I've Had It

I'm an impatient person. My friends and those who know me well might say otherwise, but I know myself. I'm all for immediate gratification and getting results now. When that doesn't happen, I'll usually stew on the inside, but I'll try not to let it show on the outside. I'm not always successful at that, but I do try. I don't feel that my friends and family deserve to see that bitter, whiny side of me.

As much as I can, I try to extol the virtues of patience, but even that patience has its limits.

I'm impatient for Clemson football to reach its potential. I feel it has the weapons and experience in place, and I feel an ACC title is out there waiting for our hands to grasp it. We've been so close over the past few years, but at some point, we ended up losing to a team we shouldn't have.

It's reached the point at which I was forced to temper my usually high expectations for the Tigers with added caution entering this year. The year in which we had all the pieces in place. That should never be the case. Yet I couldn't help but wonder. We've done it so often in the past, it's become a trend. Would we falter yet again?

Last Saturday at halftime, Clemson had Maryland by the throat even though the score did not really show it. Our 17-6 lead should have been at least 21-0 were it not for lousy mistakes such as turnovers and penalties.

But we had them. I could feel it when we went up 10-0. Maryland was all set to roll over on us, and all we had to do was step on their turtle necks.

I leaned over and told my fiancee, "I really hope the halftime message is don't let up on the gas."

Instead, the halftime message was, "Screw what's working; let's pad some stats and see what happens."

You know what happened next. Clemson abandoned its running game, failed to adjust to the changes Maryland made up front, continued to kill itself with stupid penalties, and it wound up costing them the game. 20-17.

That's right. We shelved a rushing attack that had amassed 200 yards in one half. A touchdown each for Davis and Spiller. Our offensive line was opening holes; small ones, to be sure, but they were doing it.

We switched to a pass attack that was absolutely no threat over the middle. It was sickening to continue watching Cullen Harper hit sideline routes and bubble screens, one of which was thrown BEHIND the line of scrimmage and resulted in a turnover. For the first time, it was like watching Will Proctor under center again. *shudder*

It was putrid to see our offensive line fail to get enough push to convert a 4th and 1 with the game on the line.

Putrid that the ball went to Cullen Harper, a QB known to slide out of bounds and nursing shoulder issues, and not either of our all-star tailbacks.

Putrid that we chickened out on our commitment to achieve in short-yardage by not even giving big, powerful Jamie Harper a sniff. This is why we recruited him, for crap's sake!

Putrid that an I-formation was not even considered, perhaps by lining Chad Diehl, Harper, Paul Macko, or heck, even hard-hitting Tyler Grisham in front of Davis or Spiller to blow up any tackles that slipped through the offensive line.

Putrid that we let down when it counted most.

There is no killer instinct in this team, no "Eye of the Tiger." And it all comes back to the head coach. The blame rests squarely at the feet of our leader. Mr. Tommy Bowden.

I expected more from him. I've expected more for the past several years. I'm sick of being constantly disappointed. I'm tired of watching my hopes turn to dust.

Losing in Death Valley to unranked, barely-average Maryland is inexcusable. Showing up unprepared in the second half, for a second time in five games after all of our talk, is unpardonable. A decade of disappointment and frustration on the heels of a plethora of promises to improve is unacceptable.

I'm convinced. It's time for a change.

For years, I have given Bowden the benefit of the doubt. I believed in 2003 when Wake Forest smoked us in Winston-Salem that he could turn things around (and he did). I felt sure in 2004 he could bring us out of a four-game tailspin, one that included an inexplicable last-second loss to Georgia Tech at home (and he did). I was confident in 2005 if we just stayed patient, he would right the ship after yet another debacle at Wake Forest (and he did).

2006 saw us get exposed by Virginia Tech, South Carolina, and Kentucky. And the first germ of doubt began to fester inside of me. It only grew stronger in 2007 when we were systematically undone at Georgia Tech.

I began to see the pattern. Yes, we pulled our bacon out of the fire all those times but where did it get us? Nowhere. Always we ended up back in the furnace, awaiting that last-second magic to come through again. We took it for granted so much that we did not open our eyes to the much larger problem. No forward momentum. Zero progress.

This year, Alabama made my blood run cold with disbelief, but I held my tongue. Wait it out, I thought. Things will get better. They have to.

Maryland was the final straw. Things will not get better until they change.

I've tried to be patient. I really have. But I'm human, and my patience is at an end. I have held out for much longer than most. And I'm pretty confident that by now my pleas for change are echoed by most, if not all, of the Clemson faithful. When that happens, then it cannot be swept aside or ignored.

