Clemson Blog
December 2, 2011
ACC Championship Preview
By M. Ryan Hayes
For the second time this season the Clemson Tigers will travel into a venue away from home to face the Virginia Tech Hokies. Strangely, this venue may be no more welcoming to the Tigers than Lane Stadium looked in October. What’s worse is that somehow, to some members of the media and what appear to be numerous Clemson fans, this game means no more than the Tigers’ dominate victory in Blacksburg two months ago.
Why? It’s not as if Clemson choked away the season, losing games they shouldn’t. Make no mistake, regardless of finish –yes, regardless—this team has exceeded expectations.
Now, is 9-5 a successful college football season? Well, no. Not considering an 8-0 start to the season it’s not. And not considering what is expected of this coaching staff and this group of heralded recruits.
But if there’s a writer out there that saw the Tigers winning nine games heading into the ACC Championship after going 8-0 to start the season, please let me know. Obviously, there won’t be any emails.
What is obvious is that getting blown out and demoralized against your hated in-state rival -- while the team you’re facing this weekend was your doppelganger in a rivalry blow out of their own -- is not a good way to hobble into a conference championship. Virginia Tech looks more like a mini-Auburn –without the killer conference schedule—of 2010.
Make no mistake, Logan Thomas has gone from disappointing to the best quarterback in the league. Running back David Wilson may be a little fumble-prone – he’s fumbled seven times this season, losing four – but he’s one of the best college running backs in the last decade. This is all not to mention the Hokies possess the 12-ranked defense in the nation.
What Clemson needs Saturday has nothing to do with what touches the turf in Charlotte. What the Tigers -- and Tajh Boyd especially – need is confidence. The talent to outscore Virginia Tech is on the Clemson team as it stands today. Whether the defense can improve (it won’t) or the offensive line will give Boyd time (it hasn’t as of late) aren’t the questions the Tigers need to be worried about.
Yes, mental toughness is completely an intangible catchphrase and everyone knows it. In saying that, there should almost be a disclaimer for this Clemson team that it may be real thing in their books. This group has looked like a completely different squad the last two weeks and it seems pretty evident that the reason is rooted in the quarterback / offensive line unit. Everyone else knows who they are on this team, good or bad, except Tajh Boyd and his offensive lineman.
Find that again and Clemson may find a competitive edge again against the Hokies.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, that edge greatly favors their opponent.
Since 2004, Virginia Tech has outscored opponents dramatically 141-55 heading into their appearance in an ACC Championship. At 3-1 all-time, the Hokies have won all five games to end the season in years they have won their division or the conference championship.
Clemson, on the other hand, was handily beaten by South Carolina 34-17 in 2009 leading up their only ACC championship appearance since 1991.
Granted, these were different teams with different players but what remains is a psychological hurdle of winning when the odds are greatly stacked against you.
No matter what you may read leading up to Saturday’s match-up in Charlotte there is an undeniable fact about this game; Clemson wants this victory more than Virginia Tech. No, they need it more than Virginia Tech.
Normally, that would give them the nod in a game like this but in a twist of fate the Hokies have evolved into the better team since October. That’s why Clemson will wait another year or more to finally stake claim to an ACC crown.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 31, Clemson 21
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or check me out on Twitter @mryanhayes
November 27, 2011
Clemson Tigers Limp Into ACC Championship
By M. Ryan Hayes
Losing three years in a row to you in-state rival stings. It causes even more discomfort when you’re a Clemson Tigers team that had rolled off eight straight victories followed by back-to-back self-destructive performances to end the season.
What’s worse is when you’re about to face a team headed in the exact opposite direction as your own, a team you dominated on their home field six weeks ago.
Last week, it was mentioned here by this writer that the Tigers had issues building all season, far more than the simple fact they had turned the ball over ‘x’ number of times in ‘x’ games. Turnovers are an easy finger-point; they offer a scapegoat that shows a domino affect causing a cascade of issues throughout the team.
While all of this is true, turnovers are caused by something, especially on a team that had performed so well in that aspect for two-thirds of a season. Whether it’s pressure on the quarterback caused by poor protection, a quarterback who is trying to make too much happen on his own, or careless play, by young, inexperienced players can all be contributing factors.
The key though to the turnovers isn’t the number or frequency or what they led to in terms of opponent success. Instead, it’s what caused the mistakes to start in the first place that need to be examined.
Coach Swinney said it himself on Saturday when he noted that it was “a combination of things” that has snowballed into the tailspin the Tigers will try to fight off heading into next Saturday’s championship game.
What’s frustrating –and there’s a degree of truth-- to most Clemson fans has less to do with the players on the field and more to do with the coaches on the sideline. The perennial optimistic Swinney to the frequently gruff persona of defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will, and are, receiving equal anger from all sides.
While Swinney’s optimism may make him look foolish when failure hits the team like a semi-truck hurtling down the interstate, his optimism has sold dozens of future and current NFL-athletes to come to Clemson.
Steele’s stoicism may be the opposite but it’s no different. It’s easy to be dislike people who aren’t warm and friendly and outgoing on the surface. But if you’re talking about winning football games with someone whose schemes have won time and time again, you’ve got the right person, regardless of a season falling down the proverbial stairs.
First and foremost, the leader of this team needs to lead. That leader is Tajh Boyd. He led this team to an 8-0. It wasn’t Sammy Watkins, or the defense, or Chad Morris’s great playcalling. It was Boyd, who shook off a painful spring performance and showed why he was a top five quarterback in the nation coming out of high school.
Most importantly it wasn’t Boyd’s physical abilities –although some throws were NFL-caliber—but instead his mental faculties that led the Tigers to success.
That’s step number one for the Tigers this week. If Boyd can return his mind to form, things should change, to some degree.While Boyd’s issues are correctable, the defense and offensive line are not. No Clemson fan wants to hear it, but the issues that have been ever so slightly poking through the surface like a mushroom have turned into a mushroom cloud in the last month of the season.
While the defensive line has been up and down, the peaks and valleys haven’t been drastic like the rest of the defense. The linebacking play, outside of Jonathan Willard and at times, Quandon Christian has been feast or famine. Stephone Anthony isn’t ready, although should improve tremendously before next year and Corico Hawkins just isn’t enough of a playmaker in the middle.
And that’s what linebackers need to be: playmakers. They all need to be the disrupters, the athletes of the defense but instead this group looks more like confused freshman than a unit that swarms opposing ball carriers.
The secondary, outside of Coty Sensabaugh and some key plays by Bashaud Breeland, has also been streaky. The big plays they rest has given up can’t be ignored but it has been the opposing spark in many of the Tigers losses and toughest games.
On the other side of the ball the offensive line isn’t even worth getting into. It’s a broken group of experienced players, that right now looks too soft to muster any challenge against even a mediocre conference opponent much less Virginia Tech. Offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell as well as strength and conditioning coach Joey Batson need to be ready –and need to receive—a healthy dose of criticism this off-season from in and outside of the program.
With all that said, Swinney is right when he says “it’s all about the next game.” It is, albeit state title hungry Clemson fans would have everyone believe beating the Gamecocks is life or death. Yes, recruiting is directly tied to winning –or losing—that game, there’s no doubt. But if the Clemson fanbase can’t look outside of their own small town bias for winning a game against a perennially struggling university and see the benefit in a BCS-bowl appearance, well, they shouldn’t expect much success to return to Tiger Town.
As unlikely as it seems after the bumbling performance in the season finale, a win in Charlotte would change the culture in Clemson over night. It would make the Swinney hire worthwhile and the last two crushing defeats somehow digestible.
Based on what has been a series of budding issues for 12 games, Clemson fans need to get their heads on straight as much as Boyd and the rest of the Tigers do. This team, like a leaky boat, has major deficiencies that need to be plugged –however unlikely-- immediately to prevent a complete sinking. Losing to South Carolina was not the lowest of the lows. It can get lower.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or check me out on Twitter @mryanhayes
November 24, 2011
Clemson and South Carolina Battle for 10 wins,
Palmetto State Supremacy
By M. Ryan Hayes
Whether coincidence or not, the Clemson Tigers have a lot to be thankful for this Saturday as they look for their 10 win of the season. Both wide receiver Sammy Watkins and left tackle Phillip Price are probable –with the chances being extremely probable—and their return could not come as at a better time.
As Clemson fans are no doubt aware of ad-nauseum, the Tigers have not won 10 games or a conference championship in 20 years, much less having made a BCS bowl appearance. Indicative of how mediocre both teams have been, South Carolina is also on that list, making up two of the fourteen schools dwelling in college football purgatory.
For a change, the two schools have something to play for this Saturday, as both enter with nine wins, not to mention Clemson still having a chance to make an Orange Bowl appearance. Most outside of South Carolina would shy away from calling this rivalry that significant –and rightfully so – but to those inside its borders, it’s 365 days of name-calling, bragging rights, and an overall feeling of trepidation for fans of the losing team.
The battle for the Palmetto State is significant in that it also opens up a wound in the loser in many recruiting matchups that can’t be healed come National Signing Day. Some would argue that South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, although leaning toward the Gamecocks from the beginning, made up his mind after he saw the debacle that unfolded in Clemson last season.
As successful as both teams’ seasons have been, –for South Carolina its best ever – this game is more significant for the Tigers. In fact, it’s even more vital than an ACC Championship. Yes, a 10 win season isn’t what it used to be with teams playing 13, and sometimes 14 games, but for psyche nothing could be bigger.
Think back to this summer, before the Chad Morris-offensive juggernaut had taken the field, before Watkins had taken a snap and when a Kevin Steele-led defense was something to be reckoned with, this writer and nearly every Clemson, ACC, and national writer pegged the Tigers at seven or eight victories and maybe a mediocre bowl game appearance.
No one inside or outside of Clemson, local homers to Sports Illustrated scribes thought the team would be anything like it is today. How could a team coming off of six wins with a partially new –an somewhat inexperienced coaching staff—throw together a string of eight straight victories and vault themselves all the way to number five in the rankings?
With that in mind, come July 2012 would there be a writer or fan on the planet who would look back at 10 wins and an ACC Championship loss and think the season hadn’t been a success?
Granted, the Orange Bowl appearance would be tremendous for the program, showing that the recruiting abilities of Dabo Swinney and staff really did pay off both financially and psychologically for the persistently underachieving Tigers.
Either way and really through any combination of wins and losses –except three straight more—the season should be seen as a turning point for Clemson.
The Tigers, even with the success, have a lot to improve upon. The offensive line’s run blocking has been a liability all year and their depth was always a question outside of the top six. While the pass defense has steadily improved throughout the season, the run defense has struggled mightly and the tackling has looked like some of the worst among BCS-conference teams.
With all of that said, look for this game to be far from the past two seasons where the Gamecocks have blown out the Tigers while looking more-talented up and down on both sides of the ball.
This season is no doubt a major success for both the Tigers and Gamecocks, win or lose Saturday.
What separates greatness from simple success though is huge. Saturday both teams have an opportunity to achieve greatness, even if this time it’s only on a statewide level.
Players to watch:
DT Brandon Thompson, Clemson: Little has been said of the knee injury to Thompson from a chop block early on in the Georgia Tech matchup. Whether it has affected his play since is up for debate but with his role at the head of the Clemson defensive front and considering the prolific use of the zone-read in the Gamecocks offense, his effort will be paramount Saturday. As Steele said earlier this week, South Carolina runs the play out of 148 diff formations making it that much more the important to play the call correctly at the point of attack.
QB Connor Shaw, South Carolina: Since Shaw took over mid-season for Stephen Garcia the offense has changed but it hasn’t missed a step. Yes, the passing game has become less of a difference-maker under Shaw but with 97 rushes for 367 yards and six touchdowns it has mattered little. His ability to outrun defenders and break tackles will be the key to the Gamecocks success offensively.
Prediction: South Carolina 31, Clemson 27
For more NFL and CFB news and info, follow National Football Authority on Twitter: @NFAuthority and follow Ryan on Twitter: @mRyanHayes
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or check me out on Twitter @mryanhayes
November 22, 2011
Clemson Trending Downward as Season Draws to a Close
By M. Ryan Hayes
The complete debacle that befell the Clemson Tigers this weekend in Raleigh wasn’t solely due to their sudden issue with turnovers nor was it a lack of playmaker Sammy Watkins on the field. The issues weren’t solely centered on the offensive line struggles that have been apparent – to those looking beyond the gaudy offensive stats – all season. It wasn’t even a matter of the Tigers complete ineptitude at running the ball for a paltry 35 yards on 28 carries. Even the miserable tackling skills of most of the Tigers defenders were not the reason for their embarrassing performance against a mediocre Wolpack squad.
Instead the fault lies with all of these issues – none of which have been corrected since the first game – coming to a head at once.
The Tigers have some major soul-searching and ‘mental correctness’ to work on in a short week before facing in state rival South Carolina. A win in Columbia next Saturday would of course settle almost all of these issues but as anyone who watched the ineptitude that was fielded yesterday shouldn’t expect these issues to get better with three days to prepare.
Where Clemson has excelled this year has been in working the inside-out game mixed with proficiency for going deep downfield enough to keep defenders honest. Quarterback Tajh Boyd, who frankly didn’t have his worst game yesterday, was pressured on nearly every drop back and the difficulty of the defense to give him the back quickly certainly didn’t help.
Without looks at all of the issues across the board that the Tigers face, Clemson needs to focus on a few key changes that may make all the difference. Boyd needs a healthy group to perform effectively and the lack of Watkins, left tackle Philip Price and numerous dings that held out left guard Brandon Thomas, right tackle Landon Walker, and freshman wide receiver Martavis Bryant caused disruption at the heart of the offense.
Get healthy and maybe this offensive line can keep Boyd upright longer than the pathetically short time they did on Saturday.
Because he was hit so often and threw two interceptions a lot of the blame will be lobbed in Boyd’s direction but both interceptions were thrown on what amounted to jump balls in the endzone. Usually, that a high percentage throw with Clemson’s receivers but clearly the lack of Watkins hurt.
On defense, there isn’t much to say that can make a difference. Yes, this defense is like the practice squad compared to Clemson units of the past. They cut back on getting burned on long pass plays but have instead been giving up big plays on short screens and running plays. The tackling has become so poor that it’s now just a matter of driving opponents to the outside in order to get them down. On some runs, a run-of-the-mill running back like the Wolfpack’s James Washington broke five or six tackles within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
Conference USA defenses contain better.
What will it be like when the Tigers face Virginia Tech’s Logan Thomas and David Wilson again or even Virginia’s Perry Jones?
Clemson fans may not be able to look.
This defense is only going to struggle as much as they have all season. It may even get worse.
Virginia Tech’s offensive playmakers outside of Wilson are no better athletically than those on the Tiger’s side of the ball but Clemson’s inability to execute the basics won’t even give them a fighting chance December 3 if things don’t suddenly improve.
This writer in no way believes what others are saying regarding Clemson’s finish to the 2011 season. A 1-4 or even 2-3 finish to the season with wins over Wake Forest and South Carolina shouldn’t be considered a success. Preseason expectations are bunk once things get going in August and if a team outperforms what they thought was possible, than they should be held to a new standard.
A Tiger’s collapse now should fall on the inability of the coaches to convey to the players what it takes to excel. Repeating the need to execute and trying to convince 18 and 20 year olds that they are better than a manhandling by a 5-5 conference opponent has little to do with athleticism.
Over-confidence is up to the coaches to correct and explaining to the team this week that right now they’ve achieved only 25% of their goals is priority number one.
It was clear in Raleigh that the many of the Tigers think they've achieved something. Instead, at this moment they’re a 9-win team headed to another Peach Bowl.
Beat South Carolina and that changes, even if the glaring weaknesses remain.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or check me out on Twitter @mryanhayes
November 15, 2011
Clemson Kicks its Way to ACC Championship Berth
By M. Ryan HayesIn the home finale this season, the Clemson Tigers showed why they’ve been known as ‘Cardiac Clemson’ for so long. The difference on Saturday was that this time, in the game’s defining moment, they didn’t choke.
Long the bane of Clemson’s existence, the kicking game won where they had failed so many times before as Chandler Catanzaro nailed a 43-yarder to seal the Tigers’ a berth in the ACC Championship as the Atlantic Division Champions.
After pulling a 30-yard field goal wide right, Catanzaro looked perfect and turned to celebrate as soon as the ball took to the air. Catanzaro, in many ways most well known for his miss in overtime last year at Auburn, has been solid in lower-pressure situations this season, hitting 15 of 20 overall.
The game itself however was fraught with one mistake after another as quarterback Tajh Boyd looked lost and bewildered at times, throwing two interceptions. That’s not to mention the other six passes that Wake Forest defenders dropped throughout the game, some being tipped and then dropped by two players.
Adding insult to injury were the losses of both freshman “superman” wide receiver Sammy Watkins and left tackle Philip Price. Both injuries are significant obviously, but it appears Watkins is less serious where as Price’s (sprained MCL) could mean missed playing time. Price has been the one standard constant this year along the line, while his backups, David Smith and Brandon Thomas have been up and down throughout the year.
Although running back Andre Ellington racked up almost 100 yards on the ground for the Tigers, the offensive line was manhandled all afternoon against an undersized Wake Forest defensive line. The lack of push up front, especially at the much maligned guards positions, rarely opened a hole for any of the running backs and in most cases Ellington took initial contact behind the line of scrimmage.
It wasn’t any better on the defensive side of the ball as again missed tackles turned five-yard screens into 25 yards gains for the Demon Deacons. The tackling --that defensive coordinator Kevin Steele has said will be fixed time and time again – was again a major issue amongst the linebackers and secondary. Steele said after the game big plays weren’t the issue but it could also be argued that the Deacons never attempted a deep pass the entire game.
Even with all that was on the line for the Tigers, it took until the fourth quarter these issues under control enough to let the offense go to work. Boyd settled down and sure-handed targets wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and tight end Dwayne Allen came up big with key receptions to put the Tigers in position to win.
In the end, the Tigers second division title in three years is a sign of the things to come. The recruiting and development of enough players is clearly starting to pay off for Clemson and a victory on December 3 in Charlotte would put the Tigers in their first BCS game.
First however come the tasks of getting to 10 wins, something the Tigers haven’t achieved since 1990. With a win there the Tigers would leave the dreaded list of FBS teams that fall into an infamous group.
Only fourteen teams (Army, Baylor, Clemson, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Kentucky, Ohio, Purdue, South Carolina, Temple, Vanderbilt) have failed to achieve a 10-win season, a conference championship, nor a BCS-bowl appearance.
Hard to believe that these nine-win Tigers, even with all of their flaws on the offensive line and on defense, wouldn’t be able to win one of their next three games and get off this list. Make no mistake, this coaching staff wants nothing more than to win all three and you can be sure this week will be spent working towards the first step against North Carolina State.For more NFL and CFB news and info, follow National Football Authority on Twitter: @NFAuthority and follow Ryan on Twitter: @mRyanHayes
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or check me out on Twitter @mryanhayes
October 24, 2011
Clemson Quarterback Tajh Boyd Makes Heisman Case
By M. Ryan Hayes
What the Clemson Tigers offense has lacked in previous seasons has been a go-to threat. As they roll into their big ACC match-up next week with Georgia Tech, there are more weapons at the disposal of offensive coordinator Chad Morris than Clemson has ever had.
Without hyperbole, Clemson’s offense is putting up Madden Football-like numbers on ‘rookie’ difficulty. Taking on a defensive front seven that features at least four, first or second day NFL Draft talents, Tajh Boyd torched the North Carolina secondary for 367 yards and five touchdowns as Clemson rolled over the Tar Heels in the second half putting up 35 points in the third quarter alone.
At this point in the season what Tajh Boyd is doing would have to be considered Heisman-worthy.
He has more touchdowns rushing (two), passing (three) and passing yards (429) than Heisman-candidate quarterbacks Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Kellen Moore, Landry Jones, or Robert Griffin. All five of the other quarterbacks leading the polling currently have a better completion percentage than Boyd, yet only Robert Griffin has faced an equal number of ranked opponents. Griffin’s Baylor Bears have also lost two games this season.
Everyone seemed to be in on the action for the Tigers as Boyd fed five different receivers on his five touchdown throws. With receptions by thirteen different players on offense in 2011 – ten of which are underclassmen – and touchdowns to five different receivers, few can argue that a single player has made more impact for his team than Boyd.
What’s funny about that statement is that many were making the same argument for Sammy Watkins last week after his school record 345 all-purpose yards against Maryland. Watkins wasn’t even the star of this one – he did have a breakaway touchdown and 91 yards receiving – but instead it was sophomore DeAndre Hopkins who hauled in 9 catches for 157 yards to lead all Tiger receivers.
Unlike last week, the Clemson defense looked solid up front, giving up most of their rushing yards with the second team squad on the field. Through three quarters, the Tigers defense held the Tar Heels rushing attack to only 41 yards, 60 yards less than starter Giovani Bernard was averaging per game.
Not only did they stop the run but defensive end Kourtnei Brown’s two touchdowns (fumble recovery and interception) were the most by a Clemson defensive lineman since 1954.
Where the Tigers struggled though was deep in the secondary, getting beat early on long pass plays to wide open North Carolina receivers. Safeties Johnathan Meeks and Rashard Hall were both beat deep but the coverage by the Clemson cornerbacks was also an issue throughout the first half.
Regardless, the Tigers came back on every subsequent drive and scored to stay comfortably out in front. Boyd seemed to again calm as the pressure mounted to put up points in the second half, finally finding Sammy Watkins for a 42-yard strike to put the game away in the third quarter.
Setting aside any and all shortcomings, this team keeps winning and winning big by ignoring those types mistakes. It also makes it a lot easier when you have the Tigers’ offensive playmakers to pick up the slack.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or check me out on Twitter @mryanhayes
October 21, 2011
Clemson Looks to Remain Perfect with
One of Season's Toughest Tests
By M. Ryan HayesFor Clemson fans that lost their collective minds last Saturday as the Tigers pulled off the second greatest comeback in school history, keep this mind: UNC is 13 points shy from being undefeated.
Stacked with first-day NFL Draft talent along the defensive line and potentially in the backfield, UNC has the talent to defeat the Tigers. Whether that talent can keep up with the Tigers offense is another thing. With Chad Morris’s offense rolling out 488 yards per game, it will be tough for the Tar Heels to keep up if they don’t get rolling early.
UNC is averaging 393 yards per contest but statistically are nearly identical to Clemson’s rushing output, with redshirt Freshman tailback Giovani Bernard totaling 5.9 yards per carry to Andre Ellington’s 5.3.
Bernard leads the ground attack that ranks fifth in the ACC in rushing, himself accounting for nearly 110 yards per game. Senior Ryan Houston is no slouch himself, having previously been a starter in 2009 and has accounted for three touchdowns so far in 2011.
Last season, the Tigers loss at UNC was a turning point in the season. It marked the moment in every team’s season where a critical piece of their team rises to the top or comes crashing down. For the Tigers it was their lack of offensive identity that was exposed dramatically.
It dropped Clemson to 2-3 and brought the fanbase down hard on Coach Swinney, offensive coordinator Billy Napier and the dearth of talent -- outside of Ellington -- that was apparent at the core of the offense.
On that day, Clemson and UNC essentially played an equal game. That is to say it was a painful game for fans of offense. Neither team reached 300 yards until quarterback Kyle Parker connected with Jaron Brown for a 74 yard score with five minutes left. UNC was held to a paltry 255 total yards.
The dagger in the back of the Tigers was then-Senior running back Johnny White, who gashed the Tigers for 179 total yards and accounted for 70 percent of the Tar Heels offense.
This year the scenario is vastly different for Clemson and to an extent, for UNC as well. The Tigers come into Chapel Hill converting nearly 50 percent of their third down chances while UNC is right on pace with their 2010 performance of 41 percent. The Tigers are obviously blowing away their points per game totals from a year ago but the Tar Heels are also ahead of their 2010 pace, averaging almost a field goal more.
It's no secret the Tar Heels are best when they control the tempo and pace of the game. Clemson on the other hand -- although it has completed many long scoring drives -- can easily be a quick strike offense.
UNC has successfully stretched the field with their own larger and older version of Sammy Watkins, Dwight Jones. Jones has the same number of touchdowns (eight), receptions (46) and only 41 yards less than Watkins.
With the uncertainty and youth in the secondary, UNC will test Clemson deep while trying to exploit the Tigers suspect run-defense with Bernard and Houston. In other words, expect UNC to be as balanced and efficient an offense as the Tigers will face all season.
The Tar Heels controlled the clock last season, holding the ball for all but nine Tiger offensive plays in the fourth quarter. Coming off such a lack of defense as we in College Park last weekend, this game in Death Valley will be all about defense for Clemson.
The Tigers hope they have just enough to hold off the Tar Heels and move to 8-0. Look for them to do it by much slimmer odds than Vegas may be predicting.
Players to Watch:
Andre Ellington, RB Clemson - Ellington, finally healthy last week, broke out with 213 yards and two touchdowns. If Ellington can manage even half that output on Saturday, the Clemson offense appears to be unstoppable. The Tigers are 5-2 when Ellington rushes for 100 yards or more, averaging 147 yards per game.
Dwight Jones, WR North Carolina - After taking a punch in the unmentionables from a Miami defensive lineman last week, Jones is the Tar Heels version of Sammy Watkins. Look for his 6-4, 225 pound frame to be running all over the field making catches. The Clemson secondary will be tested more than it has by any receiver this year and will need to at least contain Jones as stopping him has been nearly impossible.
Prediction: Clemson 24, UNC 20
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or check me out on Twitter @mryanhayes
October 18, 2011
Are Clemson Tigers of Old No More?
By M. Ryan Hayes
The Clemson Tigers have found their answer for the ‘if we made one more play’ mantra of the last decade. In fact, they found it and then a whole lot more.
It was a night of falling records and a night when the Clemson of old decided it was going to be the Clemson of now. As one follower on Twitter put it, “Clemson was going to pull a Clemson but then they decided to pull a Clemson instead.”
Sammy Watkins hauled in two acrobatic touchdown catches, ran back a kickoff for another and broke C.J. Spiller’s Clemson record for all-purpose yards in a game while the Tigers completed the second largest comeback in school history.
Powered by Watkins amazing ACC Player of the Year-caliber performance, the Tigers kept the perfect season alive by showing what their high-octane offense is truly capable of doing. Andre Ellington added to the gaudy numbers with his career-best rushing performance, going for 213 yards and two touchdowns.
At this point in the season, every team should be fairly in sync – for better or for worse - with what they want to do and know how they have to perform in their stretch run. But Clemson started off looking like they hadn’t played a game in months.
Watkins ill fatedly decided to take the opening kickoff out of the endzone, getting tackled on the five, fumbled the first punt of the game at the ten resulting in a Maryland touchdown, while Tajh Boyd threw an inexplicable pick-six to put Maryland up 14-3. It seemed like a huge stumble was headed the Tigers way.
Going into halftime the Tigers led in every statistical category except on the scoreboard. Boyd was all over the map, looked rattled for no reason (other than his personal miscues) and the defense was getting gashed all over the field by Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown’s scrambling. Worst of all the Tigers came out flat to start the second half, giving up another Brown-led scoring drive to go behind 35-17.
With that beginning to the half it seemed like the adjustments that defensive coordinator Kevin Steele made – or failed to make - at halftime were for naught. It seemed like again, Clemson would fall to an unranked foe and again they’d be labeled the team with immense talent that always falls short.
