Few days away

The big bowl game is almost here! With the big Tiger showdown only a few days away, I'm starting to hear a lot of smack talk coming from the LSU fans. While I will be the first to admit it is going to be a tough game for Clemson, I wouldn't say we are out of the game just yet. The LSU team has already began assuming they are going to win this game hands down, but as we know as Tiger fans, we can do some amazing things with are backs against the wall.
Dabo has hopefully been improving the offensive line that we saw in the game that will not be mentioned at the end of the season. If the offensive line has shaped up and can hold off the impressive LSU defense and give Boyd enough time to hit his open receivers, then the Tigers might just come home with a bowl victory. I know that I would love to see us bring home a great post-season victory and show the nation that we are National championship material.

Ryan Jenkins

Clemson is recruiting another player from Georgia. It seems to be a trend in this recruiting class, that we must get the majority of our players from the Peach state. The Tiger's have committed a wide receiver. The player from Lassitter high school has been committed since July and still plans on becoming a Tiger for the next season. Scouts say the player has an impressive ability to change directions and great hands. Jenkins will add another dangerous weapon to the passing game. Jenkins is another one of the great players that have came out of Georgia. The four star recruit was the thirteenth young man to commit to play for Clemson. Jenkins also has an older brother that plays for Clemson, Martin Jenkins. Ryan Jenkins admitted that being close to his brother had a large influence on his college decision.

Chic-Fil-A Bowl here we come

The real Tigers, from the REAL Death Valley, are going to play LSU in the Chic-Fil-A bowl on Dec. 31st at the Georgia dome. With Clemson coming off of a big loss from Carolina, it is going to be interesting to see how well they recover from it. They have a couple weeks to practice and get prepared with the excellent defense from the LSU team. Both Clemson and LSU have had an impressive year. The majority of experts say that the LSU tigers should pull out a win against Clemson in this bowl game, but if there is one thing we have learned as Clemson Tiger fans....Never count us out of the game. With a hard hitting offense, the LSU defensive team might be surprised to see us marched down the field a time or two. This will be only the third time that these two Tiger teams have ever met, and this game looks to be one of the most promising bowl games of the year. Clemson has a lot to gain by winning this game against a team that is considered to be BCS Championship material.
The Clemson Tiger's season has began and will end at the Georgia dome this year. Hopefully Dabo, Boyd, and the rest of the team will be able to wrestle a huge victory and bring it home to South Carolina.

5 Star linebacker likes Clemson

One of the top linebackers in the nation says he really enjoyed his visit to Clemson. Raekwon McMillan, is one of the most promising linebackers of the 2014 class. The 6'3, 235 lbs. player, from Georgia, took a visit to watch the Tigers play against North Carolina State Wolfpack. He watched Clemson give up 48 points to the Wolfpack, and he was told after the game by coaches that he could be a huge asset to the Clemson Tiger's defensive team. McMillan is only a junior right now in high school, but he is showing great potential to be a defensive leader on the field. This year he had a  total 152 tackles and 22 tackles for a loss. He also recorded 3 sacks and 1 interception.
McMillian was interviewed during his visit at Clemson and asked when he was going to make his final college decision:

“Right now, I am just weighing my options,” he said. “I am definitely going to wait until my senior season and make a decision at one of the all-star games. Right now, I like Ohio St., Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame. Clemson is definitely in the mix.”

McMillan later says that the Clemson trip, which is Grandmother accompanied him on, was one of the best college trips that he has taking and there are several things that make it memorable for him.

Video courtesy of YouTube

Rivalry Weekend Recap: Clemson vs. Gamecocks

Well, it's been two days now, so I think I am finally able to talk about the game...

Showdown Saturday has already come and gone. This was the weekend that all of the teams wait for. Stadiums were filled to maximum capacity. Bitter rivals left it all on the gridiron to battle for bragging rights for another year. The Clemson vs. Carolina game has once again been played in Death Valley, and for all us Clemson fans, there was very little to rejoice about.

Going into the game, the two teams were evenly ranked, and it was anyone's guessed as to who was going bring home the victory. The two teams had similar records, and both teams had some well known key players. Clemson's offensive stars, Watkins, Hopkins, and Boyd went up against Carolina's top notched defense. The Gamecocks went into the game missing a few of their starting players, Connor Shaw, and Marcus Lattimore, and even Clowney was unsure if he would play in the game or not. The Gamecock's second string quarterback, Dylan Thompson played all four quarters of the game, and preformed quite well considering this game was only his second start of his collegiate career.  Both teams had not been preforming to the best of their abilities in their last games, which added even more confusion to the fans and predictions of the game.

The stadium was roaring as the game kicked off. The game started off with a punt by both teams, and then on the next possession the Clemson Tiger's made the first strike with a short touchdown run by Tajh Boyd. Carolina then completed a 13 yard pass which tied the game at 7. Clemson responded with a long run McDowell and then an explosive 43 yard touchdown pass by Boyd to Hopkins. The drive took only 24 seconds for the Tigers to score and give them a 14- 7 lead which ended the first quarter of play. Unfortunately this was one of the last plays that gave Clemson fans anything to cheer about.

