Bowden plans to stay at Clemson

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Plenty of college football coaching jobs are opening across the country, but Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said Monday he plans on staying with the Tigers.<br> <br> So far Bowden hasn&#39;t been linked with any open jobs. Given the chance, the coach shut the door quickly.<br> <br> ``Hopefully they&#39;ll keep me here because I sure want to be here,&#39;&#39; Bowden said.<br> <br> The coach spoke to reporters two days after Clemson lost 31-28 to South Carolina, ending a four game winning streak in the rivalry and falling out of the top 25.<br> <br> The Tigers (8-4) now wait to see what bowl will take them. They probably won&#39;t know until Sunday. The likely candidates are the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., which gets the Atlantic Coast Conference&#39;s third choice. The ACC&#39;s fourth choice goes to the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., and the fifth choice is made by the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.<br> <br> This year&#39;s Clemson team finished about where Bowden expected tied for second in the ACC&#39;s Atlantic Division. Fewer injuries or a break here or there and the Tigers could have made the conference title game, but ``we ended up where everybody thought we&#39;d be,&#39;&#39; Bowden said.<br> <br> Also on Monday, Clemson found out it put five players on the all-ACC first team. Running back James Davis, receiver Chansi Stuckey, lineman Barry Richardson and Nathan Bennett were honored on offense, while defensive tackle Gaines Adams was named first team defense. Freshman running back C.J. Spiller and center Dustin Fry made the second team.<br> <br> Davis was honored despite struggling in the final four games of the season, running for just 173 yards and one touchdown. He ran 11 times for 19 yards in the loss to the Gamecocks.<br> <br> A shoulder injury has bothered the sophomore for a while, but Bowden said he thought Davis was fine Saturday.<br> <br> The Tigers lost to South Carolina when Jad Dean missed a 39-yard field goal with 13 seconds to go after Clemson pushed the ball down the field with a punishing drive where they ran the ball 11 of the 16 plays. But the drive stalled just outside the Gamecock 10 with Davis stuffed on two runs and Will Proctor sacked on third-and-9 with 27 seconds to go.<br> <br> Bowden said he decided to pass the ball because he ran it three times late against Maryland and had to settle for a field goal that allowed the Terrapins to drive right back down the field and win with a field goal of their own.<br> <br> ``We ran the ball down there,&#39;&#39; Bowden said. ``So I said, &#39;Let&#39;s take two runs and on this third one I&#39;m going to try to win it&#39; instead of settling for the field goal and overtime.&#39;&#39;