SB Nation - Kyle Parker

ACC Championship Preview: Clemson vs. Georgia Tech

DrB — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:27:06 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

#12 Georgia Tech (10-2, 7-1) vs. #25 Clemson Tigers (8-4, 6-2)

When: 8pm EST on ESPN

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

Previous result: 30-27. Georgia Tech squandered a 24 point lead they'd built early on, only to switch to the midline and come back enough to win the game late in the 4th quarter. Georgia Tech owns a 48-24-2 advantage in the all-time series with Clemson, and the Yellow Jackets have won the last three meetings, and five of the last six overall.

Our articles on the game:

Clemson vs. Georgia Tech Film Review

Defensive Breakdowns against GT-Game 1

Statsheet statistics for the first game

The Key: Containing the run. You won't stop an offense like this cold, they'll get yards on the ground no matter what. Our great pass defense will be useless as Nesbitt does not throw very often and in those cases its usually a 20 yd bomb. I expect Cover 2/bracket to whichever side Thomas is lined up on, and us to challenge the other receiver with various looks.

Our articles on defending the Option:

Stopping the midline and the veer option attack, as well as a look at how the option works from the QB.

GT ranks #2 nationally in rush yardage per game at 314.1, 116th in passing at 135.5 ypg. Their defense is their weakness: 23.5ppg (#56), 229.4pass (83), 117.2 (37). They are aggressive and tend to overpursue up front, but the secondary is just bad. Theres no other way I can put that, just terrible when I've watched them. Generally they've been out of position by miles. The defensive line is banged up without 2 starters.

Dwyer has 1200+ yards rushing at this point, Nesbitt 900+, and Anthony Allen 600. Thomas is the prime receiving threat at 1000 yards.

Rushing Yards allowed this year by the Clemson defense:

NCAA Football Stats

Clemson's defense ranks 21st in scoring, 3rd in the ACC. We are 8th in pass defense at 146ypg, and 52nd against the run at 131.8ypg. Our offense ranks 41st at 30.9ppg, 84th in passing (196) and 55th in rushing (150.9). Brandon Maye is the team's top tackler with 90 stops to this point, while Kavell Conner and Marcus Gilchrist are close behind with 87 and 86.

If we are going to have any success, we'll have to stop one facet of the option. You either take away the Dive, or you take away the outside/inside veer options, or the midline. Its akin to making a team one dimensional by stacking the box to stop the run or dropping 8 into coverage. You pick the ones that are most lethal and force the rest to beat you.

Steele has witnessed it first-hand, too. He said Johnson is adept at scanning the opponent’s defense, then quickly capitalizing on weak links, substitutions and tendencies.

"He’s got a knack for that kind of stuff," Steele said. "He’s kind of like, ‘OK, the safety just made the tackle on this play. Now let’s run the same play…action (pass).’ And they run the post behind the safety for a touchdown because he knows the safety’s going to be trying to stop the run again and the corner’s going to be one-on-one.

"He’s always a step ahead. He’s going to see how you’re lining up and attack, so if you’re giving them something he’ll find it pretty quick. Then you’ve got to get that stopped and he’ll see how you’re doing that and he’ll attack something else."

I expect Kyle Parker to have a good night in the air against GT, assuming Walker can contain Derrick Morgan. Our receivers did not have trouble with Georgia Tech's split coverages and now that the offensive attack has improved I think we can score plenty on GT. CJ will need a gamebreaker or two though, should they control the clock and keep us off the field. The best that we could hope for is a huge early lead, and force them to play catchup. Last week, they didnt feel like playing and hopefully this week the leadership will right the ship and we can pull off the conference title and Orange Bowl bid we've all been waiting for.

Danny Ford recognized in Tampa for being a legend in the same year Clemson finally makes it to the ACC Championship....a coincidence? I dont think so.

My head tells me to pick GT. Something else tells me to pick the Tigers. I think we win it.

Q/A with Block-C

BirdGT — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Richard Shiro - AP

Clemson fans use Block-C as a cyber-shepherd to herd their minds and bodies. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

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Winfield, before departing on his epic interstate journey, sent Block-C a set of questions. Willy Mac and Chili scribbled some answers down on used napkins and Fed-Exed them back to Winfield. Block-C sent us questions as well and here are our answers. Here are their responses to our questions:

1. Once again, we're gonna ask how many trick plays will Dabo call and how many of these plays will result in turnovers or points for GT (examples: 1, 2, and 3)
Well, the first trick play was an illegal one ya'll ran that should have been called on the field. Who thought CPJ was such a huge fan of The Little Giants? Great movie and I hear that he swears by it, even forcing players to stay extra after film sessions sometimes to watch it. So, in summation I don't know how Dabo runs a trick play for your team... uh... next video. That was Dabo's first game as our interim head coach and you can chalk that one up to first game jitters. We've seen plenty of trick plays, so surely Dabo & company aren't naïve enough to run something they've shown in the regular season against a defense as good as Tech's. I'd say zero as ball management and control will be key issues seeing as they led to our demise against Carolina.

2. Battle Royal in a steel cage. Mike Hogewood, Heather Dinich, John Swofford, Ron Cherry, Ted Valentine, Dean Smith, Jay Bilas, & Bill Curry all enter a steel cage. Who climbs the ladder and takes the ACC Personality Championship Title Belt?
Ok, you gentlemen just mashed three different types of matches up. You really swung for the fences with that one... shoulda hit the abort button. Being from Atlanta, the heart of traditional old school southern wrestling, you guys should honestly know better, be ye Tech nerd or lowly Lavonia-dwelling tire burner. How about this, we'll just make it a Hell in a Cell match? Can we agree to those terms? If we're going with those rules I'd have to choose Mike Hogewood. No one brings destruction like the Hog. He's also the new on air announcer for Ring of Honor. If we're going Battle Royal you gotta go with Swoff as he's squatty and a heel. He loves to fuck people over. He's from the Triangle so he knows the cheap tricks like blading and eye gouging. Ladder match would go to the high flying and nimble Heather Dinich. But all must pay the toll to the Hog first and foremost.

3.With the loss to South Carolina, is it killing any of the Clemson buzz to come to Tampa?
Of course it is. You guys know exactly what we're talking about. Nobody want's to see bumper stickers that say something to the effect of "SEC Dogshit Team 1, ACC Champion 0" you know? But again, every once in a while you have to drop one to little brother so it's not that big of a deal. They're going to crow for a year, then we'll beat them the next three or four times. It feels alright now that we're one week removed because it reminds you that they'll be going to a super shitty bowl game and we are playing for a chance to get a BCS bowl.

