SB Nation - Willy Korn

Quick Thoughts: Through UVa, Early Week Thoughts for USC

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

More photos » by Richard Shiro - AP

26 days 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.

Clemson - NC State film review

DrB — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:15:24 -0000

by Jim R. Bounds - AP

about 1 month ago: Clemson running back Jamie Harper, left, scores a touchdown on a 69-yard run against North Carolina State during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. Clemson won 42-23. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds)

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Tigers vs Wolfpack boxscore

Tigers vs Wolfpack recap

ESPN Play-by-Play

We're not going to go quite as in-depth as for our FSU review, but will go drive-by-drive. See the end for the summarizing thoughts. Please comment and ask questions on what you dont understand, these take a long time to do well. The goal here is to look for both good plays and bad technique. I may pull a few plays out to discuss the Clemson offense, and if theres anything that you would like to see or have explained, just ask.

1st CU Drive: NC State refuses to kick deep to CJ and Clemson starts on their 37. Kasey Nobles fumbles the kickoff return but recovers. He wasn't prepared to handle that return, it took a bad bounce though. Blast play for 6 from the I. Palmer gets a 1st down on a shallow cross/drag route. Spiller is stopped for a loss on an off-tackle lead play due to a run blitz. Parker puts a bit much on the next throw to Spiller from an empty set. He still needs to work on some touch throws. Hits Spiller underneath again short. Punt

1st Defensive drive: NCSU starts from their 7. Two good plays by Conner to start, but still get 9 yards. Another inside zone play gets 7 yards, really just great effort by Baker here. Clemson is showing a 3-4 front. KA whacks Wilson's arm to go incomplete on his first throw. There was obvious holding on the play. Chancellor was in perfect position to knock the ball away on a fly route. Terrible looking punt but ends up at 35 yards.

We were vulnerable to zone blocking run plays here, the same thing our defense sees from our offense.

2nd CU drive. Fear of Spiller gives Clemson the ball at our 41. Parker goes deep to Ford, I like the call here, go right at this porous pass defense. Ford got pushed out of bounds by a Linebacker. Spiller takes a zone dive from the Gun for 30 yards. This has to be the best run from the Gun I remember this year. Screen to Harper, who then pushes inside on the next play. OL is pushing them around at the POA inside. HB Power gets the first. Ford runs a Corner route, but Parker underthrew it and late. This ball should be over Ford's outside shoulder. Nearly picked by the Safety coming over to help. Zone play to Spiller down to the 11, good initial push by Freeman and Austin here. Parker pass batted down.

Benton sends a dead duck through the uprights, 3-0 CU.

Two drives in, its clear to me that we are able to handle them inside. Probably the first time this year that our OL has been able to whip someone up front in the 1st quarter. Theres a clear trend to go with more I-formation running than zone.

2nd Defensive drive, NCSU 20. Williams drops a 15 yard gain on McDaniel. Clemson playing matchup Cover 2 zone. Clemson sends a WHAM blitz, Maye forces an early throw and we get screwed by a PI call. Gilchrist had his arm around his waist, which is what you TEACH a back to do when the ball is about to be caught. Wilson gets 12 on a bootleg keeper because the DE took a bad angle (too shallow) and lost containment, can't see his number but think its Branch. Jarvis Jenkins eats up a run play for a 4 yard loss.Butler makes a good play to bat down a ball. Maxwell picks off a pass at our 25 that was underthrown and I dont think the receiver looked early enough.....both those balls were underthrown actually. Clemson had a delayed blitz on the play with both LBs.

Clemson D allowed 30 yards in the 1st quarter.

3rd CU drive from our 25. Ellington Iso for 5. Pressure forces an early throw to sail high. They blitz and Dye catches a shallow cross for a 1st down. They had bracket coverage on Ford on that play and the deeper SS was worried about him and not Dye, apparently they learned not to match Ford on a LB, but they had a LB on Dye. Zone play is stopped, Spiller appeared to cut away from his blockers, and could've had another 3 yards. Spiller on a Gun zone play again didnt charge into the available hole and gets no gain. Palmer catch of 22 right down the middle. NC State is playing a 4-3 Stack and Nickel, basically dropping the safety down in the box as the 3rd backer, with Cover 2 and Cover 3 zone. I'm surprised Palmer was that open but he found a hole in the zone in front of the deep FS. Spiller zone play up the gut for 9, good effort by Dwayne Allen to stick with his block. END of 1st qtr. Ford takes the end around for the TD. GREAT BLOCKING BY DYE AND PALMER to set this up, good seal block by Walker. 10-0 CU. 9 plays 75 yards

Defensive Drive from the NCSU 20. 3 & out. Owen Spencer could've made the catch but we were right there with him. Clemson showing an 8 man front and blitzed both OLBs on that play. 3rd & 12 and Miguel Chavis on an inside stunt gets the sack. Horrible 6 yard punt follows.

4th CU Drive from their 17. Spiller HB Pass to Dye for the score. Looks like a Rodney Williams-style wobbler. 17-0 CU. This play is on the free safety, he took a bad angle and should've picked up Dye as he released but was worried about Spiller. The corner allowed Dye to release because he was watching Spiller, as he should in Corner Support.

Defensive drive from the NCSU 20. Campbell looks slow on a play, and doesnt hit the hole, and instead the OLineman, and they end up with 11. A 12 yd pass hits Owen Spencer in the chest and he drops it. KA rushes off the end and gets a hand or a finger in Wilson's pads and jerks him down, then Maye dives on him at the end for the personal foul. Stupid penalty on 3rd & 11. Wilson's first completion comes on a hitch in a Smash pattern. Davis drops another pass from Wilson. Brandon Maye called for PI within the 5 yard contact zone on a zone blitz. 4 yard penalty but gives them a first down on 3rd down. McDaniel is a step late on a coverage for 16, then Sensabaugh bit on a pump fake and left his receiver for the TD. 17-7, 12 plays 80 yards

Stupid penalties. They would not have scored here if not for Maye's first one.

