Garnet Report

A Shoot Out Win

Clemson’s defense returned to its old form, giving up 48 points to NC State in Death Valley Saturday. Luckily, the offense scored 41 by half time and finished with 62 points. Clemson hasn’t had an offense that’s been putting up these kind of numbers in a long time. Players are feeding off each other’s energy on offense and competing to be the best they can be under a head coach they want to follow. Tajh Boyd broke the school record for total touchdowns with five through the air and three on the ground while throwing for 426 yards and rushing for 103.

For the first time since 1981, Clemson has 10 wins in the regular season, and they have finally managed to go through a season without losing a game they were predicted to win. ”We left too many points on the board and way too many opportunities to score. You get a little bit closer or slow them down once, but they had too much skill for us I guess” NC State coach Tom O’Brien said after the game. Andre Ellington and Tajh Boyd both rushed for over 100 yards. Sammy Watkins and Brandon Ford each had over 100 yards receiving. Continue Reading…

The last week of the regular season in college football is packed with some of the best rivalries in the sport: Oregon vs. Oregon State, Stanford vs. UCLA, Florida vs. Florida State, Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State, Notre Dame vs. USC, and, of course, Clemson vs. South Carolina. Prior to the season, Notre Dame’s hopes were to play spoiler and crush USC’s national title aspirations, but it has turned out to be the other way around. Notre Dame is projected to enter the final week of the season undefeated, banking on a Kansas State or Oregon loss in the final two weeks to elevate them into the BCS National Championship game. The Notre Dame – USC matchup is locked in at 8pm on ABC, and they’re projected to host ESPN’s College GameDay. Continue Reading…

Clemson rolls Maryland 45-10

Clemson rode another strong offensive showing to a convincing 45-10 victory over Maryland on Saturday. The win extended Clemson’s school record 12-game home winning streak that dates back to last season. “They’ve been playing football here for 116 years and I think it’s kind of special that this group did it,” said offensive coordinator Chad Morris.

Tajh Boyd distributed the football to his speedy receivers, throwing first-half touchdown passes to Adam Humphries, DeAndre Hopkins, and Brandon Ford. A play later, defensive end Corey Crawford capitalized on a Shawn Petty fumble and returned it for a touchdown, Clemson’s second in just twelve seconds, which set a new school record. Continue Reading…

Same Plan, Same Result

Tajh Boyd led a potent Clemson offense, throwing five touchdown passes for the second consecutive week, as the Tigers dismantled Duke on the road 56-20. DeAndre “Nuke” Hopkins hauled in three touchdown catches in the first quarter, setting the tone for a game that Clemson led 42-17 at halftime. Sammy Watkins and Martavis Bryant also had first half touchdown receptions, and the Tigers nearly reached the 500 yard mark on offense before halftime. Clemson totaled 718 yards on the night (379 passing and 339 rushing).

“You’ve just got to go out there and have fun,” Boyd said. “It’s been fun to me lately. Guys have been coming out and everybody’s been touching the ball. It’s just so fun playing with these guys and being able to put some points up like that.” Clemson moves into a tie with Florida State atop the ACC Atlantic Division with conference records of 5-1, but it’s the Seminoles that control the tiebreaker by virtue of their 49-37 victory over the Tigers earlier in the season.

The loss marked Duke’s first defeat at home this season in six games. Surprisingly, Duke still controls its own destiny in the Coastal Division. The Blue Devils have two weeks to prepare to face a reeling Georgia Tech squad in Atlanta, then host Miami in the regular season’s final week. If Miami and Duke both win out until their divisional matchup in Durham, the game will decide who goes to the ACC title game in Charlotte on December 1.

Who wants to play Quarterback?

The Maryland Terrapins have had possibly the worst luck at the quarterback position in NCAA history. Last summer, Danny O’Brien was named the backup. Which came as a surprise to O’Brien, who was the starter for most of the 2011 season. O’Brien decided to transfer to Wisconsin, which took some pressure off starter C.J. Brown. But Brown, who ran for 162 yards and threw for 177 in a 56-45 loss to Clemson last season, tore his right ACL in preseason practice and is out for the season.

Freshman quarterback Perry Hills then took over the starting job. Hills completed 57.4% of his passes for 1,336 yards, leading Maryland to a 4-2 record. But Hills suffered a torn ACL after being tackled by NC State linebacker Rickey Dowdy, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Maryland brought in sophomore quarterback, Devin Burns, who attempted just 4 passes before suffering a Lisfranc injury, a joint tear, that ended his season. The Terrapins then turned to freshman Caleb Rowe, a Travelers Rest, SC native and third quarterback of the game.

