10.16.10 - Clemson vs. Maryland Gameday Photos

Hooray! The Tigers gave us a win yesterday - beating Maryland 31 to 7, despite some questionable officiating...eh hem.

It was also a very memorable game. Clemson legend CJ Spiller returned to Death Valley to retire his jersey - only the third player to ever do so in Clemson football history. He also gave back to the University in the form of a $100,000 donation.

You can watch the video of it here.

We had some volunteer photographers help us out this weekend with the gameday photos - unfortunately one had to back out and another we're still waiting to hear from and will hopefully have her photos added soon.

But one of our volunteers pulled through! Big thanks to Clemson Girl photog for a day - Tabitha Thompson! She captured some amazing photos from the game. Thanks Tabitha!!

You also sent us some pictures that we've added to the albums - we love having so many different perspectives of game day, so please continue to send them in! Email us at clemsongirlblog@gmail.com and we'll add them to the album.

You can view all of the gameday photos from yesterday's game on our Flickr site.


If you're interested in volunteering to be a Clemson Girl photog for a future Clemson home game, please email us (clemsongirlblog@gmail.com) and let us know! You'll receive a $25 gift certificate to the sponsor of your choice.

Only a week until the next Clemson home game and it's a big one... Stay tuned to the blog this week for some more great posts and we'll see you next weekend!

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Caroline's Tiger Pause: NFL 2010 Draft Review

Photo Credit: Ben Liebenberg / NFL.com
I was so very happy to see our beloved CJ Spiller taken in the top 10 of the NFL draft. There were a lot of rumors swirling about where CJ would end up but only one draft analyst even mentioned Buffalo. Buffalo came as a surprise to everyone but Spiller who said that since his visit to Buffalo a few weeks ago he had a feeling that was where he was going to land. Spiller went on to say “I’m very excited that they made the decision. It’s one that they will never regret”. And all Tiger fans can certainly agree with that statement - the only thing that surpasses CJ’s talent on the field is his character off of the field.

Many analysts believed that Seattle was definitely going to take Spiller with their second pick (#14) in the first round. Some thought they might have even pulled the trigger with their 1st pick (#6). Jon Gruden, ESPN analyst and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach thought that Seattle was crazy to bypass Spiller. He said that Spiller was by far the most talented player in the draft this year and would absolutely be the NFL’s offensive rookie of the year. It is also believed by most that the Jacksonville Jaguars would have taken him with the #10 pick, but Buffalo made a quick decision — their plan all along was to take Spiller if he was available.

The NFL, in general, usually goes after need first. Running back was not a glaring need for the Bills, especially compared to some of their more obvious weaknesses. But Buffalo knew what we have always known, CJ Spiller was too special to pass up. General Manager Buddy Nix said “He is a playmaker. A guy that creates field position and scores points and he is exciting. We need some excitement, somebody that can make a big play and create things on their own. We are void of big playmakers. We have good players, but a guy that has this kind of world class speed can help us in so many ways. We have returners, but this guy is going to be in the mix. He is a guy that can get you field position, you can throw it to him or you can hand it to him. There are a lot of things he can do. I am excited about giving a guy like this to Chan Gailey to see what he can do with him. He will use him in a lot of different spots and be creative in ways to get him the ball. I told you guys last time we met, need is important, but it had to be a guy that we thought was the player that could come in here and start immediately. Not to say some of those guys couldn’t, maybe they could. We also think we have a chance to get that position filled later on in the draft and to be honest with you there is only one Spiller.”

And I don’t think that it hurt that the Bills new head coach is Chan Gailey who saw first-hand what CJ Spiller is capable of when he was the head coach at Georgia Tech. I know many fans feel that Buffalo was not the best case scenario for CJ, but there are some real positives to the situation. First of all, CJ is going to be a star anywhere. Secondly, CJ has the potential to be the face of the franchise from a much earlier point than would have been possible at most NFL teams. The general manager said himself that they are a team that is void of big play makers — they are going to use CJ in a variety of ways to get him the ball and get him in the end zone.

