Paging Mr. Watkins

Receptions	Yards	Average	Long	Touchdowns
16	118	7.4	19	0
49	777	15.9	60	8

(credit ESPN)

Lets go back to August 30, 2012, the evening before the Auburn game. At that point the banter and conjecturing was still in full swing. If we had played a name that stat line using the Clemson receivers whose name would you put by the above stats? If it had been me, I would have put Sammy Watkins with the 49 receptions and Martavis Bryant with the 16.

With the two game suspension that would have meant that Watkins would be averaging 12 catches a game and 194 yards per contests.  The Sammy for Heisman campaign would be in full effect!!!

The above stat line represents the accomplishments of Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins through six games for the Clemson Tigers. How many people had Sammy Watkins having only 16 catches and no receiving touchdowns through 4 games after sitting out the first two games?

Many Clemson people will call it a sophomore jinx. That stems from the plethora of Tiger freshmen that have come out like gangbusters only to fall off the face of the earth during their second year. Having spent time around the program during the previous administration, a lot of that had to do with the time and effort put in by the student-athlete than a jinx of some sort.

Call me ignorant or Pollyanna if you must but I honestly believe there is something different about Sammy Watkins. I sincerely believe he did above and beyond what he expected of himself in preparation for the 2012 season. Sammy’s lack of production can be attributed to several factors that need to be discussed.

Many overestimated the impact of missing the first two games, myself included. You can practice all you want, but game speed is a different beast. I know Coach Swinney said he only spent one week with the scout team but still it is not the same. When Watkins did return he only played one half against Furman. The following week against Florida State, it is hard to expect someone who has played one half of football to do Sammy-like things against one of the best defenses in the country. The following week, he comes down with a virus and is unable to make the trip to Boston College. Last week against Georgia Tech it is hard to expect someone who was as sick as he was be a large factor.

You also have to acknowledge that defensive coordinators are scheming for Sammy. Did you see the Georgia Tech defense last week? Wherever Sammy was the whole Yellow Jacket defense was sure to follow. I think you will continue to see this throughout the season.

The key is getting Sammy back into a rhythm, he has not played two consecutive games where he has played four quarters of football all season. He has to integrate himself into this offense that in 2012 is being led by DeAndre Hopkins and Tajh Boyd. There is certainly a place for Hopkins in this offense and his big play potential will be needed in the second half.

I expect to see Watkins come on during the second half as he plays more football on consecutive weeks. I am eager to see if the staff is able to implement some of the things they learned from visiting Oklahoma State during the offseason in how to isolate Watkins or Hopkins in one-on-one situations. He is too good of an athlete to not get it going at some point.

Don’t give up on Sammy yet. He will come up big for this team before the season concludes.

Midseason Musings

Through six games Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney has led the 2012 edition of the Clemson Tigers to a 5-1 record. It has not been without some harrowing moments but this team‘s only loss came on the road in Tallahassee (a place Clemson has only won once since 1989). Given the glaring weaknesses, you have to give Swinney and his staff credit for what they have done through six games.

First things first, when is the last time we saw a Clemson defense as generous as the one we have seen during the first half of the season? Even in the 90s when this program struggled to win seven games, we could hang our hat on playing hardnosed defense while hoping to score 20 points to give us a chance.

Fast forward to today and we have seen team after team have there way with this defense, especially on the ground. While Auburn ultimately gained 180 yards rushing, you felt watching the game in person or at home that it was more like 380. First year Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables inherited an inexperienced and talent deficient bunch that is a clear work in progress. The Dandy Dozen class in 2009 and some misses on some top flight defensive talent is rearing its ugly head this fall.

Despite ranking 96^th in total defense and yielding a paltry 445 yards per contest this team is 5-1. What this team has accomplished in the first six games cannot be overlooked. I know Auburn is a dumpster fire of epic proportions but for this team to come out the way it did in Atlanta against a SEC opponent was big for the confidence of this team. Running back Andre Ellington continues to be a steady force in the run game. The young offensive line has held up better than most would have expected.

