Coastal Carolina vs. Clemson, October 31st (hey, that's Halloween!), 1:30pm, Death Valley
Tigermax: "Preview" is probably a bit strong, since I know little about Coastal Carolina and care even less. Truth be told, I've been dreading having to write this preview for several weeks now, 'cause I really don't care that much. Don't get me wrong, should be fun to watch a game without crushing pressure riding on every snap and to look for our marquee players to break big plays. But let's face it, anything short of a route with the second team in by the end of the first half will be a shock.
I will say that I like how this year's schedule has turned out. Scheduling an easy first game against a lowly-regarded Division I team and saving your Division II team for the second half of the season has worked out well this year--seems like the way to go whenever possible. I realize you only have so much control over the schedule, but it would be nice to see this again. Its almost like having a second bye right in the middle of the ACC season--we get to rest banged-up players like Palmer and give other players like Cooper a chance to shake off the rust.
Clemben:
Yeah, Coastal is not especially great this year, I saw them once and we have nothing in the least to fear. So rather than waste everyone's time writing much, let me just say that I think this is like an oasis in the desert. That was a hard hitting game for Clemson against Miami, and we didnt back down so its good to get some rest and since we have played in so many close games we can finally let some players get a lot more reps.
I'm thinking specifically about the CB's for next year and Wr's. We have Maxwell and Gilchrist but I really think he fits and plays well at the FS and if McDaniel jets to the NFL(please no!!!! He is already a projected 2nd rounder), we want Brewer or Sensabaugh to step up. They havent played bad but badly need some more experience. I am not a fan of truefrosh CB's starting, got to adjust to the speed of the game. Plus we need to get some of these receivers a little confidence going forward. They have so much pressure that a few catches could go along way to helping them establish themselves. Other than that--pad CJ's Heisman stats and then get all the starters the break they deserve. Also want to see what some of the young LB's can do--Hawkins, Willard, Rollins, and let Cooper readjust. Should be a fun, colorful game....
Go CJ!! Go Heisman Buzz....
Friday, 30 October 2009
Thursday, 29 October 2009
Some of My Current Heroes
First is Michael Palmer. What a guy, he doesnt even let go of the ball when he is knocked unconscious. After Spiller and maybe Ford he is the best player on the Offense.
David Smith--well lets congratulate the entire offensive line. We have our guys in place for the remainder of the season it seems. Starting Freeman and allowing Cloy to spell Austin, Freeman, and McClain keeps everyone a little fresher. Smith really has come on and played well in his time at RT. Its only been a month or so since he has been put over there but it sure is nice not to see Lambert getting beat all the time. We had a few breakdowns here and there, to be expected against a tenacious, quick Miami D, but they gave KP the time he needed especially in key situations. Its about time someone on the O Line exceeded expectations. Pearman--you earned your paycheck. Brad--finally one of your moves works out, so thanks (its about time something worked). Dalton Freeman has been awesome starting.
DQ Bowers--he had been contained all game but came up huge on the second down in OT that stoned Miami RB Cooper. Thats with a slight concussion...
Richard Jackson--you blew a 41 yarder but didnt lose your cool and you made the one that counted.
Billy Napier--if your are reading this thank you for going to the TE screen, and even throwing to the fullback. Keep the I formation coming, I still dont believe that everything in Dabo and Napier land was a slice of heaven but I'm glad you two came to some agreements in a non Whipple/Shannon fashion.
Marcus Gilchrist-Of course McDaniel is the man too and we need to start talking him out of going to the NFL next season but Gilchrist has just kept getting better each game. Remember that this is his first year starting?? Its hard to remember that we replaced 2 safety positions this year and I hope we can find two CBs next year that can do what our 2 safeties have done filling in this year. Rashard Hall has been probably the biggest contributing surprise, so far for me this season. Not highly recruited (Spencer Adams was the big 4* recruit, hope he and his knee can find it) but just a solid player so far.
Lots of praise to go around right now but lots of things to still fix. I like our chances though with FSU at home but would love it if BC took a stumble against another team. Also if we lose to FSU watch out for them to be the Darkhorse to win out and save Bobby B. Yeah its silly to talk about it since really anything is possible in the Atlantic. But I am encouraged that the team can see the finish line and know that if we win out that we go to the ACC Champs.
