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!!!
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!!!
posted by david @ 6:48 PM
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