Then something happened that the Clemson Tigers of 2000, and 2006, and even 2009 could have never imagined. They clawed their way back with not just one player but through the combined effort of multiple teammates.
After having to punt on their first drive of the second half, redshirt freshman Bashaud Breeland stepped in front of a Brown pass, returning it to the 10-yard line and the adrenaline of the entire Tigers’ team started to flow.
You could see a difference on the sideline; no one looked worried, they just looked anxious to get back out on the field. It was a completely different group of players, playing in a completely different way and they knew it.
What this team didn’t care about was the past that included so many failures. They just simply ignored it and refused to stop making plays.
Yes, it’s mushy and almost a made for TV story for writers covering the Tigers and Clemson fans alike: the team that always falls short finally gets over the hump and wins the big games.
The thing is, Maryland wasn’t a big game. They were a 2-3 team - albeit with three close losses against Top 25 teams - looking for the upset to turn their season around. What the Terrapins represented were exactly the type of team at exactly the right moment in the season that Clemson forgets is on their schedule.
Regardless of how they finish, this Clemson team realizes it has accomplished a bigger, future goal than just going 7-0 to start the 2011 season.
They’ve decided the past means nothing. They’ve bought in (even if fans and writers haven’t) to Dabo Swinney’s one-liners and never-say-die mantras. Every player on the field feels capable of making big plays in big moments and they know they can do it regardless of injuries or how many points they’re losing by.
So while writers across the country like those at the Washington Post continue to write how “the viewing public anxiously awaits Clemson’s yearly meltdown,” the Tigers keep winning and changing the meaning of Clemson football.
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October 15, 2011
Clemson at Full Strength to Take on Terps
By M. Ryan Hayes
We all know the saga in years past of the Clemson Tigers overlooking teams like these Maryland Terrapins. After not looking beyond Boston College last week, the Tigers have shed a little of that habit that has been dogging them for years.
What's shockingly different half-way through this season isn't that the Tigers are 6-0, (well, it is surprising) but instead it's the one component that got them there. No defense has been able to figure out who on Clemson's offense to stop first.
That's been the difference-maker across the board for all of the Tiger's opponents. Whether it was against Virginia Tech, who overloaded on Sammy Watkins but couldn't contain Dwayne Allen or Florida State who slowed Andre Ellington but forgot that Mike Bellamy provided fresh legs in the fourth quarter, every game has presented a new, unique challenge for opposing defenses.
While it's rare for Clemson to have such a breadth of playmakers, it's even more rare across the ACC. Saturday's opponent is no different.
Last year, when Torrey Smith was beating defenders with his deep-ball prowess, or in 2008 when Darrius Heyward-Bey was showing off his blazing speed, Maryland relied on one, or at best two, game-breaking offensive stars.
Clemson was no different last season, relying on Ellington to carry the majority of the load. Before that, it was the C.J. Spiller/Jacoby Ford show.
When so few players account for such a huge offensive presence, defenses lock in and the field shrinks. With speed and multiple targets however, suddenly the sidelines don't look as close and the answers appear more easily.
Like the drought Clemson faced in 2010, Maryland is facing its own, shortage this season. Returning ACC Freshman of the Year, quarterback Danny O'Brien, has been vastly underwhelming this season throwing four touchdowns against six interceptions. Last week against Georgia Tech, he finished with a 7.1 quarterback rating (that's not a misprint), so it's obvious he's not at all comfortable in this offense.
Since rolling to a big opening game win against Miami, O'Brien has been all over the map in terms of his play, as he and the rest of the offense struggles to adjust to the new schemes of offensive coordinator Gary Crowton.
Regardless of his dreadful performance, look for O'Brien to start but with a very short leash. This offense isn't built for quick strikes outside of return specialist/wide receiver Tony Logan, so the Terps can't afford to get behind early or by much.
Clemson on the other hand will look to get pressure on O'Brien and keep him rattled. Senior left guard Andrew Gonnella, the leader of the Maryland offensive line is done for the season (knee) so only time will tell how a group that has only given up only four sacks will fare the rest of the year without him.
Maryland has not been a deep threat team this season (only one completion over 25 yards) but don't be surprised if Maryland with O'Brien looks to go against their tendencies and test the Tigers secondary.
Clemson will be playing a mix of base and nickel packages once again which should highlight a combo of Jonathan Willard and a lot more Stephone Anthony in the middle. Having Anthony's athleticism should help contain the frequent screens Crowton likes to call in order to get Maryland receivers to take advantage of their speed, but also to get O'Brien more comfortable under center.
This season, Clemson has defied odds by defying their tendencies. Maybe that's because this squad is so young and (beneficially) naive, but it's helped isolate the fear of failure and propelled the Tigers to play with their utmost confidence.
It's been said before, and as Clemson almost found out, but it's true that any football team is only as good as their backup quarterback. In Maryland's case, they don't even know who that will be and that's a major cause for concern in the Beltway.
Prediction: Clemson 28, Maryland 17
end note: for a fascinating look at the Tigers' bizarre return game statistics this season, see Kerry Capps article at OrangeandWhite.com.
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October 10, 2011
By M. Ryan Hayes
Tajh Boyd Injury Quells Clemson Victory
The engine that has motored the Clemson Tigers to a 6-0 start and a top 10 ranking may need repairing. Quarterback Tajh Boyd, who is amongst the ACC and national leaders in passing statistics, went down with an apparent lower leg injury in the third quarter. Even with the injury to Boyd, Clemson didn’t let up against the meek Boston College attack, defeating the Eagles 36-14 while allowing only 258 yards of total offense.
Regardless, the Tigers notched another victory through doing what they do best: getting the ball to their playmakers. After completing a beautiful 62-yard pass to Sammy Watkins -- and an even better catch by Watkins -- Boyd went down after a tackle that caused him to twist and fall awkwardly.
While Boyd was carted to the locker room, the nearly 80,000 Clemson faithful fell nearly silent. Later as Tiger Town started to empty for the evening, they would all find out that both x-rays and a MRI were negative.
Whether Boyd will be ready for another road trip at Maryland next Saturday remains to be seen. If he can’t go, Clemson has at least a seemingly capable backup in true freshman quarterback Cole Stoudt.
Stoudt took over and looked solid, boosted by a clock-grinding running game from Andre Ellington and Mike Bellamy. Although the tempo of the offense wasn’t the same as with Boyd, Stoudt completed six of ten passes for 37 yards. Most importantly, he looked composed as if he’d been there before and had a comfort level with the offense.
Maybe that comes from Morris’s tutelage or maybe that is a result of having a former NFL quarterback (Cliff Stoudt) as a father to learn from growing up.
What must worry the staff isn’t Stoudt having to start but instead who would back him up. It would appear that that would be walk-on Donny McElveen, as freshman Tony McNeal has been red-shirted.
One positive of Boyd’s injury – if it can even be called that – is that it narrowed the offensive package available for Chad Morris and forced the Tigers to rely on their running game.
Ellington finished with his best performance of the season, finally looking like the acceleration he showed last season, before his injury, has almost entirely returned. Bellamy, also looked solid after sitting out the first half for a violation of team rules.
Bellamy was again in the coaches’ doghouse this week. It goes without saying that the Tigers vitally need him to shape up and become a solid backup behind Ellington in order to keep rolling offensively.
As multiple instances yesterday again showed, the Tigers run blocking is still a work in progress. That has to puzzle Clemson fans as this group has more starts combined than any unit in recent history. Still, they struggle to get any push off the line of scrimmage nor do they open holes in the line frequently enough to give the Tigers running backs second level looks.
For Ellington, Bellamy, and even D.J. Howard, the second level is where they’ve shown they have the burst and acceleration to turn simple A-Gap runs into touchdowns.
If the Tigers can balance their already stellar passing game with an equally potent ground game, the temporary loss of Boyd might be tolerable. But like any football team, success begins and ends in the trenches. Without your starting quarterback the need to win up front is magnified in a way the Tigers have yet to face this season.
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October 7, 2011
Clemson Defense Dominates, Largest Road Victory Ever
By M. Ryan Hayes
In all of the buzz surrounding Chad Morris’s arrival in Clemson, the fact that Kevin Steele still runs the defense has been swept under the rug.
Not tonight in Blacksburg.
Led by the play of the defensive line, Clemson’s other half was the story of the night in Blacksburg as the Tigers rolled the 11-ranked Hokies, 23-3.
While the defense has significant room for improvement, namely in stopping the run, the Tigers improved to 5-0 by holding the Hokies into playing a completely one-dimensional game. Running back David Wilson was held in check for most of the second half but most importantly was held without a touchdown or a play of over 20 yards.
Branch, linebackers Stephone Anthony and Jonathan Willard and the strength up front shown by defensive tackle Brandon Thompson held the Tech pro-style attack to only 253 total yards, 123 coming from Wilson. Branch may have come up biggest of all sacking quarterback Logan Thomas three times in the fourth quarter. In fact, he was nearly impossible to contain for the left side of the Hokies offensive line all night.
Thompson didn’t steal any headlines but instead fought through double teams and managed to fill the gaps up front, forcing Tech to work the perimeter with Wilson and backup running back Josh Oglesby.
The thing that’s different about this defense is that they’re going to give up yards. A lot of yards. And with the lack of experience in the secondary specifically, big plays are going to happen. For this year at least, gone are the top-20 defensive squads of recent season.
What may be different is that now there is an offensive group in place that can make up for what the defense allows.
In addition to the play up front, the Tigers secondary managed to avoid giving up the big plays that have left them reeling at times even in victories to Wofford, Auburn, and Florida State. For a change, cornerback Xavier Brewer and Coty Sensabaugh were rarely challenged downfield by Thomas, although Sensabaugh was flagged on a questionable interference penalty early on.
What may have inspired the Clemson defense was their ability to quell the usually raucous Virginia Tech crowd. Once they appeared to slow most of what Tech had to throw at them early, you could almost see Coach Steele dial in greater pressure and the team responded. The sub-40 degree temperatures may have also had something to do with that.
Who thought it was possible that the Tigers, coming off a 6-7 campaign in 2010 would roll through five conference champions in five weeks?
Clearly, this Clemson team, led by the offense but balanced by the big plays of the defense, has something that the teams of the last two decades have not. Whether that’s confidence, talent, better speed, or more playmakers, Clemson has undoubtedly turned a corner with their largest margin of victory on the road in school history.
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September 29, 2011
Clemson at Virginia Tech Preview
By M. Ryan Hayes
This weekend marks a series of firsts for both the Clemson Tigers and the Virginia Tech Hokies.
For Clemson, this is quarterback Tajh Boyd’s first career road start (excluding last year’s bowl game) as well as a big portion of the offense, including Sammy Watkins. It’s also the first time Dabo Swinney’s group has been undefeated heading into its first road game, not to mention that this is the highest the Tigers have been ranked Swinney.
In Blacksburg, the Hokies are facing their first true test this season. This is the first game where first-year starter, quarterback Logan Thomas, will need to make a play with his arm or feet to give the Hokies an opportunity to win.
Saturday is also the first time the Hokies and Tigers have squared off since Clemson was dominated by an overpowering defensive front in 2007.
That game was marked by Virginia Tech doing all the little things right; punt and kick returns for touchdowns, holding Clemson to 12 yards rushing, and zero turnovers.
Before that, Clemson faced the Hokies one other time, that time in Blacksburg in 2006 when it was much of the same, with the Tigers giving up 224 yards rushing.
This year is very different for Clemson and not at all for Virginia Tech. None of the Clemson staff except Dabo Swinney was there for either of those two games. Beamer’s staff on the contrary is nearly identical with only Beamer’s son, Shane, replacing Billy Hite as running backs coach.
With all of the coaching changes at Clemson, the Hokies’ staff will be facing a very different attack on all fronts than they have in the past. Very little has carried over, excluding maybe the influence of C.J. Spiller’s success at Death Valley.
The Tigers have their hands full, regardless of their newfound, high-octane offense. Here are the keys to Clemson controlling the game in a way that enables them to keep the swagger rolling:
1. Don’t let the Hokies chew up the clock
Although they shut down the Florida State rushing attack completely, (giving up only 26 yards) the Tigers are, not yet at least, a solid rush defense. They have not so much struggled giving up big runs outside of Auburn’s one touchdown run but instead have been inept at preventing teams that grind the clock through the running game.
Grinding the clock is Tech’s M.O. The Hokies are second nationally in time of possession, controlling the ball for over 36 minutes. Only Army is better and only by one and a half seconds.
1a. Stop the run, and not just from David Wilson.
Virginia Tech has never been a flashy offense, at least not since Michael Vick was enrolled. What they do they do really well and that is run the ball. In fact the Hokies are only passing the ball 39% of the time. So for every three plays, you can bet two of them will be counters, power isos, or designed scrambles.
The Tigers know well the athleticism and speed of starting running David Wilson. What they need not overlook is Josh Oglesby who himself is averaging nearly five yards a carry and has an equal number of touchdowns as Wilson (five).The third head of the Hokies’ rushing attack may be the most important one for the Tigers to stop: quarterback Logan Thomas. From Russell Wilson to Joshua Nesbitt to Cam Newton, the Tigers have failed to manage the running signal-caller over the last few years. While Thomas hasn’t yet blossomed into the Newton-esque threat despite his similar stature, he’s still a huge threat in picking up short yardage.
2. Keep the momentum going and end every series in a kick…any kick.
The Tigers offense is riding high right now, getting a ton of national attention. Unlike other teams, it doesn’t seem to be going to their head and you can expect them to actually enjoy the moment.
On that first drive, Clemson’s best scenario is to march down the field for a touchdown. On the flip side, it’s obvious that the worst case scenario is a turnover that leads to points. What they should plan for is a punt. If the Hokies front eight (and it’s really an eight-man front for Bud Foster’s defense, not four) play as well as they’re expected to, expect them to force a three and out, while they blanket Sammy Watkins like he was on fire.
3. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
The Hokies are going to run the ball and they’re going to run it well most likely. They’re going to control the clock effectively. The question is whether can counter-punch with scoring strikes of their own.
The solution punch to the Hokies run is to stick with them, right into the fourth quarter. Clemson has undoubtedly more options on the field at any one time than the Hokies and better speed from top to bottom. If they’re leading at any point late, the Tigers can force an inconsistent Thomas to have to throw his way to a victory. That could be the ticket to a 5-0 start, not to mention an immediate silencing of doubters nationwide.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 30, Clemson 17
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September 29, 2011
Sammy Watkins is the Motor That Runs the Clemson Offense
By M. Ryan Hayes
If you're watching college football and haven't been able to see Clemson's Sammy Watkins play you need to switch cable providers.
Since he cracked the first team offense in mid-August practice, Watkins appears to be the most impressive freshman in the country. Right now he's putting up astounding numbers for a player with only four college games on his resume. He's become the stop-gap for the Clemson offense when they need tough yards and he can pick them either through the air or on the numerous jet and fly sweeps Morris employs in his scheme.
Every year players' measurables are undoubtedly inflated in media guides and on recruiting websites. In the case of Watkins, 6'-1", 180 pounds seems just about right, maybe only small inflations, if anything.
His listed 4.5/40 speed doesn't even seem close when he's on the field. He plays as fast as any receiver in college football right now in an offense tailored perfectly to who he is as an athlete.
When you watch Watkins high school film it's shockingly similar to what he's doing now. Getting the ball within 10 yards of scrimmage and breaking tackles. Jet and fly sweeps that open up the inside running game by widening defensive coverage. Shaking defenders to leap for deep passes.
But now, he's doing it against college defenses in big games at big moments.
Arguably the biggest part of Clemson's offensive success has been their dramatic improvement on third down this season. The Tigers have been completing third downs at a 53% clip this year yet that's still below what Chad Morris would like to average.
Players, including Watkins, have said Morris wants this team to be the best in the country on third down. And it's no surprise Morris and quarterback Tajh Boyd have consistently targeted Watkins on third down, with great success.
On third, regardless of yardage to go, Watkins has nine catches for three touchdowns with one incompletion. Clemson has 35 conversions so that shakes out to Watkins having been targeted on nearly 30% of third downs.
Expect that number to grow over the course of the season.
This third down mantra has energized the young core of the Clemson offense. It has made them want it more, whatever their role, even more than their desire for personal success.
This seems to be least lost on Watkins who has remained humble and quiet so far.
If this attitude remains on this track, defensive coordinators across the conference need to start tailoring their game plans to stop him. That in itself should show Watkins that's he arrived.
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September 23, 2011
Clemson vs. Florida State Preview
By M. Ryan HayesThe Clemson Tigers match-up against Florida State Seminoles this weekend is for more than just a jump-start on the ACC Atlantic Division title.
It's a battle of recruiting classes and young(-ish) coaches looking to prove they can win the big game.
It's also about the Tigers showing that their 624 yards of offense and 38 points against Auburn were no fluke. For the Seminoles, they need to show they can rebound from the biggest game since the 2000 National Championship.
Most of all, it's a measuring stick for how far both programs have progressed on the national level.
For Clemson, a win in this game might actually be more important than to the Division-favorite Seminoles, as a win here could be the springboard necessary to propel them towards unprecedented success this season.
A conference victory here would also show that this Clemson team is no longer walking in former coach Tommy Bowden's just-slightly-too-small shoes, leaving them always coming up short.
Not to put undue pressure on the Tigers, as a loss against Florida State is not the end of the season. This team is young, with new coaches and a lot of freshmen playing in only their fourth college game. In order to excel on Saturday the Tigers will need offensive coordinator Chad Morris to keep his troops rolling right where they left off against Auburn.
Here's what gets the Tigers the win Saturday:
1. Convert on third down and win games. Period.
Clemson is converting 3rd downs at a 53.1% clip in 2011, a 14% increase compared with last year. Tulsa on the other hand is completing 34.1% so far in 2011, where they had been converting at a 48.1% clip in 2010.
That's also a 14% difference from last year.
See the trend? The difference-maker is a Morris-led offense.
Simply put, that 14% increase in time the offense is on field leads to tired opposing defenses, more plays being run over the course of a game and most importantly a dramatic increase in opportunities for points.
2. Don't believe the hype; Florida State will and can run the ball.
Florida State has faced ULM, Charleston Southern, and Oklahoma this season. ULM has a good Sun Belt defense, Charleston Southern is, frankly, awful and Oklahoma is undoubtedly a top five squad in FBS.
So what does that mean?
The first game is a lot of feeling out and executing a lot of things that wouldn't necessarily be used as the season wears on. The second game is such a mismatch it skews the numbers. Last weekend, Seminoles running backs only carried the ball 14 times for a net total of four yards versus the Sooners.
Seems to be a big unknown, right?
Throw all those stats away.
You can bet the Florida State coaches are going to make a point to run the ball. The real question is whether Clemson's 110th ranked rush defense can stop it.
3. Trench battle.
Just as it has been over the last decade, Clemson-Florida State match-ups are usually decided by who plays better up front. It would appear the Seminoles have that advantage this year, at least along the defensive front. Even with preseason ACC All-American candidate Andrew Datko, the Seminoles have strangely struggled even more than the Tigers at protecting the quarterback, giving up 10 sacks so far to the Tigers seven.
If quarterback E.J. Manuel doesn’t play, the Seminoles lose the strength of running with Manuel, something that led to Florida State’s victory last year. Without that threat, backup quarterback Clint Trickett will have to hang in the pocket long enough to find open receivers.
To sum it up, this game comes down to the line play. Clemson’s defensive front needs to put pressure on the inexperienced Trickett and Florida State needs to expose Clemson’s suspect and still healing offensive line.
In a battle of attrition, the Tigers offense will do just enough to eek out a big conference victory.
Prediction: Clemson 24, Florida State 23
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September 15, 2011
Clemson vs. Auburn Preview
By M. Ryan HayesThe theme for the Clemson Tigers this week as it faces Auburn this is clearly not dwelling on early season miscues.
The fact the opponents were lesser teams and not an SEC powerhouse and defending national champion is another debate entirely, but the mentality of taking each game as a microcosm of the season is undoubtedly pointed in the right direction.
After all, these Tigers are still undefeated.
As Dabo Swinney pointed out in his press conference on Tuesday, there has been a lot of development and a number of big positives in the first two games.
For a change this season Swinney’s not just cheerleading for his team, he’s stating fact.
The development of quarterback Tajh Boyd and the depth at the much-maligned receiver position has been admittedly surprising. In fact, after two games it suffices to say that Sammy Watkins appears all that he was advertised, not to mention that the depth at the position is the best Clemson has seen in at least a decade.
In addition, the alarm that ensued when Philip Price was named the starting left tackle after spring and the mild panic from him being named the starter at the end of fall camp, has been a moot point. He was beaten once against Wofford against a quality defensive lineman but has been solid throughout otherwise.
For this week at least, the positives will need to show that a legit, against real competition.
Bobby Bowden once said something to the affect that until an undefeated team loses they don't believe it's possible.
As Yogi Berra-esque as that may sound, it's definitely true of this Auburn team.
Obviously, breaks have gone Auburn's way. Winning 10 games by eight points or less is no accident but there is a degree of luck that got them to this point.
As painfully futile as Clemson's rush defense has been (108th in the nation, 230 yards per game), Auburn's has been worse. The Alabama Tigers have given up an average of 280 yards in their two contests and unlike Clemson, didn't face an option team.
It’s obvious that better tackling would help both teams. Clemson defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said earlier this week that the Tigers missed 16 tackles against Wofford. Even more alarming, was that Steele said it's a handful of players who've whiffed again and again in the first two games.
On offense, the issues all come back to the offensive line. Center Dalton Freeman countered this week’s buzzword (‘toughness’) with “complacency” on Wednesday, saying the Tigers are taking things a little more for granted this year than last.
The good thing Freeman said is that these guys are upperclassmen and that they know what it takes to be great.
They’ll need to be that at least, as starting left guard David Smith, who was carted off the field last year at Auburn, will miss this Saturday’s contest after having arthroscopic surgery on the shoulder he dislocated in practice.Outside the weak line play Clemson fans have endure, it has to be asked: what is the role of Martavis Bryant in this offense?
He's been thrown to three times so far this season, with two of those catches, one a 54-yard completion and the other a 42-yard touchdown. Granted, running with the second team he'd naturally get less snaps behind Jaron Brown, but if he continues making big play after big play it doesn't make sense to keep his playing time so minimal.
Regardless of who makes the big play this Saturday, Clemson and Auburn are two non-conference opponents that know each other well. Besides facing each other last year, there may not be two coordinators that know each other better than Gus Malzahn and Chad Morris.
Saturday will finally mark the day that Clemson noted with a gold sticky star last year. A victory could give Clemson the confidence to move forward with a successful season, under a new offensive scheme and in the midst of a disgruntled fan-base.
At this stage of the season however the bigger question isn’t if the Tigers want it but instead if they are ready to take the next step.
If you at all follow Clemson Tiger’s football, that’s been a recurring theme for longer than most remember.
Prediction: Clemson 31, Auburn 30
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September 9, 2011
Troy in Review, Wofford Preview
By M. Ryan HayesClemson rolled in its 2011 opener against Troy but not before some on the Tigers sideline doubted whether the off-season house cleaning of the coaching staff was really working.
That's where veteran leadership from Dwayne Allen came in, rallying the team before halftime and assuring his teammates they were going to turn the corner. The issues were indeed fixed, at least enough to put 30 points to Troy's three on the scoreboard in the second half.
Each week, this game preview article will analyze the previous game (post film review) as well as outline what to look for in the upcoming match-up.
Beginning with the debut of the new offense, there's a lot to take from game one, both good and bad.
It's hard not to love offensive coordinator Chad Morris's openness and honesty about his poor first half play calling and his explanation for it. Straightforward, knowledgeable talk goes a long way with fans and players. Maybe even more importantly, that direct delivery also goes along way with selling yourself to the media, too.
Tight end Dwayne Allen played 46 snaps against Troy yet only saw three passes thrown his way. So, when he was on the field he saw the ball only 6% of the time.
You would have to figure those numbers would increase considering Charles Clay, Tulsa's version of the H-back last year, caught 43 passes for 526 yards and seven touchdowns. At level that's very significant production out of a non-running back/wide receiver position.
In addition, it still seems confusing that Morris would call a quarterback power (quarterback sneak) on fourth and goal from the one when you have a 250-pound fullback in Chad Diehl who has shown his ability to pick up short yardage effectively over his career.
Diehl only saw five snaps against Troy, which considering Morris's praise for him in the spring, also seems confusing. According to what Morris said back in March, Diehl was going to see an "expanded" role. Most likely that role will develop as Morris becomes more confident in his offense and quarterback Tajh Boyd.
Along the offensive line, it would be hard to believe that Phillip Price & David Smith didn't grade out well. David Smith seems to be the most consistent of the OL, with Freeman right behind him. For Price the issue is only that he doesn't have a big enough sample set yet.
Dalton Freeman should probably be included with Price and Smith as it wasn't evident that he missed many assignments either. The thing about Freeman and Smith is that they rarely make the same mistake twice. That's a key to a cohesive and physical offensive line.
Everyone else along the line is still questionable. Antoine McLain did not look good and he just doesn't move people or play physically enough yet, especially considering that he will be facing ACC and SEC defenses.
On the defensive side of the ball, the tackling issues that again gave up some big plays will be fixed. How do we know?
Last season after Clemson gave up 193 yards rushing to North Texas in the season opener, defensive coordinator Kevin Steele complained about the "crispness" of the tackles and said there were "too many missed in the open field." He also stated that he'd "fix that...it was nothing that can't be adjusted."
And he did. After that game the tackling improved nearly every week.
In the secondary Jonathan Meeks, although very athletic, still has a long way to go. He plays the same way DeAndre McDaniel did last year, trying too hard at times to make the big play. He doesn't move well enough with the ball in the air and got caught out of position on more than one occasion.
In the kicking game, punter Dawson Zimmerman is a powerful weapon. He has improved so dramatically with practically no competition behind him that he has to be largely credited with his success. He'll need to keep it up but signs are he's picked up right where he left off in 2010.
For place-kicker Chandler Catanzaro a year seems to have made a difference. His kicking motion is much smoother than it was in 2010 and whether that's a direct reflection on his success against Troy remains to be seen. As Coach Swinney said earlier this year, he'll be counted on to win games for Clemson this season.
Heading into this Saturday's game against FCS school Wofford, there a few keys for the Tigers. These keys are not so much to defeat the Terriers but instead as building blocks leading up to the key Auburn-Florida State-Virginia Tech stretch of games.
First, tackling has to improve. Obviously, it should against such an opponent, but not missing assignments and makes plays in the backfield are important.
Second, fluidity in offensive play-calling and execution needs to continue to show progress. This was evident in the second half against Troy, but Boyd will need to come out and execute.
Up front on both sides of the ball, the offensive and defensive line needs to show they can move people. Defensive tackle Brandon Thompson was double-teamed constantly against Troy. This Saturday the other defensive linemen need to hold their own and take some of the pressure of Thompson, freeing him up to make plays.
Along the offensive line there should be very little room for mistakes. The right side of the line needs to dramatically improve in its ability to protect Boyd and to move defenders off the line of scrimmage.
All said, this game is a good tune-up for Auburn and will help the Tigers fix what ailed them in game one.
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September 5, 2011
Clemson vs. Troy: Snap Judgment
By M. Ryan HayesWell, at least the freshmen showed up.
