5 questions with a Clemson beat reporter
Larry Williams, who covers the Tigers for Rivals, was gracious enough to answer these five questions for me heading into the ACC championship game:
1. How is C.J. Spiller’s injury? Did it affect him during the South Carolina game? Has he practiced this week?
His toe injury has consistently nagged him all season. The Oct. 10 open date did him some good, but he’s going to need several weeks of rest to resolve it. He’s been limited in practice all year, so I doubt he did a whole lot this week. He was more affected by a stomach bug in the South Carolina game. He said he was holding down vomit on the sidelines after his 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown early. He definitely wasn’t himself. He also suffered a groin injury early in the game, but that appears to be fine.
2. Clemson’s defense seems to have given up quite a few more big plays the past few games, compared to the first few. Is there a common thread to the plays?
Virginia gashed the Tigers on one possession with Mikell Simpson running the Wildcat, and the Cavaliers also caught the Tigers off guard on another possession by running a ton of trick plays.
South Carolina ran some Wildcat as well while also flummoxing the Tigers with a steady dose of zone reads, quarterback powers and mid-line option runs. The Gamecocks also hit for a few big passing plays.
Clemson has had some trouble stopping the run this year. From my vantage point, offenses are taking advantage of the fact that the Tigers are playing a lot of nickel. The Tigers are smaller with the extra DB and thus easier to block.
The main problem, in my mind, is the stong-side LB position. They just don’t have a natural fit there, so they’re forced to play nickel. And when they go big and put DE/LB Kevin Alexander there, they’re vulnerable in pass coverage.
They’ve also had problems with their other linebackers attacking the wrong gaps and getting out of position.
3. How has Kyle Parker developed as a game-manager?
He’s come a long way. I was really impressed with the kid in that game against Georgia Tech, but he’s progressed a lot since that game. He has really improved his pocket presence and overall knowledge of the offense. He didn’t play all that well against South Carolina, but he didn’t have a whole lot of help from his offensive line. He was really good in the previous two games against Virginia and N.C. State.
South Carolina surprised Clemson by playing zone almost the whole game, and that’s usually been what gives Parker the most trouble. So you have to think Wommack will pick up on that and use a good bit of zone Saturday.
4. How’s the team been acting this week? Their loss to South Carolina seemed to be more about bad luck and turnovers than anything else.
They did commit some turnovers and have some bad luck, but they were also dominated up front on both sides of the ball. When you give up 223 yards rushing and produce 48 on the ground, you aren’t going to win many games.
This game presents a completely different set of challenges, and I think the team realizes that. They were in a tough position last week playing a desperate team while knowing the biggest game in decades loomed a week later. I’d be surprised if they came out flat in Tampa.
5. Has there been a commonality in Clemson’s losses this season?
They’ve averaged 92 rushing yards a game in the losses, so that tends to stand out.
They’ve committed 12 turnovers in their eight wins and eight turnovers in their four losses, so protecting the ball has been a factor as well.
The Maryland and South Carolina losses were marked by an offense that really struggled. They scored a grand total of two touchdowns in those games, and they didn’t even have a snap in the red zone last week in Columbia.
Prediction and why?
I’m really struggling with this one, and my prediction is subject to change by the minute.
I’ll go with Tech 35-31 because I can’t envision PJ losing back-to-back games. He’ll have the offense rolling after the disjointed effort against UGA.
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248 comments Add your comment
JB
December 4th, 2009
1:34 pm
Nerds talking about “honor” now?
You obviously know nothing about 1990. That was the season that Colorado’s MNC was in serious question, not Tech’s. The infamous 5th down allowed Colorado to win their game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Down_Game_(1990)
Cory
December 4th, 2009
1:36 pm
JB,
Underage drinking, driving like an idiot and the occasional fight are normal behaviors for 17-23 year olds. Raping chicks and selling drugs isn’t. Use your head, man!!!!
StingDoc
December 4th, 2009
1:38 pm
Frank Wren said: “4 National Champions.
Its actually 3 and ½”
According to the reference I cited above the only consensus National Champion between Tech & the dawgs was Tech 1917. None of the others were unanimous.