In addition to being a first round draft pick, CJ has also signed endorsement deals with Adidas and Subway. The Adidas deal “is one of the biggest shoe deals for an NFL Draft prospect since Reggie Bush's deal a few years back," said Mikhail, President of Creative Sports International. "The deal will feature a national print campaign, as well as a national commercial."

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and his wife Kathleen joined CJ Spiller and his family in New York at the draft and did not leave without first purchasing Buffalo Bills merchandise for the whole family. Spiller moved out of his apartment in Clemson last weekend and returned to Lake Butler, Florida; Swinney said it was like seeing a son leave home. All of Tiger Nation will eagerly follow CJ’s pro career, and I think there will be a surprising number of Buffalo Bills jerseys in South Carolina. CJ is a living legend and without question one of the greatest Tigers in history. Buffalo has no idea how truly lucky they are.

Clemson had a total of 8 former tigers to sign with pro teams. Jacoby Ford was chosen in the 4th round by the Oakland Raiders. I believe he could be one of the great steals of the draft. We all know how special Jacoby is - and though he may be on the small side for NFL receivers, there is certainly no one who can catch him.

Ricky Sapp is another Tiger who went later than expected. Sapp was actually named as one of the top steals of the NFL draft by USA Today. He was drafted in the 5th round by the Philadelphia Eagles. Crezdon Butler was also taken in the 5th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kavell Conner was drafted in the 7th round by the Indianapolis Colts.

In addition to the five that were drafted at least 3 Tigers have signed on as undrafted free agents. Michael Palmer signed with the Atlanta Falcons, Thomas Austin signed with the Minnesota Vikings, and Chris Chancellor signed with the Cleveland Browns.

Congratulations to all of these former Tigers - we look forward to watching you all play on Sundays!

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Today is NFL Draft Day

So today is the big day for some of our favorite Tigers. I am so glad they have moved the draft coverage to prime time so we can all watch it at home without trying to sneak it in during work.

Of course the big question is what team will snag up our beloved Clemson tiger C.J. Spiller, and how soon he'll get snagged. I have a good feeling he'll be picked early.

Photo Source: C. Aluka Berry/caberry@thestate.com, The State

Today's Post and Courier article says, "NFL draft prognosticators have C.J. Spiller being drafted anywhere from sixth to 20th in the first round today."

So what are your predictions? I've seen a lot of rumors online that the N.Y. Giants are eyeing C.J. - who is now being referred to in the press as Clifford "C.J." Spiller. I don't know about you, but I prefer C.J. to Clifford. :)

And we can't forget our other notable Tigers who will also be potential draft picks: OLB/DE Ricky Sapp (expected to be picked in the top three rounds), receiver Jacoby Ford, linebacker Kavell Conner and cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chris Chancellor (all viewed as third-day prospects), and center/guard Thomas Austin and tight end Michael Palmer are late-round prospects (could possibly go undrafted). [Source: Post and Courier]

Best of luck to our Tigers! I'll be watching tonight - will you?

Here's the draft TV schedule - airing on ESPN:
Round 1: Thursday, April 22 7:30-11 p.m. ET
Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 23 6-11 p.m. ET
Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 24 10 a.m.-6 p.m. ET
*End times are approximate


"You just stay humble. You know it can be taken away at any moment." -C.J. Spiller

Update: C.J. was picked by the Buffalo Bills! Pick #9.

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Music City Bowl - Go Tigers! We'll miss you Spiller!

LP Field in Nashville.

It's bowl gameday...I'm anxious and ready to start watching the Tigers take on Kentucky tonight (again) in the Music City Bowl...

I'm sad that football season is officially over until next fall, but I'm especially sad that this is CJ Spiller's last game in a Clemson uniform....but he'll always be a Clemson Tiger! I think it's so great that Clemson retired his #28 jersey. I'm excited to see what he can do in the NFL...he'll probably convert me to a pro football fan.

I hope he has a great game, along with the rest of the team - and I hope they can bring home a bowl win for Clemson fans. Go Tigers!!

If you're in Nashville for the game - thanks for being there to support our Tigers and I hope you had a blast! I would love to share your experiences or photos on this blog - please email them to us.

To read some great insight about the Music City Bowl and CJ Spiller, please visit a great fellow Clemson fan blog, Clemson Podcasts Blog.

