5 questions about Clemson
Greetings-
Travis Sawchik of the Charleston Post and Courier was good enough to dig into a few questions I asked him about the team he covers. You can read his Clemson coverage here. Please read on.
1. What has happened in the past few weeks that’s kicked the offense into high gear?
First-year starting quarterback Tajh Boyd really began to look comfortable against Auburn in Week 3 and since that point, only Bud Foster’s defense (Va. Tech) has kept Clemson below 35 points.
Freshman wide receiver Sammy Watkins has really kicked the offense into a different gear since the first game. Not only does he have an elite 40 time, but NFL folks are more impressed with his acceleration, which produces easy separation. He can also high point the ball and has flypaper hands. He’s the complete package. Watkins has taken the top off of defenses, along with fellow freshman Martavis Bryant, allowing tight end Dwayne Allen – a projected top-50 NFL pick – and sophomore receiver DeAndre Hopkins to operate in space underneath.
Boyd’s combination of arm strength and quick release has allowed him to get away with staring down some receivers and waiting longer for receivers to break open. He has really good physical attributes and combined with the skilled pass catchers has made this offense, at least the passing offense, potent.
2. Under what scenario could you see Tech pulling the upset Saturday night?
If Georgia Tech can sustain drives they could be in position to pull off an upset. Clemson thrives off of extra snaps and extra possessions. The Tigers lead the nation in offensive snaps (626) and wear opponents out in the second half, out-scoring teams 175-77 in the second half this year.
Clemson’s defense really struggled with Paul Johnson’s offense in two games in 2009 and Clemson was tied with an FCS option offense in Wofford at the half in Week 2. Georgia Tech is going to have opportunities against a young defense with six new starters that has yet to master base sets let alone option football. Tech needs to stay on the field and hope Boyd gets off to another slow start like he has in his last two road games, throwing a interception returned for a touchdown at Maryland and being off the mark at Va. Tech.
3. Nose guard Brandon Thompson and end Andre Branch are obvious strengths in Clemson’s defense. Where or what are the weak spots?
North Carolina thought it could attack Clemson’s safeties. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele admits his secondary has been susceptible to double-moves this season and against no team should that be more problematic for Clemson than run-first Georgia Tech. Stephen Hill could have a big night for Tech.
4. Has this season changed your opinion of Dabo Swinney?
We always knew Swinney could recruit – that’s his strength. He has a great personal story and great charisma and that pays off on on the recruiting trail. Sammy Watkins and Tajh Boyd, Clemson’s two most valuable players, were both signed under Swinney.
I was curious to see what changes Swinney would make regarding his coaching staff and he made the a great one in hiring offensive coordinator Chad Morris. I think Swinney has proven he’s more than an ace recruiter and he can be an effective CEO. Perhaps in that Mack Brown mold.
5. What’s the fewest amount of points you could envision Clemson scoring Saturday?
I’ll say 27ish. I think we will see more points than that but Georgia Tech’s best defense is going to be time of possession on offense and it’s certainly plausible Tech will control the clock and shorten the game.
Tech volleyball dad Urban Meyer breaks down the Clemson offense.
Charleston Post and Courier update on the sprained ankle of running back Andre Ellington and a column pointing out Clemson AD Terry Don Phillips hired three of the coaches of the teams in the top five of the BCS – Les Miles and Mike Gundy (when he was AD at Oklahoma State) and Swinney.
A slew of stories available here from the Anderson independent Mail.
Thanks for reading.
Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog
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230 comments Add your comment
Just Curious
October 28th, 2011
11:35 am
Didn’t everybody schedule an off week before playing Bama last year?
Law Degree?
October 28th, 2011
11:51 am
What do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?
A good start.
TampaDawg
October 28th, 2011
11:53 am
You too George. And no Mr. BS, I don’t speak for them all, that’s the point. PLENTY of GT trolls on the other side and worse yet, many of them post under such grand names as Saban, Gatormeat, and “insert non GT team name here”.
TampaDawg
October 28th, 2011
11:54 am
1 4 GT
October 28th, 2011
11:29 am
If UGAG mutts don’t beat UF tomorrow, they will NEVER beat UF again.
————————-
First off, of course UGA will again at some point beat UF, if not tomorrow (but it will be tomorrow). Second, but we will still beat GT.
