Bowden says Tigers are still a good team

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Clemson coach Tommy Bowden thinks the Tigers are still a championship-calibre club, despite playing their worst game of the season in a 24-7 loss at Virginia Tech.<br> <br> Bowden told his players recovering from defeat is the mark of a title team, something he believes the 10th-ranked Tigers (7-2, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) can still accomplish with a month left in the season.<br> <br> ``I think if I explain it in those terms, &#39;Hey, we&#39;re still a good team. There&#39;s a lot of football left to be played. ... We&#39;re at home the rest of the schedule.&#39; We&#39;ve accomplished, I think, too many good things and shown too much consistency to fall apart at the wheel,&#39;&#39; Bowden said Friday. ``And I don&#39;t think we will.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Only last Saturday night, Clemson marked itself the ACC&#39;s best team with a dominating 31-7 victory over Georgia Tech in a matchup of the league&#39;s two highest-ranked teams. The Tigers tailback tandem of James Davis and C.J. Spiller combined for 332 yards rushing and accounted for four touchdowns. Clemson&#39;s defense was equally dominant, holding Yellow Jackets star Calvin Johnson without a catch for the first time in his career.<br> <br> As strong as they were last weekend, the Tigers were clueless in Blacksburg, Va.<br> <br> Davis and Spiller were held to a combined 71 yards. When the Tigers tried to throw, quarterback Will Proctor struggled to make things happen while Clemson&#39;s receivers had critical drops. The defense, which hadn&#39;t allowed more than 111 yards to any one opponent, gave up 203 to Virginia Tech runner Branden Ore alone.<br> <br> ``We never take any team lightly, no matter who we&#39;re playing,&#39;&#39; Spiller said. ``They just had a better game against us.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Early on, Bowden thought knew it could be a difficult night when in the first quarter he was hit on the back of the head with a glass minibottle thrown from the stands. If he had been turned around, ``I would&#39;ve surely lost an eye,&#39;&#39; he said.<br> <br> Then the water in his postgame shower was cold, completing a forgettable trip.<br> <br> Such a decisive defeat might shake some programs, but not the Tigers, Bowden said.<br> <br> Clemson has dealt with significant injuries to key personnel since the season began, including starting linebackers Anthony Waters and Tramaine Billie, safety Michael Hamlin and receiver Chansi Stuckey. Left guard Roman Fry and tight end Thomas Hunter, both senior starters, did not play against Virginia Tech because of injuries sustained a game earlier.<br> <br> If you had asked Bowden before the season started if he would take a 7-2 record at this point while missing so many important players, ``I probably would say yes. I want to win them all. ... In taking everything into context, I think this team has absorbed those losses well. It&#39;s been very resilient.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> The Georgia Tech win pushed Clemson into the top 10 for the first time in six years. Now, the Tigers will have to resume winning and hope for lots of help to reach the ACC&#39;s championship game.<br> <br> Clemson&#39;s only other loss this season, 34-33 in double OT to No. 18 Boston College, already meant someone had to beat the Eagles. Now, the Tigers are behind three one-loss teams in the Atlantic Division BC, No. 24 Wake Forest and Maryland.<br> <br> But Boston College still has four league games to go while Wake Forest and Maryland have five remaining, too many to hand anyone a title-game berth yet.<br> <br> ``We&#39;re not in an ideal seat,&#39;&#39; Bowden says, ``but we&#39;re in a seat and there are a lot of teams that aren&#39;t.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Bowden gave his players the weekend off before they have to return Sunday night. He simply told them there were very few teams that go through their seasons without getting knocked down. ``We&#39;re looking for guys that get up,&#39;&#39; he said. ``That&#39;s where you compete for championships.&#39;&#39;