Colleges

Pregame bomb scare heightens security

An e-mailed bomb threat on the Clemson campus early Monday led to heightened security at Memorial Stadium in the hours leading up to kickoff.

By BRIAN LANDMAN
Published September 4, 2007

CLEMSON, S.C. - An e-mailed bomb threat on the Clemson campus early Monday led to heightened security at Memorial Stadium in the hours leading up to kickoff.

Clemson University police Chief Johnson Link said a search of Sirrine Hall, a business administration building, found "nothing of concern." Members of the Anderson City bomb task force, including an explosives-detecting dog, thoroughly searched the building, Johnson said.

Bomb-squad experts and bomb-sniffing dogs from the City of Anderson were on hand to check the stadium and cars parked near it, and only cars bearing university placards were allowed access to roads in the vicinity of the stadium.

WHITE OUT: The Seminoles came out dressed in all white, the fourth time in the past five years that Florida State has adorned both white jerseys and white pants.

FSU's first-ever game in all white was here on Sept. 17, 1988, a game made famous by the "puntrooskie" play.

With 1:30 left in a 21-21 game and facing fourth and 4 at its 21, FSU lined up in punt formation. The ball was snapped to upback Dayne Williams. LeRoy Butler then took the ball from between Williams' legs and dashed 78 yards to set up a winning field goal by Richie Andrews.

FSU didn't wear all white again until 2003 at Notre Dame (a 37-0 win). The Seminoles went all-white in 2004 at N.C. State (a 17-10 win) and at N.C. State in 2006 (a 24-20 loss).

BOWDEN REUNION INCOMPLETE: The Bowden family matriarch, Ann, who has not been a fan of the father-son game, didn't make the trip.

Other Bowdens not in the crowd were her daughter Robyn and son Jeff, the former FSU offensive coordinator/receivers coach. Her other kids Steve and Ginger and six grandchildren were here.

Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said his brother not on the opposite sideline didn't change things for him "other than the daily tape and e-mails he sends about the strategy they're incorporating." In all seriousness, Tommy said the absence of his younger brother has meant FSU's offense would be different and that made this edition of the "Bowden Bowl" different.

"(Also) the last two or three years, there's been a lot of negative publicity, either (about) Jeff or me," he said. "It was Jeff. Now it's just me. I wish he was back. He could take half of it."

LINE DANCE: True freshman Rodney Hudson started at left guard on a revamped FSU offensive line (former Jefferson High star Daron Rose at left tackle and redshirt freshman Ryan McMahon at center made their first career starts). Incredibly, Monday's game was Hudson's third college game he has ever been at. He went to last year's Alabama-Auburn and Auburn-LSU games as a prospect.

SOD GAME: Although the favorite, FSU designated the matchup as a "sod game." If it wins such a game, the team removes a chunk of sod from the opponent's field and buries it in the "sod cemetery" adjacent to its practice field in Tallahassee.

CLEMSON HONOR: The Tigers recognized former star linebacker Jeff Davis before the game. Davis, captain of their 1981 national championship team who went on to play for the Bucs from 1982-87, was recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. One of his classmates? Bobby Bowden. Davis, on the field with his family, held his Hall of Fame plaque for the orange-clad crowd, which roared. The 1981 team went 12-0 and beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl for the title.

[Last modified September 4, 2007, 01:01:32]