Last note, I love how the players call on Spiller to go make a play for them. Just win the game for us CJ. Reminds me of Bowdens coaching (especially his great adjustment in the Alabama debacle), telling players that someone needed to go and make a play. I understand motivation and all but usually coaching is definitionally telling a player how to make X and O play, not just telling them it should be done.
CJ for Heisman!! Believe It!!
David Smith--well lets congratulate the entire offensive line. We have our guys in place for the remainder of the season it seems. Starting Freeman and allowing Cloy to spell Austin, Freeman, and McClain keeps everyone a little fresher. Smith really has come on and played well in his time at RT. Its only been a month or so since he has been put over there but it sure is nice not to see Lambert getting beat all the time. We had a few breakdowns here and there, to be expected against a tenacious, quick Miami D, but they gave KP the time he needed especially in key situations. Its about time someone on the O Line exceeded expectations. Pearman--you earned your paycheck. Brad--finally one of your moves works out, so thanks (its about time something worked). Dalton Freeman has been awesome starting.
DQ Bowers--he had been contained all game but came up huge on the second down in OT that stoned Miami RB Cooper. Thats with a slight concussion...
Richard Jackson--you blew a 41 yarder but didnt lose your cool and you made the one that counted.
Billy Napier--if your are reading this thank you for going to the TE screen, and even throwing to the fullback. Keep the I formation coming, I still dont believe that everything in Dabo and Napier land was a slice of heaven but I'm glad you two came to some agreements in a non Whipple/Shannon fashion.
Marcus Gilchrist-Of course McDaniel is the man too and we need to start talking him out of going to the NFL next season but Gilchrist has just kept getting better each game. Remember that this is his first year starting?? Its hard to remember that we replaced 2 safety positions this year and I hope we can find two CBs next year that can do what our 2 safeties have done filling in this year. Rashard Hall has been probably the biggest contributing surprise, so far for me this season. Not highly recruited (Spencer Adams was the big 4* recruit, hope he and his knee can find it) but just a solid player so far.
Lots of praise to go around right now but lots of things to still fix. I like our chances though with FSU at home but would love it if BC took a stumble against another team. Also if we lose to FSU watch out for them to be the Darkhorse to win out and save Bobby B. Yeah its silly to talk about it since really anything is possible in the Atlantic. But I am encouraged that the team can see the finish line and know that if we win out that we go to the ACC Champs.
Last note, I love how the players call on Spiller to go make a play for them. Just win the game for us CJ. Reminds me of Bowdens coaching (especially his great adjustment in the Alabama debacle), telling players that someone needed to go and make a play. I understand motivation and all but usually coaching is definitionally telling a player how to make X and O play, not just telling them it should be done.
CJ for Heisman!! Believe It!!
FEI Week 8; ACC Outlook Update
In the week 8 edition of the FEI, Clemson moves up from #21 to #13 after bouncing the previous #4, Miami dropped to #6 (Miami was an 18 point favorite last Saturday by FEI's reckoning). You can see the expanded FEI is now available at FootballOutsiders, just follow the link. Now we can see the justification for Clemson's high ranking--FEI has us at the 3rd strongest schedule in the country (thanks TCU, Georgia Tech) and while we grade out #42 on offense, we're all the way up at #8 on defense. By the way, FEI treats Division II (or whatever its called now) teams as a bye, hence no ranking for Coastal Carolina. Also: FEI says Central Michigan will give BC all they can handle on Saturday.
The Ken Massey meta-rankings has Clemson rise from #40 all the way to #25. I have to say, if you plotted the rankings of the two systems week to week, I think we'd see a lot less fluctuation in FEI thus far.
On to the updated ACC chart:
Despite winning in Miami, I don't see any reason to change the rest of the chart. I figured based on matchups that Miami could only be considered the "lean" favorite, which gave us a reasonable chance of pulling it out. In the end, I don't think Saturday's performance justifies giving Clemson better odds the rest of the way. On the other hand, GT confirmed my suspicion about the shallow nature of Virginia's ACC season "revival", and I'm close to putting the Virginia game in the Clemson "lock" column. Maybe next week. Meanwhile, the FSU-NC State game will likely have implications for next week's update.
