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Friday September 05, 2008

Friday E-Mail Bag

Friday E-Mail Bag
Each Friday I publish your comments and answer your questions. To submit a comment or questions please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com.

Mickey,
I don't know if people have suggested this yet or not but my boss's son had what I think is a great idea. Neither the coaching staff, nor the players should get to touch the rock until they can show they deserve it. Hanging up 60 on the Citadel won't necessarily be enough either (if we can even manage that). We'd have to show we can beat a team of real substance, when there is something riding on the line. Think about the seniors on the team. You bet your tail they would bust it if there was a chance they weren't gonna rub the rock ever again. You know they'd push the young guys too. I think it would be a huge rallying point for the whole team.

I know some fans (end maybe players) may be disappointed, but I think it needs to be made clear that if you want to be a Tiger and rub the rock, you have to do more than put on the uniform.

Thoughts?

Kevin

Kevin,
I think that would be OK. I just want to win. If the motivation of The Rock will work than I am for it. Just win!

Mickey,

You are right about fans, Mickey, because although some may be positive and some may be negative, everyone of us is going to take whatever happened and spin it to fit our point of view. Right now, we can either support the team and the coaches and hope for the best, or not be supportive and basically throw in the towel. I say we need to support the team, because it is a long season, and a lot can happen.

Still praying for you and Ryan.

Tiger Fan

Tiger Fan,
Thanks for the prayers for Ryan. He is amazing. I think all fans are about the same. Check out USC message board today after they lost to Vanderbilt. Fans want to win. When their team loses they just can’t take it. I understand disappointment.

Hello Mickey,

I really admire your optimism. However, the results of the game on Saturday really raise a question(s) about whether Coach Bowden will ever take the program back to the previous success it enjoyed in the 1980s, which seems to be most fans' goal. I will always support the Tigers, but I do believe it is appropriate for fans to voice their concerns in a civil matter, although it only seems to matter when they stop buying season tickets. Bowden has said some things that raise questions about his leadership, especially his comments about "motivating" the players. I really hope our players will rally and our coaching staff will figure out how to better prepare our LBs, OL, and DL for other challenging teams this season. Furthermore, if the team does not improve, then I hope Coach Bowden will be prepared to make some coaching changes as our recruiting record suggests it is not an issue related to our players' skills.

Kirk

Kirk,
I think disappointment and concern are appropriate. I think disgust is appropriate. I think discussion in a civil manner is appropriate. I also understand frustration. Let’s re-evaluate Bowden at the end of every season and not after one game.

Mickey,
I have not seen a good running team at Clemson since I don't know when. We consistently have poor running teams. My questions are: Is this because of poor line coaching, zone blocking, poor running backs coaching, poor recruiting, poor game planning, or poor leadership? Does our motion confuse anyone other than us? Is there any way for our wide receivers to gain 100 pounds? They seem to able to block well. Is there any hope?

Chasn79

Chasn79,
There is always hope. Clemson averaged 218 yards per game on the ground in 2006. They were one of the nation’s top rushing teams. This offensive line will play better. I think Alabama deserves some credit too.

Hi Mickey,
Listen to the show and enjoy the comments…really wish I could have come up to your son’s birthday celebration but had to work. Wish him the best..I have two questions that no one has asked…….In the past when Clemson was dominant to a lot of the lower teams in the acc on the offensive line, the lesser team would use blocking techniques to nullify the advantage. Are there plays that are called to address the highly aggressive defensive line surge that we had called against us in the past? Second would basic sweeps in the early part of the game that would ware down large defensive lines and give Davis and spiller chance to make something happen on the outside. I’m not a football expert, but I saw these plays in the tenn/ucla game mon night.
Thanks,
Sid

Sid,
Screens and draw help against aggressive defenses but many fans hate the bubble screens. I think sweeps are a very effective play and should used more. However, if you don’t block then there is no good running play.

