Caroline's Tiger Pause - All in.. All purple..Preview of tonight's Clemson vs. GT game

Image Credit: Tigernet.com

284, 257, 280, 304, 274--these are the numbers that are going to determine the outcome of tonight's game. Those numbers are the weight of Georgia Tech's offensive line-the smallest in the ACC. And they have to go against our defensive line-a line that is the best in the ACC, in the tops of the nation, and 8 deep. Another number to look at is 3-as in 3 lost starters on Tech's Defensive Line. Clemson is going to control the line of scrimmage and they are going to win this game.

All of the talk and attention for this game will be on Spiller and Dwyer-many in the media are already pitching it as the two best running backs in nation going against one another. At the very least it seems highly likely that one of them is going to be the ACC Player of the year. And I think both will bring it tonight. I think Dwyer will have a good game, and I think CJ is going to have a really special game. I think this is the game where you really see CJ assert himself as both a feature back and a senior leader of this team. I also think that Harper and Ellington will have important minutes in this game, and that is a must. Clemson must assert the running game as the rest of the offense is still working the kinks out. A great running attack would take a tremendous amount of pressure off of Kyle Parker's shoulders. He is incredibly talented, but he is still a freshman playing his first big conference game and his first game in a hostile environment. The running game needs to be there.

Kevin Steele has been breaking down tape on Tech since February. And last week's game did not show Georgia Tech a thing. Dabo admitted that they purposefully played pretty vanilla as a team-they did not want to show anything unless they had to. He also admitted they have been practicing for GT all spring and summer. We are extremely prepared going into this game, but Georgia Tech still really does not know what we are going to look like, particularly defensively. We have a new coordinator and a new scheme, but we really did not show anything against Middle Tennessee because their offense is completely different from anyone else we will play all year. Last week we could only play one linebacker, this week Butkus award candidate Kavell Conner finally gets to step on the field and I think he is going to be nasty. I think the defense as a whole is going to be nasty, and they need to be. Our offense is still learning the ropes and the defense needs to set the tone. Also, Paul Johnson has said they will kick to Spiller and Ford, and we need to take advantage. Special teams needs to give the Tiger offense a short field to work with.

And make no mistake, Georgia Tech is a really good team. They are ranked for a reason. Tech has a great QB in Nesbitt; he has great feet and is not called upon to throw often but has a great arm when he does. Dwyer and Thomas are among the best in the conference at RB and WR. Dwyer is the reigning conference player of the year. And even though I do think Clemson will dominate the line of scrimmage Tech does have a really good offensive and defensive line. And you have to worry about their offensive line because they love to cut block and last year I even thought I saw a few chop blocks in our game though the ACC refs chose to ignore it. This can make our defensive stars knees pretty vulnerable-luckily we have been practicing for that too. I know everyone is picking Clemson to lose, but that is actually one of my favorite things about this game. Clemson always plays a little better with a chip on their shoulder. I actually have been saying since last year that this is one of the main games that I am not worried about. These players want to beat Tech, and bad. This has been a game circled on every player's calender.

And lastly, I do not drink the Paul Johnson kool aid. I just do not have the love affair that the media seems to have with him. I think that he is an excellent coach, but I am still skeptical if his triple option offensive scheme can really work year in and year out in big conference play. The reason it was so effective at Navy is the big teams they played every year were in the middle of conference play and could only devote so much time to an offense they would only see once from a team they should beat. LSU showed what can happen with a little preparation. And Georgia Tech's offensive numbers were not as strong as the previous year under Chan Gailey. I love the option, but you have to mix it up a bit.

The most dangerous part of his offense is it can lull a defense to sleep in the sense that after so many running plays in a row, the pass becomes a trick play. One you are not expecting. The Clemson secondary is going to have to be on high alert to not give up the big pass play. That is really how Georgia Tech beats you-that is how they beat us last year. I think everyone remembers the game winning TD in the waning minutes of last year's game-a 23 yarder from Nesbitt to Deamariyus Thomas. But I keep going back to the fact that we made major mistakes in last year's game (6 turnovers!), that CJ Spiller did not play in last year's game due to injury, and we were coming off of one of the most emotional times in any Clemson football team's history with the resignation of Bowden and the hiring of Swinney, and yet we still almost won that game. And the reason we almost won was through all of the mistakes we made in the game, all of the drama that led up to the game, we were still the better team. And we are the better team tonight. I think Dabo is all about winning the games we should win, and no matter what the media says we should win tonight.

In the last 13 games between Tech and Clemson, the winner has been decided by 5 points or less 10 times. I could see that happening and I would be thrilled with a 1 point win in double overtime. But I think Clemson wins by double digits-I think that Georgia Tech thinks that there is no way they can lose, I think Clemson dominates the line of scrimmage tonight, I think the defense as a whole is just too much, I think we are an angry team out to prove a point, and I think CJ Spiller wants to prove he should be ACC Player of the year! I can not wait for this game-Go Tigers!