And if you haven't seen it already, check out the full page ad that IPTAY took out to thank CJ Spiller in the USA Today at the end of football season.

Photo Credit: Clemson Podcasts Blog

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Caroline's Tiger Pause - Clemson vs. USC - Game Analysis

ACC Atlantic Division Champions! How sweet those words sound! I could not be more proud of Clemson for punching their ticket to Tampa, but before we all get caught up in ACC conference championship game fever we have to win our state championship. It would be so easy for any team to look ahead to the championship game but luckily we are playing our hated rival that is impossible to look past and I really believe that the Clemson players and coaches are 100% focused on this game.

Carolina is a very talented football team that desperately needs a win to salvage their season. They have had 2 weeks to prepare for us and I know we will see trick plays. I also fully expect to see their version of the Wild Cat offense at least a few times. They are going to be playing with a ton of emotion in a must win game. They have a very talented quarterback in Stephen Garcia, great receivers in Alshon Jeffrey and Mo Brown in particular, a great kicker, some terrific players on defense especially Stephon Gilmore, Cliff Matthews, and Eric Norwood who I believe is one of the great defenders in recent SEC history, one of the best athletes in the history of USC sports, and is a terrific student-athlete. Luckily we are surrounded by some amazing talent ourselves. We are a team on fire with great senior leadership and coaching that is keeping the team's mind fully focused on this game.

Two big things this game will hinge on are kickoff return coverage and the line of scrimmage. I see these two factors as Clemson's biggest advantage in the game. Spurrier has an important decision to make: to kick to Spiller or give Clemson great field position. Carolina’s kick off coverage is ranked 108th in the nation and last in the SEC and has already given up two touchdowns this year. Ford and Spiller make up the most dangerous return tandem in college football and Spiller is one kickoff return td away from the all-time lead in kickoff return touchdowns in the history of college football. Either decision is going to give Clemson a short field to work with.

USC is 109th in the nation in sacks allowed giving up over 3.0 sacks per game. Opponents have sacked Garcia 33 times this season while in contrast Clemson has recorded 33 sacks this year. Clemson's defensive sack average is 11th best in the nation. Carolina's offensive line has been a weakness all year, and Clemson's defensive line has been among the best in the nation this year. USC's defensive line has a lot of talent but depth is a major issue. Clemson's offensive line has been playing extremely well during this winning streak. Clemson wins the battle of the trenches flat out. It was a huge reason we won last year and will be a big reason that we win tomorrow. If this game is close towards the middle of the third quarter Clemson should be in great shape. Carolina's depth issues tend to hit towards the end of the 3rd quarter and that is when our lines can really take the game over.

There will be many factors in this game. The gamecocks are 17th in the nation and third in the SEC in total defense allowing 308.73 yards per game. This will be one of the best defenses that we have faced this year. Clemson's offense needs to continue to fire on all cylinders. I believe that CJ Spiller is going to have a huge game and I also believe that Clemson will be able to establish the run. USC is 97th in the country and last in the SEC in rushing offense with 116.09 yards per game. If Clemson can keep Carolina from establishing the run and continue to make their offense one-dimensional it is a huge advantage for the Tigers. On paper this game really should not be close. But this is Clemson-Carolina and anything can happen. However the only team that can beat Clemson tomorrow is Clemson. If they are looking ahead to next week or make mistakes especially in regards to turnovers then it is anyone's ball game. Luckily Dabo and the rest of the coaches have this team fully focused and motivated. Clemson is the best team on the field tomorrow and I am looking forward to to watching them prove it! Go Tigers!

For a little added motivation Clemson will be debuting new uniforms tomorrow! They are Nike's new pro combat uniforms and they selected 11 elite teams to debut them this year and we will debut ours Saturday. They are pretty incredible--the shoes have tiger paws and the inside collars of the jerseys say all in. And of course they are the tops in performance wear technology.

And on a side note, how many Clemson Girls are making it to Tampa—I can not wait to be there!

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11.21.09 - Clemson vs. UVA - Gameday photos

What a beautiful day it was yesterday! The weather was perfect and a 3:30 p.m. kickoff time is probably one of my favorite game times. Just enough time before the game to tailgate, and just enough time after the game to tailgate some more.