Mickey,
Do you know what Clemson's defensive recruiting philosophy is? Why are the linebackers and defensive linemen so undersize? I thought the defensive players were supposed to hit the ball carrier not catch them in order to break their fall. Clemson's defense will not improve until they start recruiting bigger bodies and become more aggressive.
Eric

Eric,
Clemson has tried to focus on speed instead of size. They would love to sign big, fast guys but it appears they would chose speed over size. I would like to see bigger linebackers also.

Mickey,
Why is nobody mentioning STRENGTH.....

It's not so much "Toughness". Strength is a substitute for toughness, as is "technique".

Charles

Charles,
Clemson has focused more on speed and quickness from its fronts. They spend a lot of time trying to get the linemen moving better as opposed to just building brute strength and size.

Mickey,
The various analyses of the Clemson-Alabama game all boil down to our lack of toughness, physical presence, whatever you want to call it. Yet Bowden denies that his teams - at least in the last three years - have lacked toughness. Perhaps just coach-speak, but he must know better deep down and if so, what can he and the other coaches do to change it? It's not just a "how we practice" thing but a culture that has to be created over time.

The only thing worse than what happened to Clemson is what happened to the ACC over this first weekend of games. We have known for some time that the SEC is - in most years - stronger than the ACC and other conferences. It's written about, talked about on sports talk shows and debated among fans, but I have never heard the TV broadcasters (covering not just our game but any other game you watched) talk up the SEC like they did over from Thursday to Monday. The ACC was called out time and time again for its horrific showing in all of its games, while the SEC was made out to be every football player's dream.

I can't blame the SEC for getting such positive press. While they may not deserve all of the praise they received, if I were a Division 1 bound football stud it would be hard not to be influenced by what was said over the weekend and it will surely be used against the likes of Clemson in future recruiting battles. The nature of this loss (and the respect lost) will be very hard to overcome in 2008 unless we get to a BCS game and perform. Of greater and long term concern is the perception of our program and the conference we play in.

Bobby

Bobby,
Bowden says some things because he has to be positive and put up a positive front. They are not a power offense. Winning is the only cure. Perception will change when winning is consistent and winning big games become more consistent.

Mickey,

Wow, what a terrible performance this past weekend. It seems that the formula for beating us is to just play physically. While I don't believe we recruit soft players I think they are handcuffed by a "smoke and mirrors" scheme. We have some offensive lineman that were pretty highly decorated coming out of high school, yet when we get beat it frequently comes down to our inability to run the ball (i.e. BC, VT, GT and Auburn last year). Even back in '06 when we were coming off of our massive running attack against GT we got stuffed on the ground against VT and that O-line with Dustin and Roman Fry, Nathan Bennett, etc. was far from soft or ineffective. How did you feel about Bowden's comment that we our toughness hasn't been a question the last 3 years? It seems to me that has been THE question in most of our losses the last 3 years. Regardless of what we do the rest of the year it's difficult for us to be taken seriously because seldom do we 'bring the fight' to our opponent. Even against Furman last season we were held under 100 yards rushing. What gives?

Daniel

Daniel,
Bowden has to be positive. When he talks in the press he is also talking to high school prospects and moms and dads. The CEO of Pepsi or Exxon has to be positive as well. The head man has to present a positive front to keep morale high among the troops. Personally, I would like to see the three-point stance.

Mickey,
I’m sure you’ve gotten your fair share of email so far this week. I hope Ryan is coming along as expected and is back to full strength soon. We may need him on the offensive line.
We’ve seen our share of coaching blunders and mistakes in the past 9 years. But, why is it that every time we lose, our “fans” are quick to jump on the coaches. Most people I’ve talked to said we were outcoached on Saturday. We were just unprepared for Alabama. Does the blame ever fall on the players? Why are all of our losses blamed on poor preparation and not poor execution? Sure, I saw some questionable calls Saturday night (screen to AK two plays in a row), but my impression is that we were just flat out beat in every possible way. Both lines looked like they had on skates and the linebackers were just plain lost. Was not being in man coverage a mistake by a coach or player? Was not picking up the blitz a mistake by a coach or player? Sure, they’re just kids playing a game that a bunch of over the hill has-beens live and die by, but they get the credit when we win, why not share the blame when we lose?
Brian

Brian,
It is hard to blame college players. I think you have to be very careful there. They are amateurs. But if you are going to take the positives then you have to be prepared to take criticism. I think every game we can go back and pick out different parts of the gameplan to criticize but Saturday night was more about the players and not the scheme. Alabama was a tough bunch. I think they played with a sense of urgency.