What last Saturday really did for the Tigers was to improve their odds of taking the ACC. The range of likely outcomes for Clemson went from a 4-6 win spread to a 5-6 win spread. I still have to give BC the slightest of edges to win the division due to their weak conference schedule, but its something close to 5:4 odds while Clemson is at around 4:5. Its essentially a two-team race, with WF and FSU needing the complete implosion of both Clemson and BC to have a chance.
The Ken Massey meta-rankings has Clemson rise from #40 all the way to #25. I have to say, if you plotted the rankings of the two systems week to week, I think we'd see a lot less fluctuation in FEI thus far.
On to the updated ACC chart:
Despite winning in Miami, I don't see any reason to change the rest of the chart. I figured based on matchups that Miami could only be considered the "lean" favorite, which gave us a reasonable chance of pulling it out. In the end, I don't think Saturday's performance justifies giving Clemson better odds the rest of the way. On the other hand, GT confirmed my suspicion about the shallow nature of Virginia's ACC season "revival", and I'm close to putting the Virginia game in the Clemson "lock" column. Maybe next week. Meanwhile, the FSU-NC State game will likely have implications for next week's update.What last Saturday really did for the Tigers was to improve their odds of taking the ACC. The range of likely outcomes for Clemson went from a 4-6 win spread to a 5-6 win spread. I still have to give BC the slightest of edges to win the division due to their weak conference schedule, but its something close to 5:4 odds while Clemson is at around 4:5. Its essentially a two-team race, with WF and FSU needing the complete implosion of both Clemson and BC to have a chance.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Clemson 2009 Basketball Preview: Team Overview
I mean, I respect Coastal Carolina and everything, and I'm extremely glad Coach Swinney is focusing the week entirely on CC instead of thinking about maybe that other game coming up in two Saturdays, but there's really only so much that springs to mind when it comes to a division II opponent. So let's talk basketball.
Expectations
Unlike last year, I think the high expectations surrounding the program now are actually warranted. Last year we didn't have a lot of room for growth over the previous season because the players getting the bulk of the playing time, with the exception of Stitt and possibly Oglesby, didn't have a lot of individual developmental upside and the guys we brought in, while solid recruits, weren't going to contribute immediately. As it turned out, Booker improved his game quite a bit, while Oglesby and Rivers took smallish steps backward, which ended up more or less evening out.
This year is different, though. On paper, we now have the talent (and the talented depth) to match up with anyone in the non-UNC ACC--something that Clemson hasn't been able boast since really the Cliff Ellis days. More importantly, the team has a lot of upside in the form of developing individual talent. So basically, unlike the last several years, this Clemson team can be expected to actually get better as the season progresses; not to come out and play as well in game one as they would in the last game.
Influx of talent
Another piece of good news is with the influx of new players, it looks like we will overcome some of the roster construction flaws that were exploited by opposing ACC coaches, leading to the painfully slow finish. Hopefully we now we have the versatile pieces that will allow Clemson to inflict matchup headaches on other teams in the ACC.
The one weakness that jumps out about Clemson right now is the lack of in-game experience with their younger talent. Thanks to the 76 classic, though, we should get an early idea of how long some of the younger players are going to need before we can expect solid, consistent contribution.
Outstanding personnel issues
I count about four major personnel issues that need to be sorted in the "pre-season" (i.e., before the ACC season begins):
1) Barring some remarkable and unexpected off-season development from Stitt, Andre Young will probably displace him as the starting point guard. This is admittedly based on a smaller sample size, but from my vantage point in every phase of the game except one, Young is the better choice. He's a better defender (although Stitt has made strides here), better passer, better manager, commits fewer turnovers, and he's a better perimeter shooter. The one area where Stitt excels is in creating room off the dribble and driving to the hoop, but even his finishing could use some work. I think we could see Stitt reduced to a role where he mainly comes off the bench when we really need someone to slash to the hoop and generate some scoring opportunities around the rim.
2) Tanner Smith is going to get playing time, and it should be with the intent of letting him find the three-point stroke he allegedly had in high school.