5th CU drive from our 43. Again Nobles fumbles it. We go back to more zone run plays. McClain gets downfield for a penalty, not accepted. He wasn't looking at the LOS, just jogging to the side Parker scrambled to. NC State playing Cover 3 zone (actually a Tampa 2 in Nickel, which is C3), and Ford gets down the middle on a post route for 47. Nobody picked him up. Palmer runs a little pump route and nobody looks at him. 24-7 CU, 6 plays 57 yards

Defensive drive starts at their 25. Toney Baker giving us trouble, falls forward and pushes our guys around. Thompson misses a clear TFL, then tips a pass at the line. Another missed TFL gets them 6, cant get the number. Wilson throws across his body to hit the TE matched on Conner, but great play by them. Maye sack as Wilson scrambles. NC State is using slide protections to counter our blitzes. McDaniel has WIlson in his grasp on a blitz and lets him go, pass incomplete. I can't believe McDaniel didnt bring him down. 8 plays 27 yards

6th CU Drive from the 13. Some good runs until the quarter ends. Zone read, Gun zone dive, 34 zone. Cloy gets a snap infraction, likely because he hasnt been playing Center much lately.

Halftime

Defense had some bad penalties, and we aren't getting any holding calls. Their guys can't catch the football. Branch and Sapp were clearly held on some plays. 30 yards allowed in the first quarter.

Wilson 4/14, 49, 1/1. Baker 9 car. 39 yds.

Offensive line is pushing them around. We went with more I-formation early and then to zone runs.

Parker was just off on a few throws. 7/13, 107, 1 TD.

Spiller, 9 car 54 yds.

Defensive drive starts on the 25. Gilchrist beat for 21 . Sapp has a sack and loses contain on WIlson, then he scrambles and Campbell horse-collars him. Jenkins also blew right by his man on this play. Goodman clearly gets chop blocked, no call. Cumbie pushes Wilson when he's already out of bounds, Maye had him for a sack in the backfield and took a bad angle, another stupid penalty. Butler is beat for the 6 by Jarvis Williams, lost position and turned his hips too early. 24-14, 9 plays 75 yards

Wilson had a 1st down on the late hit call already, just gave them a free 10.

1st CU Drive from the 40, kicked out of bounds. Zone run to Spiller, then a little flare for the 1st. Ford gets a ruboff screen for 8. More zone runs. The Spiller fumble...then we snap the ball and no whistle is blown until the play's forward progress is stopped.

This was a fumble. I see it from the forward angle and the rear angle, thats a fumble. His knee grazes the ground at the same time the ball is out of his grasp. I can see 3/4 of the football there, its out.

Heres what happened: ACC Field refs find out they can give a NC team the football, so they have to do something. We run a play, so they decide they better review the last play, which is against the rules, so they call "no play". Unfortunately, the replay official wasn't in on the fix and reviewed the "no play" instead of the fumble play. Thus, no fumble call.

Had Swoffy been there, we'd have turned the ball over.

Zone read, Spiller takes it in on an Iso from 16 out, great block by Dwayne Allen. Spencer Benton MISSES THE FUCKING XP, HORRIBLE SNAP. 30-14, 7 plays 60 yards.

Defensive drive from their 9. Chancellor PI call. He makes contact and extends his arms, then as he stumbled it looked worse. Davis makes a great catch and McDaniel pops him for it. Inside guys are attacking gaps well. Gilchrist makes a great hit to force a drop. 9 plays 49 yards

Next CU drive starts from our 2. Run, run, run, punt. This is the only spot where I disagree with playcalling, but I do understand the conservatism with this lead. I would've liked to see a play-action pass here to a back or TE, especially on the 2nd down play. Austin goes out. Gun zone dive to Spiller into a blitz...I just wouldnt run shotgun this close to my endzone, Conservatism gives them field position at our 38 after the punt.

Defensive drive from our 38. THOMPSON CLEARLY HELD on the first play, and they call illegal shift for 5. I can't believe that wasnt called. Jenkins nearly eats up another play and can't make the tackle. Conner lets Baker get behind him on an out-n-up route for 26. Maye just a step too late for a sack. KA has Wilson by his fucking shoe and lets him go. He throws a ball 10 feet over the receivers head and we dont get a grounding call, "because he had an opportunity to catch it" bullshit. FG 30-17, 7 plays 29 yards.

WHY do we not get a holding call today? God forbid a big penalty go against them.

CU drive from the 23. Zone runs. Zone read play-action to Ashe, good call, its been set up well. McClain beaten badly on a speed rush as Parker hits Palmer for 16. NC State fails to respect the wheel route. Benton FUCKING MISSES ANOTHER XP. 36-17, 7 plays 77 yards

Defensive drive from their 32, 3 & out. Branch CLEARLY HELD on the first play. Hall makes a good play as Gilchrist misses a sack.

CU drive from the 31: Jamie Harper 69 yards. Diehl got a great cut block, the WR makes a great block too to seal the Corner. 43-17.

Defensive drive from the NCSU 10. Both LBs get blocked out on a 10 yard gain. Neither fought off the Guards. I see Campbell and Cooper in at LB, with Corico Hawkins and Daniel Barnes on a play or two. Cooper made a good play and then came out. Butler, Maxwell, Gilchrist, Hall are all still in the secondary. FINALLY GET A HOLDING CALL. Jarvis Williams makes a 34 yd catch, Chancellor out of position to stop it. George drops a pass right down the middle, and I'm wondering why Hall was just standing there. Wilson has a back in the flat and goes deep instead incomplete. Turnover on downs.11 plays 76 yards

Weak drive by the defense. For those saying we are substituting all the backups, thats not entirely true. The LBs on this series were backups. The secondary had Brewer and Meeks on some plays, but otherwise starters. The down 4 basically sub the whole game.

CU drive at the 15: WILLY KORN comes in. Zone runs, zone reads, punt. Willie Young beats Matt Sanders badly through the gap. A weak block by Rendrick Taylor on the last play.

Defensive drive starts from the NCSU 44. Mike Glennon in at QB. Maxwell almost picks off a pass, should've caught it. Blitz forces an incompletion. 22 yard gain against Maxwell because he was playing too soft. Meeks beaten on a post route, safety (Hall) again a bit late in getting over. Meeks totally forgets to cover Williams, and watches the backfield instead. Brainfart. 43-23

No excuse for this drive. Loss of intensity. Some of these are 2nd team guys but they play. It was not all backups in the secondary.

Summarizing thoughts....

Offense executed very very well. I think this was our best full game so far, especially up front. The OL handled their zone blitzes well and run-blocked good. Definitely their best full game performance so far. Downfield blocking by the WRs and TEs was also very good to see.