Mickey,
We simply got punched in the mouth by one of the 'big boys'. The question now centers around character and 'want to'! If we have it this game can be the catalyst, if we don't it will be the straw that breaks our backs. What we should hope for is for the PLAYERS to bow their necks, remember the taste of getting pushed in the mouth and use that burning feeling to fuel their commitment and work ethic to never taste this again. We will either become World Beaters or Door mats. We find out sooner rather than later.

Duane

Duane,
I agree. It is not if you get knocked down, it is the idea of how you react. Good points.

Mickey,
Last year I sent an email to several people asking some questions about the Strength and Conditioning, particularly who is in charge, and was he not there before Bowden got there.......and who is he kin to........(I think I know)

Not one reply.....I guess I'm must be totally off base.

I see MUCH more consistent play on Friday nights in Abbeville. There usually are no surprises. You know what you have.

Charles

Charles,
Joey Batson and his staff are in charge of the strength and conditioning program at Clemson. He was here under Tommy West. I thin Batson is widely considered one of the top strength coaches in the South.

Mickey,

I'm watching the Tennessee-UCLA game right now and it's early in the 3rd quarter. I just saw a TN defensive player drape his right arm around a UCLA receiver, then, with his left hand, deflect a ball thrown to the receiver. It was a blatant pass interference call that didn't get called. Did TN get to bring their SEC refs to this game? My real question is this: How did Clemson get stuck with SEC refs in the Alabama game? How can that be something that our administration would agree to? I understand that Alabama beat us in all aspects of the game, and poor officiating was the least of our worries, but the several bad/missed calls by the SEC refs were just ridiculous and frustrating to the thousands of Clemson fans screaming at the TV to help the refs see the flagrant fouls. To cite a few...the horse collar tackle on Grisham that didn't get called, the late flag for pass interference on our defense to sustain an AL drive, the continual holding on DaQuan Bowers (grabbed jersey being pulled from our player's body should be an easy call), the ruling of "uncatchable ball" once the AL player started motioning such on the one pass interference call that was called against AL on Saturday. Need I go on?

Thanks,
Glenn

Glenn,
SEC officials were used at the Clemson game and the UCLA-Tennessee game. The visiting team gets to use their officials if it is an out of conference game. The officiating was bad in the Bama game but it was not a big factor.

Hi Mickey
I have been a fan since 1975 a loyal rabid fan. I am sick of being taken for granted.

First, the best thing about the Clemson football team is there fans. We never try our best to support the team we DO IT. Financially and by just showing up for the games. Away games and home games. We make the valley rock. Each week we spend hundreds of hard earned dollars to do this. THIS TEAM DOES NOT DESERVE THAT.

List of reasons why.

1 They did not show up to play Saturday night.

2 "Thunder and Lighting" cannot produce against talented teams. Thunder could not even break one tackle Saturday night. 0 yards is embarrassing.

3 We still believe Kelly has talent.

4 The real Cullen Harper showed up Sat. night. He could not hit the ocean from the beach.

5. We did not put 9 in the box to stop the run. I know it makes us open against the pass, but we didn't even try. More proof that a division 2 coordinator can’t compete in division 1 ball, at best he should be a youth director at a small town baptist church. He has no fire. Not one of his players could tackle me ( I'm 48 6ft 1 and a flabby 245 lbs. If I brought my 70 year old mother to block for me they would not even touch me.