3) Related to #2, I imagine Purnell and staff will be looking for someone in the backcourt to emerge as a legitimate 3-point shooting threat alongside Young. Young shot the long ball last season to the tune of 39.0% (surprised? he only took 77 shots but actually had a better percentage than Oglesby's 38.8%) and we know Booker and Potter will take their threes, but it would be nice to have one of either Smith or Johnson develop into a weapon from long-range.
4) Figuring out who amongst the rookies is ready to contribute now, who might be ready to contribute by the time the ACC season starts, and who needs a smaller role until next year.
Coaching strategy
Strategically, Purnell has some issues to address. I went over some of this in last year's recap, but I'll briefly summarize below. First, Purnell has always fielded superior defensive teams at Clemson that have ranked in the top twenty in the nation--until last year. Take a look at the chart below:
When we look at component defensive measures, the problem appears to stem primarily from 3-point defense:
(As always, stats care of kenpom.)
A lot of this related to how teams started attacking the press. Opposing coaches began to realize that Clemson excels not not just in causing turnovers with the press, but also with pursuing plays right to the basket; often getting blocks at the right at the rim on a player who thinks he has broken the press. Towards the end of the season, we saw teams opt for the pull-up open three pointer. An open three is, after all, a pretty high percentage shot (at least a good risk-reward shot) and also there's an increased chance for the long rebound. In short, Clemson appeared to give up a lot of threes in transition over the last 10 games in the season. Adjusting the full-court defense, or at least some aspect of it, has to be a priority for Purnell and his staff going into the season.
Concerns on defense dovetail with a couple of other related issues: 1) with the youth on the team, how much time will they require to adjust into Purnell's exacting and demanding system? And 2) how well do players like Jennings and Johnson, recruited in part as outstanding offensive skill players, accept the importance of defense in the Clemson gameplan? Remember, this is not just the most raw talent on a team to tip-off in Clemson in several years, its also the most talented group of players that Purnell has ever coached.
Summary
Lots of questions, but step back a second and realize that these are the kind of questions any program in the nation would be happy to be asking itself right now. Should be a lot of fun to watch for the answers. To be clear, I don't expect Clemson to put up a perfect record before the start of the ACC season (as has become customary) for two reasons: 1) with the 76 Classic, the competition should be a lot tougher than we've seen in years past, and 2) I expect the young players to get a lot of minutes. Young players means mistakes will be made, leading to turnovers, leading to missed scoring opportunities, leading to entries in the loss column. But the flip side is Clemson has the potential to get significantly better as the season rolls along and individual talents develop and learn to mesh their particular skills with the Purnell's system.
Expectations
Unlike last year, I think the high expectations surrounding the program now are actually warranted. Last year we didn't have a lot of room for growth over the previous season because the players getting the bulk of the playing time, with the exception of Stitt and possibly Oglesby, didn't have a lot of individual developmental upside and the guys we brought in, while solid recruits, weren't going to contribute immediately. As it turned out, Booker improved his game quite a bit, while Oglesby and Rivers took smallish steps backward, which ended up more or less evening out.
This year is different, though. On paper, we now have the talent (and the talented depth) to match up with anyone in the non-UNC ACC--something that Clemson hasn't been able boast since really the Cliff Ellis days. More importantly, the team has a lot of upside in the form of developing individual talent. So basically, unlike the last several years, this Clemson team can be expected to actually get better as the season progresses; not to come out and play as well in game one as they would in the last game.
Influx of talent
Another piece of good news is with the influx of new players, it looks like we will overcome some of the roster construction flaws that were exploited by opposing ACC coaches, leading to the painfully slow finish. Hopefully we now we have the versatile pieces that will allow Clemson to inflict matchup headaches on other teams in the ACC.
The one weakness that jumps out about Clemson right now is the lack of in-game experience with their younger talent. Thanks to the 76 classic, though, we should get an early idea of how long some of the younger players are going to need before we can expect solid, consistent contribution.
Outstanding personnel issues
I count about four major personnel issues that need to be sorted in the "pre-season" (i.e., before the ACC season begins):
1) Barring some remarkable and unexpected off-season development from Stitt, Andre Young will probably displace him as the starting point guard. This is admittedly based on a smaller sample size, but from my vantage point in every phase of the game except one, Young is the better choice. He's a better defender (although Stitt has made strides here), better passer, better manager, commits fewer turnovers, and he's a better perimeter shooter. The one area where Stitt excels is in creating room off the dribble and driving to the hoop, but even his finishing could use some work. I think we could see Stitt reduced to a role where he mainly comes off the bench when we really need someone to slash to the hoop and generate some scoring opportunities around the rim.
