TheState.com: Tigers

Tigers lay 4th-quarter smackdown on Noles

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:28 EST

CLEMSON | For all of Clemson's faults Saturday night, they were overridden by the trait coach Dabo Swinney has suggested the team has exhibited the entire season.

These were not the same ol' Tigers - especially the ones who annually choked when the ACC title game appeared within reach.

Clemson dropped a fourth-quarter hammer on Florida State, rattling off 19 unanswered points to emerge with a 40-24 victory that keeps the Tigers (6-3, 4-2 ACC) in the Atlantic Division driver's seat.

"We just kept our heads," junior safety DeAndre McDaniel said. "Coach Swinney asked us if we believe in ourselves, and we do."

All that stands in the way of a berth in the Dec. 5 ACC championship in Tampa, Fla., are wins next week at N.C. State (4-5, 1-4) and in the final home game the following week against Virginia (3-6, 2-3).

Oklahoma out of AP poll; Clemson in

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:28 EST

Over the past decade, Oklahoma has rarely been out of AP Top 25 and Stanford has rarely been in.

On Sunday, the Sooners and Cardinal sort of swapped places.

Oklahoma dropped out of the college football poll for the first time since 2005, and No. 25 Stanford moved into the rankings for the first time since 2001.

No. 24 Clemson also made it into the Top 25 for the first time this season. The Tigers (6-3) beat Florida State 40-24 to take control of the ACC's Atlantic division race.

Clemson was not ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll but did finish 26th overall.

Give Spiller credit - and then give him some more

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:28 EST

CLEMSON | THERE HAVE BEEN times this season when you had to wonder if C.J. Spiller got too much credit for Clemson's successes.

Then there are nights like Saturday - when you wonder if he gets enough.

Playing before a Memorial Stadium crowd of 77,000 and a national audience on ESPN, the Tigers' running back showed why his nickname ought to be "Prime Time" - and why Clemson printing up several thousand "Spiller for Heisman" posters in the preseason is looking like a pretty good investment.

And why it's looking like a couple of nice postseason trips might be on tap for the Tigers.

How about a date in New York City for the Heisman Trophy presentation for the Tigers' senior? How about a first ACC Championship Game appearance in Tampa, Fla., for Spiller and his teammates?

Clemson-FSU: Thumbs up, thumbs down

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:28 EST

THUMBS UP

Florida State's courage

The Seminoles did not kick away from C.J. Spiller in the first half. Spiller, who was averaging 38.7 yards per return entering the game, managed 23, 21 and 27 on three chances.

Clemson receiver Xavier Dye

The junior caught three first-half passes for 68 yards, one touchdown and a near-touchdown when he was brought down at the FSU 1-yard line on a 14-yard pass.

Tigers' special team misfire early

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:28 EST

CLEMSON – C.J. Spiller joked this week that he planned to ask Florida State special teams coach Jody Allen – the assistant who recruited him – for a favor or two.

Opponents had increasingly opted to kick away from Spiller because of his collection of momentum-swinging returns.

But Clemson’s special teams were its own worst enemy Saturday night, playing a major role in why the Tigers needed 19 unanswered fourth-quarter points to prevail 40-24.

Junior kicker Richard Jackson missed two extra points and a pair of field goals inside 40 yards, while backup kicker Spencer Benton likewise missed a point-after.

“I was going to getting ready to put (safety) DeAndre McDaniel in to kick the extra point because I’ve seen him do it at practice,” coach Dabo Swinney said, perhaps jokingly.

Bowden still familiar with Tiger foes

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:28 EST

CLEMSON - Florida State coach Bobby Bowden grew tired of looking across the field to the Clemson bench and seeing his son Tommy.

The so-called "Bowden Bowl" faded into history when Tommy Bowden stepped down as the Tigers coach midway through last season, but that doesn't mean the annual FSU-Clemson showdown isn't still something of a family affair for the elder Bowden.

An extended-family, that is.

Former FSU offensive coordinator Brad Scott is still a Tigers assistant and, this year, former FSU linebackers coach Kevin Steele (2003-06), is the Tigers defensive coordinator.

"When I went there to really the day I left, I really thought that may be it," Steele said of his coaching travels. "Little did I know."

Clemson-FSU: Scoring summary

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:28 EST

FIRST QUARTER

SCORE: Dustin Hopkins 35 field goal

KEY PLAY: Tailback Jermaine Thomas runs 10 yards to the Clemson 21.