Rushing from all 3 backs was strong. I would've liked to see Spiller get over 100 though. Harper seems to have clicked in recent weeks; we've been waiting for that to happen.

Parker was good, but still needs to work on touch throws and setting his feet on sideline throws to keep them from being underthrown.

Defense....solid but not great. I did not see alot of emotion from the defense, particularly the front. Mental mistakes cost us dearly, penalties killed us on two drives along with a few missed tackles. I'm also certain there would be one less TD on the board if not for flagrant holding. I'm disappointed by the last TD drive the most, and though they hit the TD on Jonathan Meeks, it wasn't all backups in there.

Toney Baker is a better power back than i realized. He falls forward and carries people with him. Russell Wilson is more elusive than I gave him credit for, really really good feet. You have to wrap this guy up, and several times our Defensive Ends lost some containment. I think Bowers does get him for a sack or two today.

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Clemson vs Coastal Carolina 49-3, Film review and Drive Chart

DrB — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:05:46 -0000

More photos » by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

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Clemson Tigers stats

Chanticleers vs Tigers boxscore

1st Drive-Start running the football, and have to call a timeout for having the wrong personnel on the field two plays into the game. Mentally not in the game. They are showing Cover 2 Zone. Parker scrambles for a first. Ford catches a bubble screen for a loss, Dye didnt block the man across from him. If he had, it would've been a nice gain down the sideline but Ford cut back and got tackled. The pass to Barry down the seam route to Barry was underthrown. Parker scrambles for another 1st. Parker slips for a loss, but his knee never touched the ground. Pass to Clear is jumped by the CB playing the flat zone in Cover 2, Clear should've faught for that ball better, but he should've also been blocked by Hairston who was late getting over. They had the right defense called for it.

R, R-penalty, P, R, P, P, P-i, R, R, R, R, P-INT

The offensive line looked ok on this drive, decent push on zone runs, but the offense just didnt execute well enough.

D-3&out, showing Cover 1. A penalty for illegal substitution gives CCU a 1st down. Again, not mentally there, but another 3 & out is forced.

2nd drive-End around fake to Ford with Harper taking it inside doesnt work because McClain cant handle his man. Harper takes a lead play to the right side, had a cutback lane open, but went to the designated hole behind McClain on 3rd & 1 and was stopped short. Why no Spiller in here? Its not like he had to run on the punt, it was kicked out of bounds. Parker stares down Dye down the sideline on a vertical route, and threw it without looking back to the other side of the field. Play-action TD pass to Ford on a corner route probably should not have been thrown, he was covered but made a play. The SE was open on a In-route, and Barry was slightly open on a corner route underneath. Probably should've hit the SE. 7-0

R, P, R, , R-offsides penalty, P-i, PA P, R,PA P-TD. 7 plays 62 yds.

D-Crezdon Butler had excellent instincts to break on a bubble screen and clocked that WR. 3&out.

Spencer Adams gets a push in the back on the punt return, and really didnt need to.

3rd Drive-End around to Ford, Taylor makes a decent block (but didnt hold it) and we should've gotten a horse collar tackle. End of 1st QTR. Ellington in, why not Spiller? Dumpoff PA pass to Allen was overthrown, wouldve gotten a 1st down easily. Rollout pass to Ellington in the flat is thrown a little behind him and he cant handle it. No touch on these passes. 4th &2 pass to Clear, who was NOT open at all, gets a PI call and a 1st down. If he wanted to hit Clear on that play, he should've led him over the shoulder. WR Pass Ford to Dye gets the TD. 14-0

R, R, R, PA P-i, P-i, PI penalty, 23 yd TD pass from Ford. Well executed play.

D-playing Nickel, Cover 2 against these 3/4 wide sets. I see some FLEX front. We shoud've gotten an intentional grounding call, the RB #22 was slipping off the RT, but Childers threw the ball towards the left side of his Center. He wasnt even looking at that RB. Crezdon Butler picks off the next pass and brings it back 47 yds. Ball was underthrown, and the guy was covered, I'm not sure what he was looking at. The safety was right behind Butler on the guy.

4th Drive-Spiller gets a chunk on cutback zone rush, since again the right side cant budge people. Takes the next play in untouched on a zone run for the TD. 21-0

D-Replay didnt show a fumble as being conclusive when Goodman and McDaniel converged on #22. Looked like his right knee came down at the same instant the ball came out. See some 30 fronts with a Dime set. 3 & out.

5th Drive-The INT was a PA half-roll and it hung up. Parker could've hit Jaron Brown on the post at the instant the ball was thrown. I was wrong earlier, this one is more on Parker than Brown. The ball could've hit him in stride, however Brown couldve stayed on his FEET to catch this, and stopped running when he didnt need to. The defender had given up the inside position and stood behind him to pick it off.

R,PA P-INT

D-CCU gets their first 3rd down conversion because KA and Cumbie missed tackles. Brandon Thompson blows up a screen. Childers scrambled again up the middle on a 3rd down for a 1st, Maye got blocked out by the Guard and Chavis got double-teamed, it was a 3-man ODD front with an outside blitzer. CLEMSON STILL GETS EATEN UP BY QB DRAWS. Watch what Christian Ponder does this week to us if he's able to play.

6th Drive-noticed Cloy in at LG, Norris at RG, Lambert at LT. Walker makes a good seal block to break Harper free on a big gain, as did Taylor on the outside matched on the DE. Rendrick Taylor runs right down the seam and lets the ball come to him instead of using his hands, and it ricochets off his chest pads. Offensive line doing better pushing them off the ball. Pass overthrown to Allen, again didnt extend his hands.

P-i, R, R, P-i, P-i

D-1st down run when Clemson was playing with only 2 down linemen, both DEs were not set but stemming pre-snap, not sure what front call that was. Clock runs out.

Halftime

CCU- 87 total yards, 74 on the ground, only 2 completed passes

Clemson-204, 111 on the ground

D-they got the first down on 4th &1 sneak, Thompson was playing a Shade Tilt, and charged right into the A-gap, and the QB ran right around him behind the LG. Next set of downs goes 3 & out.

1st Drive-Ellington on some zone running getting good yardage, then takes a sweep off-tackle for the TD 55 yards. Good blocking all around. 28-0 R, R, R

D-QB keeper is stopped by Gilchrist on a CAT blitz with Sapp. Looks like the QB is cramping up badly. 3 & out.