How is this team 5-1 with such a poor defense? Outside of the Florida State the defense has come up with timely plays that have made differences in late stages of games. This team exercised some demons in Atlanta, Boston and was able to get by Georgia Tech who always seems to have the Tigers’ number.

The two biggest stories of the first half of the season have been Tajh Boyd’s legs and the emergence of DeAndre Hopkins. Going into the season we knew that Freshman All-American receiver Sammy Watkins would miss the first two games of the season as part of his punishment from an offseason arrest. DeAndre opened 2012 with a record setting 13 catch performance in Atlanta and has continued to rewrite the Clemson record book breaking the receiving yards game record at Boston College.

Raise your hand if you thought Sammy Watkins would have 16 catches for fewer than 120 yards and no receiving touchdowns through six contests? How many would think that the Clemson would rank 10^th in the nation in total offense churning up 546 yards a game? Yeah me neither.

DeAndre Hopkins is having an All-American type season but Tajh Boyd is the story behind Clemson’s 5-1 start to the season. 2012 has showcased a leaner and more mobile Boyd. His decision making and ability to escape pressure coupled with his willingness to run the football has been a potent weapon through six games. Boyd has come up with huge runs, some called others adlibbing against Auburn, Boston College and most recently against Georgia Tech.

It is difficult for defenses to account for a quarterback who is able to wiggle his way out of trouble and willing to get a tough yard. It is the missing component this offense was missing last year. There have been countless drives that have been sustained this fall because of Boyd’s ability and willingness to run. He is the second leading rusher on the team and his running will be key as we head into the second half.

I would be remiss if I did not mention kicker Chandler Catanzaro and his 16 consecutive made field goals dating back to last season. He has emerged into the kicker Coach Swinney said he would after he struggled two years ago. His play has been a pleasant surprise. Overall special teams have been good this year outside of the 90-yard kickoff return against Florida State.

During the second half it is important that Clemson continues to find a way to get Sammy Watkins back into the fold on offense. He has played just 2.5 games and there is no way he could have been 100% last Saturday coming off a virus that kept him out of the Boston College game. I would like to see Tajh Boyd continue to be a willing runner. Andre Ellington needs to be more involved in the run game and passing game. Charone Peake and Martavis Bryant need begin to emerge as they head towards their junior seasons.

The defense is making baby steps but the key as we head into the 2^nd half is seeing this defense make timely plays that allow the offense to capitalize on momentum shifts. Individuals like Mike linebacker Spencer Shuey who made a huge play against Georgia Tech on the safety need to continue to make plays. DeShawn Williams seems to be asserting himself along the defensive line. Somebody needs to step up in the secondary, can Garry Peters repeat his effort against Boston College?

The kicking game needs to improve or maintain. Clemson has to continue to extend its home winning streak. Fans need to show up ready to go regardless of what time we play. Clemson will only play two games away from Death Valley in the final six. There is reason to be excited about Clemson football but at the same time this team will continue to provide many “Maalox Moments” before we write the final story on the 2012 season.

Win and you're in......

              I have to admit it has been hard to focus on Clemson football this week given the news that broke last Saturday in State College, PA. At this point, I am suffering from saturation from the rhetoric but I will say, I have a lot of mixed emotions about the situation. My heart goes out to the victims and my thoughts are with Penn State alums, most of whom have an unabashed loved and commitment to their alma mater and must be struggling to grapple with a terrible situation.

            While we would not know it from what we are seeing on ESPN and what is being talked about on WCCP there is a huge football that will take place in a few hours at Death Valley. I am sitting here listening to the Tiger Pregame Show and I feel like I can actually write with a clear mind knowing that the focus is on Clemson and not other events that have been at the forefront this week.