FRAN WREN, A.K.A., “THE IDIOT” IS STUNG AGAIN!!
P.S.:
1. Try spell check. “Its” should be “It’s.”
2. Go back to the dawg blog where you belong.
GT311
December 4th, 2009
1:38 pm
I would say the ACC has faired pretty well overall this season. Wins over Oklahoma, Stanford, Nebraska, Pitt are all pretty darn good. Of course losing to SC, FL and UGA were bad but on any given day the bad teams can win a game. No not FL but SC and UGA. Yes your teams are bad! Actually, I think overall they suck. So posting about the only decent win in a year I think is shameless but understandable because they can’t post about anything else.
burdelldurp
December 4th, 2009
1:39 pm
Johnson? CPJ’s way to fat to be able to even see his.
gt211
December 4th, 2009
1:42 pm
Hey you were favored, at home and had all the momentum. You don’t think we should celebrate a win over our most hated rival? You are a fool. Oh and don’t forget 30-24, we won’t and we’ll remind every day for the next year. True we’ve had a bad year but spoiling yours certainly does help. SO SUCK IT LOSER!
speaking of shameless
December 4th, 2009
1:45 pm
The only thing shameless are the pathetic attempts by tool fans to deflect the conversation from their annual beatdown last Saturday night to fictional championships they think they won decades ago.
Sympathetic Dawg
December 4th, 2009
1:49 pm
As a Dawg fan, I want all Georgia Tech fans to savor and enjoy your season. Tomorrow will be the last time GT ever plays for their conference championship, and will be their last shot to ever play in a BCS bowl. Johnson will lose most of his key players at the end of the season to the NFL, and his defense will be even worse next year. I predict in 2012 Tech will have enough and fire Johnson only to start the process all over again.
So enjoy it Tech fans!!!
StingDoc
December 4th, 2009
1:50 pm
McDawg posted: “when you rely on chop blocking to execute your schemes its called a gimmick-“
Paul Johnson does not coach his players to “chop block,” but rather to DOUBLE TEAM” which is perfectly legal. Many of the calls against Tech were bad or questionable calls [with the refs responding to Beemer’s sour grapes, phony charges] as replays indicated. On one occasion, the Tech center lost his balance, the defender moved away resulting in minimal unintentional contact below the waist. The defender was not even close to being injured, which is the point of the rule. Coach Johnson told him to keep his balance or be replaced. To call an offense ranked 2nd in rushing in the nation as “a gimmick” is beyond stupid, but what do you expect from a dumb dawg?
The Other St. Simons
December 4th, 2009
1:54 pm
30-24 Our ex-Willie beat your Best Johnson.
30-24 Our ex-Willie beat your Best Johnson.
30-24 Our ex-Willie beat your Best Johnson.
30-24 Our ex-Willie beat your Best Johnson.
30-24 Our ex-Willie beat your Best Johnson.
30-24 Our ex-Willie beat your Best Johnson.
Frank Wren
December 4th, 2009
1:56 pm
Tech is playing a championship game tomorrow.
Championship of what?
Frank Wren
December 4th, 2009
1:57 pm
Many of the calls against Tech were bad or questionable calls [with the refs responding to Beemer’s sour grapes, phony charges] as replays indicated
The Techies will blame the refs wont they.
Bob
December 4th, 2009
2:00 pm
“Tech is playing a championship game tomorrow. The Dawgs are not.”
You care. I do not.
Tech fans have simply outdone themselves. Just when you think they cannot get any more pathetic, they take it to a whole new level. You idiots are not fooling anyone. We know that losing to Georgia absolutely destroys your souls. I saw your acne ridden faces immediately after the game. If one didn’t know any better, they would have thought that you were leaving a funeral. Now all of the sudden its no big deal? Do Tech fans have some committee that comes up with excuses and rationalzations for all of your losses? Do they distribute talking points for you to use in spinning losses? You idiots sound like robots saying the same thing over and over again. I can assure you that there isn’t a single Georgia fan that gives two craps about your little ACC game. Can one of you geniuses give me one reason why we should? The ratings are going to be HORRIBLE. Hardly anyone in the media will even be talking about this game, other than to point out what a massive disappointment the ACC is yet again.