Struggling through a sluggish first half, quarterback Tajh Boyd completed 60% of his passes, seven going to true freshmen wide receiver Sammy Watkins as the new-look Clemson Tigers wore down the Troy Trojans 43-19.
In fact, Clemson freshmen accounted for 57% of the team’s yards against Troy.
In addition to Watkins 81 yards receiving and touchdown, freshman Mike Bellamy raced down the sideline for a 71-yard scamper to put the Tigers out in front for good midway through the fourth quarter.
Defensively, freshman Robert Smith intercepted Troy quarterback Corey Robinson and Carlton Lewis had a key blocked pass, showing off the overwhelming presence that the newcomers to the Clemson offense will play this season.
Troy’s lead at halftime fizzled quickly once Boyd and the much-hyped offense of Chad Morris got rolling in the second half.
Clemson looked like a different team on both sides of the ball in the second half, not to mention that Clemson’s almost-always tenuous kicking game nailed three 46-yard field goals. Punter Dawson Zimmerman also showed up as he did much of last year, keeping the Tigers comfortable averaging almost 43 yards per punt.
Although not as ‘up-tempo’ as had been discussed, the new offense under Morris did manage to run 70 plays, up from last year’s average but still below his desire for 80-85.
Granted, this is game one and it will take time to add another dozen plays into any offense.
As skill players like Watkins and Bellamy develop, running more plays shouldn’t be an issue.
Where Clemson’s offense looked frighteningly sluggish was up front.
The offensive line looked incapable of providing Boyd protection at multiple times in the first half. They looked surprisingly overmatched, albeit they well outweighed the Troy defensive line.
The right side of Landon Walker and Antoine McClain struggled to slow the Troy front seven repeatedly, confronted with a Trojan defense that employed a variety of different fronts to combat the size difference between themselves and the Tiger offensive line.
The same could be said of the Tiger defensive line which by the second half showed a few glimpses of their 2010 form.
Bandit end Andre Branch was consistently involved in nearly every play and defensive end Malliciah Goodman was in the backfield constantly. Their play helped to offset the not-so-excellent tackling and play of the defensive backs.
Setting aside Rashard Hall’s fumble recovery on an early punt and excellent play in the first half, the secondary looked exactly like what it is: young and inexperienced.
They’ll need to step it up fast if they have any hope of stopping the likes of Florida State and Virginia Tech and their high-powered offenses.
That challenge will start sooner rather than later in only three weeks from today.
Check back later this week when we break down what the Tigers need to accomplish in practice this week.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhilvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @mryanhayes
September 1, 2011
Clemson vs. Troy Preview
By M. Ryan Hayes
It's no secret that Clemson has failed to live up to expectations in the last decade. What they haven't done is neglect to schedule quality opponents.
The Tigers are 7-3 over that same period, yet those losses are against Alabama and twice to Georgia.
The big win? A six point victory over a Florida State team that had to vacate all 13 games in 2007.
Saturday they'll face another significant opening round challenge in Troy.
The 5-time consecutive Sun Belt Conference Champions are entirely legit and the Tiger's know it. Possibly the one advantage for the Tigers, excluding the obvious depth for an ACC vs. Sun Belt team, is that since Chad Morris's arrival, the Clemson defense has faced essentially what the Trojans have to offer on a daily basis.
Troy really opens it up on offense, running multiple variations on a four-wide set. What's different for the Trojans this year is that their receiving corps is no longer loaded with receivers capable of matching up comfortably with the Tiger's secondary. The combination of junior Corey Johnson and freshmen B.J. Chitty will be looked to provide the electricity that left with last year's all-everything man Jerrel Jernigan.
Even more unfortunate for Troy is that sophomore quarterback Corey Robinson will be short another receiver in Brett Moncrief as he rehabs from a broken foot suffered in the spring. Moncrief is also the Trojans most experienced receiver.
In the backfield, Shawn Southward and the rest of the Troy rushing attack (including quarterback Corey Robinson) will need to spell the consistent passing attack that has led Troy to four straight seasons of at least eight wins.
Look for the Trojans to try and exploit where Clemson has struggled in recent years; stopping the run up front. North Texas’ Lance Dunbar gashed the Tigers in the first game last year for over 200 yards, setting up another season of rush defense struggles for Clemson.
While Troy's offense propelled them to eight wins last season, their defense struggled, giving up an average of over 400 yards per game.
While they may have ranked 89 in total defense in 2010 it should be noted that just ahead of them at 88 was an Oklahoma State team that finished 11-2.
The front seven for the Trojans is stout, led by defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi who very well could be one of the best defensive ends they’ll face all year. In the middle, Troy is anchored by linebacker Xavier Lamb while the secondary is fairly experienced (two seniors, a sophomore and a freshman), albeit without a true playmaker.
So how do the Tigers stack up where it counts Saturday?
There’s no doubting the depth inequities that exist between the two sides (with Clemson at a huge advantage) but what the Tigers will need to do goes beyond just depth.
On offense, a steady dose of Andre Ellington combined with deep shots to stretch the field, should test the Trojans secondary and consistently put Clemson in position to score. Maintaining balance when facing a young and unknown group of Trojan defenders is vital and if the results of this summer are true, the Tigers should have plenty of both.
Defensively, a lot is being made about the inexperienced Tigers secondary however what the Tigers lack in experience they make up for in depth. Coach Charlie Harbison has said up to seven members of the secondary, led my Rashard Hall and Coty Sensabaugh, will see action Saturday. Make no mistake either that Robert Smith, Bashaud Breeland, Darius Robinson and the rest of the reserves are all very capable and should spell the starters often considering the up-tempo pace of Troy’s spread offense.
But what has plagued Clemson in recent years against lesser opponents hasn’t been defending the pass; it’s been the lackadaisical approach at defending the run. Stopping Southward and the rest of the Troy rushing attack should be priority number one. Certainly by halftime it should be obvious if Clemson can dominate up front and force Robinson into mistakes.
All that said this isn’t nearly the challenge the Tigers will face by week three, four and five when they face the defending national champions and then the ACC division champs, respectively.
Still, Troy should hang with the Tigers well into the second half if they get even a percentage of the productivity they milked out of Jernigan and the rest of the receivers last year.
Everyone on the Clemson side of the field will be looking to see what Morris’s new spread can accomplish in year one and how great a role the freshman will play.
Regardless, football is back in full force Saturday. It’s always too long an offseason, this one more than ever.
Final Score: Clemson 31, Troy 20
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @mRyanHayes
August 18, 2011
2011 Clemson Tigers Preview
By M. Ryan Hayes
A 6-7 season is rarely acceptable in college football these days. In Clemson, it’s verging on blasphemous. Coach Dabo Swinney said as much after wrapping a very disappointing season in Charlotte. With the 2009 Atlantic Division title far in the rear view, Swinney is faced with somewhat of a make-or-break season.
That’s not to say Swinney has to win the conference title this year to keep his job. To achieve that with last year’s coaching shakeup would be a wholly unrealistic expectation. Instead, the hiring of offensive coordinator Chad Morris, Robbie Caldwell (offensive line) and Tony Elliott (running backs) needs to show marked improvements.
Helping achieve those goals are the new coaches but even more importantly may be the excellent recruiting class Swinney and company hauled in. The nation’s number one wide receiver (Sammy Watkins), inside and outside linebackers (Stephone Anthony and Tony Steward) as well as a bevy of four-star players providing excellent depth, the Tigers look to be stacked across the board in the next few years.
Hopefully, for the Tiger’s sake the cloud of doubt that seems to follow Swinney will drift away and silence critics who think he is a better recruiter than coach. If he can show that his executive decisions in the off-season were the right choices, we may see Swinney turning a corner in his young coaching career. Most of all, improving on Clemson’s 3-10 record under Swinney’s in games decided by single digits would greatly help to alleviate a lot of the concerns.
OFFENSE
Clemson’s biggest issue, an in many ways an issue that has pre-dated Swinney’s tenure, is the lack of an offensive identity. Former offensive coordinator Billy Napier, while also an excellent recruiter and good coach, was in over his head many times. Swinney’s propensity for altering plays pre-snap and his desire to implement a more spread offense probably didn’t aid in Napier’s success.
Regardless, it’s now a whole new ballgame with Morris in control. Averaging over 40 points per game in his one year at Tulsa, Morris brings what is essentially a blend of Auburn and Oregon’s read-option, the Wing-t, and modern day spread to Tiger Town. Fortunately for Morris he has much more talent and depth to run the offense than he’s ever had anywhere before.
Under center is redshirt sophomore Tajh Boyd who saw some work last year when former Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker went down with injury or was pulled for poor performance. His stats from 2010 (329 pass yards, 33 rush yards, 4 TD, 3 INT) can be all but thrown out, as this system is so vastly different than Tiger’s offense under Napier. Boyd has come to practice this summer in shape and the coach’s have praised his leadership, a factor that has been missing from quarterbacks the last few years at Clemson.
Boyd will have opportunities to scramble but the bulk of the carries in Morris’s offense will be handled by the Clemson offense’s best player: Andre Ellington. Ellington averaged nearly 6.5 yards per carry before breaking a bone in his toe half way through last season. This year he will be the key to everything the Tiger’s want to do offensively. Backing him up will be another five-star recruit in Mike Bellamy. If the Tiger’s expect any success the combination of these guys must produce behind a veteran offensive line.
A recent concern at Clemson, this year’s offensive line is thin but with veteran starters. A hopeful offset of that worry comes in the form of one of the best offensive line coaches in the country in Robbie Caldwell. Led by right tackle Landon Walker and center Dalton Freeman, this year’s line will need to stay healthy as the depth at most spots is dramatically thin and young. Left tackle is the key cog in the Tiger line as former walk-on tight end Philip Price looks to take over for fourth round NFL draftee Chris Hairston.
A relative weakness for the Tiger’s last year due to inexperience, wide receiver is stacked for the Tiger’s this year. Led by last year’s first-team freshman all-ACC selection DeAndre Hopkins, Boyd will have plenty of targets and speed to match this year. In addition to Hopkins, Jaron Brown, Watkins, 2009 signee Martavis Bryant, and true freshman Charone Peake headline a group that should have little issue finding openings downfield. This might just be the deepest, even if inexperienced, group of wide receivers Clemson has had since former coach Tommy Bowden was at the helm.
As it has been stated ad-nauseam since his hiring in December, Morris is a disciple of Gus Malzahn’s high-tempo spread scheme. In fact, he considers Malzahn a close friend, adding to the great storyline for Clemson’s showdown with Auburn on September 17. It remains vital that the Tiger’s spend August getting conditioned to keep up with the pace of Morris’s offense as he looks to run 80 plays per contest.
DEFENSE
There is no doubting Clemson has had one of college football’s best defenses under coordinator Kevin Steele. Finishing in the top 20 back-to-back years (19 and 20, respectively) has helped keep the Tigers stay near the top of the conference in total defense. This year the tables are somewhat turned for the first time in Steele’s tenure in that he has the depth he’s wanted at linebacker but loses multiple veterans along the defensive line and in the secondary.
The biggest loss may be irreplaceable for the Tigers. Da’Quan Bowers was a one man defense last season commanding double teams on every play. Still he was able to finish second in the nation with 15.5 sacks (and more impressively 74 tackles), taking home the Nagurski Award and was ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins (53 tackles), who also commanded constant double teams, also departed for the NFL. Pulling up the slack will be senior Brandon Thompson at nose guard and newcomer and 2009 signee Corey Crawford, falling in to take Bowers former slot. Andre Branch and Malliciah Goodman have shown sparks of excellence but will be counted on to provide a veteran stability to a weakened defensive line.
Backing up this less formidable line will be the best group of linebackers Clemson has possibly ever fielded. That’s a lot to live up to for Stephone Anthony, Tony Steward, Lateek Townsend and B.J. Goodson but this group is more than ready. Anchored by the top five linebackers from last year, this group will see the most action from Corico Hawkins in the middle (71 tackles) and first team freshman All-ACC selection Quandon Christian (26 tackles) on the strongside. Johnathan “Tig” Willard (29 tackles) and Justin Parker fill out the players that will see the most time on the field in 2011.
Overall, the linebacker depth will be very good in 2011, if not extraordinary by 2012. The two-deep, an area of major concern last year, is as solid as any in the ACC from day one. With early success, this unit could develop into the league’s best unit by year’s end.
The depth in the secondary however is nowhere near as deep or experienced. The good news is that Coach Charlie Harbison returns for his fourth season as Tiger’s secondary coach. One of the nation’s best, “Coach Cheese” always manages to field a successful unit with the Tigers having finished no lower than 22, including two top-15 finishes in the last three years.
Losing starters Marcus Gilchrist, Byron Maxwell, and DeAndre McDaniel to the NFL Draft would cripple a lot of units. This year though returning starter at free safety Rashard Hall and part-time starter Xavier Brewer lead a very young unit. Redshirt freshman Bashaud Breeland (who impressed during the spring game) true freshman Garry Peters and Cortez Davis and graduate student Coty Sensabaugh close out the core group nicely. This unit will give up points but should finish up 2011 well in command of their respective roles.
There’s a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers in 2011. Strangely, this unit is going to be very different from past groups in that it will give up points. Part of this is because of the offense and the game tempo they will set. The second part is due to the overall inexperience. Just like Oregon and Auburn last year, when a high-tempo offense is implemented, the defense needs to up their conditioning in order to keep up with the amount they’ll be on the field. Morris’s offense is no different.
Expect the Tigers to fall about 10 places in overall total defense this year. Hopefully that won’t be directly related to the performance of their offense. If it does, it won’t matter much what the defense is doing as the Tigers will not be winning very often.
SCHEDULE
Yikes. Clemson looks to have a top-15 schedule according to most, having a brutal start to the year. After facing a very underrated Troy squad and a top-10 FCS school in Wofford, the Tigers will face a rematch of last year’s thriller, this time at Death Valley versus Auburn.
Following what looks to be the most physical game on the schedule, the Tigers will face Florida State the week after their much anticipated match-up with preseason number one, Oklahoma. This could be the turning point for Clemson. If Coach Swinney can get his troops fired up enough to upset Florida State, Clemson could immediately put itself in the driver’s seat for the Atlantic Division title.
The follow-up game against Virginia Tech may just be their most difficult of the season. After that, the Tigers draw most of the middle to upper echelon of ACC teams before traveling to Columbia for their annual rivalry game against South Carolina.
OUTLOOK
To Dabo Swinney’s credit, he spared no one when revamping the staff after last season’s debacle. He took apart all of the weaknesses and went out and “recruited” the best coaches available. The transition also seems to be very smooth as Caldwell was former line coach Brad Scott’s handpicked successor and the players are extremely excited about the speed of Morris’s offense. Introducing such a highly potent scheme into a defensive league could be exactly what the Tiger’s have been missing the past few seasons.
Morris’s and the offensive coaches’ jobs are made easier in that the players are there to implement the system. The speed issue will need to be addressed, as Morris was shocked that the offense was no where near the speed of the defense when he arrived. In addition, depth on the offensive line must be established early on in case any starters go down with injury but also to build experience for next year’s group.
The changes on defense should be manageable for Steele who has consistently shown is on the precipice of being one of the elite defensive minds in the game. If the defense can simply manage the change in game speed, the offense should counteract that by compiling enough points to keep them in every game.
Like many said last year, the overtime loss to Auburn last year was the early-season turning point for the Tigers and they never recovered. This year the circle on the calendar is clearly against the Seminoles, who furthered Clemson’s woes in 2010 by connecting on a last second 51-yard field goal for the victory. If the Tigers can pull out a win on September 24 they would be faced with something they painfully lacked last season: momentum.
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June 14, 2011
Analysis of WR DeAndre Hopkins
By M. Ryan Hayes
For true freshman wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, 2010 was supposed to be a year of growth and development in his first season a Clemson Tiger. Instead it was a year that saw him break nearly every Clemson freshman receiving mark on his way to being the team’s number one outside threat.
If his 52 catches for 637 yards last year are any indication, Tiger fans could see Hopkins eclipse 1,000 yards receiving and even a spot as an ACC 1st team selection when 2011 is said and done. Not bad for a guy who is still really learning the position.
Hopkins started last season the backup to senior Xavier Dye but by October had supplanted Dye when the senior failed to produce anything on the field. He went on to become the most sure-handed target for quarterback Kyle Parker. His background as a Division I basketball recruit certainly helped Hopkins hold his own against much more physical and experienced defenders.
Even more promising is that the most exciting thing about Hopkins is that his true abilities may have never been showcased on the field. Having been thrust into a starting role so quickly, Hopkins relied on a basketball player’s timing for rebounds combined with a football player’s toughness as opposed to any real notion of how to play the position. One quick summer of practice in which his quarterback was off playing baseball certainly didn’t help either to prepare him for what he would face in the 2010 season.
And yet he excelled.
Learning from last year that separation is the key to success for receivers (not just speed), Hopkins will most certainly add weight to his 195-pound frame. His XXXL hands though might not be able to get much larger.
So come this fall, Hopkins will not only be physically ready, he’ll be mentally prepared to take on ACC defenders. Going into the season he’ll also be one of many targets, instead of the only target, with last year’s other starter Bryce McNeal returning and Clemson adding five-star recruits in Sammy Watkins and Charone Peake.
With all the help around him, Hopkins should spend plenty of time this fall streaking down the sideline, only this time he’ll have a few more tools to play with other than just his hands.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter: @mRyanHayes
April 29, 2011
Defensive Impact Players for 2011
By M. Ryan Hayes
After looking at the Clemson offense, today we're going to take a look at the other side of the ball for the Tigers this fall. After finishing 19th & 20th in two years since defensive coordinator Kevin Steele took over (and 18th, 9th, and 13th under Vic Koenning before that), Clemson has once again cemented its place as a Top 20 squad. After a lull for the early part of the 2000's, the Tigers defense looks much the same as during their glory days of the 1980's and 90's.
Recently, however they've also done it while playing a significantly more difficult schedule including (typically) two SEC opponents and drastically improved ACC defenses conference-wide. After losing defensive end Da'Quan Bowers and three of their top four in the secondary we'll look at how the Tigers fill in the gaps, once again presenting a formidable defensive squad for opponents come fall.
Defensive Tackle: Brandon Thompson
Probably the guy least deserving of being on this list of ‘players who need to make an impact’, Thompson has quietly led from his position at the heart of the Clemson defense for three years. Jarvis Jenkins and Bowers overshadowed his size and physicality last year although so far this spring he’s been blowing up the interior of the Clemson offensive line.
Thompson was a highly regarded high school recruit and has truly panned out as expected. What the Tigers need from him this fall is for him to take a headline-maker role in the middle. As those who cover Clemson football know well, defensive coordinator Kevin Steele loves to divert questions about defensive performance back to what makes his scheme work: the guys up front.
Thompson is undoubtedly ‘the’ guy up front for the first time in his Clemson career. If he can show better pressure on the quarterback than he has shown previously, he will quickly move from obscurity to a surefire first day pick in the 2012 NFL draft. But that’s all in the future. Now is his time to show his ability to slow down opposing running games and make crucial stops on short yardage. Games are won with that type of play and for Steele’s scheme to really click, the guys up front must be playing at the highest level.
Linebacker: Corico Hawkins
Hawkins may not be a true playmaking middle linebacker but this fall I’m looking him to be just that. Even if he goes about it in his own way, Hawkins needs to be more than the cerebral leader of the defense. He needs to direct Kevin Steele’s scheme through his actions.
In 2010, he showed he could pick up Steele’s direction well and guide his teammates affectively. In 2011, he needs to crank it up a notch and lead the new group of linebackers, as well as his co-starters from last year, by slowing down the running game up the middle. Outside linebackers Quandon Christian and Johnathan ‘Tig’ Willard are considerably faster than Hawkins but where they possess greater speed, they aren’t as consistent as Corico.
If Hawkins could only show that he has the ability to chase down defenders, intercept opposing quarterbacks and more regularly force fumbles, Clemson may not need as much depth at the linebacker position as they have coming in this summer. Instead, Hawkins may be the undisputed leader for another 2 seasons.
Defensive Backs: Xavier Brewer
As the number two cornerback behind Marcus Gilchrist last year, Brewer showed consistency and flashes of his potential. At times, he was the most physical player on defense, going one on one with receivers five to six inches taller and shutting them down, including a game-turning interception of Cam Newton in Auburn.
His great athleticism is complimented by his excellent hip flexibility and ball-tracking skills which are very good for this stage of his development. If Brewer can show the same shutdown strengths he showed during 2010, opposing defenses will be foolish to challenge him. His 5’-11” height is of little concern as his leaping ability is as good as any cornerback in the conference. He also is surprisingly physical on the ball for his size, something that will be sorely needed with Clemson’s NFL-attrition of Marcus Gilchrist, DeAndre McDaniel and Byron Maxwell.
Most importantly for Xavier however, may be that he continues to show consistency in coverage and not be the victim of ‘the big play.’ With an overall lack of experience elsewhere in the secondary, this role will be even more vital than it was last year.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter: @mRyanHayes
April 27, 2011
Offensive Impact Players for 2011
By M. Ryan Hayes
As spring draws to a close, Clemson football finds itself with a series of unknowns. Normally, unknowns lead to big issues later on when the season starts. In this case, the question marks on the depth chart mean two things. First, the players that excelled in the spring have a significant leg up. Second, the talent coming in will undoubtedly get significant playing time, if not starting roles this fall.
The Tigers signed a huge, 29 member freshman class for 2011. Including those that attended prep school in 2010, the five wide receivers, four linebackers and one top five nationally rated running back will make up a huge part of the roster come fall.
Naturally, it’s hard to tell what impact these signees will have on next year’s team and on the often-neglected impact they can have on players already enrolled. With that said, let’s take a look at the upperclassmen at each position who need to have the biggest impact for the Tigers to improve this fall.
Quarterback: Cole Stoudt
I know you’re about to navigate away because you’re sure I’m an idiot for not choosing Tajh Boyd. Well, listen to this reasoning. A team, college or pro, is only as good as their backup quarterback. How is that for reasoning?
Tajh Boyd is unproven. He may turn out to be great or he may only be a 50% passer during his tenure at Clemson. What we do know is that if he tweaks a knee, stubs a toe or gets a helmet to the back a la Kyle Parker last year, someone is going to have fill in. Cole Stoudt has clearly moved ahead of the other freshman quarterback Tony McNeal and there’s no reason to think he won’t be Boyd’s backup come September 3rd.
Stoudt’s father, Cliff Stoudt, spent 15 years in the NFL as a quarterback and that competitive environment seems to have rubbed off on Cole:
“One thing my dad always told me was to be a leader wherever you go. He told me, wherever you go, people will know you’re a quarterback so you’ve got to make the right decisions, on and off the field.”
Running Back: Roderick ‘Hot Rod’ McDowell
McDowell is perhaps the most difficult guy to figure on the Clemson roster. He entered college as a three-four star rated running back in 2009 and one of the top players in South Carolina. Since then, he’s shown very little of the flash and elusiveness that had many comparing him to Auburn’s Onterrio MacCalebb and Florida States’s Chris Thompson.
Heading into the fall of 2010, the coaching staff looked for McDowell to have a breakout season as the third option behind Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper. However, after suffering a concussion and ankle injury last summer, McDowell never seemed to regain his momentum. He rushed tentatively (and sometimes carelessly) into plays, rarely allowing his blockers time to open running lanes.
Finally, in this year’s spring game he seemed to emerge and have a nice, breakout performance. When you look closely though, his 12 rushes for 100 yards seemed prime, however 40 of those were on one scramble. That put McDowell at 11 rushes for 60 yards, the fewest of the three running backs playing that day. This is the make or break season for ‘Hot Rod.’ Without a big summer, he may get buried on the already crowded depth chart come fall.
Wide Receiver/Tight End: Dwayne Allen
Allen seemed like the perfect successor to tight end Michael Palmer in 2010, after helping to ser the Clemson singleseason record for yards and touchdowns for tight ends in 2009. Last year however, he struggled through a season that saw him record zero touchdowns against FBS teams. With more teams keying in on Allen’s athleticism and presence in the already suspect passing game, he appeared frustrated in at times and if affected his productivity.
This fall, Allen will be one of many targets for Clemson quarterbacks and should return to the successes of 2009, with fewer teams focusing their defenders in his territory. Like 2010 however, Allen will be looked at to lead a young offensive passing game. He’ll also need to show that he has gotten over a tendency to lose patience with himself and his teammates when things go astray, as they often do with young teams.
Offensive Line: Phillip Price
A converted walk-on tight end is your starting left tackle? And you think you have a chance at a conference title? Certainly both questions will get asked by opposing fans looking at Clemson’s new 6’-6” 300lb. left tackle this fall.
Replacing the departed presence of the NFL-bound Chris Hairston won’t be easy. Hairston was always consistent, if not excellent, in his protection of quarterbacks Kyle Parker and Cullen Harper before him.
Price has played an astonishingly low 123 snaps in 29 games (with only one career start) but looks poised to be protecting Tajh Boyd’s blind side this fall. The offensive coaching staff seems to be in love with Price’s athleticism and handwork, so much so that new offensive line coach Robbie Caldwell nominated him as the most improved player this spring. That’s saying something for a coach with 30 years experience and who has coached seven offensive linemen in the NFL.
Having started as a tight end, Price has a tenacity and physicality that the Clemson offensive line lacked under former offensive line coach Brad Scott. In addition, with his footwork being more about agility at tight end, he’s managed to carry that over to tackle, keeping Da’Quan Bowers very able replacement, Malliciah Goodman in check throughout spring practice.
After looking at the Clemson offense, today we're going to take a look at the other side of the ball for the Tigers this fall. After finishing 19th & 20th in two years since defensive coordinator Kevin Steele took over (and 18th, 9th, and 13th under Vic Koenning before that), Clemson has once again cemented it's place as a Top 20 squad. After a lull for the early part of the 2000's, the Tigers 'D' looks much the same as during their glory days of the 1980's and 90's.
Recently, however they've also done it while playing a significantly more difficult schedule including (typically) two SEC opponents and drastically improved ACC defenses conference-wide. After losing defensive end Da'Quan Bowers and three of their top four in the secondary we'll look at how will the Tigers fill in the gaps, once again presenting a formidable defensive squad for opponents come fall.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter: @mRyanHayes
April 14, 2011
Clemson Spring Game Recap
By M. Ryan Hayes
It’s Spring in Clemson and with Spring Football comes a lot of changes.
Keeping this short and simple, because no one should put too much thought into an intra-squad glorified scrimmage, the Clemson Spring Game was all about progress. Progress of a new offensive philosophy; on a still young defense; in a thin backfield (that’s right, THIN); and in a first-year starting quarterback.
Let’s take a look at the game as a position-by-position breakdown, starting with the play of the quarterbacks.
Tajh Boyd does look a step ahead mentally of where he was say, in the bowl game, or maybe that’s just Chad Morris’s hurry-up in action versus the slower more methodical pace of Billy Napier’s pro-style. Most troubling is Boyd’s accuracy and the fact that he is still sailing a lot of throws. He’s got enough speed on the ball that they tend to be overthrown but still needs work at making the completions (to every depth of the field) using less arm and more with an accurate step into the throw.