Soon it will be echoed in our wallets. IPTAY donations will drop. Seasn-ticket sales will decline out of disgust for paying $1400 to watch the sort of junk we witnessed on Saturday.

Students will boycott; some already are. Recruits will take a second look at other schools. Fans will find other ways to spend their Saturday afternoons until changes are made.

The right people will get the message. I'm talking about the big movers and shakers, the ones that need to hear it most. Some already have. Correspondent Larry Williams of The Post and Courrier is on board. Today Mickey Plyler joined him. Walt Deptula is on board. Plyler has spoken with several former Clemson personnel and alumni, some of whom are current IPTAY donors. Not one of them has disagreed with the notion that change is needed now.

The cries of discontent will be heard in Death Valley and on the road. I heard it as I took my long trudge out of the Stadium on Saturday. Long, loud chorus of boos. If those cries are not met with swift, decisive action, then they will be silenced. By empty seats.

The players will hear it. Amid all of the criticism from the media will come the pleas for a new head coach. Try as they might, they will get distracted.

They might say all the right things to the newspapers, but inside will be different.

I'll bet James Davis is wondering, "I turned down 2nd round in the NFL for this?"

I'll bet C.J. Spiller is re-thinking his decision to leave national championship contender Florida in the lurch to stay with Clemson.

I wonder what goes through Willy Korn's head as he languishes on the bench, watching his freshman year waste away, and wondering if he'll follow the paths of Harper, Proctor, Whitehurst, and Simmons before him. That is, if he'll be next to get "Bowden-ized."

Bowden always says it's the job of the players to motivate themselves. I don't buy it. I don't see that approach from any head coach whose ultimate goal is to win a national championship. I never see Nick Saban stroll the sidelines like a zombie. I am hard-pressed to find Urban Meyer chewing grass while hunched over on his knees. When was the last time you saw Butch Davis or Randy Shannon do little more than fiddle with their headsets and leave the in-game motivation to the players and maybe a couple assistants for good measure?

By the way, I mention the head coaches at North Carolina and Miami not because they are currently powerhouse winners. But I see the fire in their coaches' eyes. Shannon is a strict disciplinarian, and there is not a sideline huddle that he isn't right in the middle of. Davis' reputation at Miami speaks for itself, but in only his second year at the helm, he's instilled the fire of belief that the Tar Heels can not only perform well, but succeed. I can see it in the effort his players put out, both in the wins and losses. I see shades of what soon will be.

With that said, I am now firmly convinced that Clemson football needs change. And they need change immediately. The sooner, the better. Not that I believe there's any snowball's chance in Hades of it happening right now, in midseason. But the word must get out.

The athletic department, IPTAY, the Board of Trustees, Terry Don Phillips, and James Barker must be made to see that the spirit of Clemson football is broken. It must be fixed. It must happen soon, and it must be swift and sure. We can settle for no less.

I don't like to call for the head of a man I respect for his dedication to Clemson over the years. But I cannot take what I saw Saturday and continue to believe in Tommy Bowden.

I can't continue to watch uninspired play from a squad I know has more talent than what is produced on the gridiron. I can't stand by as my Tigers get the stuffing punched out of them by less talented, but more physical & fundamentally-disciplined teams. Whether it escapes his lips or not, it is Bowden's job to lead us, and he is not doing so. He is passing the buck to his assistants or the senior class, and that is completely unacceptable.

For the record, I will continue to support my Tigers. I will still show up in the Valley to cheer them on in victory or defeat.

But if I'm Terry Don Phillips, I would arrange a sit-down with Tommy Bowden to let him know that he is terminated as head coach of the Clemson Tigers, effective immediately. I would then promote either David Blackwell, Dabo Swinney, or Vic Koenning to interim head coach to give the team a face to rally around while a permanent candidate is sought. We still have the talent to win the ACC this year, and hopefully after, but this would send a message that change is needed to ensure the continued success of Clemson football.

Those are my thoughts. Take them for what they are: the ravings of a disgruntled fan that has had it.

Enough of the close losses, the excuses, the spin-doctoring. We need a change.

An Order of Turtle Soup

Back by popular demand (from all five readers who subscribe to this silly thing) is my new format for game-day predictions. The readership has spoken. You like short and sweet. I like to stay in publication. So short and sweet, it is.

Clemson romped over S.C. State by an even higher than expected 54-0 score. But you’d never know it from reading the papers or by listening to the average Tiger fan. We are still a dispirited bunch. Our team is hurting, both physically and mentally. News out of the practice camp is gloomy with injuries or more pleas to “get tough.”