4. Willy and Chili, before the game...group hug and a case of beer to wash the wounds away?
Sure, but you better not be looking for an goose up the leg. We know how you Tech guys roll and we aren't into that stuff, thank you kindly good sirs. Also, you're gonna have to get the beer. Look man, we just had to pay the cell phone and cable, we're fresh out of money man. But hey, we're good for it. You know that right? We got you man. Don't worry. Next time man. We know we stiffed you on the last beer run too, but cmon, we're friends... we're good for it.

5. Read into your Clemson crystal ball. What is in Kyle Parker's future?
Seeing as he's way better in baseball and technically he's a junior in that sport, we seem him probably bolting for the money. He's going to be looking at a humongous payday in the MLB and he's a preseason collegiate All-American. Either way, we have a capable back up in Tahj Boyd. We'll have to go through the growing pains again, but this year he's been running the scout team and DeAndre McDaniel (our awesome safety) says that Tahj Boyd is the best quarterback in the ACC that the first string defense has faced this year. So... poot on you guys next year.

Thanks for the response Block-C. We hope you lose.

Beggars Can Be Choosers: Tigers, two different kinds

Rodger Sherman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:03:49 -0000

So, last week I pumped out this post about teams from the ACC Northwestern could hypothetically play in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Well, folks, I was a bit less than comprehensive: I highlighted four teams: UNC, Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College. I shoulda highlighted five: with a loss to South Carolina this week, the ACC Championship game-bound Clemson Tigers are also a highly likely choice for the Cats, so, my bad on that one.

I'll also preview another group of Tigers who we could play in the surprisingly high chance we go to the Outback Bowl. So check it.

Clemson Tigers (8-4, 6-2 ACC)

Left on the docket: No. 10 Georgia Tech, in the ACC Championship game, this Saturday at 8. These teams met in week 2, and a No. 15 ranked Yellow Jackets squad got the 30-27 victory. The TIgers were actually down 24-0, but managed to rally, only to lose on a last-minute field goal. Either way, I don't see things going too well for Clemson in this matchup.

Season thus far: Clemson's had a pretty mediocre one for an 8-4 team to be completely honest. They went 1-2 against top-25 opponents, eking out a OT win against Miami, 40-37. The Tigers were lucky to be in the silly weak ACC Atlantic division, which contains only two other bowl eligible teams, 8-4 Boston College and 6-6 FSU, and did their part going 4-1 against these teams, but dropping an embarrassing game to a Maryland team that went on to be 2-10. Still, that 6-2 conference record was good enough to clinch the division with two weeks to go, and the Tigers had a six-game win streak and a No. 18 ranking heading into last week's matchup against South Carolina, but a loss catapulted them back to earth and a potential Champs Sports Bowl bid.

Pros to playing them: Playing another school which uses a purple uniform set would definitely make me feel better about myself and less alone in this big, cold, college football color spectrum we live in today.

Clemson has that double-whammy of looking like a good team because they're a win away from being a BCS team, but also being a squad that's best described as above average.

Cons: NU has a bad habit of playing teams that probably should have gone to better bowls, and if Clemson is in Orlando, they'll be riding a two-game losing streak that's seen them slip from at least second on the SEC bowl ladder to fourth or fifth. We have an even worse habit of losing to those teams in those bowl games when their coach gives them the "let's show those other bowls what they're missing out on" speech, and then they beat us by dozens and dozens of points and we feel the sadness.

Despite all the hatefesting I've put on Clemson in the past few paragraphs, they're offense ain't one to reckon with. CJ Spiller, ACC player of the year, is Clemson's senior running back, and he hasn't averaged less than five yards a carry in any of those four seasons he's been a major member of their running attack, oh, and HE'S THE ALL TIME LEADER FOR MOST CAREER KICKOFF RETURNS FOR TOUCHDOWNS IN NCAA HISTORY. With seven. Judging from our lackluster special teamsage this year, that's not good. Also, for a freshman, Kyle Parker has been a serviceable QB, so it ain't just the Spiller show.

Likelihood of playing them: First off, they best lose next week, because if they win, they'll be guaranteed a BCS bowl berth and that will push all our Big Ten buddies a spot down the ladder, and that could theoretically push us a spot down the ladder and send us back to good ol' San Antonio instead of Orlando. But if they lose, I'd say it's pretty likely we play them, as their 8-5 record would put them fourth in the conference. It's really a question of whether the higher ACC bowls would rather have an 8-5 Clemson, who were just in the conference championship game after winning their division, or a 9-3 Miami, who was a better team all year but lost their one head-to-head matchup. I'd say Clemson's more likely to get picked higher, but time will tell.

Okay, so I was going to put a post up on potential Outback Bowl opponents - I mean, it's a stretch that we get picked, but even the most conservative estimate gives us a 15-20% chance of heading to Tampa, and the Outback Bowl is pretty much every NU fan's dream at this point in time. However, the Outback Bowl went ahead and made my posting job a lot easier by narrowing that whole list of potential opponents to only one: these fellas.

Auburn Tigers (7-5, 3-5 SEC)

Left on the docket: Well, the Outback Bowl, New Years day, featuring these guys and either Northwestern or Wisconsin. You see, the Outback Bowl picked Auburn today as their SEC representative, and uh, well, Auburn fans are happy (and confused), but everybody else is some combination of mad and confused. I'll explain why.

Season thus far: Auburn is one of ten bowl-eligible SEC teams, and some would say they're the worst. They're 7-5, one of six 7-5 teams in the conference, and have lost to three of those teams, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Georgia. They've lost five of their last seven games, the only wins being against Furman and No. 25 Mississippi, the only ranked opponent the Tigers have faced beaten all year. But the Outback Bowl has somewhere between the 3-5 picks from the SEC, and generally picks a team from the SEC East. So, there's some understandable outcry over them picking a team that might be the tenth best in the conference and comes from the SEC West. The only real positives to their season were the Mississippi and a win over Tennessee, one of those other 7-5 teams, and the one that until today seemed the most likely to go Outback.

Pros to playing them: SO MANY PROS.

They're not that good.

They're from the SEC, the best conference in football. (Let's be real.)

It's a big name school.

It's the highest bowl we could possibly qualify for, and it's on New Year's Day.

WE MIGHT WIN.