2nd Drive-WILLY KORN comes in. OL continuing their good blocking, good push. Grant in at LG. Good block by Barry on the perimeter to spring Korn for a 1st down scramble. Pass to Brown for the TD was all on him, a little inside screen, pisspoor tackling by CCU, great blocking by Marquan Jones. 35-0

R, R, R, P, R, P-TD

D-first pass picked off by Rashard Hall playing free, returned inside the 10. He just walked over and the ball came to him down the middle on a vertical route. Watch Andre Branch make a great block into the endzone.

3rd drive-two run plays, Korn takes it in from 4 out. 42-0

D-Clemson running 2nd teamers out there. 3&out.

4th Drive starts inside their 40. Harper takes zone cutback to the 20. A screen pass to B. Ford in the flat gets a few, J.Grant looked slow getting over to block for the screen. Harper takes it in from 3 yards. 49-0 Clemson still good run blocking inside.

R, P, R, P, R, R-TD.

Kickoff returned for a TD but called back on a push in the back. Pitiful tackling. The push in the back was not needed to spring him free.

3rd QTR ends during next defensive set. 3&out.

5th Drive-Guys way down the depth chart are playing on the Line now. Korn misses an easy throw to Watson with some pressure in his face. 3 & out.

D is getting pushed around INSIDE through much of the rest of the 4th quarter. Poor play by the interior linemen but Corico Hawkins did make a few great plays, he has outstanding speed. Tackling was poor and bad angles taken, which you can expect from the backups. They ate much of the 4th Qtr clock on their scoring drive, 49-3.

Not going to continue drive-by-drive analysis. My earlier impression about the OL blocking wasn't quite right, we did block ALOT better after the first drive, but there was still some crispness that was missing throughout the day. Mostly execution problems and POOR touch by Parker on some throws. Not an efficient day for him by any means, which I hope was because of the wet ball. Honestly I would've liked to see us go no-huddle again and work on that for next week, when I'm sure it will be needed and useful against that FSU defense.

Emphasis clearly shifted to the WRs in the passing game, and I wanted to see the younger guys get involved, but it shows in the execution. More fucking screens, more pre-Wake Forest playcalling. This game was useful in getting some catches for alot of young guys, but still I wonder.....where the hell is Marquan Jones? Where was Dwayne Allen today?

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Q&A with Block-C

MRickman84 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:00:38 -0000

We had a lot of fun talking with the Clemson blog Block-C this week and thanks to Willy for asking us good questions and for playing along on what weren't exactly our best questions in the world.

1.) I thought Willy Korn on the Cob was the future! But truthfully, how do you guys think Parker has performed this year? From what I've seen of you guys, he has been shaky at best.

Ehhh, I mean, I've heard some bad Korn jokes. Just wow. You guys are supposed to be creative up there at that liberal arts college right? Parker has performed decent at times and he has shown flashes of slightly better than average, which should help set the undertones of another typical Clemson season. Truth is, he's mostly a baseball player that we handed the reins of our offense over to a redshirt freshman. As a result, he throws the ball so damned hard that it's nearly impossible to catch the thing given the talent we have at wide receiver.

2.) Was it smart for Spiller to come back another year?

At this point, no not really. He has seen some dings and a big injury would mean that there really isn't a god in this world. He still has a chance to break some big school and ACC records though. I can't tell you off hand what they are, but they're bigguns. He's a man of his word and he promised his mom that he'd get a degree and probably did the right thing by sticking around and building a back up plan in case his plans for the NFL take a horrible sharp left turn into an embankment.

3.) Have you guys come up with any good nicknames for Dabo?

Stop it. Just stop it. This won't end well for either of us.

4.) I had a good time at one of the bars the last time I was there (can't remember the name unfortunately), but what is the best place to drown out your sorrows after a bad loss?

Clemson fans generally stick to the tailgates on game days and only hit downtown for souvenirs and shirts. I know that's not the case for some, but it is for the majority. After a loss people generally just pack shit up and head out of town because there's just too much frustration and tension in the air. Well, at least recently that's how it has been.

I will tell you that the Esso Club is an absolute must before the game. It's not located downtown, but rather off highway 93. Another great bar to check out that is located downtown is Tiger Town Tavern (TTT's). Great drink prices and great burgers. Also make sure you pick up a pitcher of Long Island there. Very cheap, very strong.

5.) How do you plan on attacking Wake's offense?

For some reason in my head, I've taken the impression that we've been sliced and diced by passing attacks all year. Then you look at the numbers, and we're actually very good at defending the pass. (http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2009-2010/confldrs.html) We're holding teams to an average of 158 yards per game.

So what I'd do is let defense do what they do and try to get as much pressure on Skinner as possible. If we make the Wake Forest equipment managers break out the Oxy Clean to warsh (yes warsh) Riley's jersey then we did well, regardless of sack count. We know you're not going to be able to rush very well against us so we should pin the ears back and come in screaming.

6.) Why is Clemson such a bipolar team?

Cause we don't like to take our meds. The pills make our stomach queasy and it makes us feel jittery sometimes. Plus have you seen us when we take our meds? I mean, we're assholes.

7.) How important is this game to your season?

Well, what do you think? We're one game under .500 and the natives are restless and calling for Dabo's head. I'd say it's pretty damned important we pick up the W this weekend.

Behind Enemy Lines: A Q&A With Block-C on Maryland-Clemson

Ben Broman — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:28:28 -0000

Our friends over at Block-C, the premier Clemson blog on the 'net, were kind enough to virtually sit down with us and trade emails on Saturday's matchup. While we'll have a full preview tomorrow, here's an early taste from the best source available: the enemy.

1) Alright, we probably played a part in the Tommy Bowden firing, so it should be asked: how's Dabo been so far? Are you pleased with the hire?

Dabo brings the sincerity and personality that many felt Tommy was missing. Simply put, Bowden wasn't a "Clemson Guy." Dabo is. Our fanbase is pretty please with him for the most part, but he's yet to really pick up any marquee victories over truly tough teams. But he is a good coach. He hasn't totally crapped the bed on us yet.

2) Maryland's underachieved pretty terribly. How has Clemson looked this year: overachieved, underachieved, or just right?

Clemson has looked just about right so far this year. We're going to be a seven win team, eight if we're lucky this year. For this year, we're going to be the same old heartbreak Clemson Tigers you've come to know and count on to lose when you need them to win. Don't put too much stock in us, but we should get better as the year progresses.

