COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tommy Bowden decided he'd done all he could do for Clemson football, telling his athletic director Monday he'd step aside for the future of the program.

AD Terry Don Phillips said his intent Monday morning was to have a candid, heart-to-heart with Bowden about the football team. So Phillips was surprised when Bowden offered to walk away in midseason.

"There wasn't a gun to his head," Phillips said.

"He put it on the table for the sake of the program," Phillips said. "I agreed."

Bowden will be paid through the end of the season, then get $3.5 million as a buyout negotiated in the contract extension both sides agreed to last December.

Bowden sat next to Phillips in McFadden Auditorium, where he's held meetings and press conferences the past 10 seasons. He thanked the school, administrators and his latest group of players.

"I wish them nothing but success and I will be their biggest fan on Saturday" against Georgia Tech, Bowden said.

With that, Bowden left the stage without taking questions, walked into his office and shut the door as Phillips detailed the day's dramatic events.

Assistant head coach and receivers coach Dabo Swinney will take over the club. Phillips urged him to act like the team's head coach and make difficult decisions knowing he had the administration's full backing.

He did that almost immediately, relieving offensive coordinator Rob Spence of his duties. Swinney and newly assigned quarterbacks coach Billy Napier will handle playcalling duties.

"This is a situation where if you're going to have a fresh start, it's just kind of a time for change and to move in a different direction," Swinney said. "That's what it boiled down to."

MWC REPRIMANDS NEW MEXICO COACH: The Mountain West issued a public reprimand to New Mexico coach Rocky Long on Monday for criticizing a late call that cost the Lobos a touchdown in last weekend's 21-3 loss at BYU.

Mountain West deputy commissioner Bret Gilliland said in a news release it's against league rules to publicly criticize game officiating. He said the league would have no further comment.

Trailing 14-3 and facing third-and-11 at BYU's 13, New Mexico's Tate Smith threw a screen pass to Bryant Williams for an apparent TD with 7:14 remaining. However, tackle Byron Bell was called for an illegal block in the back.

LOBBESTAEL OUT FOR SEASON: What is shaping up as the worst season in Washington State's modern football history keeps getting worse. Starting quarterback Marshall Lobbestael tore knee ligaments in the game against Oregon State and will miss the rest of the season, the team said Monday.

There's no immediate word on who will start for WSU against No. 6 Southern Cal on Saturday, but former starter Kevin Lopina had recovered sufficiently from a broken bone in his back to practice on Sunday, coach Paul Wulff said.

"We think Kevin Lopina will be ready to go this week," Wulff said Sunday evening.

Southern Cal (4-1, 2-1 Pacific 10) was an early 42-point favorite even before the quarterback news.