I have never seen a more delusional group of idiots in my life than Tech fans. One year your players put the UGA score on rings. The next year you don’t care about the UGA score. Whatcha want to bet that ACCCG isn’t such a big deal if Tech loses? I can hear it now: “We won 10 games and the ACC Coastal. That’s all that matters.”
Tech fans are an embarrassing disgrace to all college football fans. Put that on some rings.
vela
December 4th, 2009
2:03 pm
GT Joe,
You’re now stuck behind T-H-R-E-E God awful Big 10 teams and behind an always overrated 3 loss Va. Tech team. So I would have to say the voters don’t respect you at all.
Frank Wren
December 4th, 2009
2:03 pm
Bottom line of all this back and forth is that the ACC is a joke. Everyone knows it except the Techies on here who are in denial. The ACC is horrible. I wont post the numbers again but they speak for themselves and speak volumes.
Me personally I think you ought to actually win a BCS game once in awhile to keep getting an automatic shot at one. Again the bottom line is that UGA, the program you love to hate, has as many BCS wins (2) as the entire ACC does.
Pathetic
Alabama jack
December 4th, 2009
2:06 pm
UGA is so irrelevant.
The SEC wanted to vote them out, but Kentucky objected. Said they needed a breather every year. Tennessee and Florida concurred with that.
rich
December 4th, 2009
2:06 pm
Bob,
What’s going to be hilarious is all the pregame talk and highlights of the tools getting thrashed by UGA tomorrow. The Dawgs will get more pub than the bees!!!!
poor Jack
December 4th, 2009
2:07 pm
That’s funny Alabama Jack. Since in reality we all know GT bolted for the ACC before they ever officially received an invite. Talk about cowards.
To the Other Saint Simons
December 4th, 2009
2:08 pm
Come on and admit it…. it was a sucky season for your Dawgs. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH…. Come on, you can do it.
CHOP BLOCK U
December 4th, 2009
2:08 pm
StingDoc either doesn’t watch Tech games or needs a new prescription.
Utah Dawg
December 4th, 2009
2:10 pm
anything less than a 10 win season is a sucky season for us. We don’t make rings for anything less, unlike the tools.
However, ruining your dream season made the disappointment all the more easy to take
Pi$$onaJacket
December 4th, 2009
2:10 pm
This game should be a real snoozer. Clemson should win by at least 10. (30-24 still makes me smile.) The entire DAWGNation says, Go Clemson!
Taco
December 4th, 2009
2:12 pm
I just heard that UGA has petitioned to join the ACC next season so they can be a factor again. Looking up at Kentucky has taken a huge toll on the Dawg Nation. They are mediocre every year now and the throwing the coaches overboard won’t keep the Titanic from sinking. UGA tried o join the WAC but they had to many indicted players to qualify.
StingDoc
December 4th, 2009
2:13 pm
DawgTired posted: “StingDoc, How many times has GT been ranked number 1 by the AP?”
You should know that the AP is subject to regional bias since it kept the dawgs from playing for a national championship recently. Teams from the South have always suffered from this bias. I’m surprised you didn’t know that, but you are a dawg so you are excused.
BTW, the AP is no longer used by the BCS which should tell you a lot.
The Other Saint Simons Formula
December 4th, 2009
2:14 pm
Irrelevant score used to deflect a sucky season [ENTER HERE] + 4th Grade joke that’s not funny [ENTER HERE] + Use the copy and paste function about 8 times = The sucky Dawg season + Bowl trip to Shreveport to play Iowa St. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!
Alabama jack
December 4th, 2009
2:15 pm
“cory
December 4th, 2009
1:17 pm
JB,
I must rather have kids that behave like normal college kids instead of shamefully playing a drug Lord and rapist. Just something to think about”
Azzhole, I will overlook a lot from you trash talkin’ morons but if you would ask anyone who knows anything you would be aware that the player involved with pot was suspended by Georgia Tech but reinstated by the Court and the rape charges were thrown out as being unfounded. Now go harass the sheep and pimp your sister. After all you are from the home of the dirtiest player in the NFL as well as an on-going disciplinary problems. Buzz the off.