3) On the note of Maryland underachieving, how's the Clemson fanbase viewing this game? We aren't a Duke-esque auto-win yet, are we?

People are guessing that you're not far from the truth with the Duke comparison this year, but you haven't dropped to those standards on the whole yet. You've got a pretty good coach who has a good chance to turn things around if you folks don't get crazy and can him. All you guys need is a huge recruiting swing and a few assistant coaching hires and you'll be fine down the road.

4) Is Kyle Parker officially the answer at QB, or is the jury still out? Oh, and what happened to Willy Korn? I remember when he was a huge recruit...and now he's disappeared.

All signs point to Parker as quarterback. He seems to have a bit more arm strength and a faster delivery. Korn injured his shoulder last year and that seemed to set his progress back a bit. He has seen limited time this year and hasn't shined but at the same time hasn't gotten any reps to really gel. Transfer rumors abound but with a solid Parker and the incredibly talented Tajh Boyd waiting in the wings it may be inconsequential. Korn has a huge albatross hanging around his neck that he needs to shake. Start saving your horseshoes...

5) C.J. Spiller hasn't looked all that worthy of the gigantic SPILLER FOR HEISMAN posters and hype, at least not stats-wise (and he has fewer all-purpose yards than Torrey Smith, so take that). Has his real play looked better/is there a legitimate reason, or has he not taken well to being "the man"?

CJ Spiller has been battling injuries all year but has still managed to rack up no less than three 60 yard games plus scoring touchdownss this season. He's got plenty of talent, but he's still getting adjusted to carrying the majority of the workload that he shared with James Davis last year. He's going to be alright, just give it some time.

6) We're ACC-niks, but Saturdays are busy: what's one strength and one weakness about the Tigers that we may not know?

Our strength is our well publicized but sometimes loose defense. Our turd in the punch bowl has to be the receivers on our team and their inability to catch the ball, block, run routes, communicate with their quarterback, walk and chew gum... Yet again, Tommy Bowden's teams wouldn't have come back from 24 points down either against Georgia Tech in Bobby Dodd.

Monday News and Notes: Eric Norwood Wins Defensive Player of the Week; News from Tigerland

Gamecock Man — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:51:38 -0000

Eric Norwood is defensive player of the week:

Norwood had 10 tackles, two sacks and a partially blocked punt in an upset of Mississippi.

A well-deserved award for Norwood.

Is there trouble afoot in Clemson?:

Willy Korn wants to play, said he was "guaranteed" by coach Dabo Swinney that he would, but there’s no truth to the rumors that he has decided to transfer after this season. However, Korn left open the possibility that after the season things could change. "I’m going to be here the entire season," he said. "Everyone at the end of the season kind of looks at their situations, sees how the season went and how their career’s been going. Everybody takes a look at it, but it’s nothing that I can forecast this early in the season.

Actually, I'm not really sure I'd call this "trouble" for anyone but Korn and perhaps the Tigers' emergency depth. Kyle Parker appears to be the better quarterback, so losing Korn would be a lot like what losing Chris Smelley was like for us. Only Smelley at least had the pleasure of winning a few big games during his time here.

Post-Spring Previews: Clemson Tigers

Gamecock Man — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:18:52 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

4 months ago: Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney speaks during the Atlantic Coast Conference Kickoff college football media day in Greensboro, N.C., Monday, July 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Browse more photos »

After hosting the Florida Gators in week eleven, USC takes a week off before wrapping up the season with the annual rivalry match with the Clemson Tigers. The Tigers enter 2009 flying distinctly under the radar in Dabo Swinney's first full season as head coach. After underachieving in each of the last few years of Tommy Bowden's tenure, expectations are decidedly lower for the transitioning Tigers this year. However, in many ways this year's Clemson may be better than the Clemsons of years past. James Davis and Cullen Harper are gone, but C.J. Spiller is still around, the offensive line should be a bit better, and there's talent on the defense. Plus, I have a feeling Swinney will excel his predecessor in the coaching department, not that that's saying so much. This team's ceiling will likely be determined by how far either Kyle Parker or Willy Korn go towards becoming top-tier quarterbacks. Parker appears to be the starter right now, but don't be surprised to see Swinney continue to give Korn a look.

Of course, we've floundered horribly in this rivalry series in recent years. Despite not having been an elite team in recent years, the Tigers have generally had their way with us, winning 11 of the past 13, including a few blowouts, such as the 31-14 beatdown last year at Clemson. By contrast, we've won more games against Georgia in the past decade, despite the fact that the Dawgs have clearly been much better than Clemson in that time span. I've heard lots of theories as to why Clemson has owned us, perhaps the most pervasive being that we're simply spent by the time this game comes around. Personally, I don't buy this theory; the ACC may not be as good as the SEC, but it's not a cake walk, as suggested by the fact that Clemson usually comes into this game with almost as many losses as we have. The Tigers could just as easily say that their schedule wears them out, but they seem to always play their best in this game. The opposite could be said for us.

Whatever the case may be, we have to figure out a way to start winning more of these games, and not just for pride's sake, although that's certainly important. Losing a match with the Tigers may not keep us out of the SEC Title Game in the official standings, but it does hurt us on the recruiting trail, which is one of the things that keeps us from being able to challenge Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee in the East. All things considered, we recruit surprisingly well against Clemson considering how badly they usually seem to manhandle us. That has me thinking that if we could turn the tables on them that we could corner the market on the in-state talent. That's what will get us over the hump in the SEC, and that's why Clemson-Carolina is about more than bragging rights.

Let's take a look at how we stack up against the Tigers this year.

Offense

Expect to see Clemson run more spread formations this year than in years past. The Tigers want to get their two best offensive players, C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford, the ball in space so they can make big plays with their speed.

Quarterback

While the Tigers have some talent on offense, they have a big question mark at the position that matters the most. Kyle Parker has won the starting job after solid spring and August practices, but Willy Korn will continue to get looks if Parker struggles. Both are talented, but either way, Clemson will have to rely on a freshman without significant experience this year.

I call this one a push. Stephen Garcia is slightly further along in his development than Parker or Korn and probably has the most upside of the three. However, Clemson has an advantage over us in the depth department.