Cons: Winning induces joy, and the amount of joy generated by a hypothetical Northwestern bowl victory on New Year's Day against an Auburn team that doesn't belong in a relatively prestigious bowl that, let's face it, we probably don't belong in either, might expose Northwestern fans to a previously incomprehensible and dangerously high amount of joy, causing Northwestern's fan base into turn a bunch of soulless, pleasure-craving hedonists, causing many to forget about their worldly duties and become drug addicts, living from one high to the next, turning Ryan Field into a massive opium den or 47,000 seat outdoors meth lab.

Oh, wait, I meant to say "I can't think of any cons." Sorry, that came out wrong.

Likelihood of playing them: Well, our chance of playing Auburn is exactly as high as our chance of playing in the Outback Bowl. So about 15-20%.

In conclusion, I'ma go head and rank the potential teams I've discussed in order from most likely to least likely we're going to play them:

Miami.
Clemson. If we earn the Champs Sports Bowl bid, we're most likely going to play one of these two teams, and it seems pretty coin-flippy to me. I'd also say the hypothetical chance they win the ACC makes it less likely that we play them than Miami, but, this is all semantics, so, deal with it.
Auburn. I think it's more likely that we play in the Outback than in the Champs Sports against the other three teams.
North Carolina. It would be a stretch for the Tar Heels to get selected over Miami or Clemson, but they've got the head-to-head over Miami and some other decent wins to prove it. Definitely a better schedule than the one Clemson faced.
Boston College. Nah. Das a HUUUUUUGE jump.
Virginia Tech. Too good. They're going to a better bowl than any of the ones discussed.

Reviewing Clemson at South Carolina: Final Notes

Gamecock Man — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:30:35 -0000

More photos » by Richard Shiro - AP

Need a Pepcid, C. J.?

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A few more thoughts on Saturday's romp over the Tigers...

Take a quick scan of the Clemson blogs and message boards and you'll see lots of excuses and lame appeals to the Tigers superior overall record; in other words, a general inability to accept the facts here, which are that Saturday's win was a rout. However, our friend at Shakin the Southland took a more insightful tack in his informative wrap up. If I were a Tigers fan, I'd probably be most unhappy about what STS had to say here: "Apparently Billy doesn't have the address to this blog, because we have consistently professed how to beat South Carolina's defense--RUN THE BALL BETWEEN THE TACKLES." STS is right here. I was extremely surprised that Clemson gave up on downfield running so quickly in this game. I mean, seriously, when you're playing a team with great defensive speed but a soft middle, you don't run more reverses and end arounds than ISOs and dives. Clemson, though, gave up on what should have been their bread and butter against us. Tigers fans can thank their coaching staff for panicking and playing right into our hands.
I'll also have to say that Dabo's choice to engage in excuse making--especially when his excuse is that his Heisman contender had an upset tummy--was quite surprising. Dabo has been, so far, a leader for Clemson, not an excuse-maker. Weak move on his part, IMO.
In a related vein, you can't deny that Dabo has done a good job this year, loss to Carolina aside. Anytime a first year coach takes his team to the conference championship game would have to be considered a success. However, next year will be a tougher test for Dabo, as he loses nearly all of his offensive firepower, including C.J. Spiller, Michael Palmer, and Jacoby Ford. Kyle Parker may also opt for a pro baseball career. While you have to give Dabo some credit, you also have to admit that the stars were aligned for him this year; he had an experienced football team in a weak division. Next year might not be so easy.
On the opposite end of the coaching matchup, give Steve Spurrier credit for what he did in this game. After weeks of criticism and questions about coaching duties, Spurrier dialed up a winning game plan. I'm very impressed. That kind of performance is what we brought the guy here for.
We definitely benefitted from turnovers in this game. Not only were our first two forced turnovers game changers in every sense of the term, but we also managed to dodge a couple of bullets, one on a fumble that I was sure Clemson had recovered. Luck wasn't the only factor in a game in which we whipped the Tigers in the trenches, but it played a part. I'll take it, though.
Officiating was garbage. I'll buy the announcers' explanation of the supposed fair catch signal, but I'm not going to give the officials a pass for not calling a PF on the hit that took Kenny Miles out of the game. There were also some missed interference calls, which I guess is only fitting in this series. We also got away with a couple, including when Stephen Garcia tripped McDaniel. Funny, but should have been a flag, especially in a series known for violence.
The TV coverage was also pretty bush league. How many plays did we miss because of commercials?

Well, that's a wrap on this glorious win. Actually, I guess it's not a wrap, because we'll have this one to crow to our orange-clad brethren about for at least a year. Go 'Cocks!

I'll be back tomorrow with some thoughts on our bowl situation.

South Carolina Thoughts...Moving Forward to Georgia Tech

FIGUREFOUR — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:48:57 -0000

Clemson Tigers

Well, maybe it is not that bad, but the tremors from the bomb SC dropped on us yesterday are still resonating throughout the Palmetto State. I had to take a 24 hour moratorium on writing this item to allow the dust to settle and to avoid penning an article that would be too emotional and ultimately detrimental for anyone reading. So, objectively, I will review the items that we were watching yesterday and add additional details as necessary. The positive thing that we as Clemson fans have going for us is a trip to Tampa and a good opportunity for another game in Miami.

Did the Tigers appear distracted and overlook the Gamecocks? It appeared as though this team was a little too confident coming into this contest. While historical records certainly favor the Tigers (as we constantly point out and joke about here), this is 2009 and what happened in the past will not win you football games today. While I think the coaching staff was aware that this was a big game and that South Carolina would not roll over in the same fashion they did last season, the players were not serious enough about this football game. Hopefully this is a real eye-opener for this team and for the staff. Nobody's crowning their asses yet, as an Atlantic Division title--while nice--doesn't mean much if Clemson cannot take care of business. The coaching staff will need to use this game as a reminder to future teams that all games are important and any team can win on any given day. While distraction/overconfidence may have played a role in CU's loss, it certainly was not the sole reason for the outcome of yesterday's football game.

Special teams played a role in Saturday's football game, as predicted. Clemson and C. J. Spiller did a nice job taking advantage of an opening kickoff penalty by the Gamecocks. Spiller was able to return his 7th kickoff for a touchdown and set a new NCAA career record in this category. Clemson was able to convert all PAT attempts as well as its sole FG attempt on the afternoon. CU (Da'Quan Bowers) blocked a South Carolina FG and was the benefactor of a huge mental error on the Gamecocks, as the Cocks partially blocked a punt then touched the ball, giving Clemson a gift first down on a Michael Wade--I believe--recovery and denying SC great field position. Unfortunately, Clemson committed a big roughing the kicker penalty (Ricky Sapp, I believe, while engaged with a SC blocker, roughed up the punter), continuing a SC drive after the defense held them to a 3 and out effort. Overall, I think we are all happy with this effort.