The beginning of the second quarter brought a flurry of punts from both teams. The offensives seem to be stalling and the game seem to be slowing down dramatically. About half way through the second quarter Adam Yates hit a 23 yard field goal for South Carolina which made it a 14 - 10 game, with Clemson barely in the lead. After a few plays on the next drive, Boyd threw an interception, the Clemson defense then held the Gamecocks to a three and out and forced them to punt the ball and that ended the first half of play in this rivalry game. The teams went into the locker room with numerous things to change and discuss.

After half time the Clemson team seemed to begin struggling on both sides of the ball. The offensive line were slowly beginning to give ground against Clowney and the rest of the defensive line of the Gamecocks. Boyd did not seem to be up to par against his normal level of play that we have seen all season long. The Tiger's defensive team seem to be able to barely hang on as Thompson began to gain confidence in his passing game, which lead to Carolina scoring a touchdown on their first possession of the half. After Clemson punted them the ball on their next possession, Yates hit another field goal from 43 yards which game them a 20 -14 lead of the Tigers. Clemson then responded with a  37 yard field goal from Catanzaro to bring it to 20 - 17. The next possession for the Gamecocks consisted of short runs and passes which slowly chipped away at the field and ended the third quarter.

In the final quarter of play there was very little to talk about. Both teams had an interception or two, they both traded punts, and the only points scored was a touchdown by the Carolina Gamecocks. The game ended with a score of 17 - 27 with the Gamecocks gaining the win.

There were several things that contributed to the lose of the game for Clemson. The first was Boyd's lack luster performance on Saturday. This was one of the best defensive line's the team has faced all season long. The Clemson offensive line allowed no sacks versus Maryland and NC State, but the Gamecocks had three sacks within the first 30 minuets of play. Clowney set a school record for the number of sacks in one game. This type of pressure is something the Boyd is not used to having to cope with during a game, which led to the Clemson star receivers getting few catches and few yards, aside from the huge Hopkins catch. Without the famous quick striking Tiger offense that is known for moving down the field quicker than any team, it left us at a huge disadvantage. The constant pressure caused him to be forced to throw on the run and scramble out of the pocket more than he was comfortable with. Another factor to consider is the Tiger defense. This is an aspect of Clemson that has not been consistent this season, and this game was no exception. The defense seemed to struggle with being able to stop the Gamecocks from completing play after play. Towards the end of the game the Tiger secondary finally was able to shut down the passes by Thompson, but then they left the field wide open for him to tuck the ball in and run.

With the loss from the game, that means that the Tigers will be playing in the Chic-Fil-A bowl against either LSU or Georgia on December 31st.

While the Tigers did not win, and this is the fourth year in a row. I'm still proud of all the young men that played on the field, and I'm still proud to say I'm a Tiger fan. Dabo and the rest of the coaching staff can promise that next year will have drastically different results.

Fight Tigers! C-L-E-M-S-O-....N!!!!

Clemson vs. SCAR

by :willsenior's photostream

The game that we all have been waiting for has finally come. Clemson fans wait all year long for the chance to root their Tigers to victory of the Gamecocks. In just a few short minuets the Tigers will attempt to stop the three year long streak South Carolina has had against the Tigers. From the way that both teams have been playing in the last two games, Clemson looks to have a solid chance of winning against the chickens....er, Gamecocks. Spurrier said that Shaw is still having some injury troubles and he will be watched closely. With all of the other injuries that USC is facing, it gives another advantage to our Clemson Tigers.

Clemson's explosive offense will be facing a great South Carolina defensive line. There will be a lot of pressure on our offensive line to hold back the famous Clowney and the rest of the defensive line. If the Clemson offensive line can hold of their defensive pushes, Boyd should have no trouble finding an amazing Clemson receiver down-field. The Tiger offensive team should be able blowing past their defensive secondary with ease. Dabo says he has huge confidence in his O-line to stop their blitz. If the Tigers can hold the USC offensive and force them to punt, the Tigers can wrap up a huge victory which will lead them to the Sugar Bowl.

No matter win or lose. Clemson fans are proud either way. Go tigers!

Bowl Games - where will the Tigers end up

Well the end of the season is almost here. Each football team has battled all season long to get the best bowl game that they can. The last two weeks of games have had results that nobody would have ever of guessed. We have seen underdogs pull through and several might teams fall from the top. With Clemson only having one loss so far,  they will have a great bid at achieving a high quality bowl game.  Unfortunately with FSU beating Maryland (who's surprised?), that means that Clemson will not have a chance to be the ACC champions for a second year in a row, but the Tigers will get the chance for the Sugar Bowl. If the Tigers beat the USC Gamecocks, and also having only one loss against a top team, it will give them their first bid in a long time to the Sugar Bowl. If the Tigers do play in the Bowl, there is a strong chance they will be competing against either Alabama or Georgia. Either team will be a great face-off between the teams. A Clemson vs. Georgia game would be inviting for the bowl game. The two teams have some bitter history between them, which would make for one exciting game.

 If Clemson happens to lose to the Gamecocks (but we won't), chances are they would end up playing in the Gator Bowl. While there is still several unknown factors that go into deciding bowl games, Clemson Tigers are looking promising.

If Clemson would have beaten FSU, there would have been a slight chance we would be in the National Championship talk. So close! With the end of an amazing season so close. Next year's season is starting to become an increasingly more important matter. With the spectacular recruiting class Clemson has lined-up, and still more time to recruit, Clemson might be a huge competitor for a National Championship team next year!