Freshman Cole Stoudt started 0-3 but seemed to improve his touch downfield as the first half wore on. Young guys tend to under throw simply because of their lack of awareness of receiver speed at the college level. Stoudt never did. His arm strength was impressive for only having been in practice for two months. This was especially evident on a rocket, 40-yard pass to end the third quarter.
McNeal, who looks to be redshirted this season looked a little slow on the uptake but improved enough to complete a few nice downfield throws.
Running Backs:
Redshirt Freshman D.J. Howard has every ability to surpass Rod McDowell and/or Demont Buice to overtake the third running back spot this year behind Andre Ellington and newcomer Mike Bellamy. He’s impressed the coaches this spring and continued that trend today running downfield all afternoon. He plowed through on a nice 20+ yard run and a follow up TD in the second quarter.Buice, although he had a nice game stats-wise, is painfully slow. He looks smaller than he did last year, which throws off the ‘change of pace running back’ theory many were running with. McDowell still runs so hesitantly (fumble in the second quarter an example) yet he has packed on ten pounds from last season and did have a nice 40-yard run in the third quarter.
Surprisingly the offense ran a lot of ‘A’ gap running plays which is a change from the last few years with Spiller and Ellington more off the edge. We also saw very few sweeps in this new Morris offense.
Receivers and Tight End(s):
Nuke still amazes me with his physical nature. He’s 6’-1”, 195lbs. but he plays like he’s 6’-4” 210. Extremely physical and has the best hands on the team. As for redshirt freshman Joe Craig, does he look a middle-schooler playing college ball or what? He’s so tiny I can’t see him being a threat in anything but 3rd and short and in end around situations. That’s not a slight to Craig but he just isn’t big enough to honestly compete with defenders downfield.I’ll shorten the tight end discussion to one guy: Dwayne Allen. Allen somehow had a huge down year last year. I still don’t understand he didn’t. He runs like a gazelle and has the body of a defensive end coupled with great hands. His run blocking also was pretty impressive today compared to what we’ve seen the last two years.
Linebackers:
Quandon Christian: stud. Justin Parker: excellent lateral movement and showed his agility on an interception well downfield in front of Bryce McNeal. Very impressed with his play today. Corico Hawkins showed a little more playmaking ability, which is exactly what he needed.Defensive Line:
Rennie Moore, although so much smaller than last year’s starter Jarvis Jenkins, somehow gets great pressure on the quarterback. His burst off the line looked solid, he just needs to work on consistency. Andre Branch had two first half sacks and was dominating most of the second team offensive line all day. Newcomer Corey Crawford had one sack as well as numerous pressures and seemed to be a solid work in progress in place of Da’Quan Bowers.Defensive Backs:
Looks like Coach Harbison is going to need to work specifically on coverage on deep ball situations. I don’t see them getting burned as badly this year with another year under their belt, but it’s the one on one coverage downfield that needs work.
Bashaud Breeland and Garry Peters have really nice physical coverage skills however, as they were up in the face of receivers and they stay physical as the ball approaches. Coupled with Johnathan Meeks at safety, the Tiger first-team secondary should be solid.Offensive line:
Brandon Thomas was getting blown up all afternoon, possibly due to the fact he’s recovering from minor surgery, possibly due to the fact that he’s going to be Phillip Price’s backup. Cloy had a terrible snap that led to a safety as Tony McNeal had to boot it out of the back of the end zone. Overall, an ok performance, nothing notable either way. Landon Walker looks to be the anchor of the line again this year.Kicking and Punting:
Dawson Zimmerman…goat to hero. What else can be said? The oft-criticized Zimmerman who garnered a measly 38-yards net in 2009, improved to just under 44-yards last year and was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award. Today he again boomed kicks of 65 (61 in the air) and 67 yards. Already he looks as if it’s November. He’ll again be counted on to greatly aid the Tigers field position.And finally, what would a Clemson game recap without mentioning that none of the kickers looked even decent, although Catanzaro did show a decent leg on a 51-yard miss wide left.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @mRyanHayes
April 10, 2011
Progress is Key for Orange & White Spring Game
by M. Ryan Hayes
Keeping this short and simple, because no one should put too much thought into an intra-squad glorified scrimmage, the Clemson Spring Game will be all about progress. Progress of a new offensive philosophy; on a still young defense; in a thin backfield (that’s right, THIN); and in a first-year starting quarterback.
What Clemson fans should be watching besides the obvious changes from last year, all begins with the offensive line. A relatively soft run-blocking group under Brad Scott’s tutelage, this group will be tested by Robbie Caldwell and Chad Morris’s new spread scheme. Caldwell will develop a better run-blocking toughness to go along with the already stout pass-blocking and the line should see immediate improvement.
Morris’s 80+ play-per-game system will add to that by ensuring the line is in shape to keep up. If not, look for QB Tajh Boyd to spend this season running for his life.
Although LT Brandon Thomas and RG Antoine MacClain are out with minor injuries, current first-team LT Philip Price will be the one to keep an eye on. How is his footwork? What kind of speed does he have coming back peddling off the snap? And can he keep up with DE Corey Crawford et al. coming off the edge?
Hand in hand with the line play will be the depth in backfield. Word out of Tiger’s spring practice is that this group is struggling. Demont Buice is possibly leading the group, who are without Andre Ellington while he recovers from off-season surgery. This may only be due to the lack of a bigger back this year with the departure of Jamie Harper.
The problem with Buice is his speed. Definitely he is the slowest of the three backs vying for the second or third slot in the rotation (assuming Mike Bellamy backs up Ellington).
Tomorrow that starting role will most likely go to Rod McDowell as the only running back with game experience. That may not be short-lived with redshirt freshman D.J. Howard reportedly on his heels.
Lastly, there needs to be significant development from the returning linebacking group. It’s pretty obvious that strongside is locked up with Quandon Christian performing well last season and leading the group this spring. Tig Willard was slowed last year by his elbow injury but looks to come back strong with him and Justin Parker splitting time. These two, in addition to MLB Corico Hawkins need to show more playmaking abilities, better run support for the young defensive line, and most importantly better skill in the open field.
Their depth will be greatly improved by the four heralded linebacking recruits this summer. In the meantime, it’s time to show Kevin Steele’s scheme is now as second nature as brushing their teeth.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @mRyanHayes
March 25, 2011
Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright: Da’Quan Bowers
IS the Next Julius Peppers
by M. Ryan Hayes
Remember the game telephone? One person in the group would whisper a saying or sentence to the next person who would whisper it to another, and so on and so forth until the last person in the group would say what they heard out loud.
Did the end result ever turn out the way it started? Rarely.
Telephone is what NFL general managers from Buffalo to Carolina to Denver to Cleveland are busy playing leading up to Da'Quan Bowers scheduled pro-day on April 1st. They all want to know if the whispers they’re hearing are really the prelude to a shout to avoid the highly touted defensive prospect.
To understand the Bowers situation, you need to go back to his first significant injury during a game against Coastal Carolina in 2009. Spraining the MCL and PCL in his right leg, Bowers sat out the next two contests. Although the injury was minor and healed quickly, Bowers wasn't able to get out to the hot start most predicted he would going into the season.
In turn, 2009 would again be considered a disappointment for the former number one high school player in America. Finishing with 46 tackles and only three sacks, most questioned if he’d ever live up the hype. So naturally, entering last season there was huge improvement to be expected of Bowers--and he more than delivered.
Fast-forward to the second half of 2010. During a tackle, Bowers felt a slight tweak, again in his right knee. Playing through the season, Da’Quan was eventually diagnosed with the meniscus tear that brings us to today.
Although he finished out the season at the same high level in which he began, doctors at the NFL Combine questioned the status of the knee. Deemed a “flagged” issue by Combine physicians, rumors arose from Indianapolis that Bowers was hiding the severity of the injury. Was he?
As one NFL GM told Evan Silva of NBC Sports, “…you’re always going to get stuff like [this] at this time of the year. Some of it’s real, and some of it is imagined.”
So what is the real status of this injury? Bowers will tell you that it's 100%, that his pro-day was only pushed back until April because he wanted the same time to prepare as the rest of the Combine participants, following his surgery on December 31st. He hasn’t wavered in his commitment on the April 1st deadline and he seems on schedule to hopefully woo the scouts that will descend on Tiger Town next week.
This surgery, after all, was an outpatient, arthroscopic, non-invasive procedure to repair a 'small' tear in a previously un-injured ligament (the MCL and PCL sprains are independent). According to leading orthopedics, this procedure has a typical recovery of four to six weeks for the typical healthy person.
Assuming Bowers is not your typical person but instead a world-class athlete, this injury should be of minor, if any concern. However, it's these hairline margins that sometimes separate the first through tenth picks. This defensive-heavy draft is no exception.
Draft prognosticators like Mel Kiper and Todd McShay have methodically repositioned Bowers over the last month down a few notches to number four to the Cincinnati Bengals (Kiper) or even number six to the Cleveland Browns (McShay). In addition, the top dozen or so teams representing those slots in the draft aren't saying he's down and out, but instead are anxiously awaiting his pro-day to see if any of their fears are realized. Next Friday we’ll all know for sure.
One thing is for certain however. If Bowers’ knee has healed and he shows no sign of it holding him back, we may see him re-emerge as the potential cornerstone of a franchise, just like the man he models his game after: Julius Peppers.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @mRyanHayes
March 5, 2011
Spring Prep: Linebackers
by M. Ryan Hayes
After managing to reel in the best crop of linebackers in recent memory, it’s now time for Kevin Steele’s defense to show it can be elite.
Finishing 13th in the nation in scoring defense is excellent and Steele is doing more than his fair share with these players. However, if they want to get to the next level, the level that defines most BCS-caliber and championship winning teams, they’ll need to improve.
Although the defensive line is the backbone of Steele’s defense, that next echelon schematically comes from improving the coordinators of the defensive scheme: the linebackers.
2011 will no longer see an issue with depth, or at least not to the extent of what the Tigers faced last year. With the departure of Brandon Maye, Corico Hawkins, Tig Willard, and Quandon Christian will anchor a linebacking group that will see the addition of four new players, all who could see immediate playing time.
Throughout the spring count on a depth chart with the incumbents retaining their starting jobs.
Steele said yesterday that Justin Parker would remain as Christian’s backup and move to middle linebacker only on passing downs, as he did last season. Steele’s hesitancy to move Parker full time to the middle must have something to with Parker’s speed. He has long arms and great lateral movement but he doesn’t have top end quickness and so he fits the power, outside position better.
Spencer Shuey will continue to backup Hawkins in most instances and has proven to be a solid, if not flashy reserve. At weakside, Tig Willard, a part-time starter in 2010, should see a more fluid situation.
This is where the new recruits’ role comes into view.
As four and five star players, all should see an immediate role, if they don’t redshirt. I don’t see a redshirt for more than two; they should all impress from day one and earn at least a third string role.
I can see no reason either why Stephone Anthony or Lateek Townsend don’t immediately backup Tig Willard (or supplant him come summer) on the weakside. Tig has a high motor but considering his joint injury last year limited his development, this battle will be one to watch over the summer. I could also see one of the two newcomers redshirting, depending on how much improved Willard looks during the spring.
On the strongside or SAM slot, Quan Christian won’t be supplanted so easily. He developed by leaps and bounds last year and is certainly one of the hardest hitters on this year’s team. Tony Steward should come right in and back him up, although with Parker in the mix, we could see somewhat of a battle for second.
In the middle, although Corico Hawkins doesn’t appear to be a big playmaker, he has a good command of the scheme and will also retain his starting spot. Hawkins finished second in tackles last year and should be at the top this year again as his role in directing traffic will be increased. B.J. Goodson, a three-star recruit who the coaches seem very high on, could move in as the third string but he certainly has the potential to redshirt if things go well.
Looking at video of the four incoming freshmen, they all fit Steele’s pressure defense very well. B.J. Goodson seems to be a great on field general in the middle, while Anthony and Steward seem to be in on every play as Da’Quan Bowers was last year. Lateek Townsend has great awareness and excellent tackling skills and will be a reliable, if not eventually spectacular addition.
This group will in a lot of ways parallel the improvement that head coach Dabo Swinney will need this year, facing the mounting pressure to win. Development is the first step to achievement and the incoming talent should show quickly whether that success is attainable.
In fact, in the matter of one off-season, the prognosis of the Clemson linebacking corps has already changed. Once a weakness, since the departure of great leaders like Keith Adams and Levon Kirkland, the Tigers will enter the 2011 season with upward momentum at the position.
By the time the season roles around, look for Coach Steele to talk about the linebackers as a point of strength, something that might just be enough to get them over the hump to ‘elite.’
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at @mRyanHayes
February 25, 2011
Spring Prep: Running Backs
by M. Ryan Hayes
Most would agree that C.J. Spiller set a standard for Clemson running backs that will never be duplicated.
Regardless of the outcome of his NFL career, he’ll always be remembered for the ability to find a gear no one knew existed for a college athlete. He’s certainly in the coveted company of Reggie Bush in terms of his ability to single-handedly take over a game through his running, receiving, and returning.
However, with the arrival of Florida’s Mike Bellamy, many believe that ‘Spiller Jr.’ will arrive on campus this summer.
Bellamy, a 5’-10” speedster with juke moves and lateral agility comparable to his predecessor, will give the roster much needed depth, especially after the early NFL entry of Jamie Harper. He will also step in nicely as a kick returner alongside DeAndre Hopkins, filling the role that Marcus Gilchrist held last year.
Clearly, last year’s co-starter Andre Ellington will be the incumbent number one from the beginning of spring practice although he will sit out as he recovers from off-season ligament surgery. Ellington brought what Harper could not bring in 2010: homerun potential. Andre never approached the line looking for the opening to develop, he saw it before he was handed the ball. There is also never a dance in his step; he moves confidently and powerfully for a 190lb. runner.
Clemson’s offensive line, with four returning starters should continue to provide Ellington with the openings he needs to turn a three-yard cutback into an 80-yard touchdown. Andre may be the established number one but it goes without saying that the Tigers have talent behind him, albeit unproven.
First on that list is Roderick McDowell.
McDowell came to Clemson as a 3-4 star recruit who most scouts saw as similar to Onterio McCalebb (Auburn). So far, not even a glimpse of that potential has been seen while a member of the Tigers. Against FBS opponents last year he went 75 yards on 23 attempts, but 39 of those were on one rush in mop up duty against South Carolina.
Without that 39-yarder, that’s a paltry 1.6 yards/carry.
In all fairness, McDowell in his first year in the three-deep, played sparingly leading up to Ellington’s injury at mid-season. His burst may be there and he may excellent on swing routes but none of that has surfaced as of yet. This year, specifically during spring practice, is the time for him to show that he is the clear-cut number two behind Ellington. If he starts slow, I could see him falling off the three-deep, used sparingly in the fall.
In addition to the three known names on the Clemson roster are two sophomores that may end playing as significant a role as those running backs already on the depth chart.
Demont Buice, a bigger back at 220 lbs. but with 4.5 speed, may actually serve as a better backup option to Ellington than any of the other backs on the roster. There were reports at bowl practice that he stood out from with his deceiving speed and ability to play smaller than his size.
Here’s where it gets interesting.
If Buice works on his footwork more (relies on his upper body too much on film) going into March practice and plays well in the Orange and White game, he may jump Rod McDowell purely based on his more unique blend of speed and size. He’ll also need to greatly improve his pass catching, something Jamie Harper excelled at while a Tiger.
D.J. Howard is the last back on the roster but has similar intangibles to Ellington and nearly identical size. It remains to be seen if he can step up and take playing time away from any of the other backs or if remains more of a scout team option. As it stands now, I see him more as a real player in 2012.
In less than two weeks, all eyes should be on the first battle for what will be the number two slot behind Andre Ellington. With Bellamy, a promising yet still unknown at tailback, the coaching staff will be looking for the most consistent runner from day one until the end of spring practice. At this point, I could see it being any one of the three backs on the roster.
Oh, and Bellamy might have something to say about who’s the #2 option come summer.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at @mRyanHayes
February 20, 2011
Spring Prep: Quarterbacks
by M. Ryan Hayes
Walking into the press room at Phoebus High in 2010, Tajh Boyd had no way of knowing that placing the tiger paw hat on his head would take him into uncharted waters in 2011.
Since his enrollment at Clemson he’s dealt with a 6-7 season, the loss of his recruiter, position coach and offensive coordinator and for a time, the uneasiness of being the only scholarship QB on the roster.
Oh, and that’s not mentioning his new offensive coordinator is known for his “power spread” offense, something that Boyd himself shied away from before coming to Clemson.
Boyd was first a West Virginia commit, switched to Tennessee in 2009, and then bailed on the Vols after Lane Kiffin was hired. He even flirted with the ‘super spread’ at Oregon and as the eventual replacement for Tyrelle Pryor at Ohio State before ultimately settling on Clemson. Tajh said he did so because he felt he had the best opportunity to run a pro-style offense but not be pigeonholed as a system QB.
With Chad Morris running the offense this year he should finally get his wish.
Spending last season as Kyle Parker’s backup, he gained valuable playing time when Parker went down with broken ribs during the Meineke Car Care Bowl/Debacle. Although Boyd’s effort to lead the Tigers back fell short (against somewhat insurmountable odds), he certainly showed a level of skill reminiscent of his being rated fourth nationally for pro-style QB’s behind Matt Barkley (USC), Garrett Gilbert (Texas), and Aaron Murray (Georgia). Considering how those three have performed so far, that’s not bad company.
With a rocket arm and a smile on his face, he seems to already possess some of the best qualities a quarterback and leader can exhibit. I never saw Parker as a leader for Clemson; it just wasn’t his demeanor to be overly vocal on the field. He instead led by example and when you’re losing those examples are hard to come by.
With Boyd, confidence has never been an issue and I see him seizing hold of that leadership role from March 7th on through both words and actions.
He also doesn’t hesitate to scramble (like Parker often did) and, from what I’ve seen, has a faster release then any Clemson quarterback has shown in the last decade, maybe even Parker.
In terms of quarterback molding going into spring practice, Chad Morris has a few tasks to immediately address with Tajh:
Physical ‘Modifications’
Boyd definitely packed on the freshman 15 (or maybe 20) and that’s got to come down for him to be effective in this dual-threat, spread scheme. Entering school, he was a low of 208, but last year may have gotten up very near 230. Ideally, he needs to be in the 215-218lb. range by April’s Spring Game at Death Valley.
Mental(ity)
With a new offense comes a new way of thinking for every player but none more than the quarterback. Boyd hasn’t been overly ‘I’ll do anything to win’ but from day one he’s said the right things publicly about how he will lead and help this young offense succeed.
Developing Progression Awareness
Like all young quarterbacks, Boyd will need time to establish rhythm with his existing and new set of receivers and tight ends. Most importantly, he’ll need to be patient and let the speed and playmaking ability that’ll be all over the field (Ellington, Hopkins, Allen, Watkins, etc.) help him better develop his field vision. The key to this though is realizing that he has the talent around him, he just needs to exploit it by letting established playmakers make plays.
Thankfully, it’s not only Boyd this year on the QB depth chart, although it may feel like it. In addition, freshmen Tony McNeal and Cole Stoudt are both three-star guys with good to very good potential. In my opinion, McNeal is the real steal of this year’s class for Clemson. He has similar measurables to Boyd but he’s shiftier on his feet and from what I’ve seen on tape, seems to have an equally effective release and excellent accuracy.
By the Spring Game, the offense will be working beyond the basics and the ACC should see what they’re up against this season. Hopefully Boyd’s smile won’t be all that shows up on Saturday’s next fall.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at @mRyanHayes
February 10, 2011
Onion or Orange?:
Peeling Back the Tigers 2011 Signing Class
by M. Ryan Hayes
Praised by every major recruiting service, every local newspaper and blog, and even the New York Times (http://tiny.cc/p8g5v), the players compiled by Dabo Swinney’s staff on February 2nd are truly commendable. Swinney described it as a “two year plan” on ESPN and defended his and his staff’s ability to take freshmen, insert them into a fairly thin roster, and compete for a conference championship. At this point, that’s all Clemson fans should expect.
In reality, with redshirts, non-qualifiers, position depth needs, and those who don’t live up to the hype, 2012 is a really a more realistic timeframe for this group. However this year in Tiger Town, things may need to take a different path.
Through recruiting, the staff has reenergized a fan base forced into dormancy last year by an inept offense. With the additions of Martavis Bryant, Charone Peake, Sammy Watkins, Eric McClain and Mike Bellamy, it’s time for an about face on the Clemson offense.
In OC Chad Morris’s ‘power spread’ scheme, this bevy of new stars fits very well into what he hopes to accomplish in year one.
Clemson fans everywhere know the quarterback situation is one of promise without results. Tajh Boyd, a top five pro-style quarterback in high school will be the starter by default with the freshmen Tony McNeal and Cole Stoudt battling it out as his backup. The ‘loser’ (or more likely the winner) of the backup battle will be redshirted, saving his talents for next year. We’ll get more into what to look for from Boyd in an article later in the week.
At the skill positions, Clemson has stacked the line with receivers over the last two years. If the season started today, it looks like two out of the three receiver positions would be held by freshmen (assuming Bryce McNeal wins a co-#1 with Marquan Jones). Oh, and don’t forget Joe Craig, the current ACC 200m track champion as a wild card on 3rd down.
With that said, we haven’t even touched on this year’s class.
When you factor in the 2011 freshmen, you have to assume all three will play. Sammy Watkins, who is the best route runner Clemson has recruited in recent memory, can play inside or outside. If Swinney and Morris want him to play right away however, look for him to take over the number one slot from Jones and McNeal. With great hands, he possesses a similar skill set to Hopkins in his ability to make tough catches under pressure. After one year at Hargrave, Martavis Bryant, is coming into a situation where he might backup Jaron Brown at Z, but I think he fits in better at X behind Hopkins. He looks more refined and capable on tape than Charone Peake and seems less a possession receiver. That’s not to say Peake is a slouch, but instead reminds me of Alabama’s Julio Jones his freshman year (see his highlight film here: http://tiny.cc/6lkds). Lanky yet physical, he should manage the backup role behind Brown as well as any backup in the conference.
In the backfield, the loss of Jamie Harper to the NFL (that’s a whole other story…) will open the door for Demont Buice, the largest and arguably the most physical runner on the Clemson roster. Buice, in very limited action last year, looked surprisingly bruising. Even Paul Strelow of 24/7 Sports reported that sources thought he looked very good in bowl practice. If these news is accurate, he should fill in well as the specialty back. Speedster Mike Bellamy should undoubtedly come right in as the backup behind Andre Ellington. His addition to the roster is as needed as any position on the team, especially if the Tigers are going to establish an effective rushing attack.
This brings us to default backup for much of 2010, Rod McDowell.
A four-star recruit coming out of high school, he’s failed to live up to even the most remote sense of the hype. Possibly one answer comes in his ranking in 2009. He was the #25 RB according to ESPN, #48 RB by Scout.com, and the #4 RB according to Rivals.com.
Kind of a summary of his Clemson career so far; all over the map. Flashes of speed and agility coupled with times where he looked like a boy among men. 2011 is his time to shine or fade.
Not to be forgotten, the tight end is involved in nearly every play no matter what you read about the offense of Chad Morris. After watching Tulsa vs. East Carolina and vs. Notre Dame, Morris loves the benefits of the tight end, consistently using one, and in some third and first down sets, two. This lends itself to a perfect spot for TE Eric McClain. Already a developed blocker, look for McClain to get immediate time backing up Dwayne Allen, as no other tight end has shown they can compete consistently.
Defensively, the Tigers hauled in the best group of linebackers in, well, maybe in Clemson history. Stephone Anthony, Tony Steward, Lateek Townsend, and B.J. Goodson make up the future of Kevin Steele’s zone blitzing, multiple fronts scheme. From their videos, all four are an ideal fit (with development of course) and should make a significant impact during their time in Clemson. Steward should see quite a bit of playing time backing up Corico Hawkins in the middle, while Anthony and Townsend will fill backup roles to start at the WILL and SAM positions. With his smaller size, B.J. Goodson is the wild card, but just as competitive and should eventually fill in either at WILL or his natural position at MIKE. Regardless, Kevin Steele will have fun with this much depth at the position, something he hasn’t had since arriving in town.
On the defensive front four, the issue is more about establishing depth than who will make an impact immediately. DE Corey Crawford should immediately backup Malliciah Goodman, who like Martavis Bryant, spent last year at Hargrave. In my opinion, Crawford was ready to make a contribution last year if he had qualified, but should get that opportunity this fall.
Beyond that, the Tigers look a little thin at the end slots and will need development from within, in addition to elite recruits in 2012. The remaining recruits for this year along the defensive line including Isaiah Battle, Joe Gore (who should move to the OL), Roderick Byers and Kevin Dodd should redshirt or, in Battle and Dodd’s cases, may end up at Hargrave for a year. With the secondary recruits in 2010 (and S/DB Cortez Davis in ‘11) and linebacker covered so effectively in this class, the 2012 recruiting trail will be lined with stops at the homes of defensive ends across the Southeast.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at @mRyanHayes
January 3, 2011
Reflection | Refraction: Bowl Debacle Forces
Offensive Staff Shakeup
by M. Ryan Hayes
This article started off as a discussion of the new direction Clemson football needed to take after the season culminated in its first losing one since 1998.
Dabo Swinney instead provided some of that direction with the removal of OC Billy Napier and RB/ST coach Andre Powell (with rumors of a third change to the staff still to come…Brad Scott? Please…?).
At least this is a start in a different direction. As much as Napier was made to look like one of the young, great offensive minds by the likes of Spiller, Ford, and Palmer last year, his inexperience came through critically this year. Most likely, he’ll go on to another southeast FBS program as an OC, or more likely quarterbacks or running backs coach. Undoubtedly he’s a great recruiter and has a good rapport among players and his ascension to OC at Clemson wasn’t something he stumbled into. He’s talented and deserving of a good job; it just didn’t work in Tiger Town.
Andre Powell, as I insinuated earlier in the year, needed to be shown the door for three reasons.
First, the running backs under his tutelage have never shown great improvement as a group as the season progressed. Of course to say such a thing in Clemson seems blasphemous considering Spiller’s success, but no one is going to convince me that Powell had anything to do with Spiller’s shiftiness, burst, or vision. You can rarely coach a running back to move or accelerate like Spiller; he was a once in a career player.
Second, although Ellington improved from last year, I’d argue it was more due to growth and maturity and that his skill (Spiller-esque) was apparent from the moment he stepped on campus. He was underutilized for the first half of the season and Powell stubbornly refused to listen to suggestions of increasing his playing time.
“I know you want him to run 30 times a game…” he said after the North Carolina loss this year.
No Coach Powell, we want him to get even 20 carries (by Boston College he had reached 20 twice; at Auburn and vs. Georgia Tech).
Coaches need to adapt on the fly; Powell refused.
And lastly, what good is a running backs/special teams coach that can’t recruit well? Powell never brought in majors recruits albeit having the staff position with arguably the least responsibility.
The loss at the hands of South Florida, a Big East team in transition, showed once again that great talent is only as good as the coaches that coach it. The majority of national writers picked Clemson to defeat USF citing ‘superior talent’, when what mattered was that Skip Holtz and Todd Fitch were just better coaches.
So who’s next and more importantly who’s the right choice?
Names including Chad Morris (Tulsa), Rich Rodriquez (when he’s removed at Michigan) and Ralph Friedgen have already surfaced.