            Today’s game will not be a cakewalk. Wake has some good pieces who if they can get going can give Clemson fits. Remember this is a team that beat FSU, took Virginia Tech to the wire, played very well last week against Notre Dame and most importantly control their own destiny to get to Charlotte. If there is any complacency amongst Tiger fans, if Clemson loses to Wake this weekend, the Demon Deacons have Maryland next week to close out their ACC slate and with a win against the Terps would head to Charlotte.

            As sobering of thought that may be I expect this Clemson team to really come out and perform well this week. Coming off the bye week this team had been grinding for 14-15 weeks going back to the start of fall camp and nine hard fought football games. There is no doubt that they needed some time away, many guys needed a chance to get healthy, and recharge their mental batteries. I feel like they were able to accomplish that and have been able to flush the Georgia Tech loss and really focus on the task at hand.

            Wake Forest is led offensively by Sophomore quarterback Tanner Price and receiver Chris Givens. It should be noted that Chris Givens is the leading receiver in the ACC ahead of Clemson freshmen Sammy Watkins. Again, if you are sleeping on the Demon Deacons, they have a kid who has had a better statistical season up to this point than a guy who most believe will be National Freshman of the Year. Tanner Price is very efficient with the football, does not turn the ball over and does a good job of getting the ball to people like Givens and letting them make plays. Also expect Wake to take their shots deep as most other teams have against the Clemson man defense.

            You cannot forget about running backs Josh Adams and Brandon Pendergrass both are capable of taking a game over on the ground. I would also would not be surprised to see some read option from the Deacons to see if they can take advantage of the Clemson defense and their inability to slow down quarterbacks in the run game. Wake may have the biggest offensive line Clemson has faced all year. That is something to keep an eye on during the game.

            Clemson is going to have to tackle well in space today. They are going to have to play well with their eyes and remain on their keys. Price gets the ball out quickly so the Tigers will have to be creative in disguising coverage and how they affect the quarterback. These guys have stepped up when the team has needed it. As much criticism as the defense got coming off the Georgia Tech loss, the reality is they gave the offense enough opportunities to go out and win the game in Atlanta. I believe they will do the same today.

            Defensively Wake will bring in one of the smallest defensive lines you will see in  Football Bowl Subdivision but do not let that fool you into thinking that Clemson will be able to just steam roll these guys. They play with great effort and pad level. They will slant, twist and utilize their quickness and agility to create havoc for the Clemson offensive line. 

            The Deacons have athletic linebackers who do a nice job against the run and are solid in coverage. The guy you need to look for is safety Josh Bush who is very comfortable in pass coverage and leads Wake in interceptions. Corner Merrill Noel leads the ACC in Passes Defended. Wake Forest has some guys who are not afraid to mix it up in the box. I am excited to see how they choose to approach the potent Clemson receiver corps. I would expect them to give Tajh Boyd a lot of different looks in an attempt to confuse him and force some poor decisions.

             There is a chance Clemson could get kickoff specialist Spencer Benton back today after he broke a collarbone against Virginia Tech. That has been a glaring issue in regards to field position in his absence. It has been reported that Coach Swinney would like to sit him for one more week but it would not surprise me if we see him today. I would also like to see the Catman hit some field goals when we have to have them. Dawson Zimmerman continues to have a good season punting the ball and that needs to continue today.

            The game today boils down to how Clemson responds coming off the bye week. There is a trip to Charlotte at stake, this will be the last time our seniors play in the Death Valley and I can’t tell you how important it is for them to go out with a win. We have a chance to go undefeated at home in over 20 years. There is a lot to be excited about going into the game today. Despite the noon kick, I hope there is a great crowd and look forward to being in the Valley and hopefully celebrating an Atlantic Division Championship later this afternoon. 

Buzz Kill.....

            Clemson’s eight game win streak is now over but all is not lost. As disappointed as I am with yesterday’s performance and outcome, this team is 8-1 and is one win against Wake Forest from securing a trip to Charlotte. I did not see any of the game until the game was well in hand for the Yellow Jackets due to a family wedding in Delaware. I could have it worse, my in-laws got ten inches of snow and were looking at the real possibility of going back to a house with no power this morning so maybe losing a football game is not so bad.

