September 28, 2012

Gameday Prediction - Clemson vs. Boston College

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If the Clemson Tigers want to prove that the 2012 squad can be something special, they must start this weekend doing something that only one Clemson team in the last seven years has been able to accomplish.

Win at Boston College.

Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill, MA has been less than friendly to Clemson as the Tigers have only managed to win one time since Boston College joined the ACC in 2005.

The Tigers will have to manage to scrap out a win without star wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who is out with a stomach virus, and wide receiver Martavis Bryant who underwent emergency surgery for a groin injury Tuesday night.

Clemson still has plenty of weapons on the offensive side of the ball, but the big question that remains going into week five of the season is, does the Tiger defense have enough horses to make stops and win the game?

Will the Clemson defense step up this week and take the pressure off of the Clemson offense?

NO. 17 CLEMSON AT BOSTON COLLEGE

WHY BOSTON COLLEGE MIGHT WIN: Boston College has history and a curse at Alumni Stadium on their side, where even much more talented Clemson teams always find a way to lose. The Eagles are led on offense by junior quarterback Chase Rettig, who has improved since his first start back in 2010. Rettig has thrown for 951 yards, with six touchdowns and one interception. The Eagles’ leading rusher is Andre Williams, who has 36 carries for 117 yards. Rettig likes to spread the ball around to three different receivers, who all have over 100 yards so far this season- Alex Amidon, Tahj Kimble, and Jonathan Coleman. If the offensive line can hold Clemson’s defensive line, then Rettig can get the ball to his targets, because Clemson’s secondary has proven to be suspect many times this season. On defense, Boston College has three of the ACC’s top tacklers in Nick Clancy, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and Steele Divitto. Those three linebackers will have a huge part in determining how effective Clemson’s running game will be, especially since Clemson will be without Watkins and will be forced to just line up and run the ball.

WHY CLEMSON MIGHT WIN: The Clemson Tigers have so much speed and talent on offense - with dual threat quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Andre Ellington, and wide receivers Nuk Hopkins and Jaron Brown - that opposing defenses can’t pick just one player to key on or they will get beat by the others. This should be the case against Boston College. The Eagles have a great linebacking corps, but the linebackers can’t cover the Tigers’ wide receivers. The running game may get off to a slow start because of the Eagles’ big defensive line and linebackers, but at some point defensive coordinator Bill McGovern will have to drop a linebacker or two into coverage, opening up things Andre Ellington. The Clemson defense shouldn’t have as difficult of a time this weekend as they did matching up with the FSU playmakers, so maybe- just maybe- we will see a Clemson defense play a solid game. Clemson defensive tackles Josh Watson, DeShawn Williams and Grady Jarrett have been solid so far this season ,preventing opposing offenses from just running the ball up the middle. Linebacker Tig Willard seems to always be around the ball and in position to make a tackle. And, Clemson fans are watching a star grow before their eyes in freshman Travis Blanks. Blanks made some mistakes last week, but his talent continues to show and he is emerging as a leader on the defense.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN: The Tigers will come out and try to establish the run early, but will have little success due to the Eagles’ front seven on defense. Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris will continue to run the ball, because as the game wears on, the Boston College defense will wear down and holes will open up for Ellington. The Clemson defense will be, well, the Clemson defense, giving up yards and points, but at the end of the day Boyd and the Tiger offense will prove too much for Eagles to handle.

FINAL SCORE: CLEMSON 37 BOSTON COLLEGE 24

Post written by Clemson Girl's Sports Bloggess, Nikki Steele.

September 26, 2012

Win a Clemson gameday bracelet from Green Tiger Jewelry

Good morning Clemson Girls! You know we're a big fan of giving you, our fabulous readers, free Clemson swag from the best companies at every chance we get. And today is no exception.

Today we have a great giveaway from Green Tiger Jewelry - a Clemson alum owned Etsy shop that specializes in handmade jewelry...with of course lots of great Clemson colored designs!

Green Tiger Jewelry is offering all Clemson Girl readers a special discount code - use promotional code CLEMSONGIRL to get 10% off your total purchase!

Green Tiger Jewelry would also like to give one very lucky Clemson Girl this beautiful orange and purple memory wire bracelet.

Use the widget below to enter...