DawgTired
December 4th, 2009
2:18 pm
StingDoc,
The only real bias you can prove is from the coaches poll. You have some of the most absurd end of the year votes from coaches that all, across the board, prop up their conferences. You even have coaches admitting they don’t even fill out their own ballots, and any rational person would realize they obviously have zero time to watch other games, and at best only see highlights at night on the Big 10 Network, aka ESPN.
Figured you’d be smart and knowledgeable enough to know that…..
To Utah Dawg
December 4th, 2009
2:19 pm
Come on, say it with us….. Shreveport. Hard to say? Okay, try this… Iowa St. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
StingDoc
December 4th, 2009
2:19 pm
Frank Wren, You and I agree [sarcasm]. The only refs worse than the ACC refs are the SEC refs. We should have National Refs responsible only to the NCAA & not to biased conferences.
Michael
December 4th, 2009
2:20 pm
Hey Alabama Jacka$$,
Courts also found OJ innocent and said MJ wasn’t a child molester. You’re an idiot. But I get it, I’d be ashamed too if my school was desperate enough to play a rapist and drug dealer.
Frank Wren
December 4th, 2009
2:21 pm
BTW, the AP is no longer used by the BCS which should tell you a lot.
BTW, the AP pulled out of the BCS not the other way around. But your a Tech fan so I don’t really expect you to have your facts straight.
Frank Wren
December 4th, 2009
2:22 pm
Come on, say it with us….. Shreveport. Hard to say? Okay, try this… Iowa St. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
You know whats harder to say. We play in the ACC!!!!! Try that one on for size.
Alabama jack
December 4th, 2009
2:23 pm
“poor Jack
December 4th, 2009
2:07 pm
That’s funny Alabama Jack. Since in reality we all know GT bolted for the ACC before they ever officially received an invite. Talk about cowards.”
What have they done to the Athens water supply? I know they didn’t want to put flouride in the water so they must have put stupid in. It has been amply documented that Georgia Tech left the SEC in a disagreement about scholarships. They weren’t afraid of anyone, having competed very effectively against all the SEC teams including Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn and Alabama. Tech became an independent, which I personally feel was a mistake – and was glad to see corrected when they accepted invitation to join the ACC.
Hey, talking trash is part of the game. Being terminally stupid is a fact of life. Maybe when you grow up, you will learn something.
Frank Wren
December 4th, 2009
2:34 pm
Georgia Tech left the SEC in a disagreement about scholarships.
That is correct. What he doesnt say though is that Tech pratically got down on its knees and begged forgiveness. They wanted back in the SEC bad.
Bear Bryant said no and that was that.
Voice of Reason
December 4th, 2009
2:38 pm
Tech fans,
Reading your posts and desperate attempts to deflect the raw pain and anguish you’re experiencing makes me laugh. Let’s get a couple of things straight. Number 1. Making fun of you on your own blogs doesn’t mean we respect or hold GT to any greater light now. You’re still our 4th best rival. The mocking is simply entertainment to let you know how much we enjoy knowing we ruined your dream season and just a reminder that your guaranteed “beatdown” never happened. Consider it betterment for the great good, that being, keeping the worst fan base in the nation in their proper place.
Number 2. I can’t speak for all Dawg fans, but I for one welcome Shreveport. As even the most biased of Tech fans would have to admit, UGA was their own worst enemy more times than not the past couple of seasons. What better message to send to the players to not shoot yourself in the foot than the worst location in the country for a bowl? I’m worried now we could possibly land the Chick-Fil-A which would almost be an reward. That, I, would not appreciate.
If Tech loses tomorrow that almost definitely puts us in Shreveport. So go Tigers!!!
Saint Simon Jr.
December 4th, 2009
2:39 pm
WE RUN THIS STATE!!!!
EVERY DAY YOU NERDS LOG ONTO THIS BLOG, YOU WILL SEE THE BULLDOG NATION IN YOUR FACE TELLING YOU THE TRUTH. THE TRUTH BEING YOU ARE ALL LOSERS!!!