2) Tanner Smith is going to get playing time, and it should be with the intent of letting him find the three-point stroke he allegedly had in high school.
3) Related to #2, I imagine Purnell and staff will be looking for someone in the backcourt to emerge as a legitimate 3-point shooting threat alongside Young. Young shot the long ball last season to the tune of 39.0% (surprised? he only took 77 shots but actually had a better percentage than Oglesby's 38.8%) and we know Booker and Potter will take their threes, but it would be nice to have one of either Smith or Johnson develop into a weapon from long-range.
4) Figuring out who amongst the rookies is ready to contribute now, who might be ready to contribute by the time the ACC season starts, and who needs a smaller role until next year.
Coaching strategy
Strategically, Purnell has some issues to address. I went over some of this in last year's recap, but I'll briefly summarize below. First, Purnell has always fielded superior defensive teams at Clemson that have ranked in the top twenty in the nation--until last year. Take a look at the chart below:
When we look at component defensive measures, the problem appears to stem primarily from 3-point defense:
(As always, stats care of kenpom.)
A lot of this related to how teams started attacking the press. Opposing coaches began to realize that Clemson excels not not just in causing turnovers with the press, but also with pursuing plays right to the basket; often getting blocks at the right at the rim on a player who thinks he has broken the press. Towards the end of the season, we saw teams opt for the pull-up open three pointer. An open three is, after all, a pretty high percentage shot (at least a good risk-reward shot) and also there's an increased chance for the long rebound. In short, Clemson appeared to give up a lot of threes in transition over the last 10 games in the season. Adjusting the full-court defense, or at least some aspect of it, has to be a priority for Purnell and his staff going into the season.
Concerns on defense dovetail with a couple of other related issues: 1) with the youth on the team, how much time will they require to adjust into Purnell's exacting and demanding system? And 2) how well do players like Jennings and Johnson, recruited in part as outstanding offensive skill players, accept the importance of defense in the Clemson gameplan? Remember, this is not just the most raw talent on a team to tip-off in Clemson in several years, its also the most talented group of players that Purnell has ever coached.
Summary
Lots of questions, but step back a second and realize that these are the kind of questions any program in the nation would be happy to be asking itself right now. Should be a lot of fun to watch for the answers. To be clear, I don't expect Clemson to put up a perfect record before the start of the ACC season (as has become customary) for two reasons: 1) with the 76 Classic, the competition should be a lot tougher than we've seen in years past, and 2) I expect the young players to get a lot of minutes. Young players means mistakes will be made, leading to turnovers, leading to missed scoring opportunities, leading to entries in the loss column. But the flip side is Clemson has the potential to get significantly better as the season rolls along and individual talents develop and learn to mesh their particular skills with the Purnell's system.
Sunday, 25 October 2009
Just For The Record
I just wanted to throw it out there that I had Clemson winning by 3, granted it was 24-21, but after looking around at all the 'sports writers' and Bart Wrights of the world, those who are in 'the know', they somehow blew this one.
Fancy that, a blogger knows more than a journalist...just wanted to rub it in(oh and if its just guess work than why do all sports writers do it?).
Fancy that, a blogger knows more than a journalist...just wanted to rub it in(oh and if its just guess work than why do all sports writers do it?).
Miami Recap
First of all, in terms of pure entertainment value, this was the kind of game that hooks people on college football (and football in general) for their entire lives. And because we won, I still have a big stupid smile on my face that probably won't disappear for at least a couple of days. That smile really comes mostly from the effort and investment the players and coaches put into the game (with the rest coming from the many gifts the Miami team imparted to us).
That being said, there's a lot to not like about the game. Way too many miscues and too many rookie coaching calls. Luckily for us, there were just as many, if not more, coming from the other side of the ball and the other sideline.
