by seniors Gaines Adams and Anthony Waters, two players who considered turning pro last January. Adams is a first-team All-American by many services and is on the preseason list for five different college football awards in 2006. He had 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks last year.

Waters was the team's top tackler last year with 109, including 13.5 tackles for loss. He is the top returning tackler in the ACC. He had six different double figure tackle games last year. Sophomore Phillip Merling is another lineman who figures to have a strong year, while many sophomore lead the defensive tackle position. Senior Donnell Clark is coming off a torn ACL suffered in the middle of last season. Nick Watkins and Antonio Clay figure to join Waters on the second line of defense. Watkins is a junior from New Orleans who had 99 stops last year, second best on the team. Clay had 27 tackles last year as a reserve. He was in a battle for a starting spot with senior Tramaine Billie in the fall, but Billie suffered a broken foot and will be lost for at least the first five games. He could decide to red-shirt the season.

The secondary must replace first-round draft choice Tye Hill and reliable safety Jamaal Fudge. Duane Coleman is one of the leaders of the defense, remarkable considering he did not enter the starting lineup until the 10th game last year. But the former running back finished strong with 21 tackles in the last three games (all Clemson wins), including a team best nine against Florida State. Michael Hamlin made some freshman All-America teams in 2005, and at 6-3 has the ability to roam the secondary. He had his first career interception last year at Georgia Tech while covering All-American Calvin Johnson.

Clemson has a young defense overall with six sophomores slated to start for Vic Koenning's unit. Clemson has not had six players who were sophomores or freshmen in the starting lineup for the course of the season since 1994. There are just three seniors slated to start on defense and two juniors.


Special Teams
Clemson has a preseason All-America kicker in Jad Dean. The senior from Greenwood, SC led the ACC in field goals and scoring last year when he scored 106 points, second most in Clemson history for a kicker. Cole Chason has been challenged by walk-on Jimmy Maners and it will be a game time decision as to the punter position against Florida Atlantic. Punting is an area Tommy Bowden is looking for improvement. Clemson averaged just 33.5 yards a punt last year when it had five punts blocked.

The return game will apparently feature a pair of first-year freshmen in Jacoby Ford and C.J. Spiller.


2006 Schedule Notes
?Clemson will play 11 consecutive weeks to open the season, the first time Clemson has played 11 consecutive weeks since 1986. "That is a positive if you get on a roll, like we did in 2000 (when Clemson played the first 10 weeks of the season), but it can be a negative if you run into injury problems," said Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden. Clemson actually doesn't play 11 consecutive Saturdays, the Tigers have a pair of Thursday night games (October 12 vs. Temple in Charlotte and October 26 at Virginia Tech).
?Clemson's 2006 football schedule includes six bowl teams, including road games at Atlantic Division rivals Boston College and Florida State to open the ACC schedule in early September. Clemson also travels to Virginia Tech for a Thursday evening game in late October.
?Clemson will have a 12-game regular season schedule in 2006, the third time Clemson has played a 12-game regular season schedule. The other seasons were 2002 and 2003.
?The Tigers will open and close the 2006 season against teams led by coaches who have won the national championship. Florida Atlantic coach Howard Schnellenberger guided Miami (FL) to the 1983 National Championship and he will bring his team to Death Valley in the season opener. Steve Spurrier will bring the South Carolina Gamecocks to Death Valley in the season finale November 25. Spurrier coached Florida to the 1996 National Championship. Bowden has gained seven wins over coaches who have won the national championship since 2003.
?Clemson's next two games are on the road against ACC upper echelon teams Boston College (September 9) and Florida State (September 16). It will be Clemson's first trip to Boston since 1983 when Doug Flutie handed the Tigers their only loss in a 9-1-1 season. This will be the earliest date on the calendar that Clemson has played in Tallahassee since 1993. The Tigers have not won at Florida State since 1989.
?Clemson will return home to face North Carolina on September 23. It will be North Carolina's only game at Clemson between 2004 and 2011. The Tigers won a thrilling 36-28 game at Death Valley in 2003 the last time the two teams met. Clemson will celebrate its 25-years anniversary of the 1981 National Championship on this weekend.
?Clemson will meet Louisiana Tech on September 30. The Bulldogs are coached by Jack Bicknell, who brought Boston College to face the Tigers in Death Valley in 1982. it is the only father-son opposing coaching combination in Clemson history. Bicknell also brought Louisiana Tech to Clemson in 2002 for the season opener.
?The Tigers will travel to Wake Forest for the third time in the last four years on October 7, when Clemson travels to Wake Forest. Clemson has beaten Florida State two of the last three years, but has lost at Wake Forest two of the last three years.
?Clemson will have just five days to prepare for Temple on October 12, a game that will be played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. This will be Temple's home game.
?Four of the last five games will be at home. Clemson will attempt to end its two-game losing streak against Georgia Tech when the Yellow Jackets come to Death Valley on October 21. The two teams have played games decided by five points or less nine of the last 10 years.
?Clemson will then play at Virginia Tech in a Thursday night match up on ESPN on October 26. The contest will be just five days after the Georgia Tech game and will be just the fifth time (twice in October 2006) since 1933 that Clemson has had just four days in between games.
? It will be the first meeting between Clemson and Virginia Tech since the Gator Bowl at the conclusion of the 2000 season. They also met in the regular season in 1998 at Clemson and at Virginia Tech in 1999 in Tommy Bowden's first season as Tiger head coach. Clemson has not won at Virginia Tech since 1989.
?Clemson concludes the season with three consecutive home games for the first time since 1998. Maryland travels to Death Valley on November 4. The Tigers have won consecutive games by four points or less on touchdowns inside the last three minutes by Reggie Merriweather against the Terps.
?NC State will close Clemson's ACC schedule on Saturday November 11. It will be just the second time in the last five years that the two teams have played on a Saturday. Clemson and Florida State are the only two ACC teams who will conclude their ACC schedule on November 11.
?The Tigers will have two weeks to prepare for South Carolina, as the annual state rivalry game will be played the Saturday after Thanksgiving for the first time since 1984. The November 25 date is the latest for the South Carolina game since the two teams played on the same date in 1978.
?Clemson will not play ACC teams Miami (FL), Duke or Virginia during the regular season. It will be the first time Clemson has not played Duke since 1964.