Certainly, there will be more but let’s start with these three.
Chad Morris at Tulsa did a great job this year coming from the high school ranks to lead Tulsa to a 10-3 record and a top-10 total offensive ranking.
But he’s inexperienced and would be a huge risk (very Rob Spence-like in my opinion) for Swinney to take with 2011 a win-or-go-home season.
Rodriguez doesn’t make sense either because, although I’m one of five people who really like him as a person and coach, it would take too long for him to implement his system. Simply, Swinney doesn’t have ‘too long.’
Which brings us to the veritable homerun that Friedgen could be. He runs a pro-style offense, heavy on the run and play-action pass and has an immense amount of football acumen to bring to the table.
With Friedgen at OC and Steele on the defensive side of the ball, Swinney could rely on his coordinators a la Brady Hoke at San Diego State with his duo of Al Borges/Rocky Long.
While this seems that Swinney’s role would be lessened, he could have great temporary success as he continues to learn on the job and improve his leadership abilities. Clemson hired Swinney knowing full well (we hope) what they were getting with a late-30’s receivers coach and so learning on the job is just something that comes with the territory whether fans like it or not.
People have also suggested that Swinney won’t hire someone that, if the team struggles, would lead the fans to be clamoring for the new hire to replace him.
That’s ludicrous.
Swinney is desperate after last Friday’s dismantling and if he has the sense that he has to excel now, he’s going to get the best man for the job. Anybody would do the same to save their job.
Friedgen wouldn’t be retained if Clemson struggles again next year and even if they struggle mid-season and the school decides to remove Swinney, he’d be a great temporary fill-in. He was only going to spend another year or two at Maryland before retiring anyway so he’s not a long-term hire.
So regardless, how does this impact the Tiger recruits for 2011?
Meh.
I can’t see anyone in the top-10 class jumping ship as neither Napier nor Powell had anyone major on their radar. All the playmakers (Bellamy, Lane, Watkins, Peake) are going to stay or go independent of Napier or Powell’s coaching status.
It also doesn’t matter because both coaching decisions needed to be made. Changes have to happen immediately and Swinney should be applauded for making the decision official within 48 hours of the end of the season.
Make no mistake, coaching far outweighs the players recruited. We can see what great coaches can do with mid-range talent all over the nation (Randy Edsall, Chip Kelly, Chris Pedersen, etc.).
Hopefully this time around Clemson will get the talent it needs on the sidelines and the booth, as opposed to just on the playing field.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rockhillvalley
December 30, 2010
Clemson vs. South Florida Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
What’s the difference in a 6-7 vs. a 7-6 record? For starters, having a winning record is obviously better than a losing one, but there’s a lot more then just looking better in the record books.
The answer, four weeks removed from the Tigers pounding at the hands of South Carolina, is much more straightforward.
College football revolves around continuity; continuity with coaches and coordinators, between players, recruiting bases, and between the team and its fans.
Without a good deal of continuity, fans become distracted and eventually become detractors. When you can boost (and boast) to recruiting through a more than a decade of winning seasons, it does carry through to the following season. Hence, Dabo Swinney needs this bowl victory to keep, as he said, everybody ‘patient.’
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
The transition at quarterback won’t be a smooth one, regardless of outcome, because of the way things concluded with Kyle Parker to end the regular season. Drama aside look for Parker to start and Boyd to come in, well, whenever Billy Napier feels like it. I’m not really sure any Boyd appearance (other than after Parker’s INT vs. SC) has made a whole lot of sense strategically.
While it makes perfect sense to get Boyd as many reps as possible going into a season where he’s the clear cut starter, I’m not sure if the experience has taught him (at no fault of his own) anything pertinent for a 12 game season. The ebbs and flows and your response to them are what make a successful on-field offensive leader. Boyd hasn’t been asked to lead a comeback, run a two-minute offense, or go back in and throw downfield after an interception. That’s what he needs but it will be 2011 before he gets a chance.
Regardless, the play of both will be critical to Clemson’s success. The South Florida pass defense has been consistent, if not excellent, all season and turnovers-into-points will be a critical no-no.
POUNDING THE ROCK
Make no mistake, Jamie Harper will be the rock the Tigers will need to lean on if they hope to wear down the stout Bulls defense. Let’s face it, offensively, the heart and soul of this year’s team has been the running game; Andre Ellington up until the Boston College game, and Harper since.
Harper won’t need to homerun his way through the defensive line, but he will need to keep up with his average/carry and lead the Tigers down the field with consistency. Play action will also be vital in getting the ball to Hopkins, Brown, and McNeal who look to be covered one on one for most of the game, as is USF’s tendency this season.
THREE STEP DROP(PED)
With the likely return of B.J. Daniels at quarterback for the Bulls, the play of the Clemson defensive line will be an interesting. Daniels is a scrambling threat, and while Bowers and Branch have done a great job at chasing down the likes of Cam Newton, Joshua Nesbitt, and Russell Wilson this year, it should be interesting to see how much USF uses Daniels on the ground coming off his injury.
When Bobby Eveld is in, look for more passing opportunities and hence, more pressure from the Tiger defensive line. Even if it’s through pressure only, the speed of the line should rattle the freshman enough to keep him honest in the passing game. Hopefully, for the sake of many, this will leave him exposed to putting the ball in the hands of Gilchrist, Hall, and McDaniel and lead Clemson to its 12th consecutive winning season.
If not, the 2011 off-season will drag on a lot longer than Dabo Swinney would like.
Prediction: Clemson 16, South Florida 10
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December 23, 2010
Meineke Matchups to Watch
by M. Ryan HayesSo much for the all together more interesting matchup-that-wasn’t; Clemson vs. West Virginia.
I say more interesting because at least the two teams have a great traveling fan base and I can’t imagine a scenario where the Mountaineer faithful could have numbered less than the 2,900 South Florida has mustered so far. Instead, the Car Care Bowl will match two very good defensive squads with two very struggling offenses. The big difference offensively is how they’ve struggled.
DRIVE CHART(ING)
Although Clemson has had its moments, the Tigers haven’t managed to put enough points on the board at critical junctures due to untimely misses in the kicking game and an inability of the receiving corps to separate inside the 20.
South Florida on the other hand has relied more on its quick strike passing game, primarily to sure-handed 6-1 target Dontavia Bogan who tallied nearly 700 yards and five touchdowns this season. In terms of third down conversions, the Bulls have been, well, horrible.
The Fighting Holtz’s have only converted on 28% of their third down tries, with only Vanderbilt and San Jose State converting less.
What does this all say?
Clemson sustains drives, USF does not.
On the flip side the Bulls, strangely enough, are fairly efficient in red zone conversion percentage, scoring at an 84% rate, failing to put points on the board only six times all season.
Clemson, as by now the nation should know, is near the bottom of all FBS schools at 71.43%, failing to convert a (pathetic) 12 times this year inside the 20.
O-LINE vs. D-LINE
Dabo Swinney praised the development of the offensive line at the end of the regular season. True, their pass protection was mostly excellent, giving Parker plenty of time to throw, albeit to mostly covered receivers. Their run blocking however, to most, left something to be desired. Physically, they didn’t come off the ball as well as hoped, especially along the right side of the line with Landon Walker and Antoine McClain.
If South Florida has any chance of jumbling the game plan that Billy Napier has put in place, it would be through shutting down the running game and forcing Parker (and Boyd) to make plays with their collective arms.
Devekeyan (DeDe) Lattimore, weakside linebacker for the Bulls has been a disruptive force, totaling 40 tackles in his freshman year. More importantly than the statistics, he’s shown the most promise and consistency of all of the USF linebackers this season. Similar to the Tigers, the Bulls are solid at linebacker, but nothing exceptional.
STRUGGLING KICKING GAME vs. (SOMEWHAT) STRUGGLING KICKING GAME
Although every reasonable writer and fan is going to disagree with the teams they cover at some point, I can’t agree with Coach Swinney more on one thing.
Chandler Catanzaro will be fine; give him time.
Kicking, for whatever reason you want to give, is the most mentally challenging act in sports. The only way to get better is to keep at it, no matter how many game winning kicks you make or miss. Clemson hasn’t been awful in the kicking department over the last two decades; they’ve just missed a few crucial kicks that have become lighting rods for criticism throughout the season.
At 19, I could barely pass a General Physics exam much less kick a game winning field goal from 40 yards away in front of 80,000 people. If he hasn’t progressed at this point next year, then bring on all the criticism you want.
South Florida has fared better, but not much, making 17 of 24 (70.8%). The current placekicker however, Maikon Bonani has sunk 16 of 19 since taking over for Eric Schwartz for good after the fourth game of the year.
If this is a close game like many predict, don’t look for a decided edge from Bonani necessarily, but if the kick is from 40+, you’d have to put your money on him over Catanzaro. He’s sunk three kicks from 46 yards or greater this season.
DAQUAN BOWERS
Need I say more? The Nagurski Trophy and ACC Defensive Player of the year is a force to handle for great offensive lineman. LT Jamar Bass and LG Jeremiah Warren are going to have their hands full. Even stud Bulls center Samson Genus was in awe earlier this week, calling him “amazing.” If Bowers can be disruptive off the edge, look for the Bulls to go the running game more to try and sustain drives, if not tire Bowers.
FINALLY…
Unlike the Tigers failure to close out close games, USF is 3-3 in games decided by a touchdown or less. That’s right about where you want to be.
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December 6, 2010
The State of Clemson Football
by M. Ryan Hayes
After a dissapointing season by all accounts, it’s appropriate to take another minute to address what ails the Clemson football program.
This was posted earlier this year as part of an article, following a fairly demoralizing loss. Essentially, it says a lot about what the Tigers have accomplished in the last 20 years.
As an update, now that the season has come to a close, the following analysis has been updated, not as an insult, but instead as a call for some sort of change.
Excluding teams that did not have a FBS (Division 1) team for the last 20 years (1991-2010), only 14 13 (12?) schools have failed to do at least ONE of the following:
(a) At least one, 10 Win Season
(b) a Conference Championship
(c) appearance in a BCS Bowl (since 1998)Baylor, Clemson, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma State, Purdue, South Carolina, Temple, and Vanderbilt.
With the Cowboys 10-2 record this season and spot in the Alamo Bowl, Oklahoma State leaves this list behind. With Mike Gundy at the helm and T. Boone Pickens money driving a resurgence, Oklahoma State looks competitive in the Big 12, as long as the Big 12 stays intact.
South Carolina, even with a loss to Auburn in the SEC Championship, gets a second shot to leave this list with a win against Florida State, again in Atlanta, on New Year’s Eve.
This should hurt Clemson far more than back to back blowout losses to their hated, in-state rival.
It’s time to take the Red Pill and make some changes.
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December 2, 2010
Reflection | Refraction: 2010 Regular Season Wrap-Up
by M. Ryan Hayes
Like Kyle Parker, I needed time to cool off after Saturday night.
This wasn’t because of anger or frustration or any negative emotion. Instead it was because we had all seen and believed what we thought was an inconsistent, fairly young team with a very good defense and a struggling offense.
What we saw this past weekend was a confused team and staff, at least on one side of the ball.
We saw a disillusioned quarterback with one foot out of town getting benched by a coach who was more than out-coached…again.
We saw an offense, still with no identity, fail to even show up to play against their hated rival on the field and in recruiting.
Possibly, above all of the offensive woes, we saw what losing a few stars on special teams can do. Somehow, one special teams player managed to cost a team two games in the waning moments, almost a third with a poor snap, and a fourth mistake that became the turning point.
But don’t blame the player.
If the coaching staff can’t coach a player well enough for him to make a ten yard snap consistently, then they’re not coaching well enough.
The kicking game was also fairly horrendous, but no complaints from this writer. Catanzaro is 18 years old and will be just fine when it’s all said and done…and that’s not channeling my inner Swinney Swinney. He’ll learn from his mistakes and get better and better. Credit the coaches for sending him back out, time and time again.
Now, hats off to Dawson Zimmerman. It’s not every day a punter gets mentioned but he really showed up EVERY time he was called. He didn’t have a poor punt, or fumble a snap, or miss a directional kick all season. Way to go.
The other big positive is that we saw that Kevin Steele, Dan Brooks, Charlie Harbison and Chris Rumph have put together one of the country’s best defenses and should be commended for their commitment and more importantly for their improvements this season.
‘It all starts up front’ turned out to be very true. The defensive line was vastly improved, the linebackers weren’t a liability (although their pass coverage needs work), and the secondary improved every game.
‘With that being said’ (no Kyle Parker pun intended), this coming Monday needs to start a new period of action for this team. Coach Swinney needs to pull things together and differently from the way he has so far this season.
He needs to stop reacting and start anticipating.
He’s a big believer in belief, you either have it or you don’t. But with this team and the way things have headed (south…) with Kyle Parker and the offensive (again, no pun) coaching situation, he needs to be up front and straightforward.
This isn’t a very cohesive offensive coaching staff. They need to regroup and readjust. They need to make tough decisions.
The family atmosphere that supposedly exists in Tiger Town hasn’t shown itself in a while, and although most of the blame lies with people higher up, Swinney needs to fix the problem by making tough decisions.
Hopefully, this will be handled in a different than the way the Kyle Parker situation has been handled so far.
As everything unraveled while Kyle Parker talked to the media on Tuesday, it was hard to be upset with Parker.
Instead, it seemed commendable that he apologized for not speaking with the media and then answered very blunt questions, truthfully and openly. This is a 20 year old. He has his head screwed on better than you could possibly hope a 20 year old with millions in the bank would.
To blame him for anything other than his mullet to start the season is despicable.
And then on the coaching side, Swinney decides to wait a week to have a press conference.
My first reaction was, wow, that's really poor leadership.
Don't you think you need to address, what is essentially, the divorce of you and your star player ASAP? To let it drag on more than 24 hours seems childish, regardless of the circumstances. That's not to say Swinney was wrong to do what he did when he benched Parker, he's the coach, he makes the calls (and he made the right call).
Instead, we have the 'star QB', the guy you basically begged to come back, to give up millions in pro ball to save your football team this season, the QB you said this summer "could definitely make a 54-man roster in the NFL, today," saying his relationship with the head coach is "damaged."
Yet, Swinney still wants to have him start the bowl game? Why?
Unless, Boyd is struggling mightily or gets injured, it makes no sense for Kyle Parker to lead the team or to move your program forward for 2011.
Come together, repair the issue with Parker and appear together at the press conference Monday letting people know that you don't turn your back on players because of disagreements.
If he can't do that, I'm not sure how you can expect him to lead a football team primarily, or as a representative of the University at the very least.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rockhillvalley
November 27, 2010
Clemson vs. South Carolina Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
What genius managed to work out a night game for the Tigers to close this (disappointing) season?!
With the answer to that obvious, this game is always a great event in college football. It brings together one of the Top 10 rivalries in the sport and at night in front of 82,000-plus, it’s hard to beat.
This year, with the tables turned and Clemson barely holding its head about .500, South Carolina and Steve Spurrier’s (finally) successful offense will go up against a very stingy Tiger defense.
As we talked about earlier this week, the South Carolina offense isn’t deep as so much as it is talented. The Alshon Jeffrey/Marcus Lattimore attack has stifled and dumbfounded quite a few good defenses in the SEC so expect both to play a significant role, regardless of the outcome.
The Tiger front seven have had issues with gap control in a few games this year so Corico Hawkins is going to need to be quite a cog in the system behind Jenkins and Thompson in order to slow down Lattimore.
Hawkins is strong, but if Lattimore isn’t slowed at the point of attack, Corico has issues cutting outside quick enough to close the bubble two to three yards past the line of scrimmage.
This is the matchup fans on both sides need to watch, even more so than Bowers on LT Jamon Meredith or Jeffrey on Clemson’s secondary.
Lattimore is going to get 25+ carries, that’s nearly a fact. So in order to keep him off the field, the Kyle Parker offense is going to need to sustain drives, something he’s managed to do well. (Points of course are a different story).
Easier said than done of course, but if Parker can slow the game the way that he managed the Auburn game, (even half as well) without turnovers, Lattimore’s 25 might not be that tough for the Tiger front seven to handle.
Additionally, the receivers need to be involved. Jeff Scott’s comments about Carolina’s secondary being misleading statistically were true, but irrelevant. The Clemson passing game needs to come up big. Parker needs to take more advantage of Dwayne Allen (who honestly has been open more as of late) and trust in his throws that his receivers will be able to handle the sometimes over-compensation he puts on short passes.
In fact, it’s arguable that the lack of trust that has been mentioned in the media with regards to the receiving corps is more of a reflection of Parker’s propensity for iffy decisions this year. In turn, Napier is a little more hesitant to call the slant/crossing pattern on third and six…you catch my drift...
However, the Tigers don’t need to over do it in the passing game. Jamie Harper has shown his will to pick up big and tough yards the last few and if Ellington returns at all, the two should provide a good balance in the run game.
South Carolina’s 4-2-5 scheme tends to isolate the run, but also leaves the intermediate throws to the linebackers to cover, as opposed to the secondary. This should help Parker most of all because his struggles this year have been primarily five yards and under, where his accuracy has been almost non-existent.
Regardless of the final in this one, it’s going to be a classic battle for recruiting, in-state bragging rights, and bowl placement (at least for the Tigers). The biggest issues here seem to be the intangibles.
Both teams have their distinct advantages and although South Carolina has the slightly better (more consistent?) personnel, I see this game coming down to the fourth quarter.
The Tigers haven’t failed to keep things close this year and this one will be no different.
It just won’t come out in Clemson’s favor just like many of the 13 games decided by a touchdown or less have in Coach Swinney’s tenure.
Prediction: South Carolina 27, Clemson 24
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November 24, 2010
Reflection | Refraction:
Tigers Crush Wake, Pick Up 5-Star WR
and are Bowl Eligible. So What?
by M. Ryan Hayes
Here’s the thing: for every great achievement in the coaching profession, there are five questions, questioning those achievements. Rarely do those questions do much to stroke a coaches’ ego.
Instead they just reassure a coach that everyone out there is watching their every move.
This week is no different at Clemson.
With the dismantling of the hapless Demon Deacons, the goal of achieving bowl eligibility and the commitment of Sammy Watkins’s 5-Star figure on campus next fall, things seemed to be reassuring for Dabo Swinney.
After all, the basic goal of every season had been accomplished (bowl eligibility) and his prophetic words of ‘better living through great recruiting’ were reinforced with the signing of the number one rated receiver in talent-rich Florida.
Of course, the focus instead this week has primarily focused on South Carolina. The Wake game didn’t say much about this team other than their resiliency to bounce back following an emotional loss.
All the items addressed in last week’s preview were achieved as well, which could potentially be the continuing improvement of both a dominating defense and an improving kicking game.
Strangely, or perhaps more unsettling, is that those two issues need to be addressed again this week.
Marcus Lattimore has been running through and over defenses all year (and those are SEC defenses, folks) and the biggest moments of the game will be when he takes his first carries against the Tigers front four.
In fact, it’s been the mantra for Kevin Steele all year but never has it been more important than against Spurrier’s skilled offense. “It all starts up front” has been the dictating factor for this year’s top 10 defense on more than one occasion.
The key to slowing Spurrier’s offense is making them one-dimensional. If the front four can contain Lattimore, they can force Garcia to throw and hopefully force a lot of balls he wouldn’t otherwise.
Secondly for the defense, the biggest one-on-one matchup will be Byron Maxwell and his turf toe against Alshon Jeffrey.
Maxwell is the only Clemson DB that sets up physically with Jeffrey’s 6-4 frame. If he’s limited, as he has been, expect to see a lot of Marcus Gilchrist on Jeffrey because of his athletic ability and experience versus big receivers.
On the Tiger’s side of the ball, the passing game will be put to a very big test this Thanksgiving weekend, make no mistake.
Parker’s past two games from a efficiency standpoint were excellent and will need to be again, regardless of Carolina’s 104th ranked pass defense.Jeff Scott had a point earlier this week in calling the ranking “misleading.” If anything, their pass defense hasn’t been poor, it’s just been inconsistent.
Carolina gave up 337, 315, and 349 to Southern Miss, Alabama, and Kentucky, respectively but held Auburn, Georgia, and Florida all under 200. Even pass-crazy Arkansas and Ryan Mallett only managed their third lowest output of the season, just topping 300 yards.
So really, this secondary can be thrown on but don’t count on it.
If Ellington is capable of making an appearance (and apparently he’s fully dressed for practice today), the Tigers running game might be able to show a little more variation offensively.
This would pay dividends because the two teams to have the most success against Carolina this year (Auburn and Arkansas) did just that, albeit at lower yardage totals.
Over the last decade, Clemson/Carolina games have occurred at the extremes.
They’re typically over in the first half (or first quarter) or they come down to the final gun, with five of the last ten games decided by a touchdown or less.
The biggest factor in rivalry games is momentum and there’s nothing bigger than a turnover to change momentum.
Just see last year’s game when a Kyle Parker interception turned the tide in Carolina’s favor and they never looked back.
If the Tigers can some momentum going offensively while the defense plays containment of the Lattimore and Jeffrey, the Tigers might find themselves with the momentum necessary both to pull the upset and heading into a bowl game.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rockhillvalley
November 19, 2010
Clemson at Wake Forest Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
Wake Forest is the perfect cure for lack of scoring going into Saturday. The Deacons are in the midst of Jim Grobe’s most difficult season in Winston-Salem as they limp into tomorrow with a 2-8 record, with Duke the only FBS notch in their belt.
They rank dead last in scoring defense (38.7 per) and next to last in total defense (429.9 allowed).
Unlike Boston College that could step up at the point of attack and turn a squad (like Clemson) into a one dimensional team, Wake Forest lacks any significant playmakers on defense. They start seven (7 !!!) freshman on defense and only two seniors.
Offensively, there is only one way for Wake to control this game and that's to pound the Clemson front 7 with Josh Adams. Without a productive day from Adams, the Clemson D should swallow up Tanner Price pretty quickly and often.
That is if they don't come out flatter than a McDonald's patty (no slight intended, DaQuan).
In fact I think that if it wasn’t for bowl eligibility, Swinney and Steele would have a hard time convincing their squads of giving everything with ‘Sakerlina’ on the schedule next Saturday.
Three things need to happen tomorrow, if not for improvement-sake, at least for the mental state of Clemson followers everywhere.
1. ball+between+uprights=sanity restoredWe all know the deficiencies, red zone and otherwise, the Tigers have on offense. But when you break down the numbers this wouldn’t be much a discussion if the Tigers had made half of the nine field goals they’ve missed this season. There hasn’t been a ton of direct criticism from the media regarding Catanzaro’s struggles, primarily because he’s a freshman, but secondarily because Clemson kickers usually turn it around. Seriously, this is not a joke. If you don’t believe it, in the last 20 years placekickers have made 80.9%.
2. A flat defense is the most frustrating thing in football.The Tiger D needs to continue to dominate, continue to stay at the top of college football in scoring and rushing defense, and absolutely dominate the Wake offense. If they come out thinking they’re going to waltz into bowl eligibility, Wake’s rushing and option attack could expose them from the start. In other words, this can’t be the first half of the Boston College game.
3. Bowl eligibility and finishing on a high note will pay huge dividends for next year.If everything can be fixed through recruiting, as Dabo says, then the Tigers could really benefit from finishing up with two wins and a bowl victory. Mike Bellamy, Sammy Watkins, Stephone Anthony, et al would really like to see what this team can do. And if they got to see Tajh Boyd throw for a few TD’s tomorrow that would just be an added bonus.
Prediction: Clemson 28, Wake Forest 6
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November 17, 2010
Reflection | Refraction: ‘It’s Gonna’ Turn’
by M. Ryan Hayes
As Dustin Hopkins walked onto the field to attempt a ridiculously long field goal, a field goal no one would be expected to make in college, much less in the NFL, you felt it.
It was that little tweak in your stomach that everyone who watches Clemson football gets at crucial moments. It’s not nervousness of failure but instead confidence that something unexpected is going to happen.
Whether we all buy into the Swinney-led change at Clemson, at this point, is irrelevant.
The staff hasn’t even been together three years with only two off-seasons of recruiting and not even two seasons on the field.
Regardless of what ‘everyone on the outside’ may think, that’s not enough time to finalize opinions, in this writer’s opinion.
Instead, there are changes that need to happen elsewhere within Clemson to alter a culture that, for lack of a more damning description, has had very little success the past two decades.
What is for sure is that the team buys in; there is no doubt about that. Other than coming out flat against Boston College for one half, this team has shown up to play more than they have in past years…or with past coaches.
Whether that talent will turn the tide with this coaching staff intact remains to be seen.
The debacle last week isn’t a reason to panic, as one Clemson staffer’s shirt said at this week’s press conference.
What it says is that this program is at a turning point, not a jumping off point. Turning points can evolve into something just as bad as jumping off a cliff but they can also be a fresh start. It’s troublesome that this staff couldn’t win with this set of players and with a new quarterback coming in next year, it’s not going to get any easier.
Full disclosure, there was a lot of trepidation from me when Clemson hired Swinney. The Napier hire was even more of a stretch. Two inexperienced guys keeping most of the previous regime’s staff did not sound like a formula for improvement.
But I’m not buying into failure and it has nothing to do with anything Dabo has or hasn’t done as coach.
He asked for patience today and another full year is just the right amount of patience at Clemson.
We as followers of the sport should all give every coach that much patience.
In the short term, if there was ever a week for the Tigers to correct their problems and put up some points (and earn a bowl berth) it’s this one. Wake is last in the conference in red zone defense, giving up 37 touchdowns in 48 attempts.
That shouldn’t require too much patience.Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rockhillvalley
November 12, 2010
Clemson @ Florida State Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
Lessons from Webster’s
Don’t ever mistake excuses for reasons, and vice versa.
According to Webster’s, reasons are “a rational motive for a belief or action.” Excuses, on the other hand are defined as “to make apology for; to try to remove blame from.”
Below is the transcript of my question for Coach Swinney, regarding Kyle Parker’s performance against NC State:
Kyle really returned to his 2009 form in the 2nd half Saturday. What was the biggest change you saw from in the 2nd half?
“Kyle had an excellent performance on Saturday; he was our player of the game. He made some big plays. Part of the reason was he got better protection. He would have had some other opportunities had the holding penalty not been called and had he not been sacked at the end of the first half. But, he completed 69 percent of his passes as it was.”
What you see in bold is not a reason. It’s not a ‘rational motive’ for why something happened; it’s an apology for someone else’s poor play (or even Parker’s, since he was sacked).
This just isn’t a step in the right direction for a program that wants to erase the excuse system that held true under Bowden.
It won’t get fixed during the season but 2011 is a new year so hopefully we can get a new tune from the coaching staff.
The Atlantic (Title) Runs Through Tally’
Now, more importantly on to the monumental task that is Florida State this weekend.
Whoever is starting at quarterback for the Seminoles needs to be made aware that the Tigers have allowed only three touchdowns in the last thirteen red zone trips by the opposing offense. That’s well, pretty ridiculous.
Against a Florida State team that ranks 26th in total offense, the Tigers will need to keep that trend going.
They’ll also need to be as stout as they were against the run vs. NC State, holding the Pack to only 63 yards on the ground. It looks to be a lot tougher this weekend against a Noles squad that averages nearly five and a half yards per carry and 200 yards per game.