6. Mr Bowers played like a girl, and when he took his helmet off he looked like one.
7. Offensive line ( Brad Scott)
8. They embarrassed us.

The next 4 games do not count . They do not deserve large crowds until they earn it against a quality division one team. And that won't come until the bowl game. Maybe this team needs to wait until next year for the fans to show up again.

Wayne

Wayne,
I don’t agree on some of your points. I share your disappointment but not on all of your points. I think Davis, Kelly, Spiller, Bowers and Harper are better players than you think. I also think they could tackle you and your mom not be much of a match. It is not as bad as you present it.

Hey Mickey,
First I’d like to thank the Lord for His blessings on Ryan, you, and your family. It’s been amazing to hear the steady progress you share with us. ..That’s where my graciousness ends. Mick, we need to start an uproar here in Clemson. Saturday night was inexcusable! I think we should let Bowden, Phillips, Parker, and anyone else at the university that MAY care that were tired of it. LOCK THE ROCK UP! Coach Howard said if you're not giving 110% then keep you're filthy hands off my rock. That goes for coaches, players, whoever. I REFUSE to believe that game was the result of 110% effort for the past several months of preparation. I say lock up Howards Rock til somebody shows they care enough about this football program. Your thoughts? Thanks Mick, best of wishes for you and Ryan!

Russ

Russ,
I think we all hurt and should be disappointed. I am not sure if I am for locking the Rock. I don’t want to ever watch what I saw Saturday night ever again. I think they should find ways to motivate and maybe your idea about the Rock would work. Thanks for the thoughts on Ryan.

Mickey,
Wow .... just wow. Its not like I put a Bama victory out of the realm of possibilities, but wow. Our offense looked like garbage and our defense looked worse, but I think this had more to do with Bama looking good than us being that bad.

We certainly are not top 10 quality(no ***** right), but no way Bama is only the 6 or 7th best in the SEC, and I believe that will be proven at season’s end.

Trust me, I can take losses, but what I can’t take is our boys getting beat the hell up and just lay their and take it like passed out prom queen. More disturbing than the beat down for me was the look on the sideline.

One of the commentators said it best when he said Bama came for a fist fight, and Clemson came for a school dance. So, just another Bowden soft team???

In the grand scheme of the season, the game has little consequence, but of course any National Title aspirations are out the window. Clemson can still have a great year, win the ACC, and get to a BCS bowl. Its gonna depend on how my boys bounce back ... but if last night is foreshadowing the season to come .......
Bowden made a comment a few years back that it wasn’t his job to motivate the team …… well he better make something his job because, he isn’t earning his salary nor respecting the patience we have had with him!!!!!!!!!!!
(sigh) Go Tigers,
Richard

Richard,

Thanks for the e-mail. I look for the Tigers to bounce back and play well in the next few weeks.

Mickey-

I appreciated your blog last week examining whether this was a huge game or a big game. Unfortunately, either way you land on that discussion, the result is the same- our performance was embarrassing. Obviously the tendency at a time like this is to react purely out of emotion and if you think the following is irrational and overly emotional, please let me know. I'd like for you to give me some honest feedback.

When Tommy Bowden was hired, I was swept up by the hype. He carries a prestigious last name in the college football world and had come off of an undefeated season at Tulane. He was young- touted as an offensive genius and brought instant credibility to Clemson at a time when we needed it badly. Our program is in a very different place than it was when he got here. He should be given a great deal of credit for our facility upgrades, attracting players with elite-level talent, and maintaining a high standard of conduct and academic performance. But as the head coach, he must also be held accountable for our performance in big/huge games.

The major question for me is: what are the annual goals for the Clemson football team?

Based on the team's performance during his tenure and the corresponding contracts he has been able to command, the evidence points to a climate in which the athletic administration is both willing to accept and inclined to reward our football coaches for:

1. having a winning season and earning a bowl bid
2. maintaining a relatively high team GPA and graduation rate
3. running a clean program with minimal to no misconduct

Based on our performance in the last several big/huge games including VT, BC, Auburn, and Bama, regardless of our talent, facilities or GPA, we do not have the elite level coaching that is necessary to synthesize these ingredients and develop the same environment of success that exists under coaches like Pete Carrol, Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer, Jim Tressel, Mack Brown or Nick Saban.

