Another Bowden father/son battle is on the slate Monday night when the Florida State Seminoles take on the Clemson Tigers in the NCAA football season opener for both teams. Bobby Bowden's Seminoles are coming off a disappointing season in which they finished 7-6 after their offense struggled to consistently put points on the board throughout the season. Tommy Bowden's Tigers had a chance to win the ACC Atlantic before dropping three straight games late in the season last year to finish at 8-5. Much better things are expected at Florida State this season where the defense remains ferocious and the offense should be improved. Drew Weatherford returns at quarterback after beating out Xavier Lee during camp. Lee supplanted Weatherford in the starting job last season after Weatherford failed to lead the offense effectively. Weatherford will likely be on a short leash to start the season and could be riding his last chance to prove he can get it done on a regular basis. Weatherford has a new starting RB in the backfield in sophomore Antone Smith, who takes over from the departed Lorenzo Booker. Wide receiver Greg Carr is still around and gives Weatherford a solid target after catching 34 passes for 619 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.
Clemson has a chance to win the division title they missed out on last season, but they'll need some luck with a tough road schedule and they must avoid another late-season swoon. Opening their season at Florida State won't be easy and playing an inexperienced QB and offensive line won't help matters. With QB Will Proctor gone, the starting job is expected to fall to Cullen Harper. The junior has been Proctor's backup the last two seasons but he's only seen action in five games, completing 14-of-20 passes for 170 yards with two touchdowns. The Tigers' dynamic running game should help take some of the pressure off Harper. Clemson has two great backs in James Davis and C.J. Spiller and they share the carries very well. Last season Davis rushed for 1,187 yards and 17 touchdowns, while Spiller racked up 938 yards with 10 touchdowns. The Tigers' defense fell apart late last season and they'll need to rebound this year without big DE Gaines Adams who went early in the NFL draft. The Tigers went in to Doak Campbell Stadium last year and beat the Seminoles 27-20 as a 4.5-point underdog. Clemson also defeated the Seminoles 35-14 a year earlier. Davis ran wild versus the Seminoles last season and found the end zone twice, including the winning score late in the fourth quarter. Weatherford got the start for Florida State in that game and completed 11-of-19 passes for only 102 yards with no touchdowns. If Weatherford does the same thing on Monday night, the son could top the father for the third consecutive time. Florida State is a 3-point favorite with the total set at 45. Check out NCAA Football Betting Odds at WagerWeb Sportsbook.
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