Easy path not sought by Tigers’ run game

CLEMSON

After Arkansas rushed for 542 yards against South Carolina and Florida gouged the same defense for another 233 overland, the idea that Clemson’s James Davis and C.J. Spiller will enjoy a field day against the Gamecocks comes naturally.

That could happen.

However, the Tigers do not expect to ramble unimpeded in Saturday night’s battle between the Palmetto State rivals.

“We won’t pound it down their throats,” Spiller predicted. “We didn’t last year.”

No, they did not, and the Tigers owned a more productive running attack then. Take away Spiller’s scoring runs of 80 and 31 yards, and Clemson netted 70 rushing yards on 31 attempts against the 2006 Gamecocks.

“Looking solely at the numbers can be highly misleading,” center Thomas Austin said. “Florida is an outstanding football team and Arkansas is very good with great running backs and a dangerous attack.”

Besides, Austin said, a team must rely on its strengths, and the Tigers thrive on balance.

“When we become one dimensional, we’re not nearly as effective,” he said. “Being able to do both well has contributed to our success this year, and we will need the same (balance) to win Saturday.”

‘We can do more with the ball.’ Like all opponents late last season, the USC defense crowded the line of scrimmage and dared the Tigers to win with the passing game.

The emergence of quarterback Cullen Harper makes that strategy more difficult to use effectively this year. The first-year starter has thrown for 26 touchdowns.

“Our offensive line will try to make it happen for James and C.J,” guard Chris McDuffrie said, “but we can do more with the ball this year.”

“I don’t think too many teams can man-up (defensively) on our receivers the whole game because of the kind of season Cullen is having,” Spiller echoed.

Still, teams that have stopped Clemson’s running have been successful this season. The Tigers netted 34 yards on the ground against Georgia Tech, 8 against Virginia Tech and 47 against Boston College — all losses.

One series in last week’s 20-17 loss to Boston College illustrated that questions still revolve around the Tigers’ offensive front.

The Tigers drove to a 7-0 lead on their first possession. On their second, Harper passed to Aaron Kelly for nine yards on first down. But the Eagles stuffed Spiller and Davis on consecutive plays.

Momentum disappeared, and Clemson punted.

“They brought a blitz, more than we could block,” Austin said. “They had some great calls. In a game like that, you’re going to have good calls on both sides. We had some good ones and they stopped us on some.

“We know what’s at stake for both teams and we know they will come out on fire. They’re talented, very athletic, and they’re going to be a good test for us.”

Beware of a letdown. In the days since disappointment against Boston College, Spiller has looked back to last season’s 31-28 loss to the Gamecocks.

“I felt like I let the team down,” he said. “I was having a good drive (in the fourth quarter) and got hurt. We had some running lanes then and I hurt my ankle. It was devastating to be on the sidelines.”

Spiller left the field with a towel covering his head to hide his disappointment.

‘The injury sticks with me,” he said. “When the schedule came out, that (USC) game was the second one I marked after Florida State.”

The Tigers are coming off a loss that knocked them out of the ACC championship game, and guarding against an emotional letdown will be a priority, Austin said.

“You have to be careful, especially after a game like that,” he said. “If we dwell on Boston College, we’re asking for a letdown against South Carolina.

“We put a lot of time and effort and energy into (Boston College), but at the same time, we have to realize we have to fight another day.”

The 2006 Tigers did not follow that advice. Rather, that team struggled and won only one of its final five games.

“The season moves on,” Spiller said. “We have to look forward. Everybody is talking about 10 wins, but we have to get to 9 first.”

To reach that plateau, the Tigers’ running game will matter. Their balance will matter more.