Defense
I'll start with defense, 'cause I know there's going to be a lot of questions about our performance. For me, the biggest difference between this game and most of the others this season was the tackling, particularly in the second level. Miami's rushers were making people miss, shedding tacklers, and then dragging the pile for yards at a time. Some credit, perhaps more than will ultimately be allotted, has to go to Miami. The three backs they featured are outstanding talents, and they are certainly going to make defenders from all over the country miss and they have the lower body strength to keep going long after the first hit. The problem comes with "shedding" part. Clemson looked like the defense of years past in not being able to wrap up. But even some of this can be attributed to the Miami backs, so I'm not going to get too concerned--yet. We'll see how they look in the coming weeks.
The commentators were saying the the D-line was being stifled most of the night, but I didn't see it that way. I thought they did a pretty good job pressuring Harris when they needed to, particularly when everyone in the stands knew it was a passing down. The difference between this and last week was that by establishing the run early, Miami was able to keep the D-line back a little, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. We also didn't see Harris on any designed rollouts, and I have to think this was due to the speed of our ends. It doesn't show up in the playcalling or in the stats, but it might be another way the D-line affected the game: taking away a couple of pages from the playbook. All in all, I was pretty happy. And how about that push by Bowers on the 2nd and goal in overtime? I thought Miami had the corner of the endzone when the play began.
The coverage went about as well as I thought it would. Clemson was burned once with the long ball, that's gonna happen once in a while in college with a QB like Harris. Other than that, though, they kept pretty much everything in front of them. The LBs could have been a little more aware on some of the crossing routes--I'm specifically thinking of the TD pass on 2nd and goal from the 5 that put Miami up 17-14. But I was much more upset with the run defense in the second level: bad angles and bad tackling form.
Some troubling aspects, to be sure, but I'm willing to pass part of this off as resulting from the excellent Miami talent and a novel and effective coaching scheme that Clemson probably won't have to worry about the rest of the way.
Offense
First of all, let's get this out of the way now: no, Kyle Parker did not "grow up right before our very eyes" Saturday afternoon. That's got to be the broadcaster cliche I despise the most when it comes to describing QB performance. I do think Kyle Parker showed improvement in one area Saturday relative to earlier in the season: I think he's gotten better at managing the two-minute drill (up until the last 20 seconds of the game, I suppose). (Also, it helps to have your timeouts that weren't wasted by the coaching staff earlier in the half). Also, a couple of times he did a really good job selling the playaction, something I hadn't noticed earlier in the season. If anything, though, this performance was something of a step back. He made poor decisions throwing the ball. He struggled with pressure in the pocket. He missed the lanes on the QB draws (I thought he left more than a few yard on the field). His downfield passes were rarely accurate; its miraculous no Miami defender caught up with the duck thrown to Spiller, and the Ellington pass...ugh. Finally, he's still telegraphing his throws. Its gotten to the point where it looks like he's being coached to look one way first and even fake a throw before looking at his primary receiver. If that's true, kudos to you Billy Napier, its better than nothing. Its getting to the point where I'm really interested in seeing what Boyd can show the coaches in the spring.
Credit due where credit is due, however: Parker did throw good medium-range passes over the middle of the field including the game-winner to Ford. This is how he likes to reminds us that he's a better option than Korn. He really does have a live arm when he gets the chance to plant and throw.
I thought the O-line play was at least adequate, and perhaps the nicest surprise of the day. Still too many -2 to +2 running plays, but by and large they gave Parker time to throw, looked halfway decent getting downfield for some blocks on screens, and even opened a hole or two for the backs.
From a overall perspective, its clear that Clemson is still practicing offense by big play. But I give credit to Napier, he managed to call enough good plays to string together quite a few first downs and keep drives alive long enough to give us a chance to break the big play. And yeah, he kept going back to the RB and TE screens but hey, if Miami refuses to adjust why not go back to the well? Its actually refreshing to have an offensive coordinator who sticks with something that is working. Yeah, that's yet another not-so-subtle dig at Spence.