            Bump that, I would rather be in the dark unable to type this than have lost to Georgia Tech but you have to give the Jackets a tip of the cap. They weathered the early onslaught, made adjustments, got momentum and never looked back. The Clemson defense forced two consecutive three and outs to start the game. The offense came out and could only muster a field goal in the first half. Georgia Tech did not take long to make the adjustment up front they needed to make and never looked back.

            Georgia Tech took advantage of Clemson’s glaring deficiencies at linebacker. You remember what I said about Tech making defenses, read, get off blocks and tackle? Well Clemson showed that it was not up to the task of playing fundamental defense and got lit up. I also said it would not take much for the once struggling Georgia Tech offense to find some confidence to get on a roll. Simply put, Georgia Tech took it to Clemson and Clemson failed to respond.

            From an offensive perspective, Clemson missed Andre Ellington. I was excited to see what DJ Howard could do when it was announced he would start last Thursday. Not to say Howard cannot and will not be a productive back for the Tigers, he just does not have the intangibles and ball security of Andre Ellington. As talented as Mike Bellamy is, the youngster does not have the trust of the coaching staff to be left out there in key moments.

            The Georgia Tech defense known for being vanilla as a wafer came to life last night. Yellow Jacket defensive coordinator Al Groh dialed a blitz package that would have made Nick Saban smile last night. Once again, Clemson did not have an answer from an execution stand point. Once you are down 24-3, any defensive coordinator can cut it loose from a play calling perspective when they know you have to throw the ball and that is what Georgia Tech did.

            You can lose the turnover battle against a team like Maryland and still have a chance. You simply cannot turn the ball over four times, once in the red zone and expect to win against a team of Georgia Tech’s caliber. Running backs cannot fumble and sadly you throw enough passes when the defense knows you have to throw and you are likely to get one or two picked off, it is not a recipe for success.

            All was not lost last night. Sammy Watkins had another big night. The true freshman continues to shine. The young man from Naples, FL had ten catches for 159 yards and a touchdown catch. He was the lone bright spot on a night that Clemson would suffer its first loss of the year.

            Do not let the national pundits tell you anything about Clemson pulling a Clemson. It just was not the case, Georgia Tech dictated tempo and won the battle along the line of scrimmage throughout the ball game and that was the difference. As much as the idea of going undefeated was dancing in my head, I think you have to appreciate just how difficult it is to do.

            The season is not over for the 2011 Clemson Football team, with Wake Forest’s lost to North Carolina on Saturday, the matchup on November 12 will be for the Atlantic Division Championship. Simply, Clemson defeats Wake Forest and you can book your hotel rooms for Charlotte. The key thing to remember is that all of this team’s goals are still in front of it. Win the Division, Win the State Championship and Win the Conference.

            On a negative note, it was reported that the house where quarterback Tajh Boyd lives was egged last night following the game. It has been reported that his family has filed a complaint with the Clemson Police Department. Whoever was involved with this regardless of it were merely Halloween shenanigans or the incident was targeted as a response to the outcome of the game, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That type of behavior is juvenile and I dare say when the party or parties involved are caught they are likely going to wish they had not been involved with such a sophomoric act.

            Clemson heads into the off week and it could not come at a better time. This team is physically and mentally worn out, I strongly believe that time away from the field and each other will do this team a lot of good. I would imagine the team will practice two to three times this week. They will be off for the weekend, which will allow most of them to go home and get away from Clemson. I know that was a hurt locker room last night but I strongly believe that you will see a healthier and rejuvenated team take the field on November 12 Senior Day and the final home game for the 2011 season.

            Continue to keep your heads held high. Enjoy a weekend away from football. Though, I am excited to watch the LSU-Alabama game next Saturday night. The dream is still alive and we still have a lot to be excited about!!