The atmosphere in the stadium was amazing. Everyone was excited knowing that we would soon know for 100% whether or not we'd be going to Tampa. It was also sentimental since so many great players are seniors this year and yesterday's game was their last Death Valley game.

One of my favorite moments was when the crowd was chanting - north side to south side - "orange"..."white"... and then it evolved into..."CJ"...."Spiller".

During the fourth quarter, the band played "Happy Birthday" and the entire stadium sang to Dabo. And now we're on our way to Tampa for the ACC Championships. What a great birthday present for Dabo!

Final score: Clemson 34, UVA 21

I'm so excited about Tampa, I keep forgetting about that game next weekend - who are we playing again? :)

I captured some great photos yesterday - I hope you enjoy them.

Remember you can view all of them and leave comments on your favorites by visiting our Flickr site.

If you'd like to add your gameday photos to our album, email us your pictures to clemsongirlblog@gmail.com.




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Caroline's Tiger Pause - Clemson vs. UVA - Thank you seniors!

I am so excited Clemson Girls for what has the makings of being an incredibly special, emotional, and memorable day in Death Valley. Clemson is finally on the cusp of winning the ACC Atlantic and going to the championship game in two weeks! If Boston College loses to North Carolina we are in no matter what, but we do not need any NC help because Clemson is taking care of business on senior day and punching our ticket to Tampa. I would be remiss if I did not take some time to thank the amazing senior leadership on the ’09 Tigers .

When Clemson signed this class I knew how special and talented they were; I knew that they were going to have a huge impact at Clemson and it has been a pleasure to watch them turn Clemson football around. And today they get the ultimate reward for 4 years of hard work and sacrifice. Senior Day is always special, but this year these men get to win the Atlantic Division. I truly believe this will be one of the most exciting and emotional senior days in the history of Death Valley. So enjoy every second of it Clemson Girls and soak it all in. I get chills just thinking about it. Can you imagine how loud Death Valley is going to be when CJ takes his last run down the hill? Can you imagine the fervor in the stands and on the field when Clemson clinches the Atlantic? I want to thank our football coaches, team, and especially our seniors for giving us this day. It would have been so easy to roll over after the Maryland game and be “the same old Clemson” but instead you turned the entire season around. Clemson is playing as good of football as anyone in the country right now-we are finally living up to our talent.

Our seniors have been amazing their entire careers at Clemson, but especially this year. Their leadership has been amazing. Seniors like Kavell Conner who has been a beast of a linebacker, Rendrick Taylor, Cory Lambert, and Kevin Alexander. Michael Palmer is one of the best and most consistent tight ends in the country, and I am still trying to figure out how he was able to hold onto that ball in the midst of a concussion against Miami earlier this year. Thomas Austin has been the leader of our offensive line and been an integral part of their development and success over the course of this year. He is one of the best things an offensive lineman can be-incredibly physical and consistent. Crezdon Butler has been a beast of a cornerback while at Clemson and will leave Clemson as the school leader in interception return yards. Both he and senior Chris Chancellor are a huge reason that Clemson has one of the nastiest and stingiest secondarys in the nation. Chris Chancellor and Butler have combined for 21 interceptions in their career at Clemson. Chancellor pulled down two of those interceptions against Carolina last year. Ricky Sapp is the senior statesman of Clemson’s tremendous and dominating defensive line. He has been wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks all year long and he has been a pleasure to watch play all four years at Clemson. He came in out of high school as a 5 star and an All American and he has lived up to every expectation. He has also excelled in the class room even making the honor roll last semester. Jacoby Ford is the fasted player in college football, the fastest player in the history of Clemson football, and I cannot imagine anyone faster will ever play here again. Of course Ford has freak of nature speed, but he also has great hands and is a great blocker. He can do anything and has exhibited tremendous senior leadership this entire season. For about the first 5 games he was the only receiver we had, and still opposing defenses could not contain him. Now our receiving corp is playing great football and much of the kudos go to Ford. He is second in the history of Clemson in 50 + yard touchdowns and with Spiller has formed the most dominant all purpose tandem in the history of college football. Jacoby is also the reigning 60 m indoor track national champion and was on pace to win the outdoor 100 m until sustaining a leg injury in the middle of the race. He is going to blow the NFL scouts away at the combines this year.