Both sides of the ball had some problems. For Miami, it was more a problem with blowing timeouts at rather inane moments in the game, costing them from a strategic standpoint late in the game. Also, the poor clock management at the end of the first half, which Clemson managed to duplicate in the last twenty seconds of the game. But the worst call of the game was the pass on third & goal from the five. The last thing you want is Kyle Parker locking on a receiver in a fifteen yard short field. You want to put Parker in motion on a rollout, try a swing pass, or even a fade route to Jones and see how high he can really jump? That's fine. But don't let Parker stand there and rifle it into a crowd. On top of everything, this play was called during a timeout. I don't get it.
Two calls I loved, though: 1) fourth and one to Jaime Harper. That's the Harper from the high school highlight clips. 2) the inside hand-off to Harper on what ended up being the last play before the kick that sent the game to overtime. Big eight yards for Jackson, who put a late, knuckling slice on that last kick but because of the run there was more than enough margin for error. Now, the lost 12 seconds after the run were disappointing but hey, can't fault the initial idea.
I'm gonna wrap this up 'cause its gone on way too long, but I'm still pretty excited about the game. I can't imagine what it must have been like in the heat and humidity to play such a long game with so much emotional and physical investment for the players--I know just watching the game left me physically and emotionally drained. Against the odds and for the first time in a long time, though, the players saw their investment pay off. Now they just need to sustain the same level of investment and they could end up with the division title. Luckily, our second bye week is up. I mean the Coastal Carolina game. Should give us some time to rest.
That being said, there's a lot to not like about the game. Way too many miscues and too many rookie coaching calls. Luckily for us, there were just as many, if not more, coming from the other side of the ball and the other sideline.
Defense
I'll start with defense, 'cause I know there's going to be a lot of questions about our performance. For me, the biggest difference between this game and most of the others this season was the tackling, particularly in the second level. Miami's rushers were making people miss, shedding tacklers, and then dragging the pile for yards at a time. Some credit, perhaps more than will ultimately be allotted, has to go to Miami. The three backs they featured are outstanding talents, and they are certainly going to make defenders from all over the country miss and they have the lower body strength to keep going long after the first hit. The problem comes with "shedding" part. Clemson looked like the defense of years past in not being able to wrap up. But even some of this can be attributed to the Miami backs, so I'm not going to get too concerned--yet. We'll see how they look in the coming weeks.
The commentators were saying the the D-line was being stifled most of the night, but I didn't see it that way. I thought they did a pretty good job pressuring Harris when they needed to, particularly when everyone in the stands knew it was a passing down. The difference between this and last week was that by establishing the run early, Miami was able to keep the D-line back a little, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. We also didn't see Harris on any designed rollouts, and I have to think this was due to the speed of our ends. It doesn't show up in the playcalling or in the stats, but it might be another way the D-line affected the game: taking away a couple of pages from the playbook. All in all, I was pretty happy. And how about that push by Bowers on the 2nd and goal in overtime? I thought Miami had the corner of the endzone when the play began.
The coverage went about as well as I thought it would. Clemson was burned once with the long ball, that's gonna happen once in a while in college with a QB like Harris. Other than that, though, they kept pretty much everything in front of them. The LBs could have been a little more aware on some of the crossing routes--I'm specifically thinking of the TD pass on 2nd and goal from the 5 that put Miami up 17-14. But I was much more upset with the run defense in the second level: bad angles and bad tackling form.
Some troubling aspects, to be sure, but I'm willing to pass part of this off as resulting from the excellent Miami talent and a novel and effective coaching scheme that Clemson probably won't have to worry about the rest of the way.
Offense
First of all, let's get this out of the way now: no, Kyle Parker did not "grow up right before our very eyes" Saturday afternoon. That's got to be the broadcaster cliche I despise the most when it comes to describing QB performance. I do think Kyle Parker showed improvement in one area Saturday relative to earlier in the season: I think he's gotten better at managing the two-minute drill (up until the last 20 seconds of the game, I suppose). (Also, it helps to have your timeouts that weren't wasted by the coaching staff earlier in the half). Also, a couple of times he did a really good job selling the playaction, something I hadn't noticed earlier in the season. If anything, though, this performance was something of a step back. He made poor decisions throwing the ball. He struggled with pressure in the pocket. He missed the lanes on the QB draws (I thought he left more than a few yard on the field). His downfield passes were rarely accurate; its miraculous no Miami defender caught up with the duck thrown to Spiller, and the Ellington pass...ugh. Finally, he's still telegraphing his throws. Its gotten to the point where it looks like he's being coached to look one way first and even fake a throw before looking at his primary receiver. If that's true, kudos to you Billy Napier, its better than nothing. Its getting to the point where I'm really interested in seeing what Boyd can show the coaches in the spring.