You’d never know we were 3-1, ranked 20th in the country, and only lost to undefeated and overachieving Alabama (we’ll see how good they are against the SEC’s Big Guns, starting with Georgia).

I admit, it’s hard to enjoy snacking on N.C. State and El Cid after a thoroughly embarrassing performance in game one. But we’re still playing hung-over. We have yet to regain our fire. “The Eye of the Tiger” has yet to become a glimmer in any of our players. I am still looking for consistency and effort. I’m upbeat and yet dissatisfied.

Even the prospect of four straight home wins (no, you didn’t read that wrong) in the boisterous confines of Death Valley did little to shake those nagging feelings from me and, I suspect, the majority of our fans. We’ve improved, for sure. But we’ve proven nothing. And we won’t until we utterly blow the lid off a quality opponent.

Here’s our chance. This weekend, the Fighting Tigers welcome the Terrapins of the University of Maryland to the House That Howard Built. About to enter the “meat” of its ACC contests, Clemson will find out real fast how much tougher it is vs. a physical ball club.

PREDICTION

This series has quietly become a bitter, nasty rivalry again after a few languishing years. Clemson leads 30-24-2 overall and has won 11 of the last 15 contests. Don’t let the numbers fool you, however. From 2004-2006, each of our games was decided within the final 3 minutes. Average margin of victory was 2.7 points. Meaning even in defeat, Maryland was a mere play away from turning the tables.
The Turtles, true to their namesake started slow and sluggish. They dropped a shocker to Middle Tennessee State, but rebounded with a dominant win over #23 California, followed by a 51-24 beating of Eastern Michigan. Performance has been of the Jekyll-Hyde variety thus far. When they’re clicking, they’re clicking, but when they are not, they’re flatter than Jessica Simpson on a good night.

Again we’re facing a team that fields a powerful offensive line with seniors anchoring every position save for right guard, which is held by junior Phil Costa. Dan Gronkowski will be a load to bring down at tight end, and Maryland usually excels at utilizing its tight ends.

At wide receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey is one bonafide play-maker who forces defenses to gameplan for him, not unlike how Clemson uses Jacoby Ford. Sophomore tailback Da’Rel Scott is getting more press of late with his explosive running talent, and Chris Turner is more comfortable at QB now that his confidence has increased.

To win this game, the Tigers must take advantage of the Terrapins’ weaknesses on defense. They are not adept at rushing the QB, so a steady diet of pocket passes is vital. They are hurting at defensive end and linebacker, which is good news for our wounded boys up front. And they have lost play-makers at cornerback and safety, so Cullen Harper needs to exploit that inexperience and hit some deep balls early on to set the tone.

Worried as I am about our offensive line (especially knowing we’ll be without David Smith and Jamarcus Grant, both of whom were playing in relief of starters), the current unit will have to stand up. We need to roll Cullen out of the pocket more to make him a lesser target for blitzing defenders. Use Ford on the end around to stretch out the defensive line. James Davis needs to have the game he had last year. C.J. Spiller should split time with Aaron Kelly on screens.

Look for Tyler Grisham and Durrell Barry to have breakout games.

Once lightly penciled in as a win, Maryland is no longer a gimme. I look for one drawn-out, knuckle-duster with the prize going to the team that wants it most. Clemson needs it most, I think, and on the strength of sheer talent and will, the Fighting Tigers grind one out and pound Maryland into turtle soup.

FINAL SCORE: Clemson 27, Maryland 20

That’s all for now. Be safe, and enjoy the game. GO TIGERS!!!

Show-Off Or Show-Up?

I hate letdowns.

I entered last week’s N.C. State contest fully expecting the ‘real’ Clemson Tigers to make their long-expected appearance. And I was let down. That’s not to say I’m unhappy with a win. I’m not that bitter – I’m not even remotely bitter, I hope. But like any true fan, I’m impatient. I’m conditioned to want results now, and when they don’t happen, well…

I don’t mean to suggest I saw no positives last week. There were plenty. I continue to be impressed with C.J. Spiller’s running this year. What a difference adjusting your style makes. Tyler Grisham is just Superman; there’s nothing on the field he won’t do, he hits people, and he dishes out as much punishment as he takes. Aaron Kelly re-emerged as a big player with several clutch receptions; I was most impressed with his yards after contact. Jacoby “Flash” Ford had maybe his finest game as a Tiger. He is the ‘X’ factor in our offense.

Even the offensive line looked a bit better than the two weeks prior. They blocked better as a unit. The 13-play, 96-yard clock-eating 4th quarter drive to ice the game was the first preview of how special Cloy, Walker, Smith, Lambert, and Austin could be in the future.

But I’ll be honest – I expected better.