The running game was critical in this affair. SC came out and did something that they have not done all year--find a running game and stick with it. USC churned out 223 yard on the ground, with Freshman Kenny Miles leading this effort with 17 carries for 114 yards. I really did not expect SouthCarolina to be able to come out and stick it to our defense in such a fashion. Carolina has not done this all year and has really struggle with their run blocking. The rushing success out of the Wildcat formation and on designed QB keepers was more expected, as such items have hurt Clemson previously this season (Virginia, Georgia Tech, and TCU all come to mind). Clemson and offensive coordinator Billy Napier produced 48 yards on 19 carries. Apparently Billy doesn't have the address to this blog, because we have consistently professed how to beat South Carolina's defense--RUN THE BALL BETWEEN THE TACKLES. Clemson instead attempted reverses and everything but lining up and attacking this team right up the gut. Clemson did not even try to commit to the inside running game, and probably ran more reverses and such than simple ISO and inside trap plays. This was a facet of Napier's playcalling that I was really disappointed with, and cannot accept any excuses for not feeding Spiller/Ellington/Harper the rock inside more (other than Harper's fumble and the poor play of our offensive line, which we will get to later on). Championship coaches identify opponent's weaknesses and hammer them. Carolina has been poor in the middle of their defense for years. Clemson's rushing strategy was simply not acceptable. Clemson's inability to rush the ball negated the effectiveness of play action (which Clemson has successfully utilized over the last portion of this season) as the game progressed.

Turnovers, in a nutshell, killed the Tigers. Harper's early fumble, in my opinion, was the turning point of the football game. Up 7 and driving after forcing a Steven Garcia INT, Clemson had a chance to really get it going inside Gamecock territory. Instead, Jamie Harper puts the ball on the ground and a complete momentum shift occurred. South Carolina has given up several times this season (Tennessee and Arkansas immediately come to mind), and goiing up 14-0 early in the game would have been deflating for this team. Instead, SouthCarolina comes out and drives right down the field, with Stephon Gilmore leading the charge out of the Wildcat formation. His completion to fellow Freshman Alshon Jeffery was impressive. This drive was very well planned, as SOS did a good job here of changing the pace while still capturing the big play we were used to seeing out the the Old Ball Coach while at Florida. Not to digress too far, but this was set up by a key Clemson turnover. On the flip side, Clemson benefited from one interception and the a gift from the blocked punt, neither of which turned into points for the Tigers. Clemson had many opportunities to take the ball from Carolina, but were unable to simply fall on the football when USC put it on the ground. Losing the turnover battle and not making the most of SC's mistakes is probably the telling tale of this football game.

Offensive line play, simply stated, was terrible for Clemson. Clifton Geathers and Cliff Matthews each had big games against the Tigers' tackles. Shaq Wilson and Eric Norwood were harassing Kyle Parker all afternoon with designed blitzes. This was the most disappointing portion of this football game. Clemson looked as inept against SC as it did earlier in the year when everyone we played whipped out OL. This time, however, all members of the OLgot embarrassed. Kyle Parker had no protection all afternoon and was constantly running for his life. We have discussed here what we think the main problem with this line is (and where it all started). I would strongly suggest reading both of these articles by Dr. B (2008 and 2009 Editions, linked immediately following this sentence), as I will not get too far into this today (I fully expect this issue to be a hot topic over the course of the next few weeks/months. 2008 Edition and 2009 Edition. South Carolina, on the other hand, whipped us up front and ran the ball well (see above). Because they could run the ball, they did not have to throw the ball (and pass protect) against a really good CU pass defense.

Clemson did a poor job defensively. The defense looked winded to me late. Clemson had some botched gap assignments and missed a few tackles. Carolina had over 36 min of total offense, tiring the Clemson defense. Clemson got pushed around up front and were unable to force as many three and out drives as we have seen all season long. Once again, SC'sability to dominate up front, control the ball with their rushing game, and capitalize on drives (with touchdowns) kept the Clemson defense on the field and getting pushed around. This is the first time all year that I can remember this D-Line getting out-muscled.

Overall, South Carolina simply wanted it more. They came out and took it to us in the trenches. SOS and Ellis Johnson had pretty good gameplans on both sides of the football, and the Gamecocks executed pretty well. Carolina was the benefactor of a couple big breaks and bounces of the football (Clemson cannot recover two fumbles, SC field goal banks through the uprights, etc...). Fortunately, as mentioned earlier in the week, this game means nothing (other than the fact that I get to hear trash talk all year from my Cockfan coworkers and others), as Clemson can redeem itself and capture an Orange Bowl invitation by defeating Georgia Tech Saturday night in Tampa.

There were a few positives Satruday. C. J. Spiller was able to set an NCAA record with his game-opening kickoff return for a TD. Unfortunately, Spiller was able to contribute little after that, as his run for the Heisman took a significant hit against the Gamecocks. Michael Palmer had 8 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. This was the first 100 yard passing game since 1970, and only the second in school history, per the Greenville News. Palmer and Allen have combined this season to break many of the TE records set by Pittsburgh Steelers legend Bennie Cunningham in the 1970's. This game should be a real eye-opener and give the coaches plenty to harp on until next September.

On to Tampa. The Tigers will do battle with The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for the honor of representing the ACC in this year's Orange Bowl. You all remember Clemson's first Thursday night game against Tech earlier in the season. Tech, like Clemson, comes into this contest following a stinging loss to its in-state rival (I feel for them, cause I absolutely hate Georgia). Clemson cannot afford to commit the stupid mistakes it made against Tech earlier in the year, particularly on special teams. We both think that Clemson has an excellent chance to win this weekend, especially after watching Georgia run all over GT. The Willie Martinez-led defense was able to hold GT to 340 total yards and just over 200 on the ground. If Willie can be effective against this potent offense, there is no reason Clemson shouldn't have a good change at slowing them down. We will get into more game analysis and keys to this contest as the game gets closer. Here are some of our opinions and overviews of the first contest against Tech. These are good reads and are good homework/holdover materials until we release some new material later in the week.

http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2009/09/gt-preview_10.html

http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2009/09/what-to-look-for-against-gt.html

http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2009/09/impressions-before-looking-at-film30-27.html

http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2009/09/clemson-falls-to-gt-30-27.html

http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2009/09/defensive-breakdowns-against-gt.html

