SB Nation - Cullen Harper

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.

Comparison: Alabama versus Clemson and Virginia Tech

Year2 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:45:10 -0000

Since we only have a week of football under our belts, the only thing we can do right now for comparison's sake is look at what teams did last year versus what they did this year. So with that in mind, let's take a look at Alabama versus Clemson last year and versus VT this year.

OFFENSE

On both this table and the upcoming defensive table, sacks have been removed from the rushing totals and put in their own place. They don't accurately represent rushing prowess, but I've never been a huge fan of subtracting sack yardage from passing yards either.

CATEGORY	vs. CLEMSON	vs. VIRGINIA TECH
Total Yards	419	503
Passing	180	230
Yds. per Pass	6.0	7.7
Rushing	239	273
Yds. per Rush	4.8	5.8
Turnovers	0	2
Time of Poss.	41:13	37:02
Sacks All.	0	2 (-5 yards)

The circumstances were a bit different, as Bama put Clemson away earlier and bled clock for much of the second half while VT hung around for the whole game. Still though, Alabama was better in its 2009 debut in every way except for turnovers (a Frank Beamer specialty) and a slight drop in time of possession.

John Parker Wilson and Greg McElroy, interestingly enough, threw the exact same number of passes: 30. Wilson completed seven more than McElroy did, but this year's newbie still ended up with 50 more yards. He did have the one interception, which Wilson did not, but Clemson quit about 10 minutes after they walked in the door. Overall, there's not much to complain about. McElroy faced a tougher defense and was in his first start, but he ended up performing a little bit better than Wilson did.

DEFENSE

Same thing goes for sacks here. They're not in the rushing totals.

CATEGORY	vs. CLEMSON	vs. VIRGINIA TECH
Total Yards	188	193
Passing	188	91
Yds. per Pass	5.5	4.6
Rushing	28	102
Yds. per Rush	2.5	3.9
Turnovers	2	2
Time of Poss.	18:47	22:58
Sacks For	3 (-28 yards)	5 (-38 yards)

Alabama's defense was right on par with its performance from last season. Virginia Tech ran the ball much better, but the passing game was a disaster. Tyrod Taylor was sacked five times and passed for a worse average than Cullen Harper did last year. The Hokies held on to the ball for longer, probably thanks to the marginal rushing success, but they didn't do any better while trying hard and being in the game than a Clemson team quitting on its coach did.

This is only one game, but the early returns suggest that Alabama is at least as good as it was last season. The offensive numbers hint that the passing game might end up noticeably better, which then opens up the great rushing attack that everyone knew was there all along. The offensive line that was everyone's concern in the preseason paved the way for an extra yard per run against a tougher defense (though it did allow two sacks).

Based on this game, Alabama was no one year wonder. Even though turnovers and one special teams breakdown allowed the score to be closer, the Tide repeated its great performance in the Georgia Dome from last year.

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

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!

Preveiwing TCU Opponents: Clemson Tigers

Jeremy Mauss — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:03:18 -0000

Perhaps this is the year that Clemson is able to live up to their lofty rankings. 2009 should be a much needed relief from the 2008 season where the Tigers were to contend for the BCS crown. This year the expectations are not as high as they are in the others receiving votes category in the coaches poll and ranked thirty-second by Rivals.

They also are projected to finish second in the Atlantic division behind Florida State, so there is no target on Clemson this season. They do have the potential ACC player of the year in running back CJ Spiller, however he has never rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season. His closest was his freshman year where we raked up 938 yards on the ground, however with Spiller's explosiveness he has the ability to make big plays. Look for this year to be his best now that he is not splitting carries as he did in 2008.

Besides Spiller the Tigers have a lot to make up for on offense with losses of QB Cullen Harper, RB James Davis, and WR Aaron Key who was one of the best receivers in ACC history.

The offensive line has talent with all five starters returning from last years dreadful line that broke in four new lineman. The line is easily most improved in the ACC, and should definitely be one of their strengths in 2009. According to the people who cover the ACC more closely then we do here the Clemson offensive line is ranked in the top third of the ACC.

The Tigers will need a good offensive line to help propel CJ Spiller surpass 1,000 yards, and help break in a new quarterback which will be either redshirt frosh Kyle Parker or Willie Korn. The early leader from spring is Parker but the final decision will during fall camp that is underway. Now all they need is a receiver who can replace Aaron Key who had 67 receptions, 722 yards, and four scores.