Third, now go beat Clemson so when the UGA/GT game comes up, two good teams with good records will hit the field.
carolinajacket
October 28th, 2011
12:06 pm
Jason, how do you get a lawyer out of a tree?
Law Degree?
October 28th, 2011
12:14 pm
Why don’t sharks attack lawyers?
Professional courtesy
blazer
October 28th, 2011
12:16 pm
i agree BS Patrol if they can’t win the weak sec east this year, it won’t happen soon!
Ok, I suppose I'll join in, too.
October 28th, 2011
12:16 pm
What’s the difference between a lawyer and a trampoline?
You take your shoes off before you jump on a trampoline.
Just Curious
October 28th, 2011
12:23 pm
Q: What is the difference between The Bloods, The Crips and the American Bar Association?
A: The Bloods and The Crips actually adhere to their established moral and ethical codes of behavior.
GDBurdell
October 28th, 2011
12:24 pm
tek has no chance
Law Degree?
October 28th, 2011
12:31 pm
When did the Bar Association enact a code of ethics? Was this fairly recent?
TechFanForever
October 28th, 2011
12:38 pm
We should go for two points each TD we get. That is the best weapon to help our defense…
1 4 GT
October 28th, 2011
12:41 pm
TampaDawg. I was saying, in a round about way I guess, that this is the best chance ya’ll have had in a long time and yes, ya’ll will certainly beat UF at some point in the future. I am sure ya’ll are as tired of losing to the Gators as we are of our pitiful record against UGA, in all honesty, since VD was hired. At least, I m not proud of our record since then, but especially since MR was hired.
1 4 GT
October 28th, 2011
12:44 pm
How do you get a lawyer out of a tree? Looks like I got something started.
Delbert D.
October 28th, 2011
12:50 pm
How is the Big East going to enforce their 27-month notice if all the members leave? The Big 12 says West Virginia will be playing the 2012 season.
1 4 GT
October 28th, 2011
12:53 pm
Delbert D. Sounds like a lawyer’s problem to me.
carolinajacket
October 28th, 2011
12:58 pm
You cut him down.
SRF
October 28th, 2011
1:09 pm
Dogs will beat reptiles, Tigers will beat Jackets, pretty depressing weekend
LindseySNOT
October 28th, 2011
1:32 pm
ugag will NOT beat UF tomorrow…and we may not beat Klimpson. But if we DO beat Klimpson (doesn’t matter if it’s by 1 point), then we’ve beaten (or been beaten by) a BCS team. If ugag wins, it proves nothing, except that ugag can beat a team with a bunch of freshman with a new head coach. If ugag loses (which they will), it proves what we GT fans been saying for the last 2 – 3 years, “ugag does the least with the most talent of any other Div 1 team in the usa…again!”
Delbert D.
October 28th, 2011
1:34 pm
AJC is predicting bad traffic downtown tomorrow afternoon and evening.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
1:38 pm
Delbert, check your email
Traffic Reporter
October 28th, 2011
1:39 pm
Luckily only 35,000 Clemson fans will be at the game is a smattering of trade schoolers in attendance
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
1:41 pm
Traffic Reporter, thanks for your report, Now go back and play with your dolls, like a good little girl
Mike Bobo
October 28th, 2011
1:43 pm
Lindsey may be correct in that UGA does not achieve much with its talent. If he is correct what does that say about Tech? Either your talent is abysmal or your coaching is abysmal. Which one is it?
Traffic Reporter
October 28th, 2011
1:44 pm
Good one there ohh hungry one!! Did you come up with that all by your lonesome?
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
1:45 pm
It says that our talent is young, and the coaches are doing their best to help them get better with experience.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
1:47 pm
I haven’t sold it yet. It’s a little hard to sell it in Augusta, and those of my friends who want to come, cannot. I will probably end up selling it tomorrow, if nothing comes up here today in Augusta.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
1:48 pm
Sort of ironic that I ended up with an extra for the biggest game of the year and had no problems for all the other games, but this is a busy weekend for lots of people
Delbert D.
October 28th, 2011
1:51 pm
Rap concert at Philips, National band competition at the dome. Not a good time for riding Marta, either. Once (MD game) was enough to convince me that things have changed for the worse in 20 years.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
1:53 pm
Hmmm, wonder if I should get off I-20 at Boulevard and come up there to North or Ponce. What do you guys think?