Here are some notes on basic strategies and palys GT will use on Saturday:

http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2009/06/gt-defensing-flexbone-basics.html

http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2009/07/gt-defending-run-shoot.html

http://mgoblog.com/diaries/spread-run-game-nuances

What to Look for, CU/USC

FIGUREFOUR — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:19:20 -0000

Clemson Tigers versus South Carolina Gamecocks

Time: 12:00 NOON

TV Coverage: ESPN

Radio Coverage: WCCP (www.wccpfm.com)

Location: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC

CUAD Notes ESPN Preview Rivals Preview

The Palmetto Rivalry is right here, as the 8-3 Clemson Tigers (15 AP, 18 BCS, and 16 USA Today) travel to the 6-5 South Carolina Gamecocks. This game is for pride only, as Clemson has secured its spot as the ACC Atlantic Division representative and the Cocks are bowl eligible. Clemson looks to extend its series win streak to 3 games, while South Carolina looks for its 2nd win against Clemson at the Brice in 22 years. We will be watching quite a few areas of this football game from both teams.

First and foremost will be the level of enthusiasm displayed by the Tigers. With the Atlantic Division crown wrapped up, this game really means nothing in the grand scheme of things other than bragging rights for yet another year. Will the Tigers come out fired up and ready to play, or will they be looking forward to next week's contest with GT in Tampa? Swinney and crew have been successful getting this team ready to play each week, and Swinney (an Alabama boy) understands the importance of a rivalry game. Consequently, I do not think complacency will be an issue.

Special teams is always on the list, and will play into this football game. Clemson has had trouble kicking field goals the past 3 weeks, so I really hope this game is not close coming down the stretch. Richard Jackson looked much better last week against UVa than he did against FSU, so that is a little more assuring. Switching gears, SC's kick coverage team has been less than impressive all season. Consequently, look for the Cocks to kick away from both C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford. This decision takes the ball out ofeach of Clemson's dynamic return man's hands, yet should give the Tigers excellent field position all afternoon.

Running games. This is where the tempo and overall strategy of the game will be set. South Carolina has struggled to maintain a consistent rushing attack all season, putting more pressure of SO QB Stephen Garciaand a less than impressive offensive line. South Carolina needs the threat of a running game to neutralize Clemson's excellent pass rush and keep the defense honest. If Carolina cannot run the ball, the Gamecocks' offense is in a tough position as they face one of the best passing defenses in the nation. Clemson, on the other hand, needs to take advantage of a glaring weakness in this SC defense, the interior area. SC lacks quality depth at the both the DT and ILB positions. If Clemson can get an inside running game going early, it could get ugly quickly. Clemson must stay committed to running the ball between the tackles to wear out this defense. I am not big on getting too far outside of the tackles, as USC does have pretty good team speed on defense, and there is really no need in getting outside at the first level against these guys.

Turnovers. Clemson has been good at creating these this season, and South Carolina has committed devastating mistakes at critical moments in football games. South Carolina will not be able to hang with the Tigers if they go out and beat themselves with turnovers. Clemson, on the other hand, has been getting progressively better at eliminating mistakes. Freshman Kyle Parkerhas matured over the season and is now playing with confidence and as a leader. Clemson should win the turnover battle, and could break the Gamecocks' spirits with a +2 or more turnover margin.

Offensive Line Play. Clemson has improved greatly over the course of this season, and can now at least create some holes for the backs and give QB Kyle Parker time to throw the ball. Clemson has benefited from Danny Pearman helping with the tackles and tight ends. Splitting Mason Cloy's time between guard and center has allowed the Tigers to rest Austin/McClain and move David Smith to tackle (which is a gift and allows Pearman to keep Corey Lambert off the field). Thus, while Clemson's offensive line is not the best in school history, it is much improved over last season. South Carolina's offensive line has seen some improvements over last season, even though the statistics show otherwise. South Carolina under John Hunt was nothing less than pitiful. Eric Wolford has made some improvements, but still has a ways to go (the fact that walk-on Garrett Chisolm wasn't even on the team during camp, and now starts is mind-boggling to me--even after Clemson got Bobby Hutchinson back on the field from his grad assistant role). SC is still at the bottom of the SEC statistical list in rushing statistics and has given up 33 sacks.

Clemson's defense should be excited about this contest. Clemson has tallied 33 sacks to this point, with Rickey Sapp leading the effort with 5, and Da'Quan Bowersand Brandon Mayewith 3 each. I am anticipating a few errant passes by Garcia because of the pressure. This bodes well for a defense that has already forced 20 ints. DeAndre McDaniel leads this group with 8 picks on the year, followed by Rashard Hall who has 5.

South Carolina will need to execute timing and 3-step drop routes in order to have success offensively. Clemson's man/man-press coverage should challenge some of these timing routes. However, I am a bit concerned with the size advantage that USC has with Gurley/Jeffrey. I fully expect some jump balls to Jeffrey. I also expect to see some deception similar to the reverses and direct snaps we saw against Virginia last week.

I want to see better play out of Brandon Maye this week. There is no doubt that Maye is a talented player, with excellent speed and power. However, we have seen Maye commit several key penalties (the personal foul last week was unnecessary and extended a UVa drive and helped NCST at times the week before). Brandon has to take better angles to the football and keep himself in plays by getting in better position. All of these items are correctable...this guy has a motor that constantly runs and has made some nice, intense plays this season, but is his own worst enemy.

Clemson has won 9 of the last 10 at the Brice, and has had 3 out of 4 against Steven Orr. I expect this game to fall in the same direction as 9 of the last 10 have, but expect it to be a little closer than most of the Tiger faithful would like. Look for USC to throw out all the stops early, as this is a big game for the Cocks. Losing the balance of the November games yet again and finishing 6-6 would be deflating. I look for a game similar to the Tiger's ACC finale against UVa. This one will be back and forth to half, with Clemson making the necessary adjustments to win this bad boy. (Remember, it is only year 3).

Here are some stats from the season (courtesy of http://www.cfbstats.com/2009/team/).