I’m still scratching my head at our linebackers. Our defensive line still gets pushed back too easily. When did our normally sure-handed running backs get a case of the fumbles? Are we committed to zone coverage or man-to-man? Whichever it is, can we please shore up the middle of the field so QBs don’t sit back and pick us apart all day?

The good news is, Tommy Bowden felt the same ire I did after watching the game film. Considering his unflappable nature, the fact that a 27-9 ACC win raised his dander says quite a bit. His response? Turn up the heat in practice. Go out in full gear all day and make our guys feel the sense of urgency. “If someone gets hurt, they get hurt.”

My response?

I refer you to the brilliant commercial slogan conjured up by the fine folks at Hyundai Motor America:

“DUH. DUH.

DUH-DUH-DUH. DUH.”

Sorry, Coach. The renewed dedication to intensity is appreciated, but it should have been there since the start of the season. Going all out in practice is the norm, not the exception, whether you win or lose.

So we’ll see if a booster shot of attitude cures the Fighting Tigers’ ails as they step out of conference to tangle with their second pack of Bull dogs this year: South Carolina State.

PREDICTION

I’m breaking format this week. Rather than a positional analysis, I will merely check off the big highlights and get straight to my prediction.

The Canines sport a 2-1 record, kicking the drool out of heavyweights like Bethune-Cookman and Benedict after getting blanked by Central Florida in their opener. Offensive line looks to be their strong point, as well as a pair of fast, marquee backs in Will Ford and Travil Jamison. Defense is pretty stout with its Clemson ties. Xavier Littleberry at DE considered the Tigers at one point in time. Markee Hamlin, brother of Clemson’s Michael Hamlin, anchors their safeties.

At the risk of sounding arrogant, this is a match-up Clemson should – and needs to – win handily. Tackling needs to improve dramatically. Linemen need to blow people off the ball. In short, let’s see how well Clemson’s renewed commitment to toughness pays dividends as the Fighting Tigers put a muzzle on the mutts.

FINAL SCORE: Clemson 42, S.C. State 10

That’s all for now. Be safe, and enjoy the game. GO TIGERS!!!

Crying Wolf

Everyone knows the term “vanilla game.” No? Then you must not be a coach. Either that or you’re a disgruntled fan who tries to blot it out.

A vanilla game is specially designed to focus on the basics. Offensive and defensive schemes are deliberately simplified to help players master technique and rhythm at their positions. It teaches the offensive line to gell together, it teaches wide receivers how to run their routes correctly, and it’s the best chance a highly-touted freshman realistically has to get in the game. Well, unless Tommy Bowden makes him a promise. *cough*

Fans hate vanilla games, but coaches love them. That’s usually the way it goes. And whether you donned a headset or body paint last Saturday, you saw exactly that from Clemson’s contest against The Citadel. Let’s put the gaudy passing yards and spotty trench efforts aside and realize this: the Bulldogs, no matter how stubborn, were outmatched. From the start. No doubt that the Clemson coaches knew that. So the intent was to keep things simple and let a bunch of younger guys get some work in. Nothing wrong with that. No sense losing a starter to injury or giving out a play you’re saving for Wake Forest or Florida State, right?

That being said … I’m still a fan waiting for the real Clemson Tigers to show up. And when I say show up, I don’t mean in spurts that flash past quicker than C.J. Spiller chasing a ball. I mean the entire 60 minutes of action. Call me weird, but I don’t want the quick stuff. I want sustained effort. I want consistency. That’s when I’ll know this team is up to snuff and can challenge for an ACC title and a BCS berth.

Fortunately, I expect that to happen this week. The Fighting Tigers will face the Wolfpack of North Carolina State in both teams’ ACC opener. Despite arguably lesser competition, I expect the Tigers to light it up in this one. The Citadel provided balm for their wounds, and now they are ready to go out and hurt somebody. Watch out, Wuffies.

OFFENSE

Russell Wilson gives the Pack more mobility at QB if he’s good to go. He took a vicious blow to the head in NC State’s opener against South Carolina, but apparently, he’s healed up enough to start. However, I’d bank on Harrison Beck taking a few snaps if Wilson runs into trouble. Beck had a nice showing in relief of ineffective Daniel Evans last week against William & Mary, passing for 246 yards and two touchdowns.

Andre Brown will start at tailback. He had only 43 yards on 17 carries last week, but he can be a bruiser. Especially if State plans to pound on our young defensive line all afternoon by rushing up the middle.

Anthony Hill and Owen Spencer are the big play threats at wideout, but Hill may still be out with injury. Tight end George Bryan stepped up in relief last week, hauling in five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Injuries have decimated this puppy pack. If the offense could scarcely get its motor going against W&M, they’re in trouble.