While the offense may have some wrinkles to work out the defense returns over half the starters from last year and the new starters had significant playing time. This defense finished second in scoring defense, and fourth in total defense in the ACC. Expect more of the same with improvement added. The reason the Tiger defense was so good was within their front seven.

They only had 14 sacks on the year but they were very good in run defense by not allowing them to get past the line of scrimmage; the defense had 85 tackles for loss which was third in the ACC. Clemson was fifth in total rushing yards allowed which sounds not too impressive however they were the only team in the ACC to allow under double digits rushing scores, by only allowing seven.

For how good their rushing defense was and has the potential to be the pass defense was even better and was third in passing yards allowed, but had 19 picks. The team does replace both every down players at the safety, but the new starters arae DeAndre McDaniel who is moving from corner to safety, and then there is senior Sadat Chambers.

Both of these safeties should not have a drop off in production from last year in terms of production, but the two corners who are in the race for the Thorpe Award with Chris Chancellor and Crezdon Butler who have started for the past two years will make this possibly the best secondary in the ACC.

Expect this Clemson team to be better from last year, because the national hype is not hoveirng over the team, but a trip to the ACC title game is not out of the question.

Clemson, Michigan State, and Pitt All Look to Improve in '09

T Kyle King — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:16:43 -0000

The end of the College World Series, probably literally and certainly practically, marks the end of intercollegiate athletics until Labor Day weekend. That gives us a lot of time to await the arrival of college football season with mounting anxiety and anticipation, producing a surfeit of nervous energy as we speculate about the autumn that is to come.

Although I’ve already begun giving thought to my preseason BlogPoll ballot, the recent arrival of the preview magazines has made me keenly conscious of the fact that I’m not sure any team outside of Austin, Gainesville, Los Angeles, or Norman will be any good at all (whatever team I rank No. 5 is likely to be a very distant fifth behind the Florida Gators, Texas Longhorns, Southern California Trojans, and Oklahoma Sooners); nevertheless, every game must produce a winner and a loser, so I am bringing you the first installment of my early forecasts in the form of . . .

Three Teams I’m Buying in 2009

Clemson Tigers: Forget about James Davis and Cullen Harper. As we in Bulldog Nation learned the hard way last year, games are won and lost in the trenches, and C.J. Spiller will have lots of room to run behind an offensive line that returns five starters. Defensively, the Country Gentlemen lose one of four starters on the line, one of three starters in the linebacking corps, and one of four starters in the secondary. Anyone who doubts former Tiger receivers coach and Alabama Crimson Tide player Dabo Swinney needs to remember this fact: the last three times Clemson chose a head coach by promoting a former ‘Bama player who already was on the Orange and Purple staff, the Tigers hired Frank Howard, Charley Pell, and Danny Ford.

Michigan State Spartans: Once you get past the Ohio State Buckeyes, you find a power vacuum in the Big Ten. (Insert your "giant sucking sound" jokes here.) The Penn State Nittany Lions will take a step back from last year, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Wisconsin Badgers have fallen off after appearing to emerge as challengers for conference hegemony, and the Michigan Wolverines have dropped off the edge of the earth. Mark Dantonio’s Spartans appear poised to fill the void, at long last shedding their "choke artist" image by winning three of their last four regular-season games in 2008. With no Ohio State on the schedule, Michigan State has a solid shot at a second-place finish in the league.

Pittsburgh Panthers: I can’t believe I’m actually believing in these guys, but, in a depleted Big East, someone has to come out on top, and it might as well be Pitt. Granted, we may be looking at another one of those 2004 tiebreakers-decide-which-team-wins-the-right-to-get-throttled-in-the-bowl-game scenarios, but the Cincinnati Bearcats lost everyone on defense, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights lost everyone you’ve ever heard of, the South Florida Bulls have shown no ability to close the deal, the West Virginia Mountaineers lost Pat White and kept Bill Stewart, and Dave Wannstedt’s Panthers bring back eight offensive starters and seven defensive first-teamers from a squad that won nine regular-season games in 2008.

Did I really just pick Clemson, Michigan State, and Pitt to be better in 2009? Son of a gun, I just did. I am so ready for some football. . . .

Go ‘Dawgs!