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Who was FAU's head coach before Schnelly? Read on down.

I'm glad they dedicated a few sentences about FAU.

Note: this is an ESPN article


Clemson opens its season vs Florida Atlantic

Full Player Stats: Florida Atlantic | Clemson
Fla Atlantic at No. 18 Clemson, 3:30 pm EDT

CLEMSON, South Carolina (Ticker) – Inexperience at quarterback may be the only factor that prevents Clemson from challenging for the top of the ACC.

The 18th-ranked Tigers open their season Saturday against former University of Miami coach Howard Schnellenberger and his Florida Atlantic Owls.

The Tigers are coming off an 8-4 record in 2005, winning their last four games including a 19-10 win vs Colorado in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Clemson returns eight starters including the entire offensive line. The one area which Clemson has a dearth of experience is at quarterback. Will Procter has been named the starter, but this is his first year in that capacity.

A senior, Procter has made only one career start but will have talent surrounding him including 2005 All-ACC wide receiver Chansi Stuckey who caught 64 passes for 770 yards and four scores.

Proctor can also hand the ball to ACC Rookie of the Year James Davis. The sophomore rushed for 879 yards and nine touchdowns, while his backfield mate Reggie Merriweather gained 715 yards and seven TDs.

A strong defense is led by seniors Gaines Adams and Anthony Waters. Adams, a preseason All-American defensive end, led the team with 9 1/2 sacks and 15 tackles for losses. Waters, the ACC's top returning tackler, also had 13 1/2 tackles for losses from his linebacker position.

Clemson, which has never faced Florida Atlantic, has a very tough schedule which includes six bowl teams. The Tigers don't get a break as they start the season playing 11 consecutive weeks.

Florida Atlantic is coming off a 2-9 season, its first losing record in three years. The Owls had won nine and 11 games the prior two years.

Schnellenberger, in his 22nd year as a college head coach, has turned around losing programs almost everywhere he's gone. Miami, Louisville, and Florida Atlantic were all sub-.500 teams prior to Schnellenberger's arrival.

A coach since 1959, Schnellenberger has at least one 10-win season at each of those schools. He has coached 238 games, but this is his first time visiting Death Valley.

"I have been to North Carolina State, South Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech many times, but I've never been to Clemson," Schnellenberger said.

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What does he mean sub 500. FAU never lost a football game prior to 2001. ;D







FAU - THE REAL SLEEPING GIANT
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