Rowe made his first start a week later against Boston College. He threw three interceptions, and Boston College led 13-0 midway through the third quarter. Rowe began to show promise with touchdown passes to Nigel King and Stephon Diggs. With 52 seconds to play, Maryland led BC 17-13, but a 14 yard connection from Chase Rettig to Johnathan Coleman would seal the 20-17 victory for the Eagles.

Danny O’Brien, C.J. Brown, Perry Hills, Devin Burns, Caleb Rowe, and Shawn Petty have all been Maryland’s starting QB in recent months

Just when a deflated Terrapins squad began to see some light ahead, they were hit with yet another injury. One day after the inspiring second half performance by Caleb Rowe, he was diagnosed with a torn ACL, ending his season. All four scholarship quarterbacks for Maryland are out for the year. This presents a dilemma as Maryland still has to play #13 Clemson, #10 Florida State, and North Carolina to finish out the season. The projected starter for this week’s matchup at Clemson is freshman linebacker Shawn Petty, who finished 9-for-18 on the day for 115 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

Home Sweet Home

Typically, when a fan guarantees a victory, it backfires, but every Clemson student is looking past the Maryland game at home this weekend. I can’t help but agree. With Maryland resorting to a freshman linebacker to control its offense, one can’t help but show some confidence in the Tigers. Maryland averages 19.9 points per game and 295 total yards on offense, while Clemson averages 42.7 points per game and 522.4 yards. Maryland’s defense has only allowed 21.7 points per game, however, and the Terrapins held #8 West Virginia’s passing offense to just 31 points on the road in a 31-21 loss.

Maryland comes in to Death Valley on a three game losing streak. Maryland lost on field goals to NC State and Boston College before being outmatched at home against Georgia Tech 33-13. Unless Clemson doesn’t get off the bus Saturday, they shouldn’t have a problem taking care of Maryland. Expect the offense to continue their recent success by asserting their will on the Terrapins through the air. The spread of 31 points is the largest of any game this season for the Tigers. I believe Dabo will put in the backups early in this contest. Prediction: Clemson 48 Maryland 16.

Photo Credits: Henderson Dispatch, DK Lausner, CBS, Associated Press, WNST, Sports Illustrated, ESPN

Welcome Back Sammy Watkins

“Now maybe everybody will quit asking me about Sammy Watkins” said Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney in praise of his star wide receiver after a convincing 42-13 victory at Wake Forest Thursday night. Watkins trumped DeAndre Hopkins’ 197-yard performance against Boston College earlier in the year with 202 yards, 193 of which came in the first half. Tajh Boyd broke Charlie Whirehurst’s record for passing yards, totaling 428 yards without throwing an interception. Boyd spread the love around on offense with five touchdown passes to five different receivers (Watkins, Hopkins, Brandon Ford, Sam Cooper, and Charone Peake).

Coming off a short week of practice and season lows in many offensive categories in the team’s previous game against Virginia Tech, Clemson silenced its critics by winning convincingly in Winston-Salem. The Tigers had more yards in the first half against the Demon Deacons (343) than in the entire game against the Hokies (295). Clemson essentially put this game away in the first half as Sammy Watkins had three receptions of 50+ yards, one of which was a 61-yard touchdown catch.

“We expect to execute in a manner that we score every time we get the ball,” Boyd said. “So when you don’t do it, sometimes it’s kind of frustrating. Sometimes it’s kind of disappointing. But all you can do is just keep working, keep pushing.” This mentality is something Clemson has lacked in previous years and, in turn, is much of the reason for recent success.

“I don’t know that we didn’t respect Clemson’s speed. I think we didn’t realize how fast those guys were,” said Wake Forest Coach Jim Grobe. Since 2000, Wake has only allowed 400+ receiving yards and 100+ rushing yards once until this week’s loss against Clemson. The last time Clemson passed for 400+ yards was in a 34-31 victory against Duke on November 2, 2002.

Adding to Clemson’s Defensive End Legacy: Robert Nkemdiche

Clemson landed the top recruit in the nation this past summer according to ESPN150, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche. While playing for Grayson High School in Logansville, Georgia, Robert recorded 19 sacks as a sophomore, then matched that total as a junior. During his junior year, he also had 500 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground, leading his team to a state title.

Nkemdiche missed all of spring practice heading into his senior season due to a hip injury he incurred at a Nike football camp, but the highly sought-after teenager should be at full strength as a freshman at Clemson next season.

