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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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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