DRIVE: 9 plays, 26 yards in 5:19

Florida State 3, Clemson 0

BLOG: Mapping the Atlantic race

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:51 EST

U.S. Open champ runs down hill at Clemson

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:53 EST

Clemson's football team had major champion Lucas Glover join its traditional run down the hill in Death Valley.

U.S. Open champion and Clemson graduate Glover was honored before the Tigers' game with Florida State on Saturday night. He dotted the "i" when the Clemson band spelled "Tigers," then stood next to coach Dabo Swinney to start the football's longtime entrance.

Glover made it down without problems, slapping Swinney's hand as he ran past the coach.

Glover is from nearby Greenville.

Former Southern Cal recruit Johnson leads Tigers

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:41 EST

Former Southern Cal recruit Noel Johnson scored 19 points to lead No. 24 Clemson to a 99-51 exhibition victory over Francis Marion on Friday night.

Johnson, a smooth 6-foot-5 freshman, had signed with the Trojans and then-coach Tim Floyd. However, he received his release after allegations of improper recruiting of former USC star O.J. Mayo and joined the Tigers.

Johnson went 7 of 10 from the field, including three 3-pointers in 21 minutes.

Sophomore Tanner Smith had 18 points for Clemson, which opens the season next Friday against Presbyterian.

Kaylan Anderson led Division II Francis Marion with 20 points.

Clemson's Parker hitting his stride

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:22 EST

CLEMSON - When Clemson offensive coordinator Billy Napier thought of the best example of redshirt freshman quarterback Kyle Parker's improved preparation, his first thought did not go to one of Parker's performances in victories against Wake Forest or Miami.

It went to the first half of last week's 49-3 landslide over Coastal Carolina. From the shotgun, Parker noticed to his right that receiver Jacoby Ford began in motion - as the running back to Parker's left leaned forward to go in Ford's direction.

Parker barked Clemson's emergency call to get everyone's attention, sending both parties back to reset before resuming the play call.

"That's one of those things you cover maybe once or twice," Napier said. "He remembered and had enough football knowledge and IQ to realize what he could do to fix that problem.

"That was good to see."

Gameday preview: Clemson vs. Florida State

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:22 EST

Injury report; five game storylines; five questions with safety DeAndre McDaniel; and more.

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Injuries

Clemson: DE Da'Quan Bowers (MCL sprain) and S Kantrell Brown (concussion) are out; TE Michael Palmer (concussion) is probable.

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Screen game concerns Tigers

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:22 EST

CLEMSON - Former Clemson offensive coordinator Rob Spence received his fair share of criticism for his over-reliance on wide receiver screen passes.

Spence's tendencies would fit in perfectly with Florida State's offense this season.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele calculated the Seminoles have thrown 37 screens the past four games, a trend that could make it difficult for Clemson's defenders to get to FSU quarterback Christian Ponder on such quick throws.

"That's a toss sweep, not a pass," Steele said. "So you approach that totally different."

Steele said the Tigers cannot afford to miss tackles when these types of one-on-one isolations are created on the perimeter - situations in which the defensive backs and linebackers have been inconsistent.

Ponder has Tigers scrambling

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:22 EST

CLEMSON - For all of Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder's football and academic accolades, Clemson linebacker Brandon Maye has given him a new nickname - "Jimmy Neutron," the boy genius cartoon character.

"(Ponder) throws the ball like an NFL quarterback and runs it like a college option quarterback of the '70s or '80s, which is a rare thing now," defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said.

Perhaps Maye also saw the episode where Neutron ran so fast that friends thought he had turned invisible.

The Tigers have been prone to making opposing quarterbacks appear invincible when they run the ball, and Ponder will be the first in a string of mobile threats as Clemson enters the homestretch of the ACC race.

In four of Clemson's eight games this season, the opponent's leading rusher has been the quarterback, and it would have been five if not for the sacks against Maryland quarterback Chris Turner.

Tommy Bowden living a life of leisure

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:22 EST

Tommy Bowden picked Clemson to beat Florida State.

That's what he does now for BusterSports.com, a site with a roster of former college coaches who sleep well on Fridays, enjoy their Saturdays and dispense wisdom to hard-core fans.