UGA 30 – GT 24!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!
Andrews
December 4th, 2009
2:44 pm
Alabama Jack,
You’re an f’n idiot. Funny the dumbest person on this blog is accusing others of being stupid. Tech bolted the SEC because since Bear took over Bama in ‘58, they went 1-6 against them. So yes, they got the hell out of Dodge!!!
As an “Alabama” Jack, you think you’d be knowledgeable enough to know that reality.
GT = Cowards!!!!
Bob
December 4th, 2009
2:46 pm
Tech fans sure are big on Kentucky jokes. Kentucky has doubled Tech’s win total over Mark Richt and sometimes even does the unthinkable….They win bowl games!!!! What a novel concept eh Tech fans? Perhaps your crap pile mediocre football program should try it sometime.
Tech fans walk right in to this stuff. For all of their boasting about how smart they are, they sure are dense.
Tech -never #1 in the AP
December 4th, 2009
2:47 pm
Funny they have never been #1 in the AP, yet try and claim National Titles they never awarded them. Heck, there is one season where neither the AP or the biased Coaches Poll voted for them and they still try and say they were champions!!!
Buckeye in GA
December 4th, 2009
2:56 pm
I keep hearing about how Tech “almost” beat UGA. Well, why would the #7 team in the nation need to “almost” beat a mediocre UGA team that didn’t even have their best player, at home nonetheless?
The Other St. Simons
December 4th, 2009
3:17 pm
To those who are concerned, I freely admit that the Dawgs had a miserable season. And?
(((((((((((((((((30-24))))))))))))))))
The Other St. Simons
December 4th, 2009
3:20 pm
My formula is actually as follows:
(((((((((((((((30-24 ))))))))))))))))))))) Hahahahahahaha!!!! You losers eat it.
Old Gold Britches
December 4th, 2009
3:27 pm
ST. Simons must been a real playboy and fool around a lot with all these junior wantabes……… better know as mutt nerd turds!!
10-2 > 7-5
December 4th, 2009
3:34 pm
Wow you uga fans are really obsessed with us. You are on every Tech blog posting and re-posting last week’s score and barking about the game. We get it. You all won. We lost. The ACC did look a lot weaker than the SEC last week.
Fact is we are playing in the conference championship for a BCS conference this weekend with a good chance to go to a BCS game. Those two opportunities trump anything uga has to look forward to. Those two things mean tons of money and national recognition for our program, while your’s is still left looking for answers with many fans calling for the firing of lord CMR. When this season goes down in the history books, “10-2 regular season, ACC champions, and Orange Bowl appearance” are going to be read at face value. Everybody will say GT had a great year as Paul Johnson took players recruited for a totally different system and created a 10-win top 10 team while uga had an ugly, undisciplined, trainwreck of a season and carried on a tradition of underachieving with many of the nation’s best recruits. Tech is the better team and sometimes the better team does not always win. But Tech will go down in history as the better team and will ultimately look at this season a success while uga will look at their’s as a horrible failure and setback.
7-5 beat 10-2
December 4th, 2009
3:42 pm
“The ACC did look a lot weaker than the SEC LAST WEEK??!!?!?”
Sorry sweetheart, but they’ve been looking A LOT WEAKER than the SEC for the past 50 years!!!!!
Correction
December 4th, 2009
3:44 pm
Actually, Tech will go down in history as still not being able to beat a bad UGA team with one of Tech’s best teams in program history.
Man, that’s gotta suck
BuzztheKiller
December 4th, 2009
3:52 pm
Hey Bob- despite the recent years results in bowl games- guess who is in the top 2 or 3 in bowl game winning %?
Yep- GT
BUZZ LIGHTYEAR
December 4th, 2009
3:53 pm
Who cares???????
(((((((((((((((((30-24))))))))))))))))
BuzztheTool
December 4th, 2009
4:17 pm
When you play in the crappiest bowl year after year you’re not going to face the toughest of competition. Glad you’re proud of that
GT311
December 4th, 2009
4:26 pm
Hey what time does UGA play tomorrow? I can’t find it anywhere? Oops I found it…Darn that’s field hockey.