Monday, Nov. 10, 2008

Game recap: Game balls, what went right, wrong

Game balls

QB Cullen Harper: Yes, he had another interception returned for a score. But by and large Harper made smart and skilled throws, and — more importantly — it was arguably his strongest show of leadership all season. He maneuvered to keep a couple of plays alive and never seemed to back down despite taking punishing blow after blow.

RB C.J. Spiller: We repeat from last week, what would Clemson’s offense be without him? Two touchdowns, 121 rushing and receiving yards combined on 16 touches.

What went right

The rushing numbers — 79 total yards — are skewed because of 49 lost yards on six sacks, but Clemson does appear to be making strides in its running game, sans short-yardage situations; its backs averaged a decent 4.2 yards per carry. While the defense’s second-half effort left something to be desired, they did manage to finally contain a scrambling quarterback, allowing Christian Ponder just one long gain (21 yards) on a well-designed fake screen. Most impressively, the Tigers did not cave in as they have done several other times when the opposition seized momentum.

What went wrong

FSU’s offense has improved, and freshman back Jermaine Thomas is a future stud, but there is no excuse for yielding a season-high 266 rushing yards against an offensive line featuring three first-year freshman starters and two second-year sophomores. To boot, that only makes Clemson’s line troubles look that much more unjustifiable, especially as junior tackle Cory Lambert surrendered three sacks.

Key stat

Clemson’s defense surrendered four touchdowns. It had not given up more than two in its previous 15 ACC games, a streak dating to the Tigers’ 24-7 loss at Virginia Tech in 2006.

Injury update

Sophomore left tackle Chris Hairston (concussion) will not practice today but should be available for Saturday’s game against Duke, interim coach Dabo Swinney said. Team doctors were awaiting MRI results on senior defensive tackle Dorell Scott’s knee injury as of Sunday night. Junior tight end Michael Palmer (left biceps bruise) is sore but should be OK, Swinney said.

Quotable

“Sometimes you take one step back and then take three forward. Hopefully that will be the case here.”

— Swinney, whose team must win its final three games to become bowl-eligible

The buzz

Perhaps if the Tigers were to win their final three games, Swinney might have a shot at being hired as the full-time coach. But with just one victory in three pivotal games out of the gate, it does not appear as if he will be able to put together the resume to justify Clemson bypassing more experienced or high-profile candidates.

Up next

Duke (4-5, 1-4 ACC) has already won more games than its previous four seasons combined. The Blue Devils lost to Atlantic Division doormat North Carolina State 27-17 Saturday, but they have proven formidable under first-year coach David Cutcliffe. They possess the league’s third-most prolific passing offense (209.0 yards) and have notched the second-most passing touchdowns (13).

— Paul Strelow

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