And finally CJ Spiller. How do you thank the greatest player in the history of Clemson football? He has been simply spectacular to watch these last four years. His statistics are amazing, his high light reel is unparalleled, and on top of all of his athletic talent he is a Christian, humble, hard working man who takes his position as a role model very seriously. He excels in all facets of the game, school, and life. Spiller will be in the Ring of Honor one day and I say sooner rather than later. Spiller deserves the Heisman trophy, and he is a viable candidate. The award is intended for the best player in college football; it is not a life time achievement trophy and it should not be only for the best player on the best team. Spiller is on every Heisman watch list and he has a legitimate chance of winning it now. Thank you CJ and all the seniors for everything you have brought to Clemson University!

In the midst thanking our seniors though, we also have a huge game with the Virginia Cavaliers. Their offense is one of the worst in the conference and their defense which started the year strongly has given up at least 420 yards in the last 3 games; Clemson is at home, it is senior day, and this is for all the marbles—Clemson handles this game. Virginia is last in the ACC in total offense and points scored, and our defense is amazing. The Cavs have given up 428 points in the last 4 games and have only scored over 21 points twice this year. They are average giving up over 3 sacks per game and we lead the league in sacks. They do have some quality wins this season, particularly over North Carolina and they are a big physical team. The Cavs employ a 3-4 defensive alignment, which is not a defense Clemson usually sees. So it may take some getting used to, but our offense is too talented to be really hindered by it. Clemson wins big today and we all enjoy a special afternoon in Death Valley. I already have the champagne on ice and ready to pop in celebration of Clemson finally winning the ACC Atlantic! Go Tigers!

Today’s game is also Military Appreciation Day and I would like to take a moment to thank all readers who have served or have relatives serving in the Military. God Bless our service men and service women!

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Caroline's Tiger Pause: Clemson vs. NC State

Last week's game in Death Valley was awesome! The fourth quarter the Valley was absolutely rocking. The Tigers made several huge mistakes (hello kicking game) but they exerted their will in the 4th quarter and overcame Clemson's tendency to beat themselves in big games. I was so proud of the Tigers and I felt we took so many steps in the right direction Saturday night. I saw a team that would not be denied their chance to go to the ACC Championship game. And Spiller, well he was amazing as always. I was also very proud to see CJ and Jacoby become the top all purpose yardage teammates in the history of college football. Luckily they have several games to pad their numbers further. And how about the whole stadium singing “We Will Rock You”--that makes my list of favorite moments in Death Valley. The night was spectacular and we are in the driver's seat to win the ACC Atlantic. NC State is one of the last remaining obstacles to overcome in our quest for the Atlantic.

NC State has a very talented and high powered offense, very similar to Florida State, but they lack the 'Noles athleticism. They do have some very talented players, particularly Russell Wilson, their terrific quarterback who has a 24-9 td to interception ratio, and is a threat throwing and running the ball. However Ponder had only thrown 3 picks all year before last Saturday's game. Clemson's defense has a knack for forcing great quarterbacks to make mistakes and Clemson's secondary is going to make the most of every miscue.

The secondary will be the main story in this game. Clemson is tied for the national lead in interceptions as a team with 19 and DeAndre McDaniel is tied for the individual national lead in interceptions with 8. State's secondary has been the achilles heel on an ineffective defense riddled with injuries. I just do not think that NC State's secondary will be able to handle the athleticism on our offense—particularly with Spiller and Ford. And Parker has improved significantly in our last 4 contests. Parker already has the most passing yards and touchdowns by a freshman ever at Clemson. Parker is still making his share of mistakes, but what I really like about him is his mistakes do not seem to bother him. So far he has appeared to be able to shake mistakes off and to not let them get into his head. That is one of the single most important qualities a quarterback can possess.

The only cause of major concern is the kicking game. I have never witnessed anything like what happened last week. Let us just hope we got all of our bad kicks out of our system. Spencer Benton will be getting the start over Richard Jackson because of Jackson's current academic issues.