Clemson plans to switch Kevin Alexander to bandit end in case Ricky Sapp can’t go. This paves the way for Da’Quan Bowers to start. He has the defense’s lone sack and is ravenous for more. As are his teammates. Michael Hamlin looked unstoppable playing robber in zone coverage. Brandon Thompson should see more time on the field, as should Miguel Chavis and Andre Branch.

Brandon Maye and Kavell Conner have got to take it up a notch at the linebacker position and start exploding through people. I’m so tired of baby bumps out of bounds. This is football, darn it! Hit somebody!

DEFENSE

Our glaring weakness on defense is probably State’s greatest strength. Linebacker Nate Irving is a sophomore, but he shoulders this unit with huge individual play. Against W&M, he had 13 tackles to lead the team, as well as two fumble recoveries. Tom O’Brien will likely keep Irving close to the line of scrimmage to pressure our young offensive line.

Willie Young will test us at defensive end as he did last year in getting pressure to Cullen Harper at times. A junior, he recorded four tackles last week, but only one of those was a solo effort. Alan-Michael Cash is quickly becoming a pass-rushing menace at defensive tackle.

State’s defense, while capable, is depleted due to, again, injuries and too much time being spent on the field, which goes back to the struggles on offense. Clemson has all the tools necessary to be successful against their defense. Much as I appreciates the success of the short passing game last week, Cullen Harper needs to regain his 2007 form and start hitting the downfield throws with more zip and velocity. He also needs to lock in a receiver’s route before releasing. That was still a problem last week.

James Davis was solid last week. Spiller was a revelation. I say he needs to start on Saturday. He’s fast maturing into a more complete back now that he’s started to hit those holes with his full body rather than juking or dancing around them. And for crap’s sake, put in Jamie Harper on a short-yardage situation. Isn’t that what we recruited him for?

Look for Aaron Kelly to get more touches this week. Tyler Grisham had an embarrassing fumble against El Cid and will look to rebound versus the Pups. Jacoby Ford will be a weapon on the end-around, swing pass, and downfield. Michael Palmer and Durrel Berry will continue to come on strong at tight end.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Josh Czajkowski will man the Pack’s field goal duties. A sophomore, he hit the first two kicks of his career last week, so I have little idea of his range or strength. Bradley Pierson booted a 55-yard punt last week. But State’s coverage teams are suspect, yielding big chunks of real estate to South Carolina and W&M, neither of which excel in the return game.

Mark Bucholtz is perfect thus far, but hasn’t really been tested. I’d like to keep it that way. No word on whether Jimmy Maners will again start at punter or if Dawson Zimmerman will unseat him. Kickoff coverage is still mediocre and will be for as long as we overrun people and forget to stay in our lanes. Oh, and Ford desperately needs a big play.


PREDICTION

Mickey Plyler said it best. N.C. State was not a very good football team before the injuries. Now it’s a miracle they can play with any degree of consistency from Saturday to Saturday. Without Toney Baker or even Jamelle Eugene to anchor the backs, Brown is their only option. They’d best hope that Beck can step in if need be, because Wilson’s bound to be less than 100% and Evans is simply not college QB material.

That being said, don’t view this in the same light as El Cid. Against an overmatched squad, last week I predicted Clemson to start flat and then turn on the jets. Not so this time. We pick up where 2007 left off. It’s the Raleigh Massacre Part II, Death Valley-style, again starring Thunder & Lightning, co-starring Superman (Grisham) and Gumby (Kelly), with a ton of relief courtesy of Willy Korn and J-Train (Harper). The Fighting Tigers make the wolf pups howl and put a hurtin’ on their heinies.

FINAL SCORE: Clemson 45, N.C. State 10

That’s all for now. Be safe, and enjoy the game. GO TIGERS!!!

Assessing the Damage

Okay…so we're not as good as we all thought. So we stubbed our toes in Hot-lanta again, and we got beaten like Halle Berry at the box office. So our offensive line has the durability of Swiss cheese and our defense needs a kick in the pants. So James and C.J. hit quick-sand against a tough, physical front, and Cullen Harper's not the second coming of Joe Montana. So we screwed up.

But a wise man once said, "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." Okay, yeah, it was Rocky Balboa who said that, and he's a fictional boxer, not one to give advice to real-life college football players. Even so, he knew a thing or two about getting knocked down with the odds in his corner.