Whether it’s Thompson or Thomas, or occasionally Ty Jones, it hasn’t seemed to matter. Then again, when so few teams have pushed the Seminoles offensive line around, holes open up everywhere for the backs to blow through.
The biggest challenge for the Tiger defense will most likely be maintaining the run, keeping it up front, and not allowing their speed to kill them at the second level or to the outside.
Unfortunately, none of the Clemson linebackers can run anyone down in coverage, at least they haven’t yet.
Maybe the ‘Warchant’ ringing in their ears will help them change that.
Defensively, Florida State appears to have used the ‘new coordinator, new system’ to their advantage for the first half of the year. Now that teams have had time to accumulate two months worth of film some of Mike Stoops tendencies have been exposed, especially in the secondary.
If Parker can get the ball out of his hands quickly, he should be able to take advantage of some size and strength mismatches on the outside, especially in the case of Jaron Brown (6’-2”) on Greg Reid (5’-8”).
In fact, FSU’s secondary runs 5’-8”, 5’-8”, 5’-11”, and 6’-1” (with heels) so if the Tigers can force the Seminoles to cheat in against the run they might have a chance one on one.
This has been the biggest challenge for opponents all season as Stoops’ pass protection is almost entirely zone-based. When you have guys with speed like Lamarcus Joyner, Xavier Rhodes, and Reid in coverage, it’s tough to get much separation.
If the Tigers can hold Florida State from blowing this wide open coming out of the gate, they’ve got a shot at shutting them down for the second half. The Seminoles D still has some of last year’s tendencies where they seem to get lulled to sleep and that’s the opportunity the Tigers, especially Kyle Parker, must take advantage of.
More than likely, it’ll be tough to stop Ponder. Injury or no, he’s on the smartest quarterbacks in the country and he can correct mistakes from play to play, not half to half. If the Tiger offense can’t get something rolling, the defense is going to get worn down in a hurry, spending so much time on the field.
This “magical” (far from it) run to the Atlantic crown by this year’s Tigers will come to an end as the defense finally cracks against the arm (and bursa sac) of Christian Ponder.
Prediction: Florida State 31, Clemson 17
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November 8, 2010
Snap Judgment – ‘Beyond Ugly’ Performance
Brings Tigers Back to Life
by M. Ryan Hayes
When I said on Friday this game would be a defensive struggle, I didn’t realize it would be Clemson’s offense that would be the reason NC State’s defense excelled.
Kyle Parker nearly threw away the game with another battery of across his body throws, one falling for a drive-killing interception.
Parker played the first half like he didn’t want to spill any of the gold doubloons in his pockets and the second half restoring his credibility among the Clemson fans and coaches.
By the end, and after a few ugly Tajh Boyd appearances, Parker had returned to being the clear-cut starter.
In all, he still attempted far too many he shouldn’t have and failed to scramble enough, but 20/29 for 214 yards is pretty respectable against a much improved NC State defense.
The two sacks given up by the offensive line were, well, actually more Kyle’s failure to use his internal clock then they were poor blocking by the lineman.
The line again seemed to get out-muscled and gave no push up front on running plays although Harper did have some nice holes on a few keys first downs. Smith and McClain both got off their blocks much better today but Walker again made some mental errors that are really inexcusable this far into the season.
My hat goes off to Jamie Harper (for a change).
The man ground through for 60 yards on the field while vomiting his way through the game on the sidelines. That says a lot about a guy who realized his team needed whatever he could provide today with Ellington sitting out. Get the man some Pepto, stat.
Defensively, Kevin Steele again proved why he’s the master of the correction.
A defensive line that had nearly zero push up front, came out fired up in the second half and led the rest of the unit in stopping nearly everything State threw at them.
Bowers was again a beast off the edge, and Branch played very well at his Bandit position. Xavier Brewer had possibly his best game and showed (finally) what the coaches talked about all summer long.
They’ve managed to be so consistently strong (even last week, believe it or not) that they’ve kept the Tigers in nearly every meaningful game this year. They’ll need it again (dramatically) next week to have any shot against FSU in Tallahassee.
So, after all that, as ugly as it was, the Tigers are still in the hunt for the Atlantic title thanks to another wide right by Florida State in their loss to UNC.
Really, if you tried to make up the Atlantic conference race this year, you couldn’t.
It might be as crazy as Clemson’s up and down mood swings this season.
Well, almost.
ps left out discussing the kicking game because something might be said about the ‘student athlete’ that shouldn’t. Hey Dabo, open tryouts this week?
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November 5, 2010
Clemson vs. NC State Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
While thinking hard about how this season has unraveled this week and looking ahead to an attempt to salvage the last four games of the season, I started looking at what the Tigers have accomplished over the last two decades.
And when I dug a little deeper (thanks to Stassen’s site), I realized a startling bit of information.
Excluding teams that did not exist (South Florida, for example) or have not been Division 1 (FBS) schools since 1991 (the last year Clemson won the ACC), only 14 teams have failed to accomplish at least ONE of the following:
(a) at least one, 10 Win Season
(b) a Conference Championship
(c) appearance in a BCS BowlThe 14 teams are:
Baylor, Clemson, Duke, Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Iowa State, Kent State, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma State, Purdue, South Carolina, Temple, VanderbiltSchools like Wyoming, Wake Forest, Maryland, Toledo, UTEP, and Northwestern are on this list and in fact all but Stanford meet two or more of the requirements above.
Does that need anymore explanation?
Now that you’re blood pressure is up…
So rolling into Clemson comes NC State, fresh off its thrilling defeat of Florida State to jump into the driver’s seat in the Atlantic.
If last week’s offensive prowess is any indication coupled with the loss of Ellington at least until Clemson travels to Wake Forest, the Tiger’s need some help, fast.
They’re nearly at the bottom of the league in offensive yardage (ahead of only Duke and BC) and losing their big-play tailback isn’t going to help those numbers.
Primarily, there is way too much shotgun being run in this offense. Parker is throwing out of shotgun nearly 9 out of 10 times yet it certainly seems he isn't lead footed and after two years under center shouldn’t “[need] more time” as Napier and Swinney have said on multiple occasions.
“When, in the past we’ve played well, [Parker’s] created some first downs using his feet. We didn’t see that Saturday. So we’re going to encourage him in those situations to run the ball, said Napier.
Ok, agree completely. But it should be telling that if he isn’t scrambling by now, he doesn’t feel all that comfortable running outside the pocket.
Travis Sawchik of the Post-Courier in Charleston has the Tiger’s use of shotgun, to a fault, in some length here:
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/nov/03/clemson-tips-its-hand-when-in-the-shotgun/
Parker’s accuracy has also been an issue all season, even in the blowout wins against North Texas and Presbyterian. He's late or early, too high or low, and too long or short on the majority of throws, especially inside 10 yards.
Inside 10 yards is where the Tigers need him to be most accurate. Parker has only completed two passes over 25 yards all year, a drastic fall off since last year.
On an additional note, it’s seeming more and more like Parker’s struggles have less to do with trusting his receivers and more to do with the coaches attempting to justify themselves for getting him to return this year.
The offensive line will be a major key this Saturday as well considering NC State’s proficiency at getting to the quarterback this year.
So far, they’ve piled up as many sacks as they did all of last year. This is partly due to new scheming but most of the praise for this should be directed toward the reemergence of Nate Irving up the middle. He could give the Tigers fits through the middle if the line continues to block like they did against Boston College.
Darrell Smith has yet to regain any of his early season form after his injury at Auburn and in run blocking Landon Walker has consistently been pushed around. His play on the edge might be a partial cause to the Tiger’s lack of success on the end-around this year, although breakaway speed on the team is a more probable culprit.
Defensively, with Russell Wilson in the pocket, Clemson will need to force him to throw up front and give him very little inside the sticks. Wilson loves to throw the eight yard curl and he picked Florida State apart with it. When he’s not passing he’s using his legs, something that Clemson has (surprisingly) done a good, if not great job containing this year.
It doesn’t seem necessary to continue on the defensive commentary because even if the Tiger D struggles, Kevin Steele has shown incredible resilience to adapt his game plan.
Let’s face it, the Tigers haven’t given up more than one touchdown in three games. That’s got to count for something.
Although Clemson is 2-9 in games decided by a touchdown or less since Swinney took over, the Tigers are going to continue their history of flipping the switch from on to off and eek out a defensive struggle.
That is, as long as they don’t run everything out of shotgun.
Prediction: Clemson 17, NC State 16
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November 2, 2010
Snap Judgment – There’s Goes the Neighborhood
by M. Ryan Hayes
After the debacle in Boston, Landon Walker was questioning the attitude of ‘the young guys’ and their desire to go out and “seize opportunities.”
Not the best thing to do when you miss your assignments (three times) and again, grade out near the bottom of the offensive line.
The run blocking was filled with ineptitude more than any other performance this season.
Missed assignments by McClain and Landon Walker especially led to multiple hurries by Kyle Parker which forced his incompletions as well as huge holes that allowed one-on-one TFL’s by the Eagles defensive line.
Offensively, there were a multitude of issue but clearly, the play calling for Ellington wasn’t poor; it was the offensive line that was atrocious.
As for Ellington, he again did his part, picking up five first downs on the ground. The issue is that 14 carries (through three and a half quarters) is still too few when you’re averaging better than three yards per carry, as Andre did against this fourth ranked BC rush defense.
Here are the rushes by Ellington for the game: 0, 6, 4, 2 (penalty resulted in 1st down), 1, 5, 4, 1 (1st down), 7, 7 (1st down), 14 (1st down), -3, 2 (1st down), 0, -6
Notice a trend?
Zero consistency. And that falls on Brad Scott and the offensive line.
The passing game wasn’t much better.
Parker is averaging 31 passes attempts per game with no experienced receivers and no locked in number one at the position. Allen is still the number one receiver and no one is within 10 receptions.
Both numbers tell the story.
Clearly, the Tigers are throwing far too many times and just like last year, don’t have a go-to receiver when they need it.
When Parker stands in the pocket for six to seven seconds and still has time to throw, that says a lot of good things about the offensive line’s pass protection and a lot of bad things about the receivers.
Even when the Eagles blitzed, Parker still had time and only got out of the pocket because he appears to have a little more of a case of happy feet than he did at the end of last season.
On a strategic note, when BC was dropping eight, Clemson failed to run any screens (before the fourth quarter) to Allen, Ellington, Harper, Hopkins, or McNeal (that’s five playmakers right there).
All of the routes were intermediate or deep which is not what you want in that scenario. Take what the defense gives you. Don’t try to go downfield if you’re outnumbered in that area. Work them short and keep them honest up front.
Especially when you don’t have any deep-ball, proven playmakers.
But again, the receiver’s inability was the issue here, not the play calls by Billy Napier.
Which leads us to the kicking game…
Who would have guessed that Dawson Zimmerman would be the stud of special teams this year?
It was just a matter of time before Catanzaro started missing field goals, wasn’t it? How many freshman walk-ons start for an FBS team and cruise through without being replaced or struggling? What’s important is how Richard Jackson responds this week after his struggles in the spring and summer.
Swinney should probably consider continuing with Catanzaro for XP’s, in case Jackson fails at the field goal duties and the Cat Man needs to return to his starting role.
We’re not jumping into the ‘panic’ camp or the ‘fire fill in the blank’ camp or the ‘this season’s over’ camp here.
Instead, the Tigers need to listen to DaQuan Bowers comments from Saturday that the “season is not over” and just keep going like “next week matters as much” as any other game.
If you’re going to sit back and try and dictate what Clemson should do next, you haven’t learned anything about college football; there’s an ebb and flow of emotions every week and most of them are just that: emotions.
Emotions aren’t always rational nor do they tell the true story, especially after a tough loss.
Save the witch hunt for January, folks.
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October 29, 2010
Clemson @ Boston College Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
What an odd football team Boston College is this year.
They’re 2-5, with only one FBS win. They’ve been outscored 142-70 in their five ACC contests, losing five straight. They’re at the bottom of nearly every major offensive and defensive statistic in the NCAA save one.
Again, as it always seems, they’re at the top of the college football world at stopping the run (currently fourth).
And when it comes to great teams, most of them are more than stout against the run.
With two-thirds of the season gone, 13 teams in the top 25 in rush defense are ranked in the Top 25 in the BCS.
They’ve also had their typically great linebacker play, with Luke Kuechly leading the conference in tackles.
And with their bowl success so well known (going 9-3 in the last 12 seasons, best among FBS schools), they’re going to be fired up to come out on a roll for the second half of the season.
Unfortunately, they’re running into a team in the Tigers that’s ascending similarly to last year’s team that blew out BC at home 25-7 (and it wasn’t even that close).
The Eagles may be stout against the run but they’re 86th in pass defense (Clemson is 30th in comparison) so expect to see a lot of Parker to Hopkins, Brown, and Allen, especially if Ellington gets slowed down in the first half.
For the first time this year, it might actually make sense to take advantage of the newly stabilizing passing game.
Up front, the Eagles are in severe need of a pass rush as another future NFL pick in DE Alex Albright is out for the season after fracturing his right leg against Maryland.
With that loss, I’m not sure who’d I’d rather be, Alex Albright’s right leg or defensive coordinator Bill McGovern.
Neither is feeling good this week.
Without a definitive pass rush up front, the Eagles would normally turn to their linebackers for help, but this year with Mark Herzlich’s return, he and Kuechly have only teamed up for two sacks and 10.5 TFL’s.
Consider DaQuan Bowers already has eight sacks and 17 TFL by himself.
In other words, both will need to be a factor this week in keeping track of Ellington and putting pressure on Parker. If not, we’re going to see a similar blowout as last year, although this team is more experienced than that one the Tigers faced in Death Valley.
Don’t look for a huge game from Ellington but you can bet he’ll be good for a couple big plays, 60+ yards and a score. Things should go smoothly for the Tigers if their defense plays even half as tough as they did last week, albeit against a pretty ugly Georgia Tech defense.
The key offensively is simple: distribute the ball.
BC doesn’t have any significant playmakers outside Kuechly and Ron Brace look-alike Damik Scafe at NT and the Tigers have more than that on the offensive line alone.
Hopefully we can also see a few FG’s from Catanzaro as well, since he’s caught the slump bug recently, connecting on only four of his last seven.
Prediction: Clemson 24, Boston College 12
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October 27, 2010
Reflection | Refraction: Tigers Start Peeking Around the Corner
by M. Ryan Hayes
Defeating Georgia Tech at home was more of a mental hurdle than a physical one.
Conquering a long time nemesis of the Tigers will pay dividends going forward and really as long as Paul Johnson is the man at the helm.
The time around the defense was dominant, as dominant as they’ve been this season, possibly even more so than they were in any game last year.
The defensive line was astounding. Last week, I compared them with Iowa and Auburn’s front four and on Saturday they played like it. They stepped up at the point of attack, the key to stopping a good rushing team.
Brandon Thompson had possibly the best game of his career. He’s been somewhat quiet this year but he stuffed Nesbitt’s dive repeatedly and was just unblockable up the middle. He was the difference maker (even more so than Bowers), something Clemson has lacked against Miami and Auburn.
Most of all, the linebackers performed the way they needed to and graded out better than they have all season. Nice job by Christian, Maye, Willard and especially Hawkins, who Dabo heaped praise on this week. He said Hawkins is “really, really getting better. He’s just growing in his role. Very, very solid.”
Justin Parker’s move this week to SAM from the MIKE on multiple packages will pay dividends for the line-backing crew as the year comes down the home stretch.
They’ve struggled against screen teams in underneath coverage due to lack of their lack of speed and Parker, who runs a 4.5, will help spell Christian, albeit Christian has been the most consistent performer of the three starters this year.
Going into this weekend against Boston College, the Tigers need to maintain focus after such a mental victory last weekend.
Yeah, obviously.
But this is a point where they always struggle to realize the importance of beating teams like a 2-5 BC squad.
Win and move on to a improved NC State team the following week and they keep their run at the Atlantic title in sight.
Weeks like this are the difference makers; they separate teams from the pack. This BC team is no different, even if they rank 112th in the nation in total offense, worst of any BCS-conference school.
The Eagles are still the number one rushing defense in the conference and number four in nation. They’ve only given up 585 yards on the ground in seven games, good for just 83ypg.
In other words, the receivers will need to continue to make plays. Don’t expect Ellington to have another 100-yard game like he did against Georgia Tech. Regardless of the Eagles 2-5 record, they have multiple next round players on defense and Coach Spaziani is still one of the best defensive minds in the game.
With that in mind, the Tigers have been excellent in the turnover battle this year. They’re tied for 23rd nationally, a few spots better than their 28th place finish last year.
That difference will win a game for the Tigers later in the year, mark it down.
In fact, Clemson has not committed a turnover in the last three games, a first in program history.
Scary stat of the week: The Tigers haven’t beaten BC three straight years since 1950-52. I’d already have posted that on the bulletin board if I were Dabo.
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October 24, 2010
Clemson vs. Georgia Tech
by M. Ryan Hayes
Discipline will be the word of the day on Saturday in Death Valley
After facing Jackets twice last year, we’d have to assume they’d have a better grasp on the flexbone offense they faced twice last year.
Going into tomorrow, the Jackets lead the nation in totals fumbles with 23, although they’ve only lost 10. This has been a major sticking point for the Tigers all week, especially at the linebacker position where Clemson has struggled to force turnovers this year.
Primarily, this game comes down to one battle: the power of the Clemson defensive line vs. the misdirection of the Yellow Jackets run.
Coach Steele is always talking about the point of attack needing to be at the line of scrimmage and never is that more true than against an option offense. As Steele puts it, it’s more about what you see, not what you anticipate that is the key to stopping the Jackets:
“This is a game in which you have to read with your eyes on defense that is very important. It will be important for DeAndre McDaniel and everyone on our defense to do that. Our defensive ends can affect the game as well as our line backers and secondary. Da’Quan Bowers had a lot of tackles against Georgia Tech last year and he will have an opportunity to make some plays for us. I was impressed with the [Adrian Clayborn] from Iowa in the Orange Bowl last year. He also had some great plays defending the option from the first play of the game, on. We hope Da’Quan has a game like that on Saturday.
Georgia Tech will make big strides to direct the run away from Bowers or whoever steps up on the defensive line, working the point of attack until they find a weakness.
Or as Steele put it, “[Paul] Johnson will hunt and peck until he finds a crack, and then they’ll just exploit it.”
Offensively for the Tigers, beyond the much aligned passing game, Coach Napier will (hopefully) work the angle that exposes the 3-4 Al Groh defense as much as possible. This should include a lot of Power-I and zone reads especially, mixing in a little play action as necessary to returning target DeAndre Hopkins.
In all honesty though, Napier must run the ball with abandon pounding Tech and their small defensive line.
Hopefully his comments earlier this week about “opening up the playbook” meant only for the rushing attack.
Matchup of the week: Phil Smith on Bowers is a matchup that Tiger fans everywhere should be salivating to watch…literally, my pulse is quickening thinking about it. Look for the Jackets to double team DaQuan quickly if he throws off Nesbitt and the offense’s timing.Stat of the week, courtesy of CFBStats.com: Clemson is nearly 15% more efficient in their red-zone touchdown production this year (82.6%, 19 of 23 for TD’s) than its next-best season since 2005…but I assume that stat stretches back to the 1990’s, as Clemson has struggled with red-zone efficiency for a long time. Georgia Tech is even better at 89.66%, going 26 for 29.
Most underrated issue on Saturday: Don’t laugh. The ‘tailgate factor.’ The more time fans have to tailgate, the more awake they are and the louder they become…especially in the 4th quarter as the sun sets over Lake Hartwell and the lights come on.
The difference this year is in the defense’s play and improvement up front especially for the Tigers. This one will be closer (as usual) than the six point Vegas spread, but the Tigers will eek it out with their strength up front.
Prediction: Clemson 28, Georgia Tech 24
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October 18, 2010
Snap Judgment – Clemson All Over Maryland
but With Plenty of ?’s
by M. Ryan Hayes
The Tigers needed this win very badly. It was surprisingly convincing and was pretty much decided shortly after halftime which is a nice way to get the bad karma out of your system from the past few games.
On the flip side, there was a lot to work on.
First and foremost the offensive line played their worst game of the year. They had no push against a fairly feeble Maryland pass rush and this was considering very little blitzing from the Terps linebackers.
Because of the poor push up front (should we say, NO push up front?) for much of the game, the Clemson offense was stalled on first down and struggled on third down due to it. If you can’t get decent yardage on first, no offense can expect to have anything less than 3 and 5+ with regularity.
The offensive line talked about being needing to be ‘fierce’ a lot this summer and you heard Landon Walker call out his teammates this week (which was great). In reality, it hasn’t materialized this year.
It’s strange that an offensive line that gives up less than a sack a game could be so passive when it comes to the run. The run is working for the most part, don’t get me wrong, but they need some ferocity if they expect to run consistency the rest of the conference schedule. Not sure if Brad Scott is someone who can bring that so they better turn to vocal leaders like Walker.
The thing about Saturday is that as a 15-point favorite this win was expected and it was necessary to salvage a strange season so far. It’s been strange in that many of the preseason issues aren’t really coming to the surface. Instead, it’s been the issues that everyone, coaches, fans, etc. seemed perfectly comfortable with not discussing this summer.
This brings about another issue that was even more obvious against the Terrapins; the speed and reaction of the linebackers.
Oofta.
It’s not that they’re just flat out playing poorly because they’re not. Maye has had a few gaffes but overall Christian and Hawkins have made fairly few mistakes for first year starters.
What bothers me is their play as a unit. They’re not forcing turnovers (Brandon Maye’s specialty last year) of any significance, which says they’re pursuing not attacking. Big difference.
Everytime Hawkins steps on the field my mind says “if only he was a few inches taller he’d be a great defensive end.’ That’s a problem, because unless he’s got the closing speed of Bowers (which he doesn’t) he isn’t going to catch shifty runners like Roddy Jones this upcoming Saturday.
They need to become faster to anticipate in the passing game and shift laterally with more fluidity to the ball on the run.
They have yet to do this, even in their best game against Auburn.
Against Auburn and Miami it was the defensive line that was making all the plays with the linebackers in more of a support role. That’s fine sometimes but if it’s all the time, you get tired big men coupled with slow ‘backers leading to big gains for the opposition.
The second issue, something that has been a hugely under-discussed issue all season, (except at Auburn) is the underwhelming play of Kyle Parker.
What happened to the scrambling, bullet-throwing, smooth passer of 2009? Parker’s play can’t be undersold. It has not been good enough by far. He’s played average in 3 out of the 4 games and just terrible against Miami. Auburn was his one bright spot.
If he’s not going to be a vocal leader (which he hasn’t been), he needs to be a leader through his up tempo attitude and play. When receivers aren’t open he hasn’t been scrambling enough, until this past Saturday, yet most of his runs were designed reads.
I’m sure Napier wanted to wait until he was healed to have him scrambling out of play action but he needs to continue to do that, especially when the receivers can’t get separation.
Looking ahead to Georgia Tech, there are a few favorable, overlooked positives for the Tigers, even after dropping the last three to the Jackets.
Tech fumbles the ball. A lot. Like over twice as much as anyone else in the ACC.
They’ve fumbled the ball 23 times, losing it on 10 of those. Here’s that opportunity for the Clemson linebackers to make a play in the run game and slow down Paul Johnson’s flexbone.
Another factor is going to be the Yellow Jackets propensity for going for it on fourth down. In fact, they’ve attempted 22 fourth downs and made just short of 50% of them. This is the chance to atone for the, shall we say painful, performance against North Carolina when the game was on the line.
Considering these teams tendency to play to the wire, this will be a big key in stepping Nesbitt, Allen, & Co.
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October 15, 2010
Clemson vs. Maryland Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
The one big thing on everyone’s mind this week has been the Clemson ground game. All week the coaches have been reiterating a scripted phrases: “Andre [Ellington] can’t take 60 plays. He won’t be as effective.” “We want to get him involved as much as possible.” “He’s earned the right to more playing time.”
Apparently the media’s questions about using one back more often than the other less productive one, equates to them “demanding” ‘60 play days’ and ‘only using Ellington in the backfield.’ We all know who’s right, don’t we?
Swinney has made it a point to streamline that discussion this week, taking on the bulk of the questions himself and diverting attention away from the coaches.
After Coach Powell stated that it was true that Harper and Ellington had a ‘tag in, tag out’ policy with who would play, Dabo contradicted that statement saying the coaches make all decisions on who plays and when.
So moving on to this week’s, dare it be said, must-win for the Tigers, they draw Maryland who we all know has taken three of the last four from Clemson.
Statistically, Maryland looks to be far less talented than their 4-1 record would indicate, with really no strengths beyond their ability to slow down offenses in the red zone. The Terps are sixth nationally in red zone defense, giving up 10 touchdowns and four field goals in 23 attempts.
That stat line might be a little misleading as they are 11th in total offense and 10th in total defense in the ACC. In short, look for Clemson to expose them defensively with the running game early and often.
Defensively, it has to worry Kevin Steele that Maryland has had two weeks to game plan for using two quarterbacks. Torrey Smith is “their man” as Swinney put it this week. Coach Friedgen will do his best to get him the ball and test the Tiger secondary, especially Xavier Brewer.
Coach Steele had this to say about dealing with a big-play receiver like Smith:
“Torrey Smith is a very solid receiver and he has the ability to make the catch [in] many different areas of the field. He can catch the crossing pass, can catch it down field or make a short catch and turn it into a big play. The biggest thing with him is his ability to get yards after the catch and we have to defend that.”
Essentially, he’s Leonard Hankerson with a lesser quarterback throwing to him.
The Terps will try to throw the Clemson front seven off balance with shuttling in Danny O’Brien on passing downs and Jamarr Robinson for zone reads and short yardage. Robinson is not overpowering like Cam Newton but he’s quick enough to pick up key first downs when the Tiger’s need it least. O’Brien is more of a true pocket passer and has been surprisingly efficient for a first-year starter.
Meggett and Scott again don’t appear to be in the upper echelon of backs that the Tigers have faced this year. That doesn’t mean, however, that they can’t gash the Clemson linebackers for a 100-yard day if they allow them to reach their cutback lanes with any frequency. Don’t forget, Maryland is first and foremost a downhill running team.
Clemson is better athletically at every position than all but Torrey Smith, and should handle a team like Maryland with ease. That being said, we all know the Tigers struggles against Friedgen-coached offenses, even if the Terps are the most vanilla offensive team in the league.
Maybe it’s just that the Maryland game has come at an inconvenient time in the last few years, whether that be when Clemson is down or Clemson is on a winning streak. Whatever the reason the Tigers won’t overlook them this year.
Prediction: Clemson 28, Maryland 17
Bonus: If you haven’t heard it (it was discussed in some detail in Wednesday’s article), every reader should listen to Andre’ Powell’s post-UNC interview. Unfortunately, it has been removed from Clemson’s audio archives but can be found here, courtesy of SBNation.com:
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/463229/Powell_s_Interview_with_Media_post_UNC.wmaLet me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/rockhillvalley
October 12, 2010
Reflection | Refraction:
What can Clemson Take from this ‘Embarrassment?’
by M. Ryan Hayes
“The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.”
The title of the mid-week analysis is ‘Reflection | Refraction’ because to be a great team you need to look back on the previous week and translate the areas in need of improvement into success the following week.
Clemson did half of that this week but they might have spent too much time looking back and not enough time looking forward to where big changes needed to occur.