The area on special teams Clemson should be able to exploit is in the return game. NC State has an important decision to make—to kick to Spiller or give us the ball near midfield. State's defense desperately needs to win the field position battle. Their defense cannot handle us consistently starting with a short field, but NC State is also last in the conference in kickoff coverage. I think it will be interesting to see which gamble they take. I hope they will kick to CJ so he can keep his yardage up, but I would not be surprised to see them avoid him at all costs.

I know everyone is on alert for the let down game, but I think this is a new Clemson team-I think they absolutely believe in themselves. C.J. Spiller, who returned for his senior season so he could play in that game on Dec. 5th, is making sure his teammates don’t have a let down. All of our seniors have been displaying great leadership in keeping Clemson in the hunt for the ACC Championship. And I do not think that Clemson has overlooked State at all. I think NC State has had Clemson's full attention and I think there is going to be a beat down in Raleigh. This game blows up in the second half and Clemson wins big—Go Tigers!!

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10.31.09 - Clemson vs. Coastal Carolina - Homecoming gameday photos

Another rainy gameday... what are the odds? The Tigers came out strong anyways and finished the game 49 against Coastal Carolina University who finished with three points.

So unfortunately I was unable to attend the game this past weekend. I hope everyone had a wonderful Homecoming Halloween Saturday in Clemson, despite the weather.

Even though I was absent this past weekend, I didn't want our blog readers to miss out on gameday photos - so I recruited three awesome Clemson Girls to take photos for me... and they went above and beyond the call of duty for you! These pictures are great and put my past gameday photos to shame. It's also great to have a different perspective of the games from a new lens...three different perspectives!

Let me tell you a little about these three lovely ladies..

Crystal Owens - Originally from Walhalla, Crystal was one of two Clemson fans in a large Carolina extended family. She graduated from Clemson in 2000 with a degree in marketing. Before graduating, she married her high school sweetheart who also graduated from Clemson in 1997. She works for Anderson County in Environmental Services, where she is surrounded by avid Tiger fans. She has a 6 year old son, Jackson, who loves Clemson and his second word (after Daddy) was touchdown. If it's orange she loves it, and she's only missed two home games in 12 years!

Teal Rosenlund - Teal is a sophomore at Clemson, majoring in Early Childhood Education. She has been a Clemson fan her entire life and actually lived in Clemson the first three years of her life. Then her family moved to Spartanburg, SC where she have lived since... At Clemson she is involved in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), RUF (Reformed University Fellowship), SCAEYC (South Carolina Association Educating Young Children), and Alpha Delta Pi Sorority - where she serves as the Corresponding Secretary. She love Clemson football, fall weather, exercising, and friends a family.

Michelle DiMaio - Michelle is a sorority sister of mine from Clemson. She contacted me after reading my blog post looking for photography help. Michelle is a professional photographer with her own photography business - she specializes in natural light photography of newborns, babies, toddlers, and children in the Clemson/Seneca/Anderson area. . She's a 2001 Clemson alum married to a fellow alum who grew up in Charleston in a full family of Clemson alumni and just couldn't get away from all things orange. You will be hearing more about Michelle and her business this week - she took some great photos this weekend, especially of all of the little Tiger fans, and I'll be sharing some of her favorite photos from her business as well! She's amazing!

Thanks to these awesome ladies for their great pictures - they captured it all... costumes, Homecoming floats, the game, the rain, tailgates, gameday outfits, etc. etc. etc. I'm just so blown away...I feel like I was there just by viewing these photos.

Click here to view all of the photos and to leave comments on your favorites!!



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Caroline's Tiger Pause: Happy Homecoming & Halloween!!

Happy Homecoming and Happy Halloween Clemson Girls! After that beat down in Miami last week I am really looking forward to the game today. I hope there is a big crowd in the stadium to thank our boys for such a great performance last week. I am not going to spend much time breaking down the game today, no offense to Coastal Carolina but this should be a solid win. We hold the advantage in all positions and our freshman and reserves should be getting a lot of work in the second half. Instead I thought I would savor the Miami victory a little bit more and highlight CJ Spiller's reemergence in the Heisman race.