I admit, I am guilty (annually) of rationalizing during the off-season and working myself up to the point that I think we could finally win an ACC title and be a dark-horse National title contender. Despite what my experience told me (that we were not coached well enough to win a big/huge game) I got swept up once again by all of the hype- this time on a national level- and thought: this could finally be the year that we turn the corner. Tonight, Alabama provided a double shot of reality.

Tonight we looked like Miss South Carolina: "like such as, U.S. Americans....stutter...stutter...[system overload...]"

With each big/huge game that passes, I see more and more evidence that our athletic administration does NOT feel it is necessary for us to:

1. Play with a reckless abandon, a nothing-to-lose attitude- with toughness and swagger
2. Expect our coaches to rally our players when they're down, and make quality IN-GAME adjustments that put our players in situations in which they have the best chance for success
3. Field a team that is adequately prepared for the best the opposition has to offer

The results of our last several big/huge games don't lie. I wish they did. I really do. I'd like to believe that our athletic administration does want to mix in a few wins against quality opponents and perhaps an appearance in an ACC championship game every once in a while...but I'm having a hard time trusting our leadership when neither of those things has happened and they see fit to repeatedly resign Coach Bowden and make him rich at the same time.

This was a huge game for Clemson. And like so many during Coach Bowden's tenure, we were supremely out-classed in every aspect of the game. There is no excuse for this but there is a reason: Coach Bowden, although a good man, is not capable of taking Clemson to the next level. It is time for us to thank him for his work and move on.

Andy

p.s. I think one of the most compelling visuals of the night, was an EMPTY Clemson section in the 4th quarter. That sort of summed up the night's events for me. The fans obviously realized that the team had not shown up and chose to walk out on them early. Clemson deserves a better effort.

Andy,
Thanks for the e-mail. I think you make some very valid points. I just want to wait until I see a few more games before I judge this team just yet.

Mickey,
What a demoralizing game. It was such a heart breaker. Not the kind where you lose by 3 points or because of a bad call. We witnessed a team that was completely out of its league. We watched our beloved Clemson Tigers get out matched in every single different aspect of the game. Their water boys out poured our water boys 7 to 1. It really seemed like we were not ready, we came out of the tunnel unprepared. We were not strong enough, we were not tough enough, we were
not conditioned enough. The play calling both defensively and offensively was miserable. Their was absolutely no emotion from our players or coaches. I am tired of this, I am tired of having my heart broken, I am tired of seeing our coaches make mediocrity out of greatness. It is now more apparent then ever that Tommy Bowden is not the guy to take us to the next level. We were not prepared, when faced with adversity, we failed to adjust. The coaches failed to adjust. They allowed the players to hang their heads on the side lines, they allowed the players to argue the blown coverage. Tommy is a great man, great recruiter, but is a mediocre head coach. If we are going to loose by over 20, we sure as heck better do it, fighting, swinging, emotional on the sidelines. Why so lethargic? We could not tackle, we never hit anybody, we didn't scare anybody, we got pushed around every series. Alabama did everything they wanted to do to us.
OUCH!!! This one hurt bad, worse than the BC game last year, at least we played decent. Tommy Bowden failed at getting ready this team for this game. Alabama looked good and played really well, but we failed at all fundamentals of the game. That is the coaches fault, that is Tommy Bowden's fault. I want him to be the guy, he is a great great man, he represents us well in character and integrity, but fails at emotion, and confidence. He is not the guy to take us to where we want to go.
Go Tigers
Michael

Michael,
Bowden seems to dig himself out of every hole he gets into but can’t sustain success. Strange situation. Consistency has been an issue. I just think good things are still ahead.

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Posted by Mickey Plyler @ 03:45 PM EDT [ Comments [10] ]