Role Reversal

           There are not many Clemson fans out there who would have told you September 2, 2011 that this football would be 4-0 heading into a marquee battle against Virginia Tech. The events of the last two weeks have been experiences many Clemson fans have been longing for since the late 80s, early 90s. The Auburn game was a surreal experience, to watch a Clemson team get down early, then crawl their way back, score when they had to, respond after a turnover and then seal the game by executing on third down late in the 4^th quarter. Many like myself must have been doing double takes as they watched a Clemson team roll up 624 yards of total offense against a SEC opponent.

            There have been many detractors and people from the outside providing their two cents on the remarkable two game stretch this Clemson team has been on but they do not have a clue what orange blooded Clemson fans have been through in the last 20 years. Clemson is a program that prides itself on tradition and winning at a high level but lets face it, it has been a long time since Clemson has put together impressive performances like we have seen in the last two weeks.

            When is the last time you have seen a Clemson offense come out and pick things up for a defense that is struggling? Even the in “glory” days, Clemson was not setting offensive scoring or yardage records. Clemson teams were built with dominant defenses coupled with adequate offenses charged with making enough plays without turning the ball over to win games. For a decade it proved quite a formula for success.

            Fast forward 20 years and here we are watching a Clemson offense led by an offensive coordinator who was coaching football two years ago averaging 505 yards of offense per contest. I do not need to remind Clemson fans of the missed opportunities, the play here and there, the simple short yard conversion, and dropped passes that have plagued this program. It is with this in mind that outsiders and experts must excuse us because the whole “act like you’ve been there” thing does not apply because half of the young men on our football team were not born the last time we won a conference title.

            Who ever thought that they would live to see a day where Clemson University was winning with cascades of offense and just enough defense? This Clemson fan could not. That is not how we roll here at Clemson. Clemson has always prided itself on having solid to dominant defense. This phenomenon is substantiated by the number of defensive players the program has put into the NFL throughout the last 30 years. Until recently, it was hard to find an offensive star from Clemson University on an NFL roster.

            I do not know how to sum up what Clemson fans have witnessed during the first four weeks of the 2011. I have tweeted several times during the course of games that if this is a dream, I do not want to wake up because I am enjoying this way too much.

            Lest we forget there were vocal segments of Tiger Nation who were not enamored with the hire of a man who had spent one year coaching on the collegiate level and prior to his foray into college was coaching high school football. Their disdain, coupled with the concerns of more optimistic fans grew back in April after an less than stellar performance by then anointed starting quarterback Tajh Boyd in the Spring Game. I realize that Spring Games are meaningless but even I was hoping to see improved quarterback play given what we had seen late in the 2010 season. Off-season reports and early season practice tidbits indicated a transformation had taken place. After a shaky start, Tajh Boyd has led a group of youngsters to record setting performances and to consecutive home wins against ranked opponents, something that has never be done in school history.

            I am as excited as anyone about what this team has accomplished during the first four games but now is not the time to start looking at polls, booking hotel rooms for Charlotte or Miami or having delusions of beating the Gamecocks. It is a time to continue to support this team as 5 of their 8 remaining games will be on the road. We are aware of the up coming trip to Blacksburg, but there are trips to College Park, Atlanta, Raleigh, and Columbia. It does not get easier with thorns Boston College, UNC and Wake Forest coming to Clemson to close out the season. This team seems to be giving fans a reason to go "ALL IN" lets enjoy the ride!!!

            The important takeaway for this team and for fans is to continue to focus on the task at hand. This week it is the Virginia Tech Hokies. The reigning ACC Champions will welcome Clemson into Lane Stadium for a 6 pm kick in what will be Tajh Boyd’s first career start. It will mark the first time Sammy Watkins, Charone Peake, Martavis Bryant, Mike Bellamy and other first year players play in the most hostile road environment in the ACC outside of Clemson. Will the clock finally strike midnight? Hard to say but if four games are any indication, this team will be prepared and will battle till they tell them they have to leave the field. Regardless of what happens on Saturday, the journey has just begun not only for the 2011 team but for this program.