In Rocky III, he was riding high with the world heavyweight belt and all the fame and glory on his shoulders. Turned out, the fame eroded his killer instinct that got him to the top in the first place. As a result, a nobody named Clubber Lang stepped in and K.O'd Rocky in only two rounds. This forced the champ to go back to the basics and train his way back to the hungry fighter he started out as to win back his belt.

Like I said, college football isn't boxing. But right now, Clemson looks a lot like Rocky at the end of his first bout with Clubber. Dazed. Lost. Humiliated. Ashamed. Rattled. You get my drift. The biggest blow that Alabama delivered to the team was to its pride. Now, only one game into the season, the Fighting Tigers are a squad seeking to find itself, to prove all over again why they cracked the Top 10 in the first place. To show that they still possess, pardon the pun, the "eye of the tiger."

OFFENSE

The Citadel Bulldogs posted an impressive 54-7 win over Webber International last Saturday. Oh, sorry, who? Webber International. Yeah, never heard of them either.

Bart Blanchard figures to be the starting QB, who went 12-of-14 for 137 yards and two TDs last week. Anchoring the running back spot should be Asheton Jordan based on a 70-yard, 2-TD effort last week. Luke Caldwell and Tyler Sternes are two of the new faces to look out for who figure to carry the bulk of the receiving load with veteran All-American Andre Roberts.

I don't see enough of a threat from the Dogs to give us a whole lot of trouble. Losing your top passer, top rusher, and practically the entire receiving corps from last year tends to weaken the offense. The key for the Tiger 'D' is to lock in on Roberts using Michael Hamlin or Chris Chancellor in coverage. This will be a chance for the defensive line to get some pride back by breaking the puppies' offensive line and thus forcing Blanchard into careless mistakes. Sneak Da'Quan Bowers or Kevin Alexander on the outside while Dorell Scott and Jarvis Jenkins penetrate the interior. Clemson's depth will eventually win the battle.

DEFENSE

Having faced a lot of opponents who utilize a spread formation, The Citadel will use a 3-4 scheme similar to Alabama's. Before this sets off any alarm bells for Tiger fans, remember: two completely different teams. One thing The Citadel does not have is Terrance Cody. If he's the worst we face on the line all year, then I think we'll be all right.

Reggie Rice and Dwight House should be the Dogs' primary tacklers. Each logged four solo tackles against Webber. Kevin McCaskill got three tackles, including one for loss, DeWitt Jones got a sack for six yards, and Carver Wright recovered a fumble.

It's hard to tell quite how to attack The Citadel for two reasons. One, we've only seen them play against Webber. Not the ideal choice of teams to gauge your strengths and flaws. Two, we all thought Bama would use blitz packages to confuse our new guys on the O-line, but they didn't. They played smash-mouth football and knocked the line backwards. I don't see a repeat of that this week.

Clemson has made a few personnel changes. David Smith is the new starter at left guard, replacing Jamarcus Grant. Mason Cloy takes the starting role at right guard while Barry Humphries recovers from knee surgery. Bobby Hutchinson has come out of semi-retirement and will now backup Thomas Austin for added depth.

If Jamie Harper's ankle is 100%, he'll play. Later. In the meantime, it's past time for Thunder and Lightning to roll out some fireworks for The Citadel. Let's see some better showings from Davis and Spiller.

Cullen Harper is still pretty dinged up from getting knocked around on Saturday. So if he's still sore, look for Willy Korn to take the reigns for the first time in his short career. Heck, even if Cullen starts, if all goes according to plan, I'd put odds on Korn playing. I wouldn't dare let an injury strike my star QB with the Wolfpack on the horizon next week.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Sam Keeler is the Dogs' field goal kicker. He was perfect on two tries last week, but he did miss one extra point. Kickoff and punt coverage was never an issue since The Citadel kept Webber contained and did not often have to punt.

Mark Bucholtz looked solid last week. His kickoffs were particularly well-placed. C.J. Spiller finally showed the kind of natural breakaway speed he possesses on kickoffs without having to dance around. But with Jacoby Ford possibly being out, Aaron Kelly may have to step in.

PREDICTION

No offense, Larry Williams, but I won't buy into The Citadel being just another cupcake result of the 12-game schedule. The Bulldogs put a big scare into Wisconsin last year before fatigue got the best of them. And we mustn't forget how slow the Tigers started against Louisiana-Monroe last year. You know, the team that beat Alabama.

Sadly, I expect a bit of a struggle early on. Clemson hasn't convinced me that they can get up for foes they are expected to beat. So I'd bet on The Citadel inciting some groans from the 75K at Death Valley by either scoring early or sacking Harper once or twice. Once the storm passes, however, the Fighting Tigers will unleash their pent-up anger and send the Bulldogs home with their tails between their legs.