Offensively, the team seems so discombobulated it’s hard to know what to fix first.
Parker has been overall pretty outstanding, as Coach Swinney said, but he still needs to take it to another level as he showed signs of against Auburn.
The receivers drop too many balls but they’re young and look like they have excellent potential.
The running game isn’t broken but strangely feels like it needs to be modified more than anything. With that, this is probably the best place to start the repairs that need to be made.
“He’s had a bad draw”, Powell said. “I’m not down on Jamie at all. He’s had a bad draw. I think you guys make a bigger deal than it is sometimes. We’ve got to have Jamie in the offense.” He added, “defense[s] need to stop blitzing in the game [in order for Jamie to be more successful].
This is appalling.
For a coach to make these comments at any level really goes against the whole notion of team sports.
Believe in luck or “bad draws” if you want but any coach who does will find themselves out of job very quickly. You also can’t count on a defense to stop blitzing order for a player to be productive. The only explanation for that comment is a brain cramp on Powell’s part.
What has he done this year to prove that he is anything more than an average running back?
He’s averaging 4.0 YPC. That’s good for 174th in the nation, just behind Jordan Jefferson for LSU. Oh, and Jefferson splits time evenly with the other QB, David Lee.
If Swinney and Napier allow Powell to make that call, they have to be held as responsible for the lack of production. We would have to assume they would not but to say Ellington won’t see 25 carries a game to maybe Harper’s 10 seems to be ignoring the talent present.
Clearly, when you have Ellington on pace to get 1,000 yards in the fewest carries in Clemson history (has anyone noticed this?) he shouldn’t be getting less than 50% of the offensive production at running back, when you combine rushing and receiving stats.
Most of all, its strange how the staff didn’t hesitate to ride C.J. Spiller for 25-30 carries or more last year but acts like that can’t even be considered with Ellington. Spiller is nearly the same height/weight as Ellington (5-10 vs. 5-11, 195 vs. 190), with the big difference being their breakaway speed and strength in their downfield running.
One can only wonder if the staff got caught up in using C.J. to his max since he only had one year as the starter. Maybe there’s some hesitancy to ‘use up’ Ellington since he’ll be around at least another year. Really, it’s impossible to figure it out if that’s not it.
On another offensive note, why all the ‘fanciness’ thrown into the scheme this year? The end-around and wildcat getting so much use (at such inopportune times) in this offense doesn't really make sense, does it?
Teams that run it often, run it with success because they have backs running 4.3, 40’s or multi-purpose or big guys who get to the line fast with burst (i.e, Kentucky with Randall Cobb, Florida with Jeff Demps, and Alabama with Trent Richardson or Mark Ingram).
Clemson never runs it with Ellington taking the snap and they don’t have speed elsewhere in a multi-purpose player. If you’re going to run it to get a few yards, having someone like DeAndre McDaniel might actually prove to be more productive. At least he’s tough enough to pick up a few yards.
Defensively, it’s hard to criticize the effort other than the 3rd and 4th downs given up and the dreaded big play. These just can’t happen if the Tigers expect a rebound this year. It’s hard to ‘fix’ something like this within this defensive scheme but the coaches taking responsibility was a big start. One note on defense was that DeAndre McDaniel should get one sprint off this week in practice for how much he stepped up improved, as he said he would. Hats off to him.
The motivating quote of the weekend:
UNC safety Deunta Williams - “We knew if we made them one-dimensional, they'd have a tough time throwing the ball. They don't have a lot of weapons at receiver. If you stop Ellington and Harper, then the only other guy that can hurt you in their passing game is (Dwayne) Allen.”
The receiving corps, now of Brown, Hopkins, and McNeal, should take that extremely personally. With Maryland’s suspect secondary, I would look for a few big plays from the receivers.
The (mis)quote of the weekend:
Kyle Parker spoke of “needing to do the little things a little better.” KP, it’s not the little things. It’s the big things; big plays, big penalties in big moments, big throws dropped. It’s the things you did last year with consistency you’ve failed to do this year and things that great teams do to win championships.
The big positives:
Ellington has been a breakout sensation. The kicking game has been better than expected actually for a walk-on, first year starter. The punting has been exceptional (leading the conference) and the special teams have been productive, if not very good, considering the production lost with Spiller and Ford’s graduation.
The offensive line has quietly been excellent and Bowers and Branch have been a disruption in the backfield in almost every game. Bowers especially has been playing like the ACC defensive player. Parker has been very good, other than the disastrous Miami game when regardless of what Dabo said, Parker was still really in pain.
Possibly above all of these, RT Landon Walker stepped up where McDaniel, Parker, and other have failed this year: leadership.
He called out the team at Monday’s afternoon media Q&A saying, “Not saying any names in particular, but guys at some positions need to figure out if they want to win games this year. If they want to do that, they’re going to have to practice as hard as they can and come out Saturday and do what they’ve done in practice."
Strengths like these make the struggles at receiver and in the secondary that much worse because all these positives seem wasted on the failures so far this season.
One last note:
It was said here three weeks ago…What was the point of moving Brandon Ford to TE if you never give him snaps (ok, one throw and catch for four yards) and use Allen for everything, including special teams? Use him or don’t but don’t overuse Allen just because he’s better than the rest. The kid looks tired and it’s not hard to see why.
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October 8, 2010
Clemson vs. UNC Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
If ever there was a need for the ‘momentum shift’ Dabo talks about, this Saturday is that time.
As strange as it is to say, both squads are looking for their first ACC win. The argument could be made either way as to who needs this more but it’s big for both squads.
With a loss here, both would drop to 0-2 in conference play and without winning out, would need help to have any shot at the championship.
One thing stood out when breaking down both teams that says a lot about what we can expect Saturday.
UNC is 10-19 in the last decade as a home favorite whereas Clemson is 13-8 as a road dog.
Undeniably, Clemson has always played better as the underdog; when less is expected they tend to seize the opportunity.
So much has been discussed about the need for improvement on the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers, frankly it’s been exhausting, hasn’t it? You could tell the coaches were a little on edge, more than usual, at the persistent questioning as well.
Coach Steele though reiterated time and time again, it was all execution, not scheme that led to the breaks in coverage and miscommunication the previous two games.
My guess is that we’ll know quickly if he’s right.
If it’s not fixed, or at least vastly improved this game, it’s not going to improve. It’s now or never for Coach Steele’s squad. That’s all there is to it. Fix it now, no more big plays for TD’s, or this group will go down as another highly rated, underachieving Clemson team.
However, this won’t be the problem.
What needs to change is the three-pronged attack on the offensive side of the ball that’s never seemed to gel this season.
Kyle Parker needs to be a new man this week. The receivers need to step up and have a big game (no more drops…). Andre Ellington needs to carry the load, not Jamie Harper.
We could go ad nauseum into what was already said earlier this week by the coaches and on this blog but the fact remains, as it did last year, ride the running back and have dependable receivers.
That’s the separation Clemson has lacked this season and the factor that has held them ever-so-close yet on the losing end of two big contests.
With all the discussion of defensive busts the past few weeks in Tiger Town, and other kinds of busts in Chapel Hill, one thing has been forgotten. These teams, in many peoples’ eyes were the favorites to play for the title in Charlotte come December. Now is the chance the Tigers have been looking for, even if it didn’t happen in the order they planned it.
In the end, the team that needs it more is the more complete team. This weekend, that’s the Tigers.
Prediction: Clemson 21, UNC 20
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October 5, 2010
Snap Judgment – Tigers Can’t Expect Victory
with Six Turnovers (and they know it)
by M. Ryan Hayes
This isn’t really a snap judgment this week as everyone, coaches, media, and myself included, needed some time away to let the emotions sink and the truth come to the surface.
First off, the season hasn’t ended for the Tigers and it’s not doomsday for the program. There are plenty of websites and writers out there asking for the administration down to the trainers heads after this 2-2 start but with any common sense you should be able to write these people off as emotional hacks.
The 2010 Tigers have done one thing for sure that can be put to rest: they missed the best opportunities to win the toughest games and impress the college football world. At this point, that’s all they’ve done, or better said, failed to do.
Giving it some time to marinate though, some things are obvious on Monday:
- The offensive line is doing their part and Clemson’s ground attack is very good, but seems that in critical spots is underutilized…or incorrectly used.
- The run defense has not been fixed at all and the total defense is appalling coming in at 85th in the nation. That’s inexcusable for the talent on this team.
- Just like last year there is a complete dearth of playmakers at wide receiver. It makes no sense to release a depth chart with players and then an hour later state the four receivers who are getting the first team snaps this week…only two of which are listed as starters. Why is there even a depth chart?
- Above all else, the same mistakes are being made repeatedly, which most always means it’s coaching that’s failing to get through to the players. Dabo’s comments Saturday after the game said as much.
Specifically, there are sub-plots to all of these categories that will be addressed later but there also needs to be an attitude adjustment and that needs to start with the coaches.
Whether it’s a problem with the schemes or an issue with the personnel, something needs to be shaken up this week in practice.
When an opponent is overpowering and simply defeats you, that’s one thing. But a loss like this, when the Tigers were still in reach of victory with a few minutes left after SIX turnovers…that should send you back to the drawing board.
Ok, so how can all of this be thrown together and repaired in a week? It won’t be, but it doesn’t have to be either. College football is a learning process, by the players, the coaches, the fans and the media. This season will be one too. The issues that need to be addressed immediately are as follows:
- Andre Ellington should be the feature back. Coach Powell said today that when Ellington was a third stringer 2 years ago he was playing better than “James and C.J. down at the goal line.” Then why run a sweep on 4th and 1 with the game on the line? For four straight games the coaches keep saying “Jamie didn’t perform as well this game…” That should cause an alarm to go off but right now it appears emotion is getting in the way of what’s best for the team. Jamie Harper has great hands, great footwork and a high football IQ. He has a great career ahead in the NFL. However, what he doesn’t have (or chooses not to use) is burst speed. He hits the hole like…actually he doesn’t hit the hole very often. He looks and waits for the opening instead of powering through. If he was Barry Sanders, fine. But he’s 6’-0”, 235 lbs. of muscle and he should be running more like Mark Ingram than Mark Sanchez. That’s not a problem but he needs to be utilized in a way that exploits his talents within this offense, not as an every down back.
*For a little more on this just listen to Coach Powell’s interview with David Hood this week: http://audio.tigernet.com/10/football/powell_andre-100410.wma
- The communication, especially in the secondary needs to be fixed this week. On at least 3 occasions DeAndre McDaniel was either out of position, not ready for the snap, or misread a receiver route. That can’t happen, especially by the highest rated NFL prospect on the team. Again, that’s not a criticism of McDaniel but something the coaches need to address to put him in a better position of every play. McDaniel has better instincts than most every Clemson safety in recent memory but the busted coverage and the giving up huge gains can’t happen again if the Tigers want to move forward.
- Jaron Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, and Marquan Jones are the best receivers on Clemson’s roster based on their performance so far and should be starting accordingly until they fail to live up those roles (Note: Bryce McNeal is a close 2nd at slot behind Jones). When the depth chart was released Monday morning, the receiver positon stood out as confusing. Why even have a depth chart if you’re not going to follow it? Jeff Scott said this morning that the receivers mentioned above would get all of the first team snaps this week. Ok, fine. Then list them accordingly. The test to see who is going to step up is over. The old mantra that ‘if you don’t have one quarterback you don’t have any’ applies to receiver as well. The guys who have done their jobs should be playing; there is no room for receiver by committee.
- If the players aren’t executing and the coaches admit that they need to fix their communication, what’s the solution? The coaches, for the first time since Tommy Bowden stepped down, seem a little irritable with the media (see Coach Powell’s interview above). Rightfully so after tough losses, but the questions that are being asked by the fans and media aren’t difficult to answer: Why haven’t you considered using Ellington as a feature back? Why are there so many miscommunications? Why the struggles with stopping the run? No one can just simply answer the question, meaning that there is more than one problem with each concern. When the questions start getting answered with a single statement, they players will show it on the field.
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October 1, 2010
Clemson vs. Miami Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
With any college football bye week comes double the amount of ‘defining/key/important (insert description here) factors’ for the next game. It must be the press and fans’ way of soothing the lack of their team in the headlines that week. After this time off however, everyone is in agreement that something big has to give when Miami comes to Death Valley on Saturday. What that’ll be has been all over the map this week from Tiger Town to South Beach.
Miami’s D-line vs. Clemson’s O-line. Jacory Harris’s arm vs. Clemson’s secondary. Miami’s run defense vs. the tandem of Harper and Ellington.
In an obvious, no-brainer, all will be defining factors in this matchup. However, maybe the biggest factor won’t be on the field at all.
Clemson sold out Memorial Stadium earlier this week, so packing 85,000 fans (don’t forget the Hill!) into one of the loudest stadiums in the country might just tip the scales in the Tigers favor. You know the story; Harris has trouble calling plays, leads to pressure on Harris, leads to his (inevitable) interception-bound ways.
Or maybe Jacory turns the corner just a little later than when most expected him to last month against the Buckeyes. Maybe he throws for 300 yards, sending the homecoming fans heading for the exits early. Regardless, there is no denying the tendency for tight games between these two with all three ACC meetings being decided in at least one extra period.
Neither team has publicly shown a single sign of distraction from their last game, albeit very different results. Honestly, after a week to think about it, I can’t see a scenario where anyone thinks Clemson’s Auburn loss had any negative impact on the outcome of this one.
In the last decade following a bye week, Clemson has gone 6-4 with four of those wins coming consecutively since 2006. That’s a telling statistic considering this staff has been comprised of nearly the same group for two of those four wins.
As much as everyone believes this Miami squad is predicated on the pass, the Hurricanes have actually been very balanced this year, evenly compensating their passing and rushing attacks. The difference has been in production. Miami averages just 125 yards/game on the ground, far from RB Mike James assertion that Miami could have three 1,000 yard runners this season.
And that’s where the stats comparison will end. It’s true that three games into the season you can always tell the cream of the crop from the dogs with fleas. What you can’t tell is how good a 2-1 team is beyond that one loss, meaning…give ‘em time. The Hurricanes and Tigers both fall into this group.
What Clemson can’t do in this game is allow Miami to have any sort of rushing attack. Kevin Steele said earlier this year that the key to Clemson’s defense is “stopping the run at the point of attack.” If the rush can be held in check, Harris becomes one-dimensional; a ‘go-deep-for-the-long-ball’ backyard quarterback.
Here, Clemson must excel beyond their performance in Auburn. The secondary doesn’t need INT’s on every deep ball but passes need to be broken up through physical play. Hankerson and Byrd especially outweigh most of the secondary so the Tigers will need to take major advantage of the home crowd influence.
The Tigers need to have the same mentality along the defensive line. You don’t necessarily need sacks to get Harris throwing the ball like it’s burning his hand; you just need to get him throwing outside the pocket and on the run.
In all, it doesn’t seem that this game is going to have any of the same defensive and special teams scoring that last year’s game had, especially with both teams having extra time to prepare for this week. The defenses are both stout but should struggle to shut down either offense. What seems more likely is a see-saw battle between two evenly matched teams.
Throwing out Harris’s turnover tendencies (although they’ve tended to be a sure thing), the Tigers seemed poised to capitalize on the strength of their running game and maintain a comfortable time of possession. The ability to keep Harris on the sidelines will help to corral the chance of the Clemson secondary biting on any big plays as they did at Auburn. In the end, Clemson’s potential weakness against Miami’s bigger receivers is the difference as the Tigers keep Harris on the move and the ball out of their own end zone.
Prediction: Clemson, 31 Miami 27
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September 29, 2010
What I’m Thinking About…
by M. Ryan HayesAfter each having games against BCS conference opponents, Miami and Clemson look to jump to the front of the pack (no pun intended, NC State) of the ACC.
This game really comes down to pressure, and oh yeah, pressure. Miami’s defensive line is #1 in TFL’s and #2 in sacks while Clemson is only giving up .67/game.
Something’s gotta’ give. Coach Swinney addressed this in his press conference as the ‘main concern’ going into Saturday.
What else is front and center in Tiger Town this week?
1. Under pressure. Unlike Cam Newton, Jacory Harris is not going to scramble. Ohio State excelled at (Pitt even had some success in the first half) getting to Harris. If you get him rattled and he starts to over think he makes mistakes. On the road Harris’s completion percentage is roughly the same (60%) but his TD-INT ratio doubles and has every year he’s the starter. No slight to Harris’s abilities but given the option between throwing it away and throwing it into the opponents hands, he has the tendency to go with the latter.
2. Advantage, Hurricanes? Benjamin, Byrd and Hankerson vs. Brewer, Maxwell, and Gilchrist. What Benjamin doesn’t possess in height, he makes up for in quickness. Look for him to be Harris’s primary target on 3rd and short and 1st down when Miami loves to run eight to nine yard curl routes. Hankerson and Byrd are 6-3 and 6-4 respectively, and both go over 200 pounds. Both, but especially Hankerson are the deep threat. Dabo said this morning that it’s not a matter of if, but when, as “Miami WILL go deep.” Stat to note: Byron Maxwell is the only Tiger DB at 200 lbs. plus. While three of Miami’s top five guys go 200-210.
3. No special teams gaffes. And we’re not talking about Catanzaro missing FG’s. Ohio State getting burned for two TD's on returns wasn’t a fluke. Benjamin as a returner is Jacoby Ford with only slightly less burst and Miami’s Matt Bosher’s leg kicking field goals is one of the best in the nation. If Clemson expects to keep up with this potential points race, they can’t give up big returns as giving Miami the short field is the recipe for disaster (hello, Pitt you there?)
4. Pound the rock. Bad news: Miami’s front four is as good or better than Auburn’s Nick Fairley-anchored line. More bad news: Miami’s linebackers are quick, agile and experienced. Good news: Nothing has shown that Miami or anyone else on the schedule is any tougher than Harper and Ellington. With a steady diet of the running attack to set up play action, the Tiger offense should control TOP and allow Harris et al, to stay on the sideline and out of the endzone. On the flip side, Miami is only averaging 125 yards/game, albeit averaging almost an equal number of run/pass plays (32/33).
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September 24, 2010
Reflection | Refraction: The Road from Auburn to Miami
by M. Ryan Hayes
The Auburn-as-a-learning-experience talk will be kept to a minimum on the blog this week. The team played very well, minus a few key gaffes in the secondary in the 3rd quarter that we’re all aware of by now. The play calling was, honestly, nearly flawless. The defense played fierce and the special teams, even with Catanzaro’s miss in OT, was right where it should be at this point.
The only obvious play-calling miscue seemed to be an end around to Bryce McNeal in the 3rd. I asked Coach Napier this week about it and he agreed it might have been a mistake, albeit one that almost worked in the Tigers favor.
“You always have four or five plays in a game that you wish you had back,” he said. “We had seen some things on film where we thought it would work. We were at midfield, not deep in our territory. Sometimes you run plays that set up others. We had Dwayne Allen open on the next play, but Kyle had some pressure and it was over thrown.”
That’s a really hard explanation to argue with, so we’ll leave it at that.
Going into the bye weekend, Clemson gets three days of rest from practice and some much deserved r&r.
A couple of snippets and commentary from practice this week worth noting:
- Brandon Ford’s move to TE ‘for depth’ makes no sense at this point in the season. Depth at TE? When has this offense ever used two TEs simultaneously as receivers? When they need an extra blocker are they ever going to choose Ford at 220 lbs. over Price, Thomas, or another OL? The answer is no. This might have more to do with the plethora of receivers than any perceived need at the tight end position.
- Very impressed that Ellington, Parker, et al seemed to be feeling great by Wednesday. Toughness is really shining through with this group and that’s been hard to come by in Tiger Town lately.
- Brandon Thomas will be starting by the end of the year, mark it down. The coaching staff just seems to be in awe of his abilities on passing downs especially and even the players seem to fear his ferocity.
Looking ahead to Miami after watching this Thursday nighter against Pitt, it seems that if the Tigers pound away on the ground and Ellington/Harper have half the game they had against Auburn, Clemson will easily control TOP. Miami D played great, but that’s like saying they played great against Florida A&M. Pitt played that poorly.
Miami struggles with offensive mistakes continue this year with Jacory “just bomb it” Harris at the helm. Not sure if it’s Mark Whipple’s play calling or Harris’s over confidence in his abilities.
There’s also the issue of penalties. Penalties are fine if you’re playing downhill and just being overly competitive. When they’re hampering your momentum and causing you to leave points on the board, that’s a problem. Miami needs to fix their discipline…fast.
Miami v. Clemson seems to always be close but look for these difference makers next week in practice leading up to kickoff in Death Valley October 2nd:
- Clemson needs to game plan for the Harris-Hankerson pass-catch game. Byrd and Benjamin are fast but no faster than the Tiger DB’s. Hankerson is a big, powerful receiver with great blocking skills and even better hands. He’s Darvin Adams with more strength and experience. That might be an issue as only Byron Maxwell really matches up physically.
- Miami’s defensive line seems slow and underachieving this year. The talent is there, they just need to start showing a little more strength and swagger.
- Who is going to get the most time at WR against Miami? You’d have to assume Jaron Brown gets the nod as does Xavier Dye, and most likely Marquan Jones rounds out the group at slot. Terrance Ashe got all of one drop before getting benched and honestly he hasn’t played well at all this year (minus a nice catch and run against Presbyterian). Maybe the freshman Hopkins and McNeal secure a spot ahead of the more experienced wideouts? It’ll be interesting regardless to see them go up against the speedy Miami secondary.
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September 20, 2010
Snap Judgment – Auburn Welcomes Clemson’s
Self-Inflicted Loss in Punishing Game
by M. Ryan Hayes
“He looks genuinely messed up,” was my wife’s comment as Kyle Parker leaned helplessly on Andre Ellington’s shoulder during OT. He wasn’t the only one, even if he was the only one showing it.
From one gutsy play to another, Clemson fans everywhere got to see what the 2010 Tigers are made of. Although it was another Cardiac Clemson moment, it was somehow a good moment in defeat for the boys in orange. By the time Miami rolls into town, every indication is that they’ll realize that and show up to win.
Sure, every fan and player found it crushing and heartbreaking to play as well as this team did last night and come up short. Instead, the Tigers should look at it (and it sounds like they are from their comments so far) from an entirely opposite perspective.
The coaching staff did an exceptional job in this one, probably their best in 2 years, putting the ball in the hands of the playmakers on offense and snuffing out Auburn’s offense for 3 out of 4 quarters on defense. This team has faced genuine adversity before, against Georgia Tech (twice), TCU, and Miami last year and only managed to go 1-4 in those games. The year before was much of the same, albeit interrupted by the dismissal of Tommy Bowden and the change in culture that identified with the Swinney regime.
Every indication that this day was going to be the tipping point was because of one thing.
This team played with a toughness that hasn’t existed in Tiger Town since the days of Danny Ford.
Clemson has struggled to win the big game over the last decade, that’s a fact, and anyone reading this article knows that already. But Saturday’s performance was such a different step in the right direction that Clemson fans, players, coaches, alumni, and students everywhere have to take this one with their heads held high.
Yeah, a loss is a loss. But with losing sometimes brings on a whole new perspective. It doesn’t happen very often, in fact, I’d argue this game might have been the only one all night, anywhere where this was true. Clemson walked out of Jordan-Hare stadium last night, by all appearances, as the best team in the ACC…for what’s that worth, America.
Of course, everyone has seen the ACC’s dismal record out of conference this year (1-9, not including BYU, Boise State, or Navy), but something no one notices is that all of those losses came on the road. No other conference in the country can say that.
So let’s not rush to judgment on this last-instant defeat. Auburn is arguably only below Alabama in the SEC and playing them to an overtime, three-point loss is nothing anyone should hang their heads about beyond the gates of Jordan-Hare.
Toughness kept them in the game Saturday. It’ll get them a lot further if they realize that’s what it takes to be a championship team.
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September 17, 2010
Clemson at Auburn Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
Here’s the national statement opportunity staring them in the face. SEC opponent, on the road, at night, ESPN primetime. Win and good things (nationally) will happen. Lose and it’s just more fodder to throw against the ACC.
This week there’s been more than enough hype about Clemson’s trip to the Plains. Come 7pm, Toomer’s Corner and the thieving ‘All In’ (that’s Dabo’s line, guys) Auburn faithful are going to be rockin’ Jordan-Hare like Clemson has rarely witnessed.
The breakdown is simple and concise this week. It comes down to a few principles that should be laid out for all to see in the first few minutes on Saturday.
- Stop the man with the plan. Cam Newton is big. In fact, he’s really big, tough to tackle, and deceptively fast. What’s not deceptively fast is Auburn and Gus Malzahn’s offense. They’re electric. For a guy who wants to run 85 plays a game, Malzahn has Auburn looking like a team that, if it keeps this pace, will be playing Alabama for the SEC West come November 26th.
- This crowd may be 90,000 strong but they become 90,000 silent fans with a quick turn of events. Clemson needs to stop the Tigers quickly on the first drive or even better force a turnover to immediately and affectively remove the crowd from Auburn’s bag of ammunition. We all know turnovers win ball games but they do so by leveling a sometimes unequal playing field. Auburn at home, at night, playing Clemson’s questionable rush defense is that unequal playing field.
- Say what you may, this game will come down to the ground game...on both sides of the ball. This is really what this game is about, period. The team that most effectively runs the ball wins this game. There’s the prediction. If ‘the New Storm’ of Clemson can put away numbers like they did against North Texas, they’ll walk away with their first SEC road win in 3 years. However, letting Cam Newton scramble every 3rd and 5 for 6 yards will make Saturday a very long night for Kevin Steele’s troops.
- We’re going to see what Chandler Catanzaro is made of. There is no way anyone would want to have their first career field goal attempt in an atmosphere like this. Excuse me, second career field goal attempt. With such an expected field position battle looming, Tiger faithful are going to see how well Catanzaro can handle the pressure of the SEC crowd breathing down his neck as he’s lining up a 40 yarder.
- Cam Newton can be beaten if you turn him into a vertical passer. If you watched 5 minutes of the Mississippi State game in the 2nd half, you saw that although he possesses a mortar launcher, Newton isn’t very accurate...yet. He looks uncomfortable and hesitant. DeAndre McDaniel, do you hear that? The Tigers secondary should be licking its chops at every long ball that’s thrown their way Saturday.
Although this doesn’t have the makings of an Alabama blowout from ’08, this one leans toward the senior-laden squad of Auburn and their ability to more effectively manage the clock. Slight edge to the Tigers of the Plains initially, but if Ellington and Harper show up and take care of the ball, the ACC could really save some face on this one.
Prediction: Auburn 24, Clemson 16
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September 16, 2010
Midweek Musings
by M. Ryan Hayes
If you saw five minutes of Auburn’s SEC opener against Mississippi State last Thursday night, you know what they’ll bring to the table this Saturday at Jordan-Hare.
Physical running. A power forward at QB.
That’s where it starts and ends. Stopping the run and living up to Corico Hawkins and Da’Quan Bowers challenge of excelling at rush defense this year is the solution.
Cam Newton excels at the zone read as we all know but where the real issue lies is in stopping Mike Dyer and Mario Fannin, if he’s healthy. With a big game out of those two, Auburn won’t need to have Newton anywhere but in the pocket.
In asking Kevin Steele earlier this week how you alter practice in preparation for a challenge like Newton he said, “We don’t alter practice, but he is a big quarterback [with] good vision and is very hard to bring down. We have to change our leverage when we tackle him and really have to wrap him up.” Something Mississippi State failed to accomplish.