Plow Horses - The Case Against Penn State

Bama Hawkeye — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:07:54 -0000

The case against Penn State is based upon an idea that I've had brewing for the better part of two months. Each year, the preseason picks come out with surprising unanimity. Sure, some might have Oklahoma at 2 and others might have Texas at 2, but it's not like there is a pollster who is picking Kentucky to finish in the Top 10. And yet, last year a team coming off a 7-6 season, in the same division as the defending national champion, with a road game at the defending champion, ended up 12-2 and #6 (Alabama). I'm not picking Kentucky to pull that off. But...if all you do is think like the group, all you'll get is the group's answers. Picking which near .500 team will end up in the Top 10 is too tough for my simple mind. Sure, I can see Notre Dame, Colorado, Clemson, North Carolina St., or Minnesota pulling it off, but I wouldn't predict which one (though I listed them in my guess of likelihood). However, I think that it is safe to predict that a BCS team that finished with 5-7 wins last year will end up in the Top 10 this year.

But picking which team is being overrated - which team is a flop waiting to happen? That seems easier. Last year, I thought that Clemson was being given far too much love as a Top 15/borderline Top 10 team at the start of the season. This wasn't because of a lack of faith in Tommy Bowden. Instead, I looked for my personal recipe for over-ranking: too many show ponies and not enough plow horses.

JoePa finds out how this ties in with Penn State after the break...

When I clerked as a summer associate at a large firm in a Big Ten city, I had a wonderful experience working with a labor and employment attorney who handled union negotiations for a number of major employers. One of the things he said stuck with me in my practice, and is relevant here as well. "Some lawyers," he said, "you might think of as show ponies. They look good when you put them in a hearing or in front of a jury. But, they don't win because they're good show ponies. They win because they're better plow horses. For every day that they get to show off how good they are, there are twenty days that no one sees in which they just have to do the dirty work. That's why they win. They win because they're plow horses."

When I see a team that returns its quarterback and skill position players, but loses the offensive line, I immediately think about show ponies and plow horses. On the defense, I look to the front seven to see what's coming back. I don't trust a team that has too many holes there (unless that team has a mascot that rhymes with "Grojans." Until proven differently, these rules do not apply to them.)

Let's look at Clemson in the Summer of 2008. Returning quarterback? Yes. Cullen Harper was a Senior who was second team All-ACC the season before. Returning Skill Players? Yes. There was first team All-ACC RB James Davis, who was backed up by speedster and second team All-ACC RB C.J. Spiller. Throw in four returning starters at WR and TE (Clemson operated out of a three WR formation as its base), and you have a ridiculous amount of talent coming back. Give those pretty looking show ponies a BCS bid!

Or...we can look at their plow horses. The D-Line actually wasn't in too bad of shape, returning three of four. It was the linebackers that were the problem. The lone returning backer was kicked off the team over the summer. That meant four new faces in the front seven. Not great, but not awful. No, the awful part was on the other side of the ball - four new starters for a line that had problems the year before. None of the starters were seniors. That's a huge red flag. Where are the experienced plow horses? Send them to a lower-tier bowl!

You'll notice Clemson's Offensive Line in the background. It's busy not blocking.

Sure, the truth (due to a fantastic fan base) is somewhere in between, but here's the thing. Experience matters, but it matters in some places more than others. The three positions where it matters most are at QB, OL and D-Front Seven. I can only offer my reasoning as to why. Quarterbacks and linebackers are thinking positions. The more you've seen in-game conditions, the more prepared you are to properly react. The O-Line and D-Line require size and repetition. By nature, a man will grow bigger and stronger between the ages of 20 and 22 (and if a lineman doesn't, that's the strength coach's issue). More than that, a Sophomore isn't going to have the repetitions and experience that the Senior will.

So let's look at Penn State.

Skill Positions: Daryll Clark was very good last year. He's back for a 6^th season. Evan Royster was very good last year. He's back for a second year starting. Those are two impressive show ponies. The experience isn't there at WR, as the top three from last year have moved on (Deon Butler, Derrick Williams and Jordan Norwood combined for 132 catches for 1,932 yards and 17 touchdowns). When you really look at it, Penn State is a little light on show ponies. Clark and Royster deserve the accolades, but I'd be concerned about the loss of the entire wide receiver corps.