Robert’s mother is campaigning for governor in one of their Nigerian home states. Robert’s father, Sunday, is currently serving as a doctor at the Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.

Current NFL defensive ends from Clemson include Da’Quan Bowers, Andre Branch, and Jarvis Jenkins. Clemson legend Gaines Adams, the fourth overall pick in the 2007 draft by Tampa Bay, died of cardiac arrest related to an enlarged heart in 2010. Nkemdiche’s ESPN scouting report reads, “Nkemdiche is one of the more promising defensive prospects we have seen over the last few years. He has a physical build suited for someone beyond his age and possesses outstanding overall size and strength while still displaying room for some added bulk and growth.” If recent history repeats itself, Nkemdiche will fall into a line of outstanding defensive ends for the Tigers.

On the Road Again

Clemson plays its second consecutive night game on the road this Saturday against the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, NC. Wallace Wade Stadium, with a capacity of 33,941, will be flooded with orange much like last Thursday’s game in Wake Forest. Surprisingly, Duke enters the contest with a 5-0 record at home this season, including a last minute victory over North Carolina, a team the Blue Devils hadn’t defeated at home since 1988.

The conference rivals enter the game with 2-1 division records. Clemson is averaging 498 yards per game on offense, 318 passing and 180 rushing. Duke’s defense has looked suspect at times this season, giving up 48 points to Florida State and 41 to Virginia Tech in two of the last three weeks. The Blue Devils have yet to see a passing attack as potent at Clemson’s this year. Boyd enters the game completing 67.6% of his passes for 2,336 yards and 20 touchdowns against just six interceptions. If Duke can force a few turnovers as they did early against Virginia Tech, however, it could make things interesting.

Duke’s offensive production has surprised some critics this season. Quarterback Sean Renfree has completed 69% of his passes, throwing for 1,885 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions thus far. The Blue Devils have struggled running the ball up to this point, and they will have to be successful on the ground to compete Saturday. Don’t be surprised if Duke’s offensive coordinator, Kurt Roper, pulls some trick plays out early to try and disrupt Clemson’s rhythm. By the numbers, Clemson should be able to take care of the Blue Devils. With Duke playing at home, the spread is 14 points. I have Clemson covering it, winning 52- 17.

Photo Credits: Yahoo!, MaxPreps, Blue Devil Nation

Brent Venables’ Coming Out Party

Finally! The defense shows up, leading the Tigers to a victory for the first time this season. Offensively, Clemson struggled to get into a rhythm early, and this kind of performance usually doesn’t bode well for the Tigers. Saturday was a different story. Despite scoring only ten points on offense in the first half, Clemson maintained the lead going into the locker room. Safety Jonathan Meeks intercepted Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas twice in the first half, one of which was taken back 74 yards for a touchdown. At the half, Clemson led 17-10.Clemson came into this week surrendering 445 yards per game, ranked 10th in the ACC. Virginia Tech managed to gain 406 yards against the Tigers, but Clemson held the Hokies to seventeen points, their best defensive performance of the year other than holding Furman to seven. First-year defensive coordinator Brent Venables said, ”We don’t have to play like Alabama yet, although we’d like to. But we can definitely play better than we have up to this point and hopefully today was a sign of moving in the right direction.” Continue Reading…

Each week, Clemson student Brad Adams gives us an inside look at Clemson football in his column “Behind Enemy Lines.”

Who Will Win the ACC?

The Florida State Seminoles were considered by many to be a national title contender this season, the ACC’s first legitimate threat to win the BCS since a Matt Ryan-led Boston College team five years ago. The Seminoles certainly have passed the smell test in most of their games this season, including a 51-7 thrashing of BC last week.

But the Seminoles had a major hiccup in Raleigh a week ago. Florida State led 16-0 at halftime, but the Wolfpack didn’t allow another point and pieced together just enough offense in the second half to put themselves in position for a heroic final drive. Down 16-10, Mike Glennon led a 57-yard march, capped by a two-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Underwood on fourth down with just 16 seconds to play. The extra point gave the Wolfpack a 17-16 lead, and Florida State’s desperation heave fell harmlessly to the turf as time expired. Continue Reading…

Each week, Clemson student Brad Adams gives us an inside look at Clemson football in his column “Behind Enemy Lines.”