Scenario	Clemson's Record	USC's Record
All Games	8-3	6-5
at Home	5-1	5-1
on Road	2-2	1-4
at Neutral Site	0-0	0-0
on Grass Field	8-3	6-5
on Turf Field	0-0	0-0
vs. Conference	6-2	3-5
vs. Non-Conf	2-1	3-0
vs. Winning	4-2	2-5
vs. Non-Winning	4-1	4-0
vs. Ranked (AP)	1-2	1-2
vs. Unranked (AP)	7-1	5-3
in Aug/Sept	2-2	3-1
in October	3-1	3-2
in November	3-0	0-2
in Dec./Jan.	0-0	0-0

Previewing Clemson at South Carolina: Q & A with Shakin' the Southland

Gamecock Man — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:27:33 -0000

In an effort to prove that blogging can bring sworn enemies together on a plane of peace and amity, Shakin' the Southland and I got together for a little meeting of the minds to discuss the big game this weekend. (My answers to his questions are forthcoming.)

1. What are your thoughts on C. J. Spiller and the Heisman?

CJ Spiller may be the greatest all around player in Clemson history and has done everything that he can do to help this team win. Unfortunately, Clemson's loss to Maryland coupled with lacking rushing numbers really hurt Spiller's chances. I really wish that Spiller would have been able to pad his numbers with more carries against MTSU (4 carries 12 yards) and Coastal (5 carries 27 yards).

When you look at all Spiller has accomplished this season while being hurt for the majority of the season, his accomplishments from week to week are unbelievable. CJ is the best all-around player I have ever seen. Long and the short of it, CJ Spiller is deserving of the Heisman (and is the most valuable and most all-around complete player in the sport), but I unfortunately don't think that he will win the award.

2. Dabo Swinney has already managed to achieve the goal that so consistently eluded Tommy Bowden: Dabo has won an Atlantic Division title and a berth in the ACC Title Game. What is Dabo doing better than his predecessor, or is this season's success just attributable to the stars aligning?

Coach Swinney does quite a few things better than CTB did. First and foremost, this team is excited and ready each and every week. Bowden repeatedly made comments that his job was not to get the team excited to play football. Swinney has a more emotional fire, and challenges this team constantly. It is apparent to me that this Clemson team plays much harder under Swinney than it did for Bowden.

Second, Swinney has instilled a much more aggressive attitude for this team. Swinney removed OC Rob Spence and DC Vic Koenning and replaced them with Billy Napier and Kevin Steele. Spence's offense, which is rather complex, relied on a series of short passes and screens was replaced with a simplified offense designed to take shots and get the ball in playmakers' (Spiller and Ford) hands. After the UMd game, Swinney and Napier further simplified the Clemson offense and incorporated the TE's much more. Defensively, Clemson under Koenning played a lot of umbrella coverage and was not aggressive. Steele has shown multiple looks, installed more blitz packages, and plays a lot more man/man press coverage. Clemson's ability to create more pressure coupled with good secondary play has created lots of turnovers and 3 and out series for the Tiger defense.

Finally, I think that the players can relate much better to Swinney than Bowden. Swinney personally recruited a large portion of this team, and the players have a tight bond with Swinney (see Spiller turning down entry to the draft last season to return to CU for another season). Swinney is a little younger, more energetic, and looks to be more in-tune with the players.

3. Tell us a little about how this coaching staff has managed to put together an offense that is so much more consistently competent than last year's despite having to go with a freshman quarterback and without former tailback James Davis?

Freshman QB Kyle Parker has all the tools to be really good, he just lacks experience. KP now is better than Cullen Harper was at the end of last season. Also, Clemson has utilized a solid stable of backs (led by Spiller) throughout the season. While I don't know that Ellington/Harper are better than Davis, they certainly provide good depth at the RB position. In defense to both Harper and Davis, I do think that both players would be better if they were on this team as opposed to last season because this team is better fundamentally and strategically.

We wrote about differences we expected from the Spence offense to the Napier/Swinney offense in length before the season at http://www.shakinthesouthland.com/2009/08/dabospence-elaboration.html . I feel this prognosis is still correct. Clemson has a simpler offense this season. The offense tries to exploit defenses utilizing Clemson's best players. After the UMd game, CU further simplified things and incorporated the TE's more, as TE Michael Palmer is the best pass catcher and route runner on the team. Clemson is better up front than last season and is not afraid to stretch defenses with Jacoby Ford's speed. Consequently, I believe that this offense is better because it is more fundamentally sound, tougher, not as complex, and is more strategically focused than one year ago.

4. Clemson seems to be becoming DE U. What's the story there? How do you so consistently keep your roster stocked with such great ends?

Both Sapp and Bowers are from Bamberg and were highly rated coming out of HS. Goodman is from Florence. Clemson has done a great job identifying in-state talent and keeping these guys from leaving the state. Andre Branch (Richmond, Va) has provided some nice depth for us this year. Kevin Alexander has been a solid player his entire CU career both from the end position and at LB. Kourtnei Brown, a JR from Charlotte, is redshirting this season and will provide more depth for the next two seasons.

Clemson has drawn such talent to the school not only by utilizing talented recruiters (Swinney, Napier, Rumph for the guys mentioned above), but also by presenting past successes. Putting Gaines Adams and Phillip Merlin in the pros makes recruiting a lot easier.

5. How on earth did you manage to hold a pretty decent BC team to just over 50 yards? That's unbelievable! Can Clemson's D play like that against Carolina?

Clemson's defense is probably the best and hardest hitting out of Tigertown since Coach Ford's recruits were still competing. That being said, Clemson is fortunate to have a very good and aggressive defensive coordinator in Kevin Steele. Steele is great at putting together personnel and blitz packages that exploit and confuse offenses. This is the main reason for the early season success against BC. However, you need to also remember that BC opened with two inferior (Northeastern and Kent State ) opponents with a relatively young team and a QB controversy going into the Clemson game. Thus, Clemson had better (and more experienced) players, a fantastic strategy, and caught BC at the right time of the year.

South Carolina has not been consistent running the football all year. If the Gamecocks become one-dimensional, Clemson should be able to utilize its superior line to get to Garcia. I think that SC would be more successful running three-step timing routes than hoping Garcia can scramble and make things happen moving around inside and outside the pocket. Clemson has agile and very fast big men who have maintained containment for most of the season. Also, Clemson has some ball-hawks in the secondary, particularly DeAndre McDaniel. If Garcia gets sloppy with the ball, CU will make him pay.

I am a little concerned about Alshon Jeffery and Tori Gurley because of Clemson's aggressive defensive strategy. Both of these guys have a distinct height advantage over both Crezdon Butler and Chris Chancellor. If SC can get these guys on an island, I expect a few jump balls to be thrown in each player's (specifically Jeffery's) direction. Throwing these passes out of a 3-step drop will severely offset Clemson's advantage up front.

The one thing that Clemson has done well all year is make adjustments. Consequently, if South Carolina is going to have success offensively, I would expect to see it before half.

