Perpetually strong UT is the program the Tigers want to emulate.
By Associated Press
Published January 2, 2004
ATLANTA - Clemson coach Tommy Bowden looks at Tennessee and sees the kind of program he'd like to have, one that consistently wins at least 10 a season, finishes in the top 10 and challenges for the national title.
"Tennessee's done that," Bowden said. "That program right now is where we want to go. That's what Clemson once was, and we want to get it back."
The Tigers can start toward that goal with a victory over the No. 6 Volunteers in the Peach Bowl today.
Bowden is the first coach to take Clemson to bowls in his first five seasons, but he's 1-3 so far, winning the 2001 Humanitarian Bowl in Idaho.
"They're the sixth-ranked team in the nation; we're unranked," Bowden said. "We'd like to be sixth in the nation, top 10, top 15, top 25. The significant ranking is after the season."
Tennessee is in this game for the second straight year despite tying for the SEC East title with Georgia and Florida. A tiebreaker gave the Bulldogs the berth in the SEC Championship Game, and the Gators surprisingly got a bid to the more prestigious Outback Bowl.
The snub left Volunteers coach Phillip Fulmer fuming about the conference's role in bowl games, though he went to great lengths to thank Peach Bowl officials for their hospitality.
"I think the system didn't work," Fulmer said. "The conference didn't do all it could. If you're going to have alliances with conferences, and you're going to have a pecking order, then it should be in place."
After two straight conference losses, including a 41-14 rout by Georgia, the Volunteers were 4-2 with games looming at Alabama and Miami. They won both and four more, giving Fulmer his seventh season with at least 10 wins.
The biggest reason for the upswing was quarterback Casey Clausen. The four-year starter had 14 touchdowns and two interceptions in the final six games.
"I don't think he has gotten his due, quite frankly," Fulmer said. "But unfortunately, Casey ended up being in a position of not having the supporting cast around him offensively."
Clausen isn't worried about his reputation.
"All that matters to me is winning," he said. "That's why I came here, to win games. All the rest will take care of itself. We want to put Tennessee back where it belongs, have a chance to get back in the top five this season."