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Deadline for all entries is tonight at midnight. We will draw a winner at random and contact the winner by email tomorrow, Sept. 27. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to our email or we will draw a new winner.

Many thanks to Green Tiger Jewelry for sponsoring today's giveaway!

Go Tigers!


September 25, 2012

Sass up your tailgate with a Froo Froo Apron™ (+ a giveaway)

Today’s post will guarantee to put a smile on your face, even after this weekend’s heart break of a loss.

Meet one of our newest sponsors, Froo Froo Aprons™ -- and with a name like Froo Froo, what’s not to love? :)

Froo Froo Aprons™, a division of Cool Water Designs, LLC, is a family owned business that sells the cutest, most unique, fun aprons you will ever see. Each apron is handmade using all American made products and comes embellished with ribbons, embroidery, and sometimes a little “bling”. Any Clemson Girl would make quite the statement at their tailgate wearing a Froo Froo Apron™!


Froo Froo Aprons™ is a big fan of Clemson (their model is a '99 alum), and has a variety of Clemson-themed aprons to choose from. The company loves custom orders and encourages their customers to get creative with their requests. You can personalize your apron with your monogram, your name, your favorite team…pretty much any request they can handle.


The Froo Froo Aprons™ are available in sizes from Toddler to Adult. How cute are these mini-aprons for your little Clemson Girls? Have your daughter wear her Froo Froo Apron™ that matches yours and teach her how to set up the perfect Clemson tailgate.


The Froo Froo Apron™ isn’t just for tailgating, but are also great fun for birthday parties, showers, girls’ night in and would make the perfect hostess gift.


Froo Froo Aprons™ are not only adorable and fun, but durable and well-made. Bows on the aprons are detachable, making the entire apron machine washable for easy care.

To make it easy for you to get a Froo Froo Apron™ of your own, all U.S. orders come with FREE shipping!

Froo Froo Aprons™ Giveaway
Froo Froo Aprons™ has generously offered to give away one of their super cute Clemson-themed aprons to a very lucky Clemson Girl reader.


Use the widget below to enter…

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Deadline for all entries is tonight at midnight. We will draw a winner at random tomorrow, Sept. 26, and email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to our email or we will draw a new winner.

Special thanks to Froo Froo Apron™ for lifting our spirits with such a fab giveaway today!

Good luck ladies and GO TIGERS!


September 21, 2012

Clemson Sports: Game Prediction - Clemson vs. FSU

Clemson- Florida State (36)

This post was featured on the Huffington Post sports section on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012.

There is no reason for the Clemson Tigers to board the buses to Tallahassee, because they have no chance of winning in Doak Campbell Stadium Saturday night.

If you have listened to the national media for the last week, then you know that the 10th-ranked Tigers have no shot at staying within two touchdowns of No. 4 Florida State. And, according to FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher, the Tigers are very similar to Wake Forest – the team FSU beat 52-0 last week - but with a few more “bells and whistles.”

The Tigers and Noles are set to show the nation how good the ACC can be as the teams take center stage in an 8 p.m. game on ABC Saturday night.

Do the Tigers stand a chance or should they just stay in South Carolina?

Let’s take a look at how the two teams match up.

NO. 10 CLEMSON (3-0, 0-0 ACC) AT NO. 4 FLORIDA STATE (3-0, 1-0)

WHY FLORIDA STATE MIGHT WIN
The Seminoles have the number one defense in the country after allowing only three points in three games. The Seminoles return nine starters on a defense that was ranked in the top-five a year ago, and can stake claim to the top defensive line in country with the talents of Everett Dawkins, Bjoern Werner, and Cornellius Carradine. Werner leads the country with six-and-a-half sacks this season and Carradine isn’t far behind with three-and-a-half. The Noles are only allowing 70 yards through the air and 34 yards on the ground.

The defense is without a doubt the strongest unit on the FSU squad, but the offense is no push-over, averaging just over 52 points per game. The offense is led by senior quarterback E.J. Manuel, who has completed 71-percent of his passes for 525 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception. As much of a threat as Manuel is to run the ball, the Nole offense starts with running back Chris Thompson, who has carried the ball 18 times for 254 yards and three touchdowns. Thompson rushed for 194 yards a week ago against Wake Forest, all in the first half. At wide receiver, Florida St. is led by Kenny Shaw and Kelvin Benjamin, who have two touchdown receptions each.