6. Tell us about what this rivalry means to Clemson fans from your point of view.

This rivalry is a big game for the simple fact that there is not a day that passes in this state that Clemson and South Carolina football are not discussed. I think fan's passion about this game has made it a little more important to Clemson's program over the past few years because coaches (Bowden nearly every year since '03 and Swinney last season) were fighting to retain their jobs, and a win over the in-state rival really helps this cause. This game is important for in-state recruiting and for the boosters, as players want to play for winners and boosters want to donate to winners.

Because each resident of the state is either a Clemson fan or a SC fan, everyone knows something about both teams. In fact, most fans make it a point to watch not only their own team's game each week but the rival's also. Such intimacy with the opponent increases the emotion involved all season long until the November rivalry game.

We have kind of gotten used to winning a lot of these games, but that does not change the fact that this one is important to everyone in the state. Coach Ford had a tough time getting over the '87 game, and every now and then you still see a "I Turned Danny In" bumper sticker. Cockfan still complains about the 2000 rendition and the numbers 63 and 17 mean something completely different to residents of this state than they do to the rest of the country. So this game is really an excuse for one side to talk trash to the other, and neither party wants to be on the losing end of that one.

7. Give us a prediction. How will the game go down, who will win, and how confident are you in your prognosis?

I think that this one will get off to a fast start. I fully expect USC to throw the book at Clemson's defense Saturday. I expect SC to do some things similar to what UVa did in the first half, with some single wing/wildcat plays, reverse passes, etc. I think this thing goes into half, knotted at 14 each. Steele makes necessary adjustments at half and CU wins 28-24. I look for a strong showing from the USC defense, but see Spiller, Ellington, and Harper wearing USC down and gashing this defense for large chunk of yards as the game progresses.

Previewing Clemson at South Carolina: Topics for Discussion on the Tigers Offense

Gamecock Man — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:22:45 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

Clemson's quarterback Kyle Parker (11) throws downfield during the first half of their NCAA college football game against Middle Tennessee State Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009, in Clemson, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

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Can we slow down C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford? The Tigers use the spread to get Spiller and Ford the ball in space quite often. (Note to Tommy Bowden: this is how you take advantage of your best players.) You'll also see them use Ford as a deep threat and Spiller on wheel routes. This offense presents unique challenges to our defense, but in the end, what's important is that our linebackers and safeties play smart, don't get lost in coverage, and don't miss tackles. If they do, we can slow these guys down, as some teams with less athletes than us have managed to do to some degree. If we don't, though, it could be a long day for our defense. One thing to note is that we've seemed to be a bit more vulnerable to teams that pound the ball than teams like Clemson, so history would suggest that we'll do OK.

Can we pressure Kyle Parker? The Tigers are 44th in the country in sacks allowed, which suggests that they enjoy good but not great pass protection. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, have had an inconsistent pass rush. At times, such as against Ole Miss and Alabama, Eric Norwood and our ends have looked unstoppable when rushing the quarterback. At other times, we've put very little pressure on the quarterback. Not surprisingly, when we do get pressure, our defense looks like one of the best in the country. Let's hope we do it this week, as well.

Can we force turnovers? Kyle Parker has thrown nine interceptions on the year. If we want some turnovers, we'll have to try to get to him, as the running backs for this team are pretty sure handed. Forcing a couple of turnovers is a big deal in this game; it's not a coincidence that we've struggled so much over the past few weeks while not forcing a single one.

Now it's your turn. What do you have to say to these questions? What important points did I miss?

Quick Thoughts: Through UVa, Early Week Thoughts for USC

FIGUREFOUR — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:20:35 -0000

More photos » by Richard Shiro - AP

about 1 month ago: Clemson's C.J. Spiller (28) acknowledges fans during the first half of their NCAA college football game against Virginia, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009, at Memorial Stadium in Clemson S.C. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro)

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I think we are all pleased that Dabo Swinney, in his first full season at the helm of the Clemson football program, finally meshed the talent that Clemson has recruited with more intensity, enthusiasm, and a winning attitude to completely transform the program from where Tom Bowden left it just over a year ago after getting crushed by Alabama, giving one away to a bad Maryland team, then looking completely inept against Wake Forest. There is nothing like promoting your receivers coach to clean up an underachieving mess. It was also refreshing to see Swinney remove the Mad Scientist from his role, add Pearman, Steele, etc... to the staff, and come out with lots of energy all season. Interestingly, Swinney's contract calls for the 40 year-old coach to receive a nice (approx $1 million) bonus due to Clemson earning a spot in next month's championship game. Not too shabby for the former Crimson Tide walk-on. This incentive-laden contract really was beneficial for both parties.

The Virginia game was, by itself, not entirely impressive other than the fact that Clemson came in and was able to to take care of business and lock up sole possession of 1st place in the Atlantic regardless of how BC plays next week. The defense was obviously confused by the Wildcat formation and the misdirection/trickery from the Wahoos. The defense, led by senior Ricky Sapp, did get it together in the second half to pitch a shutout over the final 30 minutes. I was happy to see this group get after the Virginia QB late in the game and record a half dozen sacks in the final period of the game. Clemson also forced two fumbles on the afternoon, giving this defense 29 turnovers this season. Winning the turnover battle has been extremely important for the Tiger this year because it limits the opponent's touches while keeping them on their heels all game long. I was happy to see Da'Quan Bowers in the game for a handful of plays Saturday. Hopefully he will be ready to go this weekend against Carolina then next again against Tech. Bowers gives us a lot of athleticism and creates depth along the defensive line. Clemson was aided in the second half by an injury to Mikell Simpsonon Virginia's final TD to end the half. Al Groh elaborated after the game on this loss and the how it limited the ability of the Cavaliers and their wildcat strategy.

C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford combined for two great senior efforts to conclude their Death Valley careers, with both tallying touchdowns and Ford breaking the 100 yard receiving threshold on the day. Kyle Parker again had a steady day, compleing 19 of 26 passes for 234 yards and 2 tds. His maturation over the course of this season combined with an exceptionally strong arm and decent mobility set Parker up to be a great collegiate QB should he chose to avoid professional baseball. I was a little disappointed not to see Willy Korn in a mop-up role. His future at Clemson appears to be all but sealed with Parker's success this season and Tajh Boyd becoming available next season. Both Andre Ellington and Jamie Harperboth ran well here, with Ellington punching the rock in for a 3rd quarter TD. Once again, Clemson got good consistent play from the TE's, with Michael Palmer having three grabs and Dwayne Allen bringing down an early TD catch. Rendrick Taylor got a couple looks Saturday. I really expected more out of Taylor over his CU career, but was pleased to see him get some work on senior day.

