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Friday September 25, 2009

Friday E-Mail Bag

b>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.

Hey Mickey,
I'm in Iraq, I loved listening to you guy's when I was home and Hope to hear ya'll soon want be back until April of 2010 for a few days then back over here for another year.. I've tried the listening button on the home page, is that just for the US, my IP is ran through the middle east, China probably. I would like to be able to listen every now in then. I'm sleeping when u guys are on the air.

Mickey I wear a Clemson Shirt around here and believe it or not there are a lot of Clemson fans over here including some students I have meet since being here.

Oh yea how is Ryan doing? I have prayed for you guy's ever since I heard and will continue to do so. I know how difficult that is for your family.

Last year my wife and I had a son born 28 March 2008 and at birth he was only 1.4lb, Yes the size of a 20oz drink. but by the grace of God the is over a yr old and the doctors can't find anything wrong with him, except he will have surgery on the 29 Oct 2009 in Greenville, Also if you get a chance to talk to Donnie Patterson Tell him I said HI, I go to church with Donnie..

Well we're probably busy sorry I just rambled. I hope to one day to meet you and Ryan..Thanks for all you do For the Clemson Fans!!!!!

Robert

Robert,
Thanks for the incredible e-mail. Congrats on your son. I am so happy to hear things are going great. We will pray that his surgery goes well. Ryan is awesome. He comes to every home game and loves the Tigers! Thanks for the prayers. I will check with our technical people about the website so you guys can listen. I saw Donnie the other day he is doing well but I will tell him you said hello. Most importantly, I just want to thank you for taking time out of your schedule there. You guys are awesome!!!!! Words cannot describe our country’s gratitude for the bravery you show and service give. I wish we all could express how much we appreciate your sacrifice. It has to be hard being away from family and your new son but please know that your service is appreciated every day. Please tell everyone there we said hello and let us know what we can do for you guys. Come by and see us when you get home.

Respectfully,
Mickey

Mickey,
Do you know why Rendrick Taylor wasn't dressed out for the BC game? I don't remember seeing him on the injured list. Also, what are your thoughts for putting in the Beast for the red zone rushing attempts.

Thanks
Michael

Michael,

Rendrick was suspended for violating team rules. We did not dress last week but should be back and a part of the game plan this week. I think he is valuable as a receiver out of the backfield, a blocker in the running game and as a runner in the short yardage packages.

Mickey,
This email is based purely on perception which hopefully is wrong, but it is a real concern. Based on what is posted on the internet recruiting sites and Phil Kornblut?s newspaper columns, Clemson appears to be loosing the recruiting battles in football, basketball and baseball to USC (and many other regional schools). Nothing is for sure until signing day, but the other school seems to be getting the momentum and commitments from the top in-state prospects and many high profile athletes from outside the state. Clemson is not even on the list of many of the recruits mentioned.

My question is this because USC is getting more publicity (publicity also leads to better recruiting), is USC out-recruiting Clemson, or is this perception only? Does Clemson have key athletes targeted and focusing on them? If so, isn’t that dangerous if you do not sign them?

How is Clemson’s football, basketball and baseball recruiting shaping up?

Thanks for what you do for Clemson and keeping us informed.

JF,
In basketball, Darren Korn is doing a great job but he has not really signed anyone over Clemson except for Bruce Ellington. Devin Downey is a senior and the Gamecocks have no other point guards and Clemson returns Stitt and Young so the sell was hard there. In football, Clemson is still ranked ahead of USC in the rivals.com rankings. Sure South Carolina will sign some good players that Clemson wants but that is always the case. Baseball is a different story. Ray Tanner offers a ton of kids and offers early. I don’t think the Gamecocks out recruit Clemson in football or basketball but in the state they have an advantage over Clemson in baseball.

Mickey,

I enjoyed your preview and review of yesterday. The Bluebonnet Bowl game of 1959 is still one of my top 10 Clemson wins since I became a fan in 1954. TCU was ranked 7th coming in and the Tigers 11th. As you probably know, there were no post-bowl polls back then. There were only 7 bowls for major colleges that year, an increase from 5 for most of the decade. TCU featured Bob Lilly, as someone already mentioned in an e-mail yesterday. They also had Sherrill Headrick, a fixture as a Kansas City Chief in the 60s and early 70s and several future NFL players. They were a perennial power for most of the 50s. The Tigers included Hall of Famers Bill Mathis, Harvey White, Doug Cline, and Gary Barnes. They also had Lou Cordileone, inexplicably not a member of the Clemson Hall of Fame. He is Clemson's only on field and academic first team All-American in football, had an extensive pro career and also played on a CWS team. Sorry to digress. I had to get that in. Jimmy Coggins of Newberry, who started the Clemson football network was also active. He deserves a Hall of Fame induction, too.

Now for the game. TCU had a 7-3 at the half and after 3 quarters. The Tigers blitzed them with two Harvey White TD passes in the fourth and wound up with the 23-7 win. Of course, they would have vaulted into the top 10 in today's world. That group was one of Coach Howard's and Clemson's finest
teams. It is quite fitting in my mind that the survivors from that team will gather in Clemson this weekend for their 50th anniversary reunion and the Tigers' opponent will be TCU.

Thanks for reading and have a good day.

Keith

Keith,
Thanks for that terrific e-mail. I have read about that game but your insight was the best I have read. I agree about Lou and Jimmy. I also was unaware the 1959 team was in town but will enjoy their introduction. Thanks again for your recollection of a great Tiger win!

Mick,
Am I missing something. I thought the oline blocked very well between the 20's the other day. Some really nice holes opened up. Now in the red zone we got to figure out that problem. Don’t think it is all oline play there. Just can’t figure out why the oline is taking all the blame.