Defensive Front Seven: Depending on how you count it, you either have three or four starters returning. The linebacking corps will be very good, but the rush ends, including first round draft pick Aaron Maybin, need to be replaced. I feel compelled to mention that the front seven better quickly learn how to get good pressure, because the ENTIRE secondary will be new. That's seven or eight new starters on the defensive side of the ball. That would make me nervous.

Offensive Line: Last year's offensive line had three All-Big Ten selections. It was the best line in the Big Ten and one of the best at Penn State in the last twenty years. They're gone. This will be a problem. Phil Steele compiled the data of returning starts by offensive linemen. I love these numbers. Obviously, it doesn't mean that the team with more returning starts will beat the team with fewer starts, but it does give hard data for my plow horses. Any school with more than 90 starts returning is in the Top 20% of Division I. Any school with fewer than 50 starts returning is in the bottom 25% of Division I. Everyone else is in the middle, where experience is unlikely be a strength or weakness.

Big Ten - Returning Offensive Line Starts
Minnesota	102
Iowa	99
Indiana	84
Michigan	76
Purdue	68
Northwestern	64
Ohio Sate	62
Michigan State	52
Illinois	49
Wisconsin	49
Penn State	39

Not good for Penn State, wouldn't you say?

So what do I see for Penn State? I envision Evan Royster swallowed up before he gets a chance to move out of the backfield. I picture Daryll Clark constantly throwing on the run to new receivers. I see a new secondary picked apart after the front seven fails to get pressure. But, I still see Penn State picking up 7 or 8 wins because of the schedule. They'll breeze through their four non-con games (Akron, Temple, Syracuse, Eastern Illinois...seriously?). But, I see the Lions losing at least four of their conference games. I think that they'll split with Iowa and Minnesota in Happy Valley. They'll blow out Indiana, but they'll lose to the OSU. On the road, they could lose each one. They won't, but it's in the realm of possibility. I'll take losses at the Big House and East Lansing and wins in Evanston and Madison Cham-bana (I was thinking Illinois and typing Wisconsin. My bad). That equals 8-4, with two losses in their last three weeks (in what will still be considered a weak Big Ten). I bet that ends up outside of the Top 25. I still see this comment being true.

2009 Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs Clemson - Postgame Overreaction

Jon Johnston — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:47:54 -0000

Earlier this week, I pointed out that Clemson hadn’t played against good offenses. When I looked at the stats, I thought that our offense would tear them up. Credit to Clemson for that first half - they played much better than we did, their defense thwarted everything we tried to do. Second half - too much complexity, too much multiple, too much for Clemson. Not by a lot, mind you, but too much nonetheless.

- Clemson - 21 points off Nebraska mistakes. The prevailing thought was the Big 12 couldn’t play defense - Clemson ended up with FIVE rushing yards. For. The. Game. Clemson’s James "Thunder" Davis and CJ "Lightning" Spiller couldn’t get it going, when Davis needed only 112 yards to become Clemson’s all-time rusher - nothing doing.

- Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper couldn't make good decisions when under pressure. Good news - under pressure most of the game. Bad news - no pressure at the end of the game when they get to the 10 with around 1:00 left. Then Carlfense kicked in, and we get two big sacks in a row. You know anyone named Carl who's a genius? I know at least one.

- What do you do with an ankle? You TWIST it!

- SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH! - Need I say more?

- QUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUE! - And what about the third guy, when everyone wanted Helu. Castille came in, ran hard, made great plays, great cuts, bailed the Husker offense out when we needed it. Best part of all - no fumbles.

- Joe Ganz gets player of the game, a salute to his last game as a Husker. Tough SOB, ain’t he? I thought for sure he was gone after his head hit the turf on that tackle, but back he was.

- GI guy Todd Peterson was a playmaker in his final game after coming to the Huskers as a walk-on. If he weren’t catching TD’s, he was downfield blocking like his momma taught him. What a great final game.

- This game ranks a beer factor 10. It wasn’t that I poured it down, but it probably kept me from having a heart attack during the game. A great game by both teams, thanks to Clemson for aging me 10 years in a single game. I’m now around 324 years old, 173 of them coming in the last two seasons.

- Shot of the day. It wasn’t on the field, it was at the end of the game. Pelini soaked and celebrating, Dabo Swinney with his head down.

- 2009 is going to be a great year. I feel it already! I don’t want the world, I just want to be on top! Happy New Year!!!!!!!

Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs Clemson - Clemson's Offense By the Numbers

Jon Johnston — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 12:00:06 -0000

We've done our fair share about Clemson's defense, so it's time to take a look at the Tiger offense, which means it's time for more statistics.

Passing

		Passing									Rushing
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
Willy Korn	6	119.6	26	38	68.4	216	36.0	8.3	1	1	13	19	3.2	1.0	1
Cullen Harper	12	129.3	204	323	63.2	2395	199.6	11.7	11	12	49	-110	-9.2	-2.0	2

Willy Korn has been practicing, but it's Cullen Harper that'll be making the start. Harper isn't much of a running threat, and his TD/INT ratio is pretty awful, although he didn't through an INT in his last three games. Both quarterbacks have good completion rates.

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
James Davis	12	159	725	60.4	4.6	11	14	123	10.2	8.8	0
C.J. Spiller	11	109	612	55.6	5.6	7	30	430	39.1	14.3	3
Jamie Harper	7	34	133	19.0	3.9	1	4	21	3.0	5.3	0
Jacoby Ford	12	17	93	7.8	5.0	0	50	598	49.8	12.0	3
Paul Macko	3	5	23	7.7	4.6	0	1	14	4.7	14.0	0
Willy Korn	6	13	19	3.2	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Marquan Jones	4	2	6	1.5	3.0	0	5	37	9.2	7.4	0
Tyler Grisham	12	1	3	0.2	3.0	0	36	366	30.5	10.2	1
Cullen Harper	12	49	-110	-9.2	-2.0	2	0	0	0	0	0

We must worry about "Thunder" and "Lightning" which are James Davis and CJ Spiller, respectively. Here's what Steve Spurrier has to say about the two:

“C.J. Spiller is a fast guy that if he gets loose nobody’s going to catch him. He got loose two years ago a couple of times in the game we won. The key is don’t let him get behind us or in the open field. James Davis is a very good inside runner also.”

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
James Davis	12	14	123	10.2	8.8	0
C.J. Spiller	11	30	430	39.1	14.3	3
Jamie Harper	7	4	21	3.0	5.3	0
Jacoby Ford	12	50	598	49.8	12.0	3
Marquan Jones	4	5	37	9.2	7.4	0
Tyler Grisham	12	36	366	30.5	10.2	1
Aaron Kelly	12	61	648	54.0	10.6	3
Michael Palmer	7	12	160	22.9	13.3	3
Xavier Dye	3	6	75	25.0	12.5	0
Durrell Barry	4	5	93	23.2	18.6	0

Clemson is going to run the ball to set up play-action.

Aaron Kelly is 6' 5", which will be a problem for our defensive backs. Jacoby Ford is a speedster, note his totals above as both a running and receiving threat. Also note Spiller's totals in both rushing and receiving.

Clemson has experience, depth, and talent in their receiving corps, although this isn't unlike anything we faced against Big 12 offenses. The key here will be making sure coverage doesn't break down - that we're consistent, something we haven't done a great job of this season.

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	11	-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Mark Buchholz	11	-	8-8	4-6	3-4	0-2	14	19	73.7%	31	31	100.0%	73

Bucholz is a pretty good kicker, consistent, although note that he hasn't hit anything beyond 49 yards.

Note that Clemson has 22 TD's on the ground, with 13 in the air. If we're going to beat Clemson, we're going to have to shut down the running game and force them to throw.

In order to do that, the defensive line is going to have to be disruptive, and our linebackers are going to need to play one of their better games of the season. It would be nice to have Cody Glenn back on the field, but at least Phillip Dillard will return.

Clemson only scored over 30 twice this season against Div IA (FBS) foes, coming against Duke and at the end of the season against hated rival South Carolina. Otherwise, their offense has been fairly anemic, finishing 62nd in scoring offense with 25.5 points per game.

If you get the idea that Nebraska should win this game if it gets into the 30s, you'd be correct. Most of the nation believes that the Big 12 offenses are only so good because our conference can't play defense. The proof will be on the field the next couple of days, but against Clemson the Huskers match up fairly well. Their offense isn't special because it's a new-fangled fancy pants no-huddle spread system, but they do have athletes and experience.

We're going to need to play our best game of the season to beat Clemson. It'll be time to see how far we've come.