All in all, this team has played hard all season long. Clemson never gave up, even after the embarrasment at Maryland. In fact, I firmly believe that the meltdown at College Park may have spurned the offensive coaches to return to a more basic and focussed offensive strategy, featuring only the proven playmakers (Spiller, Ford, and the TE's). Since laying an egg against the Terps, Clemson has not been defeated. The defense has continued its solid play and the offense has scored 34 or more points in each of those six contests. The improved play calling and execution coupled with a more focussed attack has silenced both critics of Swinney and Steele. As we pointed out earlier in the season,inexperience from the offensive staff as well as the QB position was a huge question mark, and both areas should immprove as each member gets more real game repetitions week in and week out.

On to our feathered friends in Columbia. South Carolina's season began well and has really tapered off over the balance of the games. After opening the year with a 5-1 record, the Gamecocks (6-5 overall, 3-5 in the SEC) have lost 4 of the past 5 games, with the lone win coming in a low-scoring affair against Vanderbilt. At some points this season, USC has looked like a really good team. Other times, South Carolina has struggled against teams they probably should have beaten handily (Vandy, Arkansas, NCST, and Kentucky come to mind). SOS has openly stated that he has and will continue to have more influence on playcalling and game flow.

This year's team features a talented defense and improved offense. Eric Norwood, school leader in sacks, is the best player on the team. He is a great athlete who runs well and has a nose for the football. Clifton Geathers is a pretty good defensive end, and the secondary (lead by Chris Culliver) rotates in a lot of young but talented DB's. Offensively, this team is much improved from a year ago. Steven Garcia getting more reps and actually participating in spring practice this year has paid off, as Garcia looks night and day better than he did last year. South Carolina has also found a couple of good, tall freshman receivers in Tori Gurley and Alshon Jeffery to compliment senior Moe Brown. Spurrier has repeatedly thrown jump balls the Jeffery, who has 29 receptions and 6 TD's on the season (including 3 TDs in a dominant performance against Kentucky). I really like TE Weslye Saunders. He is freaking huge (6'5", 280 lbs) is a good blocker and catches the ball well. This is one guy who can do some damage if he gets a full head of steam. Up front, bringing in Eric Wolford as offensive line coach has helped tremendously, as South Carolina's OL has improved dramatically since a year ago. Ellis Johnson (former Clemson, Alabama, and Mississippi State DC and Citadel HC) has been successful everywhere he has coached, and was also a quality hire for the Old Ball Coach.

Most of South Carolina's woes arise from depth and experience issues. While South Carolina has improved up front, their rushing attack is still sub-par. Kenny Miles, Jarvis Giles, and Brian Maddox share the carries for this team. I continually question why Maddox gets as many touches as he does because the two freshmen (Miles and Giles) are unquestionably better ball carriers than Maddux. South Carolina's size at receiver and tight end scares me a bit. Clemson likes to play man/man-press coverage, so this size advantage could be a big deal this weekend. Defensively, South Carolina is quick, but thin. The way to attack this defense is head on, as the Gamecocks lack quality depth at linebacker and up front. If you can get the starters tired, there is a nice opportunity to pound this team to death. USC's secondary is good and can hold its own against most any squad. The Alabama game was an excellent illustration of this point, as the Tide and Greg McElroy could do nothing through the air while Mark Ingram averaged 10 ypc and picked up almost 250 yards on the ground.

We will have much more insight on this contest as the week progresses. We are also looking to work with the Gamecock SBNation blog, Garnet And Black Attack, to provide some extra coverage and segments for this week's contest.

Below are highlights from last season's contest.

Reviewing Florida at South Carolina: What It Means and Other Thoughts

Gamecock Man — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:50:33 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

about 1 month ago: South Carolina's Weslye Saunders (88) makes a catch for a touchdown as Florida's Joe Haden (5) defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

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My apologies for being absent for the past couple of days. I made it down to Columbia for the game, so between spending time with old friends and traveling all day yesterday, I haven't had time this weekend to maintain the blog.

As you know, the game itself was exciting. There were some incredible high points, and I'm willing to give the coaches and team some credit for the way they played. A couple of years ago we folded in a similar situation against the Gators in Columbia, and we didn't do that this weekend against a better Gators team. We played them as well as anyone other than Arkansas has this year, and that gives me some hope that this team is going to fight for a win against the Tigers and in their bowl game.

At the end of the day, though, a loss is a loss, and they all add up to a subpar season. We're finishing 3-5 in the SEC. The best possible bowl scenario is the Peach Bowl, and that's only if we beat the Tigers and get some help from some of the other SEC teams in the crowded middle. A more likely bowl destination is probably Nashville or Memphis, and Shreveport or Birmingham aren't out of the realm of possibilities if we can't beat Clemson. That's all incredibly disappointing to me. I really thought this team was capable of doing bigger things, and while I'm willing to give this young group until next year before I really pass judgment on them, I think we should have rightly expected at least eight wins this year, especially after the fast start.

A few more thoughts on the game after the jump.

Despite the turnovers, Stephen Garcia played a quality game. He had Gators in his face more or less all afternoon, yet he still managed to make some great throws and runs. Florida doesn't give you much, but he still managed to take a little bit. I can't wait to see what he looks like next year.
I was also incredibly impressed by our running game. Whatever you want to say about our offensive line's inability to protect Garcia, you have to admit that Eric Wolford has made a difference for the running game. Now if only we could commit to it, like, you know, when it's 3rd and 2 and you can tie it with a field goal.
Our defense also played well. I was especially impressed by Clifton Geathers, who was in the backfield all night. If he can play like that again in two weeks when we have Cliff Matthews back on the field, we can make things frightening for Kyle Parker.
The defense's few hiccups, though, made a major difference. We really whiffed on Riley Cooper's long touchdown.
Florida's defense is unbelievably good. Despite getting some truly breathtaking play at times from Stephen Garcia as well as a surprisingly good from Brian Maddox, the Gators still held us to 14 points and around 250 yards. Moreover, they made the plays when it mattered. The interception at the beginning of the fourth was the big one, obviously, but the multiple sacks on our last couple of drives were also huge for making sure we didn't find a way back into the game.
I sure am glad that we managed to stop Florida on their final drive. Trying to score in that situation was uncalled for on Urban's part, but I guess I wouldn't have expected anything less from Corch.