FINAL SCORE: Clemson 40, The Citadel 14

That's all for now. Be safe, and enjoy the game. GO TIGERS!!!

The Horror

Hoo boy. Two things to cover in this article. Both involve a little slice of humble pie, to say the least. One for me, and one for the Clemson Tigers.

First off, I feel the need to apologize for being a bad fan. I don't mean a bad fan posting impossibly high expectations for his team, or engaging in a little good-natured ribbing on friends and acquaintences of the other squad, or not making it out to every game of the season.

I want my Tigers to win it all; that will never change. I make an honest effort to not be mean-spirited or nasty in speaking to fans of our opponents, two of which include members of my own family. And sometimes I have greater priorities that take precedence over a trivial football game, and as much as I'd like to, I physically can't make it.

No, I mean a bad fan who quits encouraging the team he loves, loses his emotions, and gets so upset he tears down the very football players who are out there busting their tails to win the game. I've been guilty of that more times than I care to admit, and last year, I finally sat down and came to the realization that I was in fact doing more harm than good by calling out players and coaches in the heat of the moment.

I certainly was not helping the team in any way (they get yelled at plenty in practice) and I had to be fueling the fires of discontent around me. Others, no doubt, heard me and joined in the criticism.

Why did I react so harshly? I'm not really an emotional guy by any means, but when I'm that invested in something, it will evoke a passionate response from me. Yelling during a football game is how I give vent to those emotions.

But, what I did wasn't constructive in any way, and anyone who heard me could not have come away with a positive image of me as a Tiger fan, a college football fan, or even as a person in general.

Plus, I know it's dishonorable to God. I'm a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ, and I knew deep down what I did wasn't honoring the standards of the lifestyle I want to lead in and out of the stands, much less as a spectator.

So this year, I made a conscious decision to change my approach. From now on, I wasn't going to yell or shout or scream anything during a football game that wasn't in some way encouraging or supportive.

If Cullen Harper was intercepted, or James Davis fumbled the ball, or Cory Lambert whiffed on a tackle and let a lineman sack our QB, I would bite back the automatic negative response and just shut my mouth.

The team doesn't need those kinds of words, the people around me don't need them, and I certainly don't need them. I want to get up the next morning, read the sports page recap, reflect on the game, and I want to say:

"At least I did my part as a fan. I supported the team. I had their backs. I didn't throw them under the bus in anger. I don't regret anything I said or did yesterday."

End of tangent. Onto the game breakdown...



Offense

Now it's humble pie time. Concerns about the Clemson offensive line were well-founded. Alabama's defensive front line man-handled our less experienced guys. At times, it seemed like as soon as Thomas Austin snapped the ball, Bama's linemen were closing on Cullen Harper.

Basically, Bama lined up and punched them in the mouth. They didn't punch back. Hard to watch, yes, but not entirely unexpected.

I guess as the August weeks wore on, we bought into the Clemson coaches' assurances that the O-line was coming together as a unit. I suppose I did. But after Saturday night, I realize the reality: we still replaced at least three starters.

No matter how many snaps Barry Humphries, Cory Lambert, and Jamarcus Grant had in rotation last year, it's going to take time to develop the continuity and chemistry necessary for them to consistently hold blocks and protect Harper.

Bama's tough, physical scheme exposed them. They did not even have to employ many of the zone or blitz packages that Nick Saban's teams are known for. They simply lined up and blew us off the ball.

With the line in dire straits, the fact that Clemson totaled only seven rushing yards is not too hard to understand. Say what you will about James Davis' grit, or C.J. Spiller's flash, or Jamie Harper's toughness, but if the line can't open holes for them, they're going down hard.

It's still just one guy against four big, physical guys. Without some kind of running lane, the RB can't win that contest.

Davis had six carries for 13 yards. Spiller two for seven, Jamie Harper never touched the football again after fumbling on the first run of the game. Cullen Harper was sacked three times for 28 lost yards and found himself repeatedly being chased around his own backfield after his line collapsed around him, or getting pounded to the turf after lobbing up poorly-thrown balls.

It was clear Cullen was never comfortable in the pocket and could not take the time to check off receivers without being constantly aware of a lineman headed directly for him.

I think this also affected his usually rocksteady decision-making. Lobbing the ball up for grabs in the shadow of his own endzone was a freshman mistake that could've cost his team six points. Another time, he tossed a short screen intended for Aaron Kelly, who was streaking ten yards down the field, a step ahead of his defender. Had Harper locked in Kelly's route, it could've been an easy touchdown. Instead, the ball landed far behind his receiver.

