Monday September 28, 2009

TCU Review

TCU Review
I have come to realize three things after Saturday’s loss to TCU.

First, I should never write a blog immediately after a game. A two day cooling off period is best when it comes to voicing my opinions.

Second, no negative matters after a win and no positive matters after a loss.

Third, sometimes you need to give the opposition credit.

So I have cooled down for 39 hours now and for the first time a ready to review the TCU game. Also, it does not matter that:

*Saturday’s loss does nothing to stop Clemson’s goal of winning the Atlantic division of the ACC.

*Clemson did not allow a sack against the team that leads the nation in sacks.

*The Tigers much maligned offensive line did a terrific job of neutralizing All-American Jerry Hughes, who had only two tackles and neither were for a loss.

*Clemson allowed only two negative yardage plays to a defense that attacks the line of scrimmage and prides itself on tackles for a loss.

*The Tigers gave up only two touchdowns. One came after a fluke where the ball hit off of the shoulder pad of the defender and then went 25 yards downfield to an open receiver. The 58-yard reception was as fluky as it gets. The other was the 25-yard touchdown pass where the receiver battled Byron Maxwell and after both players juggled the ball, the TCU receiver pinned the ball against his hip for the score.

*Spiller rushed for over 100 yards against a defense that does not allow 100-yard rushers.

Nope. I hate losing and will not accept losing, so none of that matters. Stats are for losers and the only stat that matters is the win-lose record.

I do think it is OK to analyze the game and take some positives and negatives out of each outcome. However, in the end, the only numbers and letters that matter are Ws and Ls.

So Clemson lost Saturday. The Tigers fell to 2-2. They lost another close game in the final minutes of play. It matters not that they lost to a team now ranked in the top ten but only matters that they lost.

Now, what happens?

The facts do point out that the Tigers control their own destiny in the Atlantic Division, a poor division at that. Among the other facts are that the Tigers have issues that have to be addressed and addressed soon.

The football season is long and issues can come and go throughout the campaign. Currently, my biggest concerns are:

1. Red Zone offense
2. Wide receiver play.
3. Execution at crucial times
4. Mental toughness

The red zone productivity is by far the biggest concern among the staff and fans. This team cannot reach its goals if they continue to struggle in the red zone. There are enough problems for plenty of blame in the red zone but right now it seems everything is broken in this category. The coaches, offensive line, quarterback, running backs, wide outs and tight ends have all made mistakes in the first four games this season. If the problems are multiple then the answers will have to be multiple as well. The staff will have to do a better job with play selection and personnel packages and the players will have to do a better job of executing the play.

Wide receiver play has been a problem the entire season outside and inside the red zone. The problems at wide receiver are also multiple. Other than Jacoby Ford, the Tigers are young and inexperienced at the position. Outside of Ford, most of the receivers lack the speed or athletic ability to separate and get open. A receiver does not have to separate from the defender but in the cases where he can’t then he has to be able to catch the ball in traffic and that has also been an issue.

I think talent is an issue at the position. I fit into the group that does not go to practice every day which is not fair in judging the playing time. However, it is fairly clear to me that the most athletic and productive wide receivers are Ford, Marquan Jones, Jaron Brown and Xavier Dye. Brandon Ford has been hurt but I am not sure what the other candidates bring to the table.

In the end, everything comes down to execution. Every play call is the right call if everyone blocks the way it is designed. Running plays require the proper alignment, the correct pre-snap calls along the offensive line, the proper snap count, a quarterback center exchange, correct blocking techniques, the quarterback running back exchange, the correct read by the back and then a good physical effort from the back. If any of these aspects are not executed properly then the play is not a success. You can substitute the passing play executions as well and the story remains the same. As simple as it sounds, execution is the key to every play in the sport.

My final concern is mental toughness. How many times can these fans, coaches and players pick themselves up off of the deck? Clemson needs some success. The Tigers need success soon or the mentality of losing close games will begin to set in. I am not sure how you teach a football team to win the close ones but that has to be done soon.

I was described by a friend this weekend as “Pollyanna.” That might be the case but at this point, I am tired of losing and I am tired of sitting in the pouring rain. I do have to believe that the weather will get better and I do have to believe that this football team has some big things in store for the rest of this season.

Finally, I have concluded how I will judge this season. Quite simply, if Clemson wins the Atlantic division of the ACC then this season has been a success. If the Tigers do not win this division then this season has been a failure. I am not sure it could be simpler than that.

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.