WHY CLEMSON MIGHT WIN
For all the talk of FSU’s talented defense, the Clemson Tigers have quite a few playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. The Noles will have a big decision to make in who to cover and who to take their chances on. The Clemson offense starts with junior quarterback Tajh Boyd, who has thrown for 747 yards, six touchdowns and one interception and has rushed for 75 yards this season. Against Auburn in week one, Boyd showed that he was plenty capable of keeping plays alive with his feet as well as getting the ball to his playmakers.

Unlike week one, Boyd will have sophomore wide receiver Sammy Watkins in his arsenal of weapons. Watkins was a freshman All-American who had 1219 yards and 12 touchdowns last year, but was suspended for the first two games of the season. To complement Watkins, Boyd can also play toss-and-catch with Nuk Hopkins, who already has four touchdowns and 319 receiving yards. Not to be left out is running back Andre Ellington, who made spectacular runs against Auburn and has rushed for 328 yards and four touchdowns. If the Florida St. defense can manage to cover those three, the Tigers will simply get the ball to Jaron Brown, Brandon Ford, Adam Humphries Charone Peake, or Martavis Bryant, players who are all dangerous in their own right.

The offense has kept the Tigers on pace, while the defense continues to be a work in progress under first year coordinator Brent Venables. Clemson is very young, but solid up front with tackles DeShawn Williams and Josh Watson. At linebacker, the Tigers have heavy hitters in Stephone Anthony, Tig Willard and self-proclaimed headhunter Lateek Townsend. The Tigers will need to stop FSU’s rushing attack and get solid play from the front seven to allow the secondary to settle in and prevent the long play when Manuel decides to throw the ball. Venables has proven over the last two seasons – he was at Oklahoma before coming to Clemson this season - that he is plenty capable of game planning against the Noles and stopping Manuel and offense. If Venables can translate his knowledge from the Sooners to the Tigers, then Clemson has a shot to emerge victorious. But, the Tigers must not allow the big, chunk plays that have plagued them throughout the first three games of the season.

THE X-FACTORS

CLEMSON OFFENSIVE LINE: The Clemson offensive line has been pieced together for much of the season and the original starting five have not played together since the next to last play of the Auburn game. But when they were together, they were successful at opening up rushing lanes and giving Boyd ample time to find his playmakers. The line will have a difficult task in handling the front four on Florida State’s defensive line. The offensive line will have to protect Boyd long enough for him to get rid of the ball or extend plays with his legs. The Clemson line has three new starters, but center Dalton Freeman and right guard Tyler Shatley have a toughness about them that has been missing from the Tigers’ front for many years.

FLORIDA STATE SECONDARY: The Clemson offense has so many weapons at wide receiver in Hopkins, Watkins, Humphries, Bryant and Brown, and for the FSU defense it almost becomes a ‘pick your poison’ type of deal. If Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops decides to double-team Watkins, Hopkins is plenty capable of racking up 100 receiving yards and multiple touchdowns on his own. Defensive backs Xavier Rhodes and Lemarcus Joyner will be tasked with keeping tabs on the Tiger’s receiving corps, and if they can’t do it alone, FSU will be forced to drop a linebacker into coverage, which could ultimately open up the running game for Ellington and company.

CLEMSON OFFENSIVE SNAP COUNT: The Clemson Tigers are averaging just over 79 plays per game, while the FSU defense has only been on the field for 162 plays over the course of three games. If the Tigers can run at least 80 plays, they will have an advantage over the Noles on a hot and humid night in Tallahassee. Many will make the claim that Florida State’s defense should be well-rested and fresh, but playing in the heat against an offense that likes to snap the ball with 25 to 30 seconds remaining on the play clock can take a toll on a defense that has yet to play an entire game.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN
The Seminoles will come out with a lot of energy on defense, and will hold the Clemson offense in check for the first half, while the Clemson defense will give up yards, but keep the Noles from racking up a ton of points. Going into the second half, the score will be close, but a FSU defense that hasn’t been tested and hasn’t played four quarters of football will begin to tire towards the end of the third quarter and the Tigers will put the game away to win a game that nobody outside of Clemson gave them a chance of winning.