Verdict: Push

Running Backs

Clemson returns a legitimate Heisman contender in Spiller. Spiller needs no introduction here, as Carolina fans won't be soon to forget what he's done to us over the course of his career. The Tigers will look to Jamie Harper to fill the void left by James Davis. The highly recruited Harper rushed for only around 100 yards last year but will be expected to play a much larger role this year.

I give the Tigers a slight to strong advantage here. We have the talent and depth to have a very good running game this year, but, unfortunately, we don't have a Spiller, who is one of the nation's very best.

Verdict: Slight to strong advantage Clemson

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Clemson loses some significant players here from a year ago. Gone are receivers Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham and end Michael Palmer. The Tigers do return Jacoby Ford, who is a definite big-play threat. However, outside of Ford they have almost no one with any significant experience. Possession receiver and end are question marks for Clemson.

I give Carolina a slight advantage here. Clemson does have the guy with the most career catches, but we have a large number of guys that have proven they're capable, whereas Clemson has no one after Ford. That gives us a key advantage in the depth department.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Offensive Line

Last year, offensive line was Clemson's weakness throughout most of the season. This year, though, the more experienced Tigers offensive line should be better. The Tigers only lose one player, center Bobby Hutchinson, and return a solid group of guys with starting experience. Depth may be the only cause for concern.

The Tigers look quite a bit like us here. Both of us should field much better lines in 2009. I'm calling this a push.

Verdict: Push

Let's take a look at defenses after the jump.

Defense

Clemson runs a 4-3 defense. Swinney and coordinator Kevin Steele have said that they plan to be more aggressive than the previous regime.

Defensive Line

The Tigers are strong at end, which they hope will help them generate a better pass rush than a year ago. Da'Quan Bowers is another Gaines Adams in the making, while Ricky Sapp should be good if he recovers from last year's knee injury. The Tigers did lose some key tackles from a year ago, and may struggle to find depth if Jarvis Jenkins or Brandon Thomas go down.

I give Carolina a very slight advantage here, mainly due to greater experience in the starting lineup and questions about how good Sapp will be after his injury. Both teams are in a similar boat in terms of depth, so the team with the most guys still standing by the end of the year may be the one with the advantage when the time comes.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

The Tigers are pretty solid here. Interior linebacker Brandon Maye is great in rushing defense and will probably lead the team in tackles. Kavell Conner gives them a solid outside guy. The other spot is a little shakier, with Scotty Cooper likely starting now that DeAndre McDaniel has moved to safety. Depth is also an issue.

I give us a slight advantage here. The Tigers don't quite have the star power we have at linebacker, but they should be good nonetheless.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Secondary

The secondary is Clemson's defense's strength, as the Tigers return quality experience at every position. Corner Chris Chancellor, who has been very successful against us over the course of his career, is the unit's star. Crezdon Butler is also good at the opposite corner, and the Tigers have quality backups for Chancellor and Butler. The Tigers lose strong safety Michael Hamlin, but they will replace him with the aforementioned McDaniel, who should ably fill Hamlin's shoes. Free safety is a little more of a question mark, but Clemson should be able to figure it out with the talent they have in the secondary reserves.

I give Clemson a slight to strong advantage here. News out of camp has been promising for our young secondary, but the Tigers are unquestionably more of a proven quantity.

Verdict: Slight to strong advantage Clemson

Special Teams

The Tigers will suffer a complete overhaul of their kicking game after losing kicker Mark Buchholz (I'm sure you remember him) and Jimmy Maners. Spencer Benton and Richard Jackson are competing for kicking duties, while Dawson Zimmerman is expected to handle punts. Zimmerman did play some last year and was OK. Clemson does have a potentially explosive return game when Spiller and Ford are returning. Those of you that watched Alabama paste the Tigers last year may remember that one of their few highlights was a long kickoff return for a touchdown by Spiller.

I'll call this a push. We have slightly more stability in the kicking game, the same thing going for Clemson in the return game.

Verdict: Push

Coaches

Dabo Swinney was able to energize the Clemson faithful by finishing the regular season strongly. That finish, of course, included the blowout win over us, which certainly helped Swinney's reputation with Clemson faithful. The true test, though, begins now, after the lustre of that surprise finish has worn off. Swinney is still a coach with very, very little experience, certainly much less than you would expect for a guy in charge of a relatively high-profile program like Clemson. He has to prove that he wasn't a knee-jerk reaction hire--a la West Virginia's Bill Stewart--by having a better than average season this year. He doesn't have to win the ACC, mind you, but he does have the tools to finish in its upper half. If he can't do that--and he fails to beat us--expect the Tigers faithful to immediately begin to question the hire. And rightfully so, I would say; I'm still a bit surprised the Tigers didn't go after someone like Bobby Johnson. If Swinney does well, though, expect the hype machine to begin for the resurgence of Clemson football.

I'll give Steve Spurrier a slight advantage here based on experience. However, as with Lane Kiffin, it's really too early to make many judgment calls about Swinney, so take this comparison with a grain of salt.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Overall

My sense is that these are fairly evenly matched teams. Both should have pretty good defenses and both might have OK offenses if a few things fall into place. A few decisive questions jump out at me when trying to decide which will win. First of all, the two teams share inexperience at quarterback. Whether it's Parker / Korn or Garcia that's playing well by November will be a deciding factor in how good these two teams are relative to each other when they take the field. Second of all, Dabo Swinney and his staff are largely an unknown quantity, so their progress will be important. Finally, both teams have some depth issues on defense that may be exposed by the end of the season. The team that suffers fewest injuries at low-depth positions may have an advantage there. I don't have the answers to these questions right now, so I'm just going to go with my heart (and against historical precedent) and call it a close Carolina victory. I'll go ahead and admit that this pick derives at least in part from homerism and unwillingness to pick Clemson. We obviously have a lot to prove against these guys. I do, though, think the talent gap has closed to a certain degree. We're in a place to even up this series. The only thing remaining is to actually do it.

Prediction: 28-24 Carolina victory

Poll

The Clemson game will result in a (elaborate in the comments section)...

Blowout Carolina Victory

10 votes

Close Carolina Victory

26 votes

Close Clemson Victory

18 votes

Blowout Clemson Victory

33 votes

87 votes | Poll has closed

Tuesday Morning Shotgun/Throwdown (8/18/09)

WVUIE97 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:03:15 -0000

Welcome to the Tuesday morning edition of the Shotgun/Throwdown, brought to you today by Ireland's Oldest Ale, Smithwick's.