Dave

Dave,
I agree. I talked to a staff member yesterday and he said the o-line played well for the most part. So much has to happen in the running game and when one player breaks down then all look bad. The running backs missed some holes too but they are high profile while the o-line is much maligned.

Mickey,
I am not sure a lot of the CU fans truly realize what Clemson has in CJ Spiller.

I am 10 years ahead of you (class of 79') and I have had the opportunity to see many good players come and go in college whether they played for Clemson or another school. CJ has a gift that rarely comes around. Jacoby Ford maybe a step faster than CJ in track, but with the ball in his hands, CJ has no rival. Dion Sanders is the only player that comes to mind that with the ball could hit top acceleration in one stride. I honestly feel cheated that this is already his senior year and that the former offensive coaches wasted him for the better part of 3 years. I can only imagine some of the runs we could have seen with a better offensive line or another coordinator other than Spence. CJ may get hurt tomorrow, or never be an impact player on Sundays, but there is not another college player that I would take over him. I truly hope he stays healthy the remainder of the season and gets a little better offensive line play. If so, there may be 10 more plays over 50 yards. I will tell you this. 10 years from now you will remember him and his 4 years at CU. You may not remember the running back we had in 1978 or 1985. Can you imagine what he would have done if he had gone to FLA? So thankful he chose CU. What an absolute pleasure and honor it has been to seen him run. I will watch his highlight reels on you tube for years to come.

Regards,
Bill

Bill,
I appreciate your e-mail. I have enjoyed every second of C.J. Spiller. In fact, I made a promise to myself that I would cherish every game this season when he decided to come back to Clemson. He is phenomenal. Thanks for the e-mail and I think our readers will enjoy.

Mickey,
Can you hit on some points that TCU brings to the table against Clemson this weekend? I know that they carry a strong defense and have a very good DE, but can you go into a little analysis on their offense, special teams, and other areas of their defense compared to Clemson?

Specifically how do we matchup against TCU? Where do we have an advantage in your opinion and where are we at a disadvantage?

Thanks

Billy

Billy,
TCU is very sound fundamentally. They are known for their aggressive 4-2-5 defense which is led by All-American defensive end Jerry Hughes. The Horned Frogs will want to get up field and attack the line of scrimmage defensively. They will also sell out to stop the run which could lead to big plays in the passing game. On offense they are experienced and have a three year starter at quarterback. They have four good backs but their big back is Turner. Jimmy Young is the best of a solid receiving corps. Their offensive line is big but lack experience. TCU wants to run the ball and then throw play-action passes off of the run. They will run some option and some otbit motion. I am not sure about their special teams. Hope this helps.

Mickey,
I am very excited about the Clemson program with a formidable foe coming to town. I am excited because of the outcome of the BC game. You’re probably thinking,” what could you possibly be stoked about coming off the sloppy win last week?”. Yes, the Defense certainly shined, but that was about it. Take away Jacksons’ leg and Spillers’ return, we would had a different outcome.

Finally, our coaching staff has proven to be able to make changes and identify weaknesses to work on. This being said, they have a lot of material to work on coming away from the BC game. Here’s what I look to see this week:

1. Kyle had a freshman game… he has the potential to pave a 4 lane highway to the NFL. Hopefully from the tapes, Napier will work on his target selection. I don’t mean particular players. Short passes your target is the numbers. Long passes the target is the hands over the head. On both Kyles’ interceptions, if his target was to be leading the receivers in their path down the field, the results would have been different. Even on the long passes from past games the receiver was catching the ball in their midsection. Moving his target from the numbers to the helmet will reduce the interception risk down the field.

2. Kyle also needs work on looking around the field. Even if the play is engineered to hit one particular route, he needs to stop telescoping the target.

3. I understand setting up for the return on punts. Particularly with Spiller and Ford in our stable. But, when it’s obvious that our opponent is purposefully kicking out of bounds – block the punt!!! We missed several opportunities last Saturday when BC clearly was afraid of our return.

4. Hit the reverse option !!! I can remember 3 particular play that had the reverse guy been given the ball, the play would have gained more than 10 yards. Not only to you get the opportunity to cover some ground, but you make the defense respect the option. BC never had to worry about that.

5. 4th and 1, 3rd and 1, have a quick snap to the weak side of the defense. Don’t let the Defense have time to substitute or prepare for a run stuff.

Again, I’m your typical “arm-chair” quarterback some will say that I’m one of those typical “nay-sayers” who will not be happy with anything, but here’s what is different. I’m listing areas where I expect improvement on this week. For the first time in a long time I confidently feel this “Dabo-nified” team will actually improve and work on weaknesses exposed during play time. Mark my words, Next week you’ll see at least 1 attempted blocked punt, you’ll see the reverse man get the ball more, and you’ll see Kyle look around the field more – even if it’s just a deception.

Way to go Tigers. See you Saturday !!!
John

John,
Thanks for the e-mail. I think we all are arm chair quarterbacks. The truth is that we don’t have the training to coach. But I like your enthusiasm. I think Clemson will have to run the ball effectively to win Saturday. Effectively does not have to mean 200 yards on the ground but it does mean the Tigers have to be able to run when they want to. I also see more big plays from this offense Saturday.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L, Delores Weaver, Eric Boessneck, John Bowers, Jimmy Ness, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, John Petrey, Chalmers Carr, Drayton Melton, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Ann Fallaw, Bob Pollock, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs.

Posted by Mickey Plyler @ 11:40 AM EDT [ Comments [4] ]