Don't get fooled again

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The Tommy Bowden fan club arrived in a minivan and left in a Toyota Corolla.

Times are tough, and tougher after a 12-7 loss Thursday night at No. 21 Wake Forest.

Rob Spence, an offensive coordinator whose big-game success does not match his statistical rankings, has to be on ground shakier than the thin ice under the head coach's white and orange sneakers. You cannot preside over a scoreless second half in a 20-17 loss to Maryland, have two precious weeks to prepare for Wake Forest and come out and stink from here to Mayberry. There were fireworks throughout the night across the street at the Dixie Classic Fair, but no firepower on offense for the Tigers.

There was context within the dreary, overcast night. Clemson lost speedy C.J. Spiller and both starting guards to injuries before halftime. The defense, considering such non-support, played well.

But the context of the season is the dark shadow of Death Valley: 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference halfway through a season in which Clemson in Bowden's 10th year on the job was favored to win its first ACC championship since 1991.

Bowden, of course, was peppered with good questions after the bad loss.

What did you say to the team after the game?

"Let's go get healed up, circle the wagons," he said. "Let's go to work and come out swinging. There's not much you can tell them. You certainly can't somehow insinuate the season is over."

What do you say to the fans?

"I know they're disappointed. I'm disappointed. What can you say? They're as frustrated and disappointed as I am. You surely feel for them but all I can do is coach and go back to the drawing board."

A carnival act

Will you consider firing Rob Spence before next week's game against Georgia Tech?

"No."

How about replacing quarterback Cullen Harper with redshirt freshman Willy Korn?

"I don't think that was the issue in this game. If that's the problem, I would (make a change). But I'd have to make sure that's the problem."

It's not all on Bowden and Spence. Players have to make plays when put in good situations. The Wake Forest defense set the tone on the second snap, when James Davis ran left behind two extra blockers, fullback Chad Diehl and tight end Michael Palmer, and gained a grand total of two yards.

The Dixie Classic Fair weather was ideal, cool but comfortable.

Fair weather fans will make things uncomfortable for Bowden, hot and distracting.

For good reason.

Because while the Dixie Classic has a rabbit show, tilt-a-whirl, apple auction, quilts, singing pigs, the Great American Spam Championship and a roller coaster, it wasn't nearly as nutty as the Clemson offense.

Head coach, for now

A fake punt call on fourth-and-1 from the Clemson 46 with less than five minutes left in the first half made little sense.

But it was only slightly worse than the short third-down passes to Aaron Kelly that Wake Forest pounced on like a kindergartner on a funnel cake.

No doubt, the Clemson offensive line was a weak spot to begin with and losing Cory Lambert and Mason Cloy in the first half didn't help.

Still ...

We all got fooled again. Tommy Bowden's Clemson teams do not win 12 games in a season, or 11 or 10. They win seven or eight. No more than nine. No fewer than six.

We should have known better.

But meet the new boss.

Same as the old boss, for now.

He is 9-for-9 getting Clemson teams qualified for bowl games.

Fans of a lot of other college football programs will take that.

A lot of Clemson people will not.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com or 937-5593.