Share on Facebook

Caroline's Tiger Pause - It's Spiller's Time

On February 1st, 2006 I emitted the first of what would be thousands of cheers for CJ Spiller. I scheduled my day off from work the day of his press conference, and I was driving along a rode in Walhalla listening on 104.9. I pulled over and was talking to my dad on my cell phone, and then we both quieted and listened to his press conference. After saying a litany of great things about the University of Florida, CJ Spiller said the words “I will be going to Clemson in the fall”. I was positively shrieking and doing a car dance as plenty of normal people in downtown Walhalla wondered what could be wrong with me. Clemson football changed that day, and as we calmed down my dad said words that were so true-“enjoy every minute of him with a Clemson jersey on, he is one in a million and we won’t see the likes of him again any time soon”.

Then on January 15th 2009 I shrieked again after hearing CJ Spiller say that he would be staying at Clemson for his senior season. He chose being a Clemson Tiger and finishing his degree over a 1st round draft grade for the NFL and the wishes of his mother. I never dreamed he would stay at Clemson for four years-and I am going to thoroughly enjoy his senior season. There are a million and one reasons that I am excited about the 2009 Tigers, but the number one reason is watching CJ Spiller’s senior season. This is his first season as a feature back and not sharing carries with our beloved James Davis (who by the way has had a great start at the Cleveland Brown’s camp). Spiller is an almost universal top 5 selection for the Heisman Trophy, and is also Mel Kiper’s and Phil Steele’s pick to be the first running back taken in the NFL draft this year. I am going enjoy every second of watching #28 in Death Valley; watching the human highlight reel shatter even more records. I am going to love watching Lightning strike in the Valley over and over again.

Spiller needs only 921 all purpose yards to become the ACC leader in that category. A healthy CJ should shatter that number. He is a record setter at running back, receiver, and kick returner, and has even thrown a touch down pass. Tyler Grisham caught it in the 2008 Virginia game, and it was a beauty. He is Clemson’s leader already in all purpose yardage with 4, 908 yards so far. He has the school record with 12 touchdowns over 50 yards, 6 over 80. His freshman season he tied the record for career +50 yard scores. He only needs 83 yards to reach 1000 receiving yards in a career, and he can become the first Tiger ever to have at least 2000 yards rushing, 1000 yards receiving, and 1000 kick return yards. He has accounted for TD’s in 4 different ways. Lightning has averaged 6.0 yards per carry over his career-that is more than half of a first down per carry! He has averaged 8.53 yards per attempt in all purpose yardage.

CJ Spiller’s numbers are phenomenal, but they pale in comparison to CJ the man. In addition to being able to change the outcome of a game in a matter of seconds, he has been a great ambassador for the University. He is a man of great faith and character, a wonderful father, and a terrific student. He was the first football player since Kyle Young to be named Academic All ACC. Let’s face it, this guy does not need a college degree-he is going to be a millionaire in less than a year’s time. But he has always taken his studies and his position as a role model very seriously. He has been an exemplary student athlete at Clemson and a terrific team leader. And this is his team-he is the face of the 2009 Clemson Tigers. And that is what matters to him. He has been an unselfish player his entire career at Clemson. Both he and James were more than capable of being feature backs, and they would have had even more awe inspiring numbers and records if that had ever been the case, but they always put the needs of the team first. That is a hard thing to do when you are a superstar. I can not imagine how difficult it was to turn down millions of dollars and a life long dream when CJ decided that first round grade or not he was staying at Clemson. We have so much amazing talent at Clemson, and several very talented seniors such as Jacoby Ford and Ricky Sapp that are already among my favorite Tigers of all time. But what I am most excited about this season is watching CJ for the first time as the feature running back at Clemson.

For the first time CJ is going to have a coach that is committed to putting the ball in his hands. Dabo has been pretty clear that the coaching staff is thinking of every which way CJ can touch the ball. I have to admit that few things irritated me more than losing a game and finding out that CJ had only touched the ball 6 times. The fact is if you give him enough touches Lightning is going to strike. Look at all that CJ accomplished sharing carries and having limited touches. Spiller’s numbers become all the more impressive when you factor in that he has only averaged 10 rushes per game in his career, 2.3 reception attempts-he has only averaged touching the ball 12 times a game in his entire career at Clemson. Talk about underutilized! I cannot wait to see what happens when CJ touches the ball 18 to 20 times a game.

If you want to get really excited about the football season this year I encourage you to go over to YouTube and look at the many highlight videos of #28. Remind yourself of the many awe inspiring plays he has already had as a Clemson Tiger. And then think of the fact that for the first time this is really his team, this is his time, and in his own words he has a lot left to accomplish at Clemson. That, more than anything else, has me incredibly excited and very confident about our 2009 Tigers.

So Clemson Girls, what has you most excited about our ’09 Tigers?

Share on Facebook