Gator Bowl: Nebraska vs Clemson - Clemson's Pass Defensive Stats Skewed By Lousy Competition

Jon Johnston — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:19:22 -0000

Let's face it, Husker fans know next to nothing about Clemson, other than they're orange, they play in the ACC, and they beat us in 1982 to win their only national title. It's hard to get a handle on a team we're playing only the second time in school history, but in the next couple days I'm going to give it the old college try.

The most glaring point about Clemson is their pass defense. They come into the Gator Bowl ranked:

- 9th in the nation at pass efficiency defense
- 9th in scoring defense
- 10th in pass defense

Clemson's defense sounds awesome, like a great match up against a Nebraska offense that will want to get a passing game going. Taking a closer look at Clemson's season tells a different story - that the Tigers didn't face opponents who were capable of throwing the ball

Here's Clemson's 2008 schedule:

Alabama L - 10-34
Citadel (FCS-Div IAA) W - 45-17
N.C. State W - 27-9
South Carolina State (FCS-Div IAA) W 54-0
Maryland L - 20-17
@Wake Forest L - 12-7
Georgia Tech L - 21-17
@Boston College W 27-21
@Florida State L 41-27
Duke W 31-7
Virginia W 13-3
South Carolina W 31-14

Let's look at each team's opponent rankings for total offense and total defense.

Nebraska - Clemson : Opponent's Positional Rankings
Total Offense Rank	Nebraska Opponent	Total Defense Rank	--	Total Offense Rank	Clemson Opponent	Total Defense Rank
24	Western Michigan	83	--	56	Alabama	3
112	San Jose State	21	--	##	Citadel (FCS-Div IAA)	##
63	New Mexico State	75	--	89	NC State	81
107	Virginia Tech	7	--	##	SC State (FCS-Div IAA)	##
6	Missouri	99	--	76	Maryland	59
4	Texas Tech	72	--	101	Wake Forest	19
44	Iowa State	111	--	47	Georgia Tech	22
49	Baylor	87	--	94	Boston College	6
3	Oklahoma	65	--	55	Florida State	14
22	Kansas	93	--	102	Duke	61
35	Kansas State	117	--	104	Virginia	41
93	Colorado	79	--	97	South Carolina	12
46.83	Average	75.75	--	82.1	Average	31.8

Clemson has played against some pretty awful offensive teams all season. They have played against some decent defenses, however. Is this the case of a whole conference being great at defense (the ACC), or is it that ACC teams just suck at offense?

Let's look at another item that may explain the high numbers they have against the pass - opponent's quarterback rankings and efficiency. In this case, the quarterback ranking is by their rating, not by yards per game. Per NCAA stats -To qualify, player must have played in 75% of his team's games and have a minimum of 15.0 pass attempts per game played.

Quarterback, Opponent	Rating	Nat'l Rank
John Parker Wilson, Alabama	123.81	65
Russell Wilson, NC State	134.29	42
Chris Turner, Maryland	118.74	74
Riley Skinner, Wake Forest	126.18	59
Georgia Tech not listed in Top 100	##	##
Chris Crane, Boston College	104.42	99
Christian Ponder, Florida State	113.03	89
Thaddeus Lewis, Duke	122.96	67
Marc Verica, Virginia	110.59	92
Chris Smelley, South Carolina	115.25	83

Compare to the list of quarterbacks Nebraska faced this season.... the competition is not even close.

Quarterback, Opponent	Rating	Nat'l Rank
Tim Hiller, Western Michigan	148.43	17
Kyle Reed, San Jose State	122.24	69
Chase Holbrook, New Mexico State	141.31	28
VT not listed	##	##
Chase Daniel, Mizzou	164.76	7
Graham Harrell, Texas Tech	163.04	9
Austen Arnaud, Iowa State	127.45	56
Robert Griffin, Baylor	142.00	27
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma	186.30	1
Todd Reesing, Kansas	145.65	21
Josh Freeman, Kansas State	136.49	34
Cody Hawkins	118.14	77

Points:

- Clemson hasn't faced an offense like Nebraska's yet this season. The best offense they faced - Georgia Tech - finished the season ranked dead last in passing, so it's not all that surprising that the Tigers' pass defense is ranked so highly.

- Clemson faced some pretty good defenses, but the efficiency ratings indicate that the ACC sucks at passing.

- Joe Ganz rating is ranked nationally at 14th, with a rating of 156.80. The Tigers faced no one close to Ganz' abilities.

- Clemson's Cullen Harper is ranked 51st, with a rating of 129.26.

- Comments?