Another component of success this weekend is that Clemson will need to come out and immediately take the crowd out of it. SEC crowds, well we all know what’s that like, especially after a full day of tailgating to prepare.
There’s a quote from Gladiator that goes something like, ‘win the crowd, win the day.’ This should be the motto for Saturday night.
If the Tigers get first possession, points some, any points on the board. If they’re on defense first, force a turnover or put Auburn 3 and out. This is more important than any moment the Tigers will face all night. If you remove the crowd, the advantage swings immediately. Most would agree taking an SEC crowd out of a game is nearly as important as having the lead.
A few other notes and thoughts…
83, 367, 4.5 That’s the number of carries, yards, and yards per carry by scrambling quarterbacks last year facing Clemson. Ouch. That’s got to come down by over a yard per carry for Clemson to be successful this Saturday, period. No team walks into an SEC game and gives up those kinds of rushing yards.
So, regardless of what scheming may go on this week on the practice fields at Clemson, Coach Swinney and the staff need to keep in mind one thing out in front.
No combination of victories against the Marylands, Virginias, NC States, Dukes, and even quality teams like Boston College can make up for a win on an ESPN-televised primetime game.
So please, spare the conference wins hype and start taking these games as the vital stepping stones towards the top of the college football world.
Let me hear it. Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @rockhillvalley
September 12, 2010
Snap Judgment – Presbyterian Brings Nothing
More than Hos(iery) Against Tigers
by M. Ryan Hayes
BBQ is to my stomach as this game was to Clemson’s psyche going into Auburn next week.
In other words, it was good. Very good.
Yes, I know it was a newly minted FCS school in Presbyterian but the Tigers looked sharp everywhere they failed to last week. Kevin Steele told me earlier this week that effort was not an issue anywhere and that everyone on defense played hard. It was execution and simple alignment adjustments that would repair the porous defense of last week.
He was right.
Kyle Parker and Tajh Boyd looked very sharp going a combined 10 for 18 for 201 yards and four touchdowns. Those are nice practice stats much less numbers in a real game. The receivers, especially Brandon Clear (great diving catch), Terrance Ashe (big yards after catch), and Dwayne Allen (2 TD’s) looked smooth, fast, and perfectly in position. As Coach Napier said earlier this week, they “[made] the most of their opportunities.”
Defensively, everyone looked efficient (if that’s possible) and in position effectively. Linebackers Hawkins, Christian and freshman Justin Parker seemed to bottle up the underneath 5-8 yard stuff they failed to sniff out last week. PC never really attempted anything legitimate downfield and the defensive backs were into their 2nd string early in the 1st half.
Chandler Catanzaro made his first and only FG attempt. Simultaneously, everyone on the Clemson sideline’s blood pressure dropped to normal levels. He looked smooth on all the extra points as well; Spencer Benton missed his only attempt.
All in all, exactly what the doctor ordered for the Tigers. Now, go take a nice ice bath because you’re going to need it in order to recover enough to stop Cam Newton next Saturday night.
Overall, everyone gets an A. Dwayne Allen maybe an A+.
September 11, 2010
Presbyterian Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
Unlike last week when the Blue Hose racked up nearly 400 yards against Wake Forest, the Tigers will be ready for any bounce passes, statue of liberty plays, or the like. Unless they tuck it under their jerseys.
One more cupcake before reality sets in.
The Blue Hose are still making their transition to Division I-AA and a 55-13 drubbing by Wake Forest last week showed. Down by 28 they ran the now infamous bounce pass for a touchdown and managed to gain quite a bit of yardage on the ground.
In conclusion (yes, conclusion) this one should be over before it gets started. Presbyterian has lost 15 straight games and has practically no shot of making it anything but 16 straight.
Three things to note for the Tigers in this game:
- How does Kyle Parker establish more consistency in the passing game? Although they probably don’t need to Clemson should try and improve on their passing attempts from last week. This is more so in preparation for Auburn next week. Which receivers are going to cement their need for playing time? How doe Dwayne Allen and the rest of the TE’s factor into Napier’s game plan? Can Parker use Harper and Ellington out of the backfield on screen with more frequency?
- Where’s the run defense? If the run defense is anything more than what Kevin Steele said this week (“It was just a few guys out of position…we’ll fix that.”) Cam Newton and Auburn are going to pound the Tigers into submission next Saturday on the Plains. Coach Steele is always referencing ‘consistency at the point of attack.’ Let’s see exactly that Saturday afternoon.
- Is Catanzaro going to get a chance at single FG attempt before he has to do it against an SEC foe on the road? Nice way to (potentially) start a college career. Hopefully Presbyterian will actually put a decent defense and slow the Tiger offense down enough for the Cat Man to get a few attempts. If not, it’s going to be interesting if the Tigers are down 3 in the 4th quarter next week.
Prediction: Clemson 45, Presbyterian 7
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September 6, 2010
Snap Judgment – Clemson handles North Texas
by M. Ryan Hayes
Although everyone saw the lapses on the defensive side of the ball Saturday, the Tigers easily handled North Texas 35-10, a game that realistically was never that close in the 2nd half.
Look at it this way. Neither Billy Napier nor Kevin Steele seemed all that worried about the team’s performance yesterday. Napier’s only issue seemed to be with a few passes Parker threw. Steele said he was disappointed in the “crispness” of the tackles, that there were too many missed in the open field.
Ok, most of us saw something different, albeit the outcome was suitable for the Tigers.
On offense, there’s not a whole lot to say…and that’s a good thing.
- Greenhorn wide receivers showed…something.
What that something was, still remains to be seen. A bunch of guys (Hopkins, Clear, McNeal, and Jaron Brown, notably) stepped up and made nice if not excellent catches, most with nice yards after. Parker had only 1 or 2 bad throws, and the incompletions were more the result of timing issues, not dropped passes like those that plagued the Tigers last season.
- Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington looked better than C.J. Spiller and James Davis did in their debut together.
The combo of Davis/Spiller was never all that impressive, although the O-Line didn’t help. This time, Harper and Ellington have a much more solid line and the combo of Harper’s strength and Ellington’s footwork seemed fairly unstoppable.
Grade: A-
Defensively, it seemed the Tigers had some issues. To put it mildly. Here’s the breakdown:
1. Clemson needs to invest in some tackling dummies.
Not quite sure what they were tackling all summer, but it wasn’t anything like the Lance Dunbar, Nathan Tune, and the North Texas offense. The Mean Green may have gone 2-10 last year, but this looked like a 7-8 win team yesterday. Guess no one can ever underestimate a team from Texas (see Texas who only beat Rice 34-17).
2. Who was that playing strong safety yesterday because it wasn’t All-American DeAndre McDaniel.
Who was that playing yesterday? McDaniel looked confused, lethargic, and out manned on nearly every play that came his way. He was arm tackling, getting beat deep, and when he did make a play, it was half-hearted and without much of the fiery enthusiasm we saw all year long. He’s the defensive leader of an inexperienced secondary. It’s past time to step it up. Coach Steele will take care of this issue this week I’m sure.
3. Rush defense/Corico Hawkins…there’s need for improvement.
It might have been the variation of schemes and formations and plethora of motion plays that NT ran yesterday, but the breakaway runs by Lance Dunbar, et al seemed unacceptable. 193 yards rushing allowed against a Sun Belt team? That’s pretty shabby with Auburn looming in 13 days.
4. Hello, Dawson Zimmerman and Marcus Gilchrist, welcome to special teams.
Zimmerman already was a starter on ST last year, but this was his breakout game. He boomed one 79 yards (2nd longest in Clemson history) and averaged 51.2 yards. Impressive. Gilchrist looked solid as well, nothing Spiller-esque, but that’s fine. Just keep the field position better than the other guys, please.
Grade: B-
Overall, don’t read too much into this. If the coordinators aren’t ranting and raving about their teams’ struggles, eh, it’s probably not as bad as the fans think. The Tigers are supposed to beat North Texas. And they did. Convincingly. Enough said.
Auburn is in 13 days.
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September 3, 2010
Clemson vs. North Texas Preview
by M. Ryan Hayes
Clemson starts its 2010 campaign with the (not so)Mean Green of North Texas. Hey, don't laugh, Alabama crushed these guys last year on their way to a National Champ-...just kidding, this has NO connection to this game. This should be a cakewalk for the Tigers.
Clemson finished 2009 at 9-5, with wins over Miami, Florida State and Boston College among others. North Texas finished 2009 at 2-10 with wins of Western Kentucky and Ball State. This article could stop there, right? But hey, so is the nature of the first few weeks of the college football season when a large portion of the Top 50 teams play the bottom 50.
These teams have a combined 30 returning starters so there's a lot of the same talent (or lack of) from last year. Clemson looks to pick up where it left off with All-American Kyle Parker at the helm. Very stout along both lines, Clemson looks to feed off it's running game, as we saw last year with C.J. Spiller, in order to set up the pass. Against a weak foe, look for this to be more of the same but this time with the new Thunder and Lighting of Harper and Ellington.
The biggest things to look for in this opener are as follow, in descending order of importance:
First, how do the receivers fit the flow of the run-first offense that's been establish, mostly out of lack of...inexperienced receivers. Who stands out? Does DeAndre Hopkins flash a little skill and move up the depth chart? Do the seniors, Dye and Ashe finally have a nice smooth rhythm and catch (nearly) everything thrown their way?
Second, look for the kicking game...any and all of the kicking game. How skilled is the "Cat Man", Chandler Catanzaro? Does Richard Jackson get any shots at FG's? As a Clemson fan, you've got to hope to see Catanzaro line up and sink a 50 yarder, at least for confidence sake.
Third, how stout is this Corico Hawkins-approved run defense? Hawkins said earlier this week he was challenging the team to step it up, to be the "#1 rush defense in the nation." Might be a little lofty (very lofty) but can't fault a kid for thinking big. Under 50 yards rushing would be a very solid performance and be perfectly fine considering very few starters look to play most of the second half.
On the Mean Green side of the ball, things can be summed up more simply. RB Lance Dunbar is the stud here, a guy with a legitimate of signing with an NFL team. By far the best back in the Sun Belt, Dunbar at 5-9, 203 rushed for over 1,700 yards on exactly 200 carries. Yep, over 10 yards a carry. That's good in any league even if you only faced three Top 50 defenses like UNT did last year. Former QB Riley Dodge suffered a QB-career ending shoulder injury last year and now is in the mix for the #1 receiver spot. Other than that on offense, there isn't much.
The defense is led by MLB Craig Robertson, last year's leading tackler. UNT returns returns six of top eight tacklers on defense, including 3 of 4 in the secondary. Honestly, though beyond that, there is basically no depth.
A comment from the Denton (Texas) Chronicle pretty much says everything that needs to be said about this one when discussing the kicking game: "UNT struggled to make anything in the field goal or even extra point department throughout two-a-days.” Yikes.
Prediction: Clemson 49, North Texas 10
August 31, 2010
5 Handoffs to Start Fall Practice
by M. Ryan Hayes
Handoff #5; HB Off-Tackle
2010 Season Comment…it’s a comment, not a predictionEveryone takes predictions so seriously they’ll auction off their first born to get a chance to see their “National Championship caliber team” in action. So in contrast to the prognosticators, we're not going to predict a thing. Just possibilities. Take from these comments what you will but for God’s sake enjoy the return of FOOTBALL.
Sweetness...
The Tigers rally behind the return of Kyle Parker, play exceptional along the lines and are reliable with walk-in Chandler Catanzaro kicking field goals. The duo of Harper and Ellington will be vital for sustained drives and red zone TD's, but don't forget...it's time to see a reliable receiver step out of the fray…or better yet, six good ones stay competitive all year and excel. This team still has the players to reach the ACC Championship.
Humiliation...
The loss of reliable receiving targets dooms the Tigers like it did against Maryland, TCU, and in the ACC Championship. The NFL has become a past first (and second) league and the college game isn't far behind. If Harper and Ellington can't match the elusivesness of Spiller and the field position game drastically suffers without the Ford/C.J. duo, it's going to be tough to move the ball without someone reliable catching it. Above all, the rush defense will struggle if injuries abound or if young guys like Quan Christian and Justin Parker turn out to be busts.
Crystal Ball says...
This has nothing to do with homer status, Scouts honor, but it is more probable that Clemson will be a better team this year than last.The Spiller factor, albeit it’s a big one, is less of an issue than the country has made it out to be. One problem with his dominance is exactly that…everyone knew who was getting the ball on every critical play.
Great predictors of improvement year to year are returning starters (especially in the backfield) and line strength along both sides of the ball. Ellington and Harper might as well have started last year and Parker, well, we all know where he stands. The lines offensively are stout and deep. Make no mistake, these are Top 10-15 units. Coach Steele sees all four (plus one reserve) along the D-Line with NFL futures. Offensively, Coach Scott names seven to eight players that’s he “comfortable” sending out there.
So Tiger Nation, I think you're looking at a showdown for a trip to Charlotte on November 13th, plain and simple. At that time, Boston College/Maryland will be a game out of the top slot in the Atlantic and everyone will get to see if Jimbo Fisher can manage the Bowden-less Seminoles past the reigning Atlantic Division Champs.
This year's Tiger look poised for a surprise.
Low expectations, solid returning starters with depth, elite quarterback. The Tigers almost always excel when they have these factors on their side.
Better record than last year? I give it a 75% possibility. We’ll know if they’re on their way in the right direction when they face Auburn in 3 weeks.
August 25, 2010
5 Handoffs to Start Fall Practice
by M. Ryan Hayes
Handoff #3 & #4; The End Around
Strengths and WeaknessesReasons to be ‘comfortable’
For this week’s installment you’re going to get a two-fer. These two topics will play themselves out, for better or for worse, and by this time next month you’ll know if they’re legit or bunk. Thanks in part to Spiller/Ford/Palmer graduations, Clemson seems to be flying under the radar so far, not being ranked in either preseason poll. If I’m Dabo, I’m talking this up to the players all I can and downplaying the heck out of it to the media.
And rightfully so. Not that this team should need any motivation.
Coming off an ACC Championship appearance and one drive away from the Orange Bowl, not being ranked in the preseason poll is motivation enough for anybody.
But why no love nationally? Other than the obvious departure of the aforementioned triplets, there are some big pluses in this year’s group.
Let’s first take into account what has to be the biggest benefit for the Tiger or any college team; the depth at offensive line. That’s right. Clemson has depth at offensive line. Finally.
Talking with Brad Scott earlier this week he praised the “strong top six” and said,
“When we practice I just put Mason Cloy in with the first team. He will take two plays at left guard, two at right guard and two at center. He is [that] versatile a player and that is important.”
He went on to talk very highly of Philip Price and Brandon Thomas, both guys athleticism, and how much they will contribute this year. Tuesday after practice, Coach Swinney also mentioned Kalon Davis, who has gained nearly 50 pounds since spring (yes, 5-0 lbs) as being on the ‘redshirt bubble.’ At 340 pounds, he must have some decent athleticism or there wouldn’t be any question on the redshirt.
So, that’s nine guys, eight of which the coaches feel confident in. That’s got to be worth quite a bit, especially when you’re breaking in new, although experienced running backs.
Going out on a limb on this one, but here goes: the O-Line will out-perform the line from last year in sacks allowed and averages per attempt. Yep, they had 4.8 ypc last year, and we are looking at 5.0 this year, even with the schedule.
On the defensive front, if it’s possible, Coach Steele seems even more pleased than Coach Scott.
“…Da’Quan Bowers, Andre Branch, Malliciah Goodman and Kourtnei Brown…all four of them have a chance to play [in the NFL]. The tackles have been solid with Jenkins, Chavis, and Thompson. Rennie Moore has had a good camp as well. We are just looking for him to be a bit more consistent.”
The biggest thing to take from that is a 21-year veteran of coaching saying that 7 out of 8 guys have next level talent…right now.
When have you heard the Clemson coaching staff sound this comfortable with the lines?
And we all know comfort in the coaching ranks is hard to come by. The less you have to worry about, the more you can coach up the guys that need it or put them in a better position for success.
The Auburn game should tell Tiger Nation a lot about where these guys stand in comparison to another NFL-laden defense.
Reasons to be concerned
On the flip side, there’s a little concern (as of Monday especially) about the guys playing just behind the d-line. With Scotty Cooper’s departure from the team due to a recurring injury, the linebacking corps has been somewhat thinned. Daniel Andrews moves up to the backup role but it looks like Coach Steele is turning this “loss” into an opportunity.
Possibilities abound with bringing McDaniel up to the strong side on running plays in hybrid role or just simply shuffling the LB’s around and getting the best players on the field at once. Even Bowers could drop back and play a stand up multi-task role; the athleticism is there.
Coach Steele didn’t seem to mind though, talking about his “wild card” for this situation. He even said (with a smile, I might add) that the Tigers will be “fine at SAM [linebacker] this season.
Whatever he decides, it’s going to take some getting used to and tweaking to see what works best. Hopefully those adjustments can happen in the first two weeks or it’s going to be tough to hit the ground running in Auburn with the defense thin in the middle.
Regardless of any change on the defensive side of the ball, the rush defense must improve dramatically. Moving Brandon Maye out of the ‘MIKE’ role will make the biggest difference this year…count on that.
Clemson finished the season giving up over 100 yards rushing in 9 out of 14 games. Granted, Georgia Tech, which counts for two of those 9, is going to rack up 100 yards on its worst day, but the 10+ yard rushing play broke the back of the defense at too many critical moments.
Really, the season came down to rush defense in the ACC Championship and it wasn’t stout enough. This year, this team has to make those stops weekly to make it back to that game and beyond.
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August 11, 2010
5 Handoffs to Start Fall Practice
by M. Ryan Hayes
Handoff #2; Fullback Dive
Reinventing Tiger Special TeamsThe fullback dive was chosen for this installment of ‘Handoffs’ because just like this play that is seldom used (but is the ace in the hole on goal line drives), nobody seems too concerned with special teams, specifically the kicking game. We all know that the upcoming year is a no CJ Spiller, no Jacoby Ford year, but this Achilles heel of Clemson football over the last decade has received little attention (apologies to Jad Dean).
This is a team that lost four games by five points or less last year so there’s a very good argument that kicking might as well be the most important element entering this season.
After yesterday’s first scrimmage, Tiger fans finally got a little glimpse into the kicking game. Richard Jackson looked strong. He nailed all four of his field goals, including two 42 yarders.
Ed McGranahan of the Greenville News tweeted as he left morning practice yesterday, “Richard Jackson nailed punt for more than 65 yds…” Hmm. I know coaches don’t like using the same guy for punting and placekicking duties but when was the last time Dawson Zimmerman sailed one even 50 yards?
Obviously, it’s not all about distance. Punting is a game of placement and timing but it would seem like the staff should at least consider this option.
Swinney did, however, express a lot of confidence in all of his kickers saying, “I do think we’ve got three guys that are more than capable.”
In terms of the return game, not much has been discussed yet. DeAndre McDaniel and Marcus Gilchrist seem to lead the pack at the present but no one has significantly emerged. It seems this will get fleshed out as the season begins, with multiple candidates to take on the job.
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August 6, 2010
Judging Clemson's 2010 schedule
By M. Ryan Hayes
Everybody is a homer for their favorite team, but hopefully below you’ll find an honest approach to the 2010 season as the Tigers look to return to the ACC title game. With before the opener against North Texas, here’s a critical, and hopefully realistic look at this year’s Tigers.
The Gimmes: North Texas, Presbyterian, Maryland, NC State, Wake Forest
NONE of these teams will be bowl eligible this year. It’s not happening. No army of Russell Wilson’s or masterful coaching schemes drawn up by Coach Friedgen should prevent Clemson from being 5-0 against these lightweights. Concerning the two non-conference games, the result should be even more assured. After a combined 14-45 (31% winning percentage) last year, the Green Machine and Blue Hose this year don’t look to be much improved. On the ACC side of things, NC State and Maryland look to have almost slipped below Duke in the ACC pecking order. With having to play Auburn and South Carolina, it makes sense to have two gimme games, but seriously, with all due respect to Todd Dodge and the Mean Green, Tiger Nation will not be pleased if even a field goal is scored against Clemson’s first team defenders come September 4th.
NC State (where Tom O’Brien is NOT the answer, folks), Maryland (and their inability to recruit enough elite athletes), and Wake Forest (how does Jim Grobe do it?!) should all take a step back, even more than they did last year. Maryland is a pure revenge game and should get ugly quick as the Terps are breaking in a lot of new starters on offense and special teams. NC State has severely struggled to score in the past few years, especially in Clemson over the last 5 years giving up 163 and only scoring 76. Wake Forest has posed a threat to just about everybody since their ACC title in ’06, but with the loss of Riley Skinner, it will take at least a year before the Deacs are bowl eligible again.
Verdict: Clemson needs all 5 of these and should get them without much trouble…barring a pathetic performance some Saturday this fall (see at Maryland in 2009).
The Challenges: Miami, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, South Carolina
There aren’t many who will say this, but Miami, as talent-rich as anyone in the country, just doesn’t seem to have the mentality of a champion, ACC or otherwise. They lost their cool in big conference games and Jacory Harris seemed to go from boiling to sub-zero in the flash of an instant last year. Their defense as well was all over the map; dominant one minute then crumbling like feta cheese the next. North Carolina seems to have a similar issue to Miami albeit on the offensive side of the ball. Where as Miami never struggled to score points, TJ Yates and the Tar Heels offense hasn’t seemed to be able to kick it into that extra gear. Overall, UNC still looks like an 8-9 win team with a great defense but with a serious lack of consistent offense. Georgia Tech at some point will take a slight step back even with Joshua Nesbitt at the helm and Jonathan Allen at wing back. Unlike 2009, the defense won’t be able to keep the Jackets in games as much as they did a year ago with the loss of Derrick Morgan and Morgan Burnett. South Carolina has some very nice pieces but again looks to struggle for consistency on offense, even with the Ol’ Ball Coach calling plays. They have recruited amazingly well but need a big breakout year from Kenny Miles and newcomer Marcus Lattimore. This would help push the Gamecocks to the forefront of the SEC.
Verdict: Two of these games should come with surprising ease while the two others will be a struggle; which two of each is the question. If the Tigers defense proves it has taken a step forward in Kevin Steele’s system, look for Clemson to surprisingly pull off all four of these games. If they’re the same good but not great defense from last year, (which is more likely) look for three close wins, versus Georgia Tech at home, at North Carolina and against South Carolina to close the season.
The Struggles: Auburn, Boston College, Florida State
Auburn is getting better…fast. The defense is becoming the strength up front so don’t let the 78th ranked rushing and 59th ranked passing defenses fool you. This is going to be one of the top ten improved teams from 2009. Boston College will act like a new team this year, albeit with the same players. Getting Mark Herzlich back and with Luke Kuechly on the outside, they will be two of the best linebackers in the ACC. They should also continue BC’s dominance against the rush. The quarterback position has also stabilized under David Shinskie and Montel Harris returns in the backfield with nearly 1,500 more yards under his belt after last season. Which brings us to Florida State; they are the enigma on the schedule. Are they really that good? A top 25 ranking for this team? Is the defense going to step back into the role they once held at the top of college football? Is Jimbo Fisher the right man to turn the team around? The one thing that seems evident is that the team is improving…quickly. Christian Ponder is a legitimate Heisman contender and the offense has the athletes to be neck and neck with the Tigers for the Atlantic Division title.
Verdict: With one win against either BC or FSU, Clemson will find itself back in the ACC title game. With losses to both, the Tigers should find themselves in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl once again. If by some leap of faith this team pulls off an additional win against Auburn, look for a Top 15 ranking in the polls by mid-season. Realistically, one win out of these three would keep the Tigers in the Atlantic, ACC, and national picture, and really that’s been the goal since Dabo Swinney took over.
August 2, 2010
5 Handoffs to Start Fall Practice
By M. Ryan Hayes
During the month of August I'll be giving a storyline of the week, pertinent to fall camp that starts tonight for this year's Clemson Tigers. For those who woke up Saturday and realized, "hey college football starts this month," these topics will help to build up your fever pitch leading up to Spencer Benton/Richard Jackson/some unknown teeing off for hopefully the first touchback of the season.
Handoff #1; Strong Side Sweep
Wide Receiver Development
Hey! Terrance Ashe, Xavier Dye, Marquan Jones, Bryce McNeal, Brandon Ford, Joe Craig, et al! All I hear is potential, potential, potential! Time to show it. Joe Craig's 4.3 speed, Xavier Dye's length, Bryce McNeal athleticism all mean zero if you can't catch the bullets Parker will be rifling at your chest this fall.
In the first 5 games last season there were so many dropped passes the statistics I was finding were all inaccurate...probably because the stat geeks lost count. And that was WITH Jacoby Ford.
Come out of the gate and shock Jeff Scott and the rest of the coaching staff. Be physical, fight with McDaniel and Hall and the DB's if need be (disclaimer: this article does not promote violence), but just make sure you beat that All-American secondary to every single ball thrown your way. Come September, that in-your-face attitude will pay massive dividends and make up for the lack of experience ten-fold.
Here's a little summer reading from last month regarding the status of the receiving corps for 2010:
http://www.independentmail.com/news/2010/jul/18/tigers-need-wide-receiver-breakouts-successful-off/
July 21, 2010
What a Difference a Parker Makes
By M. Ryan Hayes
The signing of linebacker Justin Parker is big for the 2010 Tigers. He should see substantial playing time as a freshman alongside Quandon Christian, Brandon Maye, and.....What, were you expecting this to be about another Parker?
Well, it is, and it’s a lot more uplifting than what was expected to be flooding Clemson football news today.
This article was already pre-typed for the most part, with the title 'Life without Parker.' It was all set to be sent out this morning, discussing how Tajh Boyd would have to adapt to the role that Parker grew into last year; handing the ball off A LOT, sprinkling in a little play action, quick shots to the tight ends and the backs and most importantly, not having to win the game by himself.
The article was going to discuss the success that the Tigers were going to have running the ball behind a deep offensive line, albeit because Boyd probably wouldn't top 55% through the air like Parker did last year. It was going to talk about the Auburn game and how it would have been Boyd's chance, even in a loss, to firmly establish himself in the starter's role and gain the confidence of his team and coaches.Throw that all out.
Plain and simple, with all the doom and gloom we've all be predicting the Tigers to experience this year in defense of their Atlantic title, we've neglected to see the possibility that this team is...gasp...better in most every way THIS year.
The O-line is deeper and more experienced than Clemson has had in years. The D-Line is probably top five in the nation. The backfield and secondary are lacking returning starters but both have more game experience than last years' team. Only the receiving corps needs work, but if Billy Napier can do what he did last year and have Parker distribute to a wide variety of players, they should make enough plays to stay competitive. Remember, this is a team with really only one true receiver last year in Ford and they came within 1 minute of the Orange Bowl.
In other words, it can be done.Parker’s return only strengthens all of these characteristics, keeping the offense on the field longer, pushing the learning curve of the receivers and hopefully allowing shorter field goal attempts because of more sustained, Parker-led drives.
Forget the preseason magazine notes; this team is going to have a veteran leader behind under center and potentially everything could fall into place behind him.
Hate it? Love it? Just want to chat it up? Email me at rockhillvalley@gmail.com or follow me on twitter @rockhillvalley