Bowden said he picked his former team each week this season except when the Tigers played at Miami.

"I picked against them one time and I was wrong," he said, "so I've gone back."

A year and three weeks since leaving Clemson midway through his 10th season and turning over the job to Dabo Swinney, life is pretty sweet for Tommy Bowden. But he might not be finished coaching.

USC, Clemson memories to shine at event

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:36 EST

A near-tragedy for long-time Clemson and USC football staffer Clyde Wrenn has led to a gathering of former Gamecocks and Tigers players, kicking off the week of the annual rivalry game.

Wrenn, who worked nearly 30 years as a recruiter and operations manager for four Clemson coaches and three USC coaches, will host "A Night with the Stars," Nov. 23 at Seawell's Restaurant.

Helping to host is former Gamecocks player and Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves.

Appearing at the gathering, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and drinks, will be former Clemson coach Danny Ford and ex-Tigers Ed McDaniel, Steve Fuller, Chris Gardocki and Jeff Davis. George Rogers, USC's 1980 Heisman Trophy winner, will be joined by ex-Gamecocks Jeff Grantz, Harold Green, Ryan Brewer and Corey Miller.

Tickets are $100, with proceeds going to the trauma unit at Palmetto Health Richland Memorial. Wrenn said that's the least he could do after doctors and nurses there saved his son's life.

History left behind at home

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:06 EST

There are no shortage of theories for why coach Dabo Swinney playfully called Clemson junior safety DeAndre McDaniel "a pain in the butt to recruit" recently.

McDaniel figured it might have something to do with the instance he called Swinney, then Clemson's receivers coach, and declared he was dropping out of military prep school just two weeks into his stay. Swinney talked McDaniel's guardians out of picking him up.

Part of it, McDaniel said, had to be the grief his grandfather - a diehard Florida State fan - gave Swinney each time he visited the rural family dwelling in Havana, Fla.

Then there were the lengths Swinney took to connect with the strong women in McDaniel's life: his grandmother and godmother, who have shared the caretaker role in trying to protect McDaniel from the influence of his surroundings - including the influence of his own mother.

"He probably knows my family better than any outsider," McDaniel said.

Tigers ignore FSU's defensive stats

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:22 EST

Dabo Swinney suggested lighting a fire and burning Florida State's defensive statistics in a trash can.

If perhaps anything should light the Tigers' fire, it should be how porous the Seminoles appear on paper, considering Clemson's track record against such apparent sieves.

"You have to throw that out the window," senior running back C.J. Spiller said. "When we played Kentucky (2006 Music City Bowl), I think they were the worst rush defense in the country. But they held two of the best running backs to a few yards."

Out of 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, FSU ranks No. 93 in scoring defense, No. 97 against the pass, No. 101 against the rush and No. 109 in total defense.

Only one FBS opponent has failed to notch at least 27 points against the Seminoles, who have surrendered yards by the acre; they have surrendered 49 plays of 20 yards or more in eight games, more than double that of Clemson's defense (23).

ACC-SEC rankings

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:06 EST

As voted on by writers from The State (Seth Emerson and Paul Strelow), The Charlotte Observer (Ron Green Jr. and Ken Tysiac) and the Raleigh News and Observer (Joseph Giglio and Edward Robinson).

Team Votes Last week

1. Florida (6) 144 1 One trip to Atlanta punched . . .

2. Alabama 138 2 . . . Another one on the verge.

3. Georgia Tech 130 4 Paul Johnson: The ACC’s best coaching hire since Roy Williams?

Tigers, Seminoles take long way around

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:22 EST

While both Florida State and Clemson took circuitous routes to Saturday's 7:45 p.m. showdown at Death Valley on ESPN, at stake is what many thought would be this summer - ACC Atlantic championship ramifications.

Both teams possessed losing records three weeks ago. Both coaches have their critics. But with a win, either team would be in excellent shape to advance to Tampa Bay.

After an 0-3 start in the conference, the Seminoles (4-4, 2-3 ACC) have won two games in a row and can score with any team in the country.

Dabo Swinney's bunch is out to prove this is a different Clemson team. The Tigers (5-3, 3-2) lost their grasp on the Atlantic in 2006 and 2007.

As a subplot, Bobby Bowden might be extra motivated in a return to Clemson, which allegedly forced out his son last fall. Bowden downplayed the revenge factor Wednesday.