Last week was tied for the highest ranked opponent that we have ever defeated on the road in the history of Clemson football. It cannot be overstated what a huge victory it was to beat Miami, especially on the road. And the game was as entertaining as you will ever see-an instant ESPN classic. In fact it quickly won the honor of college football game of the week. The second half, especially, was punch, counter punch in an epic battle. Both teams made mistakes, but neither gave up-they each wanted this game so badly. This was a game that saw Clemson players get 4 individual honors-DeAndre McDaniel, tied for the lead in interceptions nationally with 7, had 2 picks, one for a score and was named national defensive back of the week. Michael Palmer earned national tight end of the week and I am still trying to figure out how he held on to that ball when he was knocked with a concussion in mid-air. Kyle Parker grew up in a tremendous way, especially on that last pass, and with 326 passing yards was named national freshman player of the week. And CJ Spiller, can there ever be enough great words said about him? Spiller was named national offensive player of the week, his 310 all purpose yards are the most in a single game in Clemson history, and he finally got the national media to turn their head and view him as a legitimate Heisman candidate. Everyone saw what we already knew-he is the best athlete and player in college football today. Period.

The Miami game was amazing and I was so proud of the fight and determination displayed by our Tigers. The win over Miami puts us firmly in the driver's seat for the ACC Atlantic. If we win out we are in the championship game, if we lose there is still a great chance that we make it. But I think Clemson has turned an important corner and I believe you will see Clemson win out and representing the Atlantic in Tampa. And after Virginia Tech losing again this week it looks as if we are headed to a rematch with Georgia Tech. Miami still has a chance if Tech loses, but just like we do, Tech controls their own destiny.

In a season that has so far seen the Heisman favorites have lackluster seasons Spiller firmly tossed his hat in as a legitimate contender for the Heisman trophy. And please understand that just getting invited to New York would be a victory in and of itself for a Clemson program that has never had a player make it that far. Mel Kiper Jr., NFL draft expert, said that if he had the trophy to hand out tomorrow it would go to Spiller, and CJ has climbed into the top 5 of numerous voters lists. I know this for sure, CJ Spiller is the most electrifying and exciting player that I have ever watched play the game. And he has the heart of a lion-he is the ultimate student athlete and a player that has made us proud in every facet of the game and in life. Spiller's stats are mind boggling but when you look at the fact for 3 years he shared carries with Davis and he has done everything behind an offensive line that for most of his time in Clemson has had its' share of struggles his stats become all the more amazing. The offensive line has been one of the great improvements over the last few games so hopefully we will see his stats increase and become even more phenomenal. Here are just a few of the reasons that the Heisman voters should be giving CJ a real look.

*Spiller has set the career all purpose yardage record in the ACC being the 1st player in the history of the league to eclipse 6000 yards. In addition he is trending to be only the 5th player in college football history to eclipse 7000 all purpose running yards.

*Spiller currently leads the nation in all-purpose yards per game with 207.86. He is one of only two players to average over 200 all-purpose yards per game in the country this year.

*Spiller has tied an NCAA record for kickoff returns for touchdowns in a career with 6.

*He is also third nationally in kickoff return average with a 38.2 figure and is tied for first in kickoff returns for touchdowns with three.

*Spiller has had a 60-yard play, either from scrimmage or on a return, in each of the first seven games this year-a truly amazing stat.

*CJ has broken the ACC record for kick returns for a touchdown with seven (six kickoff and one punt). In addition his 7 total kick returns for TD is only one off of the national record of 8. If teams will continue to kick to him he stands a great chance of at least tying this record.

*CJ has reached the 100 yard mark in four different areas in his career, (rushing, receiving, kickoff returns, and punt returns). He has also scored in 5 different ways (rushing TD, receiving TD, punt return TD, kickoff return TD, and passing TD).

*Spiller’s 310 all-purpose yards tie for the most in a game by any player in FBS Division this year and is also a Clemson record.

*CJ and senior receiver Jacoby Ford need 376 all-purpose yards to establish the NCAA record for two players in the same class. Spiller and Ford have tallied 9,878 yards, trailing the San Diego State tandem of Marshall Faulk and Darnay Scott (1991-93). It is amazing that this special duo not only lived up to the high expectations cast on them from the moment they committed to Clemson, but how much they both surpassed expectations. And special kudos to Jacoby for not only making the game winning catch against Miami but also essentially drawing up the play.