Credit due where credit is due, however: Parker did throw good medium-range passes over the middle of the field including the game-winner to Ford. This is how he likes to reminds us that he's a better option than Korn. He really does have a live arm when he gets the chance to plant and throw.
I thought the O-line play was at least adequate, and perhaps the nicest surprise of the day. Still too many -2 to +2 running plays, but by and large they gave Parker time to throw, looked halfway decent getting downfield for some blocks on screens, and even opened a hole or two for the backs.
From a overall perspective, its clear that Clemson is still practicing offense by big play. But I give credit to Napier, he managed to call enough good plays to string together quite a few first downs and keep drives alive long enough to give us a chance to break the big play. And yeah, he kept going back to the RB and TE screens but hey, if Miami refuses to adjust why not go back to the well? Its actually refreshing to have an offensive coordinator who sticks with something that is working. Yeah, that's yet another not-so-subtle dig at Spence.
- Michael Palmer. What can you say? Even if his season is done today (I really hope not), I give him the Offensive MVP, non-CJ Spiller category.
- Jaime Harper finally showed some of that highly-touted strength today. Those were some key carries late in the game with Spiller about to collapse on the sidelines.
Special Teams
Worst game of the season, and we still got a kickoff return for a touchdown. That's what it's like rooting for a team with CJ Spiller. This is running long so I'll go to the bullet points:
- The poor tackling showed up in kick coverage.
- I can't understand what happened to Spiller on the Miami kickoff from their own fifteen. Looked like everyone just kind of hesitated there--no way we shouldn't bring it back to at least the 35, but it was a high kick.
- Credit Bosher, who turned out to be way more of a kicker than I gave credit for in preview.
- Also, Zimmerman takes a lot of heat from this blog, but I give him a lot of credit for hanging in on that terrible snap and getting off a great punt.
- The return team has to open its ears and eyes. Third week in a row we nearly touch a punt on the return and give the ball back. I think opposing coaches are telling the teams to punt the ball high and short and let Clemson do the rest
Both sides of the ball had some problems. For Miami, it was more a problem with blowing timeouts at rather inane moments in the game, costing them from a strategic standpoint late in the game. Also, the poor clock management at the end of the first half, which Clemson managed to duplicate in the last twenty seconds of the game. But the worst call of the game was the pass on third & goal from the five. The last thing you want is Kyle Parker locking on a receiver in a fifteen yard short field. You want to put Parker in motion on a rollout, try a swing pass, or even a fade route to Jones and see how high he can really jump? That's fine. But don't let Parker stand there and rifle it into a crowd. On top of everything, this play was called during a timeout. I don't get it.
Two calls I loved, though: 1) fourth and one to Jaime Harper. That's the Harper from the high school highlight clips. 2) the inside hand-off to Harper on what ended up being the last play before the kick that sent the game to overtime. Big eight yards for Jackson, who put a late, knuckling slice on that last kick but because of the run there was more than enough margin for error. Now, the lost 12 seconds after the run were disappointing but hey, can't fault the initial idea.
I'm gonna wrap this up 'cause its gone on way too long, but I'm still pretty excited about the game. I can't imagine what it must have been like in the heat and humidity to play such a long game with so much emotional and physical investment for the players--I know just watching the game left me physically and emotionally drained. Against the odds and for the first time in a long time, though, the players saw their investment pay off. Now they just need to sustain the same level of investment and they could end up with the division title. Luckily, our second bye week is up. I mean the Coastal Carolina game. Should give us some time to rest.
Saturday, 24 October 2009
Can You Believe It!!
I can barely type, that was totally awesome, i was expecting another crushing loss. In havent won an ACC game or any game as hard fought as this in a long time. Miami seemed to be a little better than us but we put it together when we needed to. Crazy game, Ford and Parker come up big...I need a drink of water,, Ive been screaming at the screen all day...
Clemson wins!! take that world...
Clemson wins!! take that world...
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