Clemson Separates Late for 5th Win

Just because Sammy Watkins didn’t have a great day on the stats sheet doesn’t mean he can’t look awesome for the cameras

Quarterback Tajh Boyd overcame a slow start to throw for a career-high 397 yards and lead Clemson to a 47-31 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday. “Honestly, I came out too hyped,” reflected Boyd on his performance. “I was missing some passes, some easy throws,” The junior signal-caller seemed flustered early, but settled into a rhythm and finished 26-for-41 on the afternoon. DeAndre Hopkins accounted for 173 of those yards on just seven receptions, and his two-touchdown performance has elevated him into the conversation for Heisman Trophy. The junior has 49 receptions for 777 yards and eight scores on the year, while fellow receiver and preseason Heisman candidate Sammy Watkins is battling through a sophomore slump. Continue Reading…

Each week, Clemson student Brad Adams gives us an inside look at Clemson football in his column “Behind Enemy Lines.”

Bouncing Back at BC

Clemson’s emerging wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins continues to prove his significance by leading Clemson past Boston College 45-31 on Saturday, finishing with 11 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown. With Sammy Watkins out of the mix in this week due to an abdominal virus, Boyd targeted Hopkins frequently. “When he’s playing like that, everything’s good. He’s our leader out there,” said Andre Ellington, who accounted for 132 yards on the ground against BC.

Boston College receiver Alex Amidon answered Hopkins’ impressive performance with 193 yards and two touchdowns of his own on just eight receptions. Until midway through the second quarter, it seemed as if Clemson would walk out of Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill with a convincing victory. Suddenly, BC put together two solid drives with two great throws by quarterback Chase Rettig, who threw for 341 yards on the afternoon. The Eagles took a 21-17 lead with a 31-yard pass to Amidon across the middle with 4:12 remaining in the first half. But the Tigers responded, driving the length of the field and scoring on a four-yard pass to Brandon Ford with 23 seconds left in the half to give Clemson the momentum heading into the locker room. Continue Reading…

Each week, Clemson student Brad Adams gives us an inside look at Clemson football in his column “Behind Enemy Lines.”

Florida State 49, Clemson 37

Clemson fell to Florida State on Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium in a matchup of top-ten ACC foes. Florida State was able to accomplish a task it knew would be a difficult one: keeping up with the Tigers’ skill players on offense. It took FSU a while to get its offense going while Clemson came in with a well-prepared offensive scheme. Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris did his work in the film room, coming up with multiple ways to exploit FSU’s few weaknesses on defense.

DeAndre Hopkins started the game off with a 60-yard touchdown reception hardly a minute into the first quarter. The frame ended with the Tigers leading 14-7, and both teams traded second quarter touchdowns to give Clemson a 21-14 lead. The defenses were able to gain some momentum before the half, not allowing any points over the final 10:06 of the second quarter. The Seminole fans in attendance were stunned to be trailing as the teams jogged into the locker room.

The Tigers used a trick play to start the second half with a bang. Sammy Watkins completed a 52-yard touchdown pass to running back Andre Ellington who was streaking down the right side on a wheel route on a brilliantly designed play by Morris. Clemson established that Sammy Watkins could run the ball with 27 yards on four carries in the first half. FSU keyed on Watkins as he came in motion across the formation, allowing him to find Ellington in the open field with just one man to beat. The play extended the Tigers’ lead to 28-14, and Clemson looked to be firmly in control of the game.

Even with Clemson stealing all the momentum and deflating the FSU crowd, the Seminoles suddenly began to click offensively. They trailed by 14 with 11:48 remaining in the third quarter. 18 minutes later, they led 49-31. In that span, they outscored the Tigers 35-3, found the end zones on five consecutive drives, and held the potent Clemson offense to just a 44-yard field goal. Most fans believed that whichever team had the ball last would win this game. Florida State made sure that wasn’t the case.

For the Seminoles, quarterback EJ Manuel threw for 380 yards and two touchdowns, going 27-of-35 through the air. The team rushed for 287 yards and gained a whopping 667 yards on the night. A member of the Clemson defense said “We didn’t change anything at half, nothing” in a post game interview. Well, FSU did. They came out with jet sweeps, pulling guards, and a blitzing secondary, for which defensive coordinator Brent Venables and his unit had no answer.

On the Road in Massachusetts

This weekend, Clemson travels to Boston College to take on the 1-2 Eagles in an ACC matchup. The Tigers have better statistics across the board on offense. BC quarterback Chase Rettig, however, has gotten off to a phenomenal start to the season. He has six touchdowns, one interception, and just shy of 1,000 yards through the air. The key to the game will be the efficiency of Clemson’s offense. If Boston College can manage the pace of the game, they’ll have a chance to be very competitive. If it’s a shootout, Clemson should move to 4-1 on the season. My prediction: Clemson 38, Boston College 28.

Photo Credits: Anderson Independent-Mail, Wolfpack World