*CJ joins Reggie Bush as the only players in college football history with at least 2500 yards rushing, 1500 yards in kickoff returns, 1000 in receiving and 500 in punt returns.

*Has 19 career touchdowns of 50 yards or more.

*CJ will graduate in three-and-a-half years on December 17, 2009. Made first-team Academic All-ACC last year when he made the Dean’s List.

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Tigers upset #10 Miami - Congrats Tigers!

(Photo Credit: The Canadian Press)

Read all about it. Go Tigers! What a game....

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Caroline's Tiger Pause: Clemson vs. Miami - a needed win.

Last week was the best game of the season for the Clemson Tigers! It was refreshing to see us live up to expectations. The Tigers had a complete game and were as impressive on offense as they were on defense. The Tigers face their biggest remaining challenge of the season today. Miami is worthy of their top 10 ranking. They have one of the top Quarterbacks in the country. Jacory Harris has a strong and accurate arm and can run the ball well; most importantly is his pocket presence though. He is cool and calm-he does not become rattled. He makes great decisions and is a terrific leader.

Miami is solid in all positions, but where their strength lies is in Harris, their WR corp, and their linebackers which are one of the top corps in the nation. The Hurricanes biggest weakness is their offensive line. Clemson has one of the premier defensive lines in the nation and if we are to pull the upset they are going to have to dominate the Miami offensive line. Miami's OL lacks depth and has injuries and and our deep physical d-line should really be able to wear them out in the second half. It is going to be difficult to beat Miami but it can be done if Clemson can dominate on defense, score on special teams, and Spiller and Ford do something special.

This game is important to our season for a variety of reasons. First of all if we win this game we are in the driver's seat for taking the ACC Atlantic. A loss does not spell disaster but it does make winning the Atlantic much more difficult. A win also shows that this team is turning a corner. I hope to see offensive play calling similar to the Wake Forest game, especially in the use of our Tight Ends.

Clemson started to put the pieces of the puzzle back together after the debacle at Maryland in the Wake Forest game. I look forward to seeing this team show maturity and some killer instinct the rest of this season. Our biggest test is today. Win or lose-I think Clemson plays hard today. I see this game being close. Watching the Miami-Virginia Tech game gives me hope that a great defense and solid special teams play can tame Miami. The opportunity of watching our defense take on Miami's offense really makes this one of the most compelling match-ups of the week. I am looking forward to seeing Kevin Steele go toe to toe with Miami's OC Mark Whipple. This is going to be a great game and I am hoping that Clemson can pull the upset. Go Tigers!!

On a special note Chris Chancellor will be wearing the number 6 in honor of his former high school friend and teammate Jasper Howard. He was the starting cornerback for the University of Connecticut that was murdered last week.

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10.17.09 - Clemson vs. Wake Forest - Game photos and gameday outfits

So I think I jinxed the weather yesterday by talking all week about how great the weather was going to be on Saturday and how finally it wouldn't rain... Well.. what do you know...it rains. :(

But, it was still a great gameday... the Tigers showed up to play and the final score was Clemson 38, Wake Forest 3. Go Tigers!

I took a ton of pictures during the game. The little Clemson Girls dressed up as cheerleaders and twirlers were so cute! And check out the new uniforms on the twirlers, dancers, and flagline - they look great! Especially the flagline who I've always thought were stuck in such unflattering outfits - and finally they are in outfits that look cute! Yay!

I also tried to get some shots of cute gameday outfits - although it was difficult spotting them underneath all of the winter coats, rain gear, and ponchos. And.... I found a Clemson Girl wearing a Clemson snuggie! Special thanks to all the ladies (and gentleman) who posed for my camera!

So check out the pictures below and visit our Flickr page to comment on your favorites! I love reading your photo comments.



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09.19.09 - Clemson vs. Boston College - Gameday photos

Pictures taken around town and during the game at the Clemson vs. Boston College game. Visit our Flickr site to see all the photos and leave comments on your favorites!


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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?

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