There's no special reason for today's sponsor, other than it's just a damn fine beer. Don't forget to send your tips to WVUIE97@gmail.com. I'm not sure if anyone's noticed, but I'm trying to add a few updates throughout the morning as I find more content. I can see now why Jimmy Traina does Hot Clicks around lunchtime. See you after the jump.

What you may have missed:

BlueGoldNews.com - Stew's View's: Day Nine
NFL Game Center: Post Game - Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins - 2009 Preseason Week 1
Pat White's stats weren't impressive, yet NFL.com had this to say about him:

QB Pat White has an arm: Everybody thought about the 'Wildcat' when the Dolphins drafted White in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. But White showed that he could throw the ball, too. White displayed great decision making, he did not throw the ball up for grabs. Did not take any unnecessary chances. And his one interception was on a deflection.

Former Duke Blue Devils point guard Greg Paulus named Syracuse Orange starting quarterback - ESPN
Luckily, he's well trained in flopping from his time at Duke, so getting sacked shouldn't be too much of a transition.
St. Louis Rams QB Marc Bulger out two weeks with broken pinkie - ESPN
The St. Louis Rams expect to be without Marc Bulger for at least two weeks after the veteran quarterback suffered a broken pinkie finger on his throwing hand during practice Monday morning.

News of Note:

Ticket Sales halted for 3 more games - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Only tickets for Liberty and Colorado remain(before visitor tickets returned).
Lazear apparently past his '08 nightmares - The Charleston Gazette
Mountaineers take lesson from basketball in blocking kicks - Charleston Daily Mail
Big East to reveal bowl deal - The Charleston Gazette
It ain't earth shattering, but I think it's a step in the right direction, so long as the payouts are getting better.
Louisville coach Rick Pitino's family stand by him, refuse to get entrenched in sex scandal
Rick Pitino's Long Island-based family won't allow a "disturbed woman" to smear the family name, Pitino's sister-in-law told the Daily News Monday. The family has forgiven the Louisville coach for committing adultery six years ago.
Some recruits just don't measure up - Charleston Daily Mail
In related news, Santa Claus is revealed as a hoax.
Kyle Parker named Clemson's starting quarterback; Willy Korn expected to play in every game - ESPN
For those of you following the continuing Tajh Boyd Saga. "Swinney also said he will redshirt true freshman quarterback Tajh Boyd." So much for the early playing time that Tajh Boyd coveted. And Willy Korn is just a great name.

What's on Tap Tonight:

Being mid-August, there's not much on other than Major League Baseball on your locals.

For you belligerent gamblers/card players there's the WSOP on ESPN.

I'll spare the comments and just say there's Little League Girl's Softball on the Deuce.

Shaq vs. debuts tonight on ABC 8pm EDT - Tonight's foe is Ben "I'm not allowed to ride motorcycles anymore" Roethlisberger

Throwdown Girl of the Day:

Today's Girl is British heart-breaker Gemma Atkinson.

via wisportsconsin.files.wordpress.com

Smithwick's image via bottleofpills.typepad.com

FTRS Roundtable: September's Schedule

Winfield Featherston — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:52:35 -0000

Holy Crap! The prodigal son of From The Rumble Seat has returned! If you though Dane died, no don't worry, he only came very near death. But he is back so look for him to carry his weight around here a little more.

With the season quickly approaching, Dane, Bird and I will be looking at the football schedule month-by-month and giving our quick initial thoughts on each game.

SEPTEMBER

September 5^th: vs. Jacksonville State

Highlights: Cupcake game

Winfield: What scares me most about Jax. State is me messing up my first ride out with the Ramblin’ Reck. Nah, just kidding. It’s actually someone getting hurt and throwing our tempo off the railroad tracks. I expect this game to be quick, easy and dirty so I can (hopefully) find a ticket to the Dome for VPI vs. Alabama, and a weekend of complete football and blogging debauchery thanks to the guys who write for Gobbler Country, College Game Balls, and Beer Control Offense.

Dane: TRAP GAME!!! Not really. This game is going to remind us why we like watching the spread option offense (who doesn't love watching Dwyer bust through the line and take it to the house?), and will also remind us why Morgan Burnett is amazing after he gets two picks. I'm calling it.

Bird: You can't really mention Jax State without mentioning Ryan Perrilloux. And of course the guy managed to get suspended for the GT and FSU games... Way to be a team leader, Ryan. My worries are similar to Winfield's in that I don't want any key players injured in a jobber game but you don't play football for fear of possibly getting injured. You play to injure other people...

September 10^th: vs. Clemson

Highlights: CJ Spiller vs. Jonathan Dwyer. National TV coverage on ESPN, ERIN ANDREWS!

Winfield: Dabo is back in the spotlight as it becomes his first main game of the season. Will the Atlanta crowd and atmosphere bring him down? I say no, but the Jackets are gonna be too powerful for the Tigers. Thanks to Orson on EDSBS Live for mentioning the possibility of the "Whitest QB name matchup" with Jaybo Shaw vs. Willy Korn. Plus, we are badass on Thursday nights at home.

Dane: I'm not expecting a replay of last year's Miami game here, but I am not expecting too much difficulty. The guys at Block C seem pretty sure that this is Clemson's yearly embarrassment waiting to happen. The most fun part of this game? Laughing at Clemson fans after the game as they realize who the best running back in the league is.
Bird: Trap game? I don't think so. I think Clemson's loss of Cullen Harper is going to kill them in Dabo's first full season. Willie Korn/freshman QB are not gonna do much at Tech on a loud Thursday night. This game shouldn't be close even though history tells us otherwise.

September 17: @ Miami

Highlights: Back-to-Back Thursday night games on ESPN, ERIN ANDREWS, Roadtrip Glory

Winfield: The Yellow Jackets have beaten Miami four years in a row. Who would have thought that any team would be able to say that about the Hurricanes? Miami has athletes and with the combination of back-to-back Thursday night games, things seem to point to the likely possibility that it’s Miami’s turn to take this game.

Dane: Ugh, nervous. I don't like this game at all. In the greatest addition by subtraction in football since Vick left the Falcons, Pat Nix will no longer be handing our defense the game. Yes, everything about this Miami team is inexperienced, but Harris and the rest are going to step up sometime, and I'm worried this will be it.