Tyler Grisham was the only receiver who had any real success, logging six catches for 42 yards. He made a couple of nice catches and showcased his toughness in fighting off the oncoming defenders to get the ball.

Jacoby Ford had the one highlight pass catch of the night, a 47-yard dash off a quick pitch from Harper, but he was hurt soon afterwards and didn't return. Terrence Ashe had three catches for 18 yards, but he and Nelson Faerber also dropped a few key throws. Tight ends weren't much of a factor; Durell Berry's nine-yard catch on a failed fourth down attempt was the only one I recall.



Defense

This was a bigger surprise. Time and again I watched in (silent) astonishment as Alabama constantly pounded the football through our supposedly-stout defensive line for 3-5 yards every play. Dorell Scott, Jarvis Jenkins, Jamie Cumbie, and others were powerless to stop them.

What was hoped to be one of our team's greatest strengths this year couldn't hold its ground against Bama's relentless rushing attack.

John Parker Wilson enjoyed a prolific night; on several occasions, he could have made a sandwich and completed a pass with what little pressure we got.

Losing Ricky Sapp early didn't help matters. He's our best pass rusher, and we can only hope he'll be back soon. Kavell Conner had 16 tackles, but that meant he was the only one of our inexperienced LBs who consistently made plays.

Da'Quan Bowers played several snaps, but he was no more effective than Kevin Alexander or Jeremy Campbell in applying pressure to Wilson.

Tackling was putrid. On the few occasions that Clemson's linemen met Alabama's backs at the line of scrimmage, they either bounced off or tried to bump them hard enough to make them fall. No dice.

Mark Ingram and Glenn Coffee ran over, around, and through a series of remarkably slipshod tackles enroute to 186 yards rushing between them.

The secondary was even more baffling. Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemons were barely a factor. Guys were often out of position on key plays, never more evident than Wilson's first touchdown pass on our four-yard line. Nick Walker had nobody near him, and by the time our guys turned their heads around, he was celebrating with the football in hand.



Special Teams

You know things are pretty grim when this is the lone bright spot for the Tigers. Spiller's 96-yard kickoff return for a TD gave me a brief glimmer of hope that lasted less than five minutes when the Tigers, after stopping Bama on defense, promptly surrendered the ball.

Kickoff coverage was average, but I still didn't come away too impressed. At least twice, I watched our lead rusher over-pursue his lane, slip, and fall down behind the catcher as he got the ball. That's an amateurish mistake that I hope will get corrected in practice.

Dawson Zimmerman saw his first action at punter. His first attempt was a 51-yard bomb that showed me why the coaches were loving his stuff. Then his second attempt, out of the endzone, traveled about 25 yards. Sigh. The battle continues.

Mark Bucholtz provided our only other points of the night, booting a 33-yard kick through the sticks.



Analysis

Well, this game provided the first opportunity to test my new outlook for football games. And man, was it tested. It seemed every other play, I had the urge to shout a negative comment or call out a player. It took a herculean effort to restrain myself. As a result, I didn't do much yelling of any sort after the third quarter.

Sad, sobering reality had set in.

To say that Clemson got suckerpunched is inadequate. Clemson got flat-out mauled and mangled in the trenches by a tougher, more physical opponent that played like it should have been ranked No. 9 in the country.

Coach Saban brought a heck of a gameplan for us, and his players ran it to perfection. It was purely a case of one team showing up to play football and the other not showing up at all.

Our pride is severely hurt, and well it should be. Players are banged up. Humphries might need surgery on his knee, and Mason Cloy may have to be prepped to hold down his spot for the long term. Sapp is questionable for next week's game.

Ford, thankfully, only has a concussion; no reason he shouldn't be at or near full strength within a week. Grisham has knee tendinitis, Hamlin has a cast on his thumb, and Cullen Harper is also banged up—no shock considering the beating he took. We could be seeing more of Marquan Jones next week at wideout, along with the first start of redshirt freshman Willy Korn.

Needless to say, the mood among the Clemson faithful is dreary. Some are in shock. Few saw this coming. But almost all share a sense of "been there, seen that" in regard to our performance, so there are already calls for our coaches' heads. I'm not in that camp. I'm ready to move forward with the Citadel.

Yes, we have some major issues, but there are 11 games left to turn things around. I'm not throwing in the towel on the season, or on Tommy Bowden, or on Rob Spence or Vic Koenning, or the starters after one game. Not anymore, at least. So I'll be in the Valley next week at 3:30 to cheer on the Tigers as they take the field against the Bulldogs.

(And if any Tiger fans read this and are so disgusted they're quitting on the team, shoot me an email. I've got plenty of family members who'd love to have your tickets.)