FINAL SCORE: CLEMSON, 35 - FLORIDA ST. 24

Post written by Clemson Girl Sports Bloggess Nikki Steele

September 20, 2012

Accessorize your gameday look with Fan Flirties (+ a giveaway)

Who else is excited, nervous, anxious about Saturday’s big game against FSU? Only two more days!

Most of us won’t be able to make the trip to Tallahassee to cheer on our Tigers in person – especially since the game is officially sold out. However, that won’t stop us from still getting dolled up in our gameday finest while we cheer on the Tigers in front of a TV.

Speaking of gameday finest...every Clemson gameday outfit needs the perfect gameday jewelry, so we are very excited to introduce you to one of our newest sponsors – Fan Flirties.

Fan Flirties is a jewelry line created and manufactured in the U.S. that offers earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and hair accessories in your favorite team colors and with your favorite team logos. All of their products are officially licensed and use Swarovski Elements® and/or Austrian Crystals.

You will love Fan Flirties’ Clemson designs. You can shop their entire Clemson collection online on their website. Orders over $50 get FREE shipping.

Their best selling style is the Daize Deco Posts earrings. They come in a variety of Clemson colors, and you can get them with or without the Tiger Paw.

You can also get this gorgeous ring to match your earrings…

Fan Flirties Clemson jewelry is a great gift idea – any Clemson Girl would love this necklace, bracelet, and earrings as a gift. These are some of our favorite styles from the Fan Flirties’ Clemson selection!

There are more styles in addition to the Daize Deco posts – you can go with a simpler, elegant look with these beautiful Betty Baby Bob Posts – also available as dangles.

This heart design is super cute and would be adorable for your little Clemson Girls… how cute are these earrings and matching ring?

Fan Flirties also has the cutest hair clips in a variety of designs and colors – with or without the Tiger Paw. These are great for the gamedays when you want your hair pulled up off your neck – these will keep those flyaway hairs in place and add a pop of bling to your gameday outfit!

Fan Flirties Giveaway
Fan Flirties has generously offered to give one very lucky Clemson Girl reader a pair of their Large Daizie Deco Posts and the matching Daize Deco ring.

You can get several entries. Enter in the giveaway using the widget below…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deadline for all entries is tonight at midnight. We will draw a winner at random tomorrow, Sept. 21 and contact the winner by email. The winner has 48 hours to email us back after we send the email or we will draw a new winner.

Special thanks to Fan Flirties for sponsoring such a fabulous giveaway!!

What are you waiting for? Get decked out from head to toe in Fan Flirties ‘bling’ and let’s cheer on the Tigers! :)


September 18, 2012

Win $25 to spend at Meesh & Mia on Clemson Gameday Apparel

Happy Tuesday ladies!

Today we have a fabulous giveaway for you with two prizes for two winners!

If you haven't already, you need to check out Meesh & Mia online boutique. Meesh & Mia has put a spin on gameday apparel by taking today's latest fashion trends and combining them with school colors and logos. They provide a unique, fashion forward approach to University apparel...whether you're looking for something to wear to the game, to work...anywhere!

Shop Meesh & Mia online and take advantage of their $5 flat shipping fee. Make sure you also check out their Refer a Friend program - refer a friend and you and your friend can get $15 each to spend at Meesh & Mia!

Are you a gameday t-shirt and jeans kind of girl? This Clemson top would be cute AND casual for a Clemson gameday - love this top, so fun!

Speaking of jeans - check out these super chic orange skinny jeans, complete with a rhinestone tiger paw! You can also get this style in an orange skirt.

And if you're more into gameday dresses on gameday, Meesh & Mia still has you covered. Check out this gorgeous purple dress with a rhinestone Clemson tiger paw accent on the bottom.

Meesh & Mia Giveaway
Meesh & Mia has generously offered to give TWO very lucky Clemson Girl Readers a $25 gift certificate to spend at Meesh & Mia online.

Use the widget below to enter in the giveaway...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deadline for all entries will be MIDNIGHT tonight. We will randomly draw two winners and contact the winners by email tomorrow, Sept. 19. The winners will have 48 hours to contact us after we send the email or we will have to draw a new winner.

Special thanks to Meesh & Mia for sponsoring today's amazing giveaway!

Go Tigers!


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