Bird: I think Miami is our first possible loss but honestly their defensive coordinator was not prepared for us last year and I don't think they'll be prepared this year either. They're focused so much on the FSU opener that GT's triple option is probably getting very little PT in summer practices. Chalk up another W for the Yellow Jackets.

September 26: vs. UNC

Highlights: The Jackets seek revenge against the Tarheels from one of the more sloppy games of 2008.

Winfield: Last year, this game was one of our sloppiest. And since his arrival in Chapel Hill in 2007, Butch Davis has been a prickly thorn in our side. This game makes me nervous because the Tarheels are a team that I just straight up have no idea what to expect from them. However, I think the Jackets take this one partially due to our home field and CPJ won't let us lose to them again.

Dane: CPJ is going to snap Davis's proverbial wiener off like a panda breaking bamboo. When it comes down to it, most of the Tarheel's opponents outplayed them last year, but managed to blow it by playing like a bunch of dumbasses. The Heels stop getting away with football robbery and we don't hand them the game. This match is going to be the most obvious domination of all of our ACC games... well, except for Duke.

Bird: This is our toughest game in September by far. Best QB in the first four games. Best defense. Best opposing coaching staff. We know because we saw it last year. If this is a noon game and the Dodd is not rockin', then I think we lose.

September Thoughts:

Winfield: A great possibility for the Jackets to sweep through September but we will probably end up 3-1. For some reason, Miami makes me nervous. Am I scared of simply the name "Miami"?4-0 is a possibility but 3-1 looks looming. Hurry up CFB! Get here!

Dane: I'm scared to lose to Miami, but that's probably because I want to win that game more than any other one on our schedule (except, of course, for uga). We have beaten Miami every year I've been a Jackets fan, so I want want want it. I don't buy into the UNC business - while I know stats aren't everything, they got away with some very fortunate wins last year (without the stats to back it up). I'll be upset at 3-1 but furious at 2-2. 4-0 is to be expected.

Bird: I see Tech being 4-0 and I see Tech being 2-2. The key will be motivating our players in front of complacent crowds. We got up for big games in rowdy stadiums but we came out flat against teams when there wasn't a real external motivator. We'll see. I think a lot of my doubts will be answered when I see GT line up against Clemson on September 10th - the real home opener.

Think we're crazy? Post it in the comments!

20 ACC Football Answers for CGB

furrer4heisman — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:30:12 -0000

Yesterday, College Game Balls posted 20 questions for the ACC as part of his preview of the 2009 season. A few others have already chimed in, including fsuncencored of Tomahawk Nation and Bird from The Legacyx4. Here are 20 answers on the ACC for CGB:

1. Will any team emerge as a legitimate National Championship contender or will parity continue to rule?

I think there are a lot of ACC teams that are a year away from possible being title contenders, including Virginia Tech. You'll have another year of parity and next season is when one or two teams will step up and have outstanding years.

2. Can Duke win 7 games and make it to a bowl game?

Not even close. Unfortunately for the Devils, most of their "winnable" games are on the road.

3. Will Gregg Brandon’s spread offense work at Virginia?

Not this year. They have to replace key cogs on the O-line. And find a quarterback. And hope they get Mikell Simpson 2007 instead of Mikell Simpson 2008.

4. Will Miami start the season 0-4?

No. The Canes will beat Oklahoma. Damn right I said it. The Sooners' O-line will be horrible this year and their secondary hasn't been any good since Mikey Stoops went to the desert. Miami pulls the upset.

5. Will Dabo exceed lofty expectations in year one?

I actually think expectations are tempered for the Tigers this year. And because of that I think they'll make it to the ACCCG because of their defense, not their offense.

6. Will defensive coordinators "figure out" how to stop Paul Johnson’s spread?

A better question is will Frankie's players figure out how to run the flexbone. Yes, they racked up big yards on some kids, but the Jackets have a lot of room for improvement. Fumbles cost them some games last year.

7. Can Boston College overcome the loss of ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Herzlich, departure of Dominique Davis and compete for another Atlantic Division Championship?

Sorry Brian and Jeff, but you won't have to beg the wives for a trip to Tampa this year. Or a bowl game for that matter. You'll be stuck home with the in-laws for the holidays eating fruitcake while I'll be on South Beach eating Joe's Stone Crab. Mmmmmmm. Stone crab.

8. Will the Hokies three-peat?

I'm biased, but yes they will. If they LOSE to Alabama. If the Hokies beat Bama, I can see them losing three conference games again this year. My logic being they'll think they're better than they are if they go into the Georgia Dome and beat the Tide. A loss to Bama gives the coaching staff some talking points.

9. Will Butch Davis finally get North Carolina over the hump?

I consider the hump to be winning the Coastal. Not this year.

10. Is 2009 the year the Florida State offense gets its act together?

Yes. The Noles could have the best offensive line in the conference.

11. If not do you ‘Noles really want Jimbo Fisher as your next coach?

I think they do. Whoever follows Papa Bowden will have a lot going against them. I think Fisher's capable of following a legend.

12. Is Wake Forest inside the Iron Curtain? We don’t remember reading one story about them all off-season.

It's Wake. It doesn't have a lot of alumni and doesn't have a lot of alumni clamoring for information on the football team. I've read a lot of Wake-centric stories this offseason. However, all of them have been about players that are no longer with the team.

13. In a league of running backs who is the best: Darren Evans, Jonathan Dwyer, C.J. Spiller or Da’Rel Scott?

Dwyer.

14. Are NC State and Russell Wilson going to live up to the hype?

He will. But the Pack won't make the ACCCG.

15. Is Jacory Harris ready to lead Miami?

I don't think he is. There's a big difference between being the starting QB and being the leader of the offense. Tyrod Taylor learned that lesson last season. Toward the end of the year, it became Tyrod's team. That could happen with Harris, but like Taylor it won't be until later in the year.

16. Who’s going to emerge as Clemson’s quarterback Willy Korn, Kyle Parker or dare we suggest Tajh Boyd?

It'll be Parker, much to the chagrin of EKR.

17. Can the ACC go over .500 against the SEC?

It can and it will. The ACC was "down" last year and still had a winning record against God's Conference. Fuckers.

18. Will Maryland play with consistency this year?

It'll be more of the same from UMD this year, but with more losses.

19. Will Tyrod Taylor excel with Sean Glennon out of the picture?

Only if the O-line learns to pass block. Please, guys?

20. Who’s going to win the ACC?

The Hokies, of course.