Wednesday September 06, 2006

Final Clemson-FAU Notes

Final Clemson-FAU Notes
Labor Day threw us a day behind this week and I wanted to clear out my notebook on the Florida Atlantic Game. Here are a few more thoughts from the opener:

*The most encouraging thing I saw all day was the depth. Clemson played 73 players Saturday. The staff played 34 players on offense and 34 on defense and five on special teams only. Twenty of the 73 were freshmen (8 true freshmen and 12 red-shirt freshmen). Fifty-two players played in the first quarter alone.

*I noted that five offensive guards played in the first quarter (Fry, Bennett, Pilgrim, McDuffie and Austin).

*It was encouraging to see the speed and athleticism of the freshmen. Campbell, Sapp, Alexander, Cumbie, Etta-Tawo, Murchison, Butler, Chancellor, Spiller and Ford all looked athletic and quick.

*Proctor looked shaky at first but came on and settled down. The first fumble when he ran into James Davis was his fault for not turning the right way. The battled balls were a little disappointing as well. But when he got outside of the pocket he looked more comfortable.

*Reggie Merriweather looked like the Reggie of old. He looked quick and hit the hole hard. I love the North-South running style we saw on Saturday.

*James Davis looked like James Davis. He cuts and accelerates very well. It was clear that Davis will be the workhorse for this team this season.

*Spiller looked very quick and athletic. He cuts well and caught the football well. The fumble was a disappointment but he showed signs of his potential in his first game.

*Stuckey had an awesome game. The one handed catch was a thing of beauty. The third down catch where he made defenders miss and he gained the first down yardage was exactly what this team needed. His footwork on the touchdown was also beautiful.

*It was nice to see Taylor get his first touchdown as a Tiger.

*I thought the offensive line played well. FAU did not rush up field much and showed some different things up front but the number of offensive linemen that played was impressive. The Tigers played 14 offensive linemen. Below is the number of snaps each played Saturday:
Austin 22
Bennett 23
Capote 20
DeBeer 17
Dukes 41
Dustin Fry 53
Roman Fry 23
Humphries 10
Hutchinson 5
Lambert 10
McDuffie 22
Pilgrim 25
Richardson 35
Tremel 4

*Defensively, the Tigers looked quick and athletic. Ten of FAU’s 15 drives were four plays or less.

*Hamlin played perhaps his best football game. He made big plays but also made the routine ones.

*The defense had 8 passes broken up. The defensive backs were active and broke on the ball well.

*Ray Ray McElrathbey played a nice game on special teams. It was nice to see him react well.

*Four forced turnovers by the defense was a nice start to the season. I think they will create a bunch of turnovers this season.

*From a negative standpoint, the offensive turnovers were a concern but the Waters injury was the major news. It hurt to see the team leader go down. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

*I saw a very touching moment before the game when Tremaine Billie was on crutches and appeared to be almost in tears in the pre-game because he could not play. Outside linebacker coach Ron West and Billie’s teammates, especially Nick Watkins, came to console Billie and offer encouragement.

*I thought the energy and atmosphere was great for an opening game. The stadium looked great. The fans were loud and the student body did a nice job in the first half. Shame on the few students who left at halftime.

*My parking spot at the Park at Valley Walk was incredible. If you have not looked into it, I would suggest you check into the details of Buy Now and Pay Later at the Park at Valley Walk

*It was encouraging to see all of the prospects at the game. Twelve of the 14 Clemson commitments were there (Only Moore and McDaniel were not there). They looked very impressive physically and all looked like they were excited to be there. Several of the top juniors were there like Bowers and Freeman.

Tomorrow I will turn my attention to Boston College and the Boston trip.

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