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
1:55 pm
MD game was terrible coming in from Augusta, and leaving too. I usually come up Spring St and W P’tree. But for the MD game, they had Spring blocked in the area of Phillips and the Dome. I’m not sure how I finally got to campus, but I made it somehow…..with lots of luck. LOL
Traffic Reporter
October 28th, 2011
1:56 pm
With all the goings on maybe armed robberies will be down on North Avenue………..
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
1:58 pm
All the thugs will be in Jacksonville p-ing and s-ing wherever they want to—–just like on the campus in Athens
Mike Bobo
October 28th, 2011
1:59 pm
So what you are saying is your talent has been young for the past 10 years? Or your coaching has yet to figure out how to make them better? I thought it was UGA that did less with more?
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
2:01 pm
Bobo, Johnson’s first two years were with experienced talent. Last year, decent experience but a bad attitude. This year, limited experience and a good attitude. Prior to Johnson, was Chan, and plenty of talent and good attitude, but lousy coaching.
Traffic Reporter
October 28th, 2011
2:01 pm
Oh really? Never have heard of the crime wave in Athens that you have around North Avenue……maybe it’s just the AJC trying to highlight the few bad things (LOL) that happen around campus. I am sure everything is just blissful around the campus around say 11PM at night.
Mike Bobo
October 28th, 2011
2:03 pm
Super you did a good job of defending the comments by Lindsey (asinine as they were)
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
2:03 pm
Crime happens all over Atlanta and all over every major city in the country. Crime happens in Athens too, just not with the frequency or severity (usually, but not always) as in a major city.
Leonard
October 28th, 2011
2:05 pm
Teach 24, Clemson 56
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
2:06 pm
Bobo, it is what it is. Johnson proved his coaching ability the first 2 years. I think he will prove it again. Meanwhile, the mutts have just been getting by the past 4 years, living off the success of the big dogs (no pun intended) in the SEC.
Traffic Reporter
October 28th, 2011
2:09 pm
Crime seems to be more pervasive in areas with certain characteristics…..
Leonard
October 28th, 2011
2:09 pm
That should have been Tek
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
2:12 pm
Bobo, whenever you run up 700+ yards of offense on a team, no matter what the quality of that other team may be, it says something is working. Why the Jackets have nosedived the past two games is puzzling to everyone, Johnson included, I am sure. But the talent is there. I say it’s the youth that has caused them to fall flat the past two games, and experience will fix that. It might not fix it in time for tomorrow night, but anything can happen. If the Jackets were to right the boat and beat the Tigers, then all the critics wouldn’t be able to say a thing, other than the mindless trolls who will find any possible excuse for why it happened. Not saying it WILL happen, but it definitely COULD.
Mike Bobo
October 28th, 2011
2:13 pm
It is a matter of ebb and flow….Bama was down for a while, Florida was up….Tennessee was dominant for a while now they are not….UGA won a couple of SEC championships now they are struggling. Let’s say Johnson did a good job of “coaching them up”. What he now has to do is “coach up” his own players and getting good players into the system has proven challenging based on the scheme being run.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
2:15 pm
The fact that crime occurs in Atlanta, even if it is near or even on the Tech campus, says absolutely nothing about Tech. What it says is that there is a bunch of riff-raff in Atlanta and that the Atlanta police can’t control it.
Traffic Reporter
October 28th, 2011
2:19 pm
And the riff-raff is made up of certian characteristics that are common from one city to another
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
2:19 pm
Bobo, on paper, Johnson’s recruiting classes thus far have been as good as Chan’s with ONE YEAR ONLY in exception. This year, I personally think the youth of the O-line and the total lack of confidence that has somehow hit Tevin are the problems. Nobody knows for sure if Vad Lee will be any better once he hits the field next year, but at least on paper, he appears to be just what we need. And with an older and more experienced O-line, there could be a BIG improvement next year. Most reasonable Tech fans knew this would be a rebuilding year, and a lot of us got sucked in by the early, seemingly easy good results.
Jason Marcu
October 28th, 2011
2:20 pm
So until they get the filter resolved I think we should ban everyone who is not an Institute graduate.
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
2:20 pm
Traffic Reporter,so what’s your point?
Supersize that order, mutt
October 28th, 2011
2:22 pm
Jason, we can’t do that. There ARE a few good DAWGs who post on here. It’s just the clueless,classless MUTT trolls who need to go.