Duke and Clemson have a lot in common going into tomorrow's football matchup in Death Valley. Both teams are coming off upset wins at home. And, to both coaches, those wins had special meaning.
Duke interim head coach Ted Roof led his squad to a solid 41-17 win over Georgia Tech, his alma mater and the school where he formerly coached. Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden secured a 26-10 victory over then-No. 3 Florida State, coached by his father, the legendary Bobby Bowden.
As Duke's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks' coach from 1984 to 1986, Tommy Bowden said that he is "familiar with everything" at Duke.
"When we played N.C. State [on October 16], I came and jogged around [the Duke campus]," Bowden said. "I know a lot about the campus, academics, tradition and football history."
Bowden also knows a lot about Roof's football-- both on the field and on the sidelines. When Bowden was at Duke, his team faced off against Georgia Tech, with Roof as the team's all-ACC linebacker. Bowden described Roof as a "tough and hard-nosed" player.
"Football is a sport of intensity," Bowden said. "I'm sure [Roof] coaches like he played."
Roof and Bowden sported the same colors as members of the Alabama coaching staff in 1987 and 1988. Roof was a graduate assistant, and Bowden was an assistant coach.
While Roof has only headed the Duke team for three games, Bowden recognized that these last three contests were an "indication that he would be a legitimate candidate" for the head coach position.
Tomorrow's game will be the first interaction for the two since Roof took over the reins at Duke. For both teams, a victory is very important.
"[Last week's wins] are both going to be a factor in the game," Bowden said. "Duke has tremendous confidence, and our game was pretty substantial."
Although Clemson has a 4-0 record against Duke under Bowden, last year's game ended in dramatic fashion with Aaron Hunt's 21-yard field goal to give Clemson the 34-31 victory over Duke. Bowden called Saturday's game a must-win for his team.
"In order for us to finish strong, we need to play well Saturday," Bowden said. "[If we lose to Duke,] they will forget about the FSU win really quick."
Bowden said that Duke is "tricky and deceitful" in its mobile formation, especially with Chris Douglas coming off his career-high 218 rushing yards. The Clemson defense limited Florida State to 11 yards last Saturday.
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