Thursday January 12, 2012

The Right Choice

The Right Move
I apologize for the late release of the blog today. I had written a preview of tonight's basketball game at Boston College but the news about Kevin Steele broke late this morning and I wanted to make a few comments.

First, Kevin Steele is a good man and a good football coach.

My family had a great experience with Steele two years ago. My cousin was having a hard time in high school and went for some extra work at a learning center in his hometown. Steele's sister was his instructor and as a result of my cousin's hard work, she set him up with Steele one Saturday after a home game. Steele was tremendous in making the young man feel like he hung the moon. He spent most of the afternoon showing him around the facilities and it really made a big impression on him.

I have heard numerous other stories of Steele doing nice things in the community as well.

When Clemson hired Kevin Steele, I got a call from Alabama associate head coach Burton Burns who said, "Man, you guys are gonna love Kevin! He is a great guy!"

Also, I think Steele is a good football coach. He is very experienced and has seen more than his fair share of huge football games. he is a good coach that leaves Clemson with two division titles and an ACC title in three years here.

But good football coaches get fired or resign every year. Its just the nature of the game. Kevin Steele knows this as much as anyone. Sometimes things just don't work out in the end.

With that said, I think this is the right move.

Last year was a good year overall for the defense but they had more than their bad moments. North Texas had 462 yards of total offense against the Tigers in the opener.

In the first year it was also the zone read that gave the Clemson defense fits. I still can't believe South Carolina beat Clemson 34-17 in 2009 in Columbia by spreading the field and running the midline option.

But this season was the final straw and the final game was what made the difference.

This year's defense allowed 398 or more yards nine times.

This year's unit made bad offenses look good. It made unbalanced offenses look balanced.

Maryland had 468 yards and they were terrible. NC State had 398 yards and their offense was awful.

South Carolina struggled on offense most of the year but put up 420 yards on the Tigers.

This defense could not stop the run. Only five times did Clemson hold the opponent under 145 yards rushing. Wofford had 272 yards on the ground. Auburn had 237. Stinkin' Maryland had 291 yards rushing against the Tigers.

Steele had a hard time stopping Georgia Tech. This year they had 383 yards rushing against Clemson.

But in the end it was the 70 points West Virginia scored that was the difference. Dabo Swinney and Kevin Steele would have a hard time in the off-season explaining that one again and again.

To be fair, the offense did put the defense in a bad situation in the Orange Bowl and in the loss at NC State. And to be fair, Steele did have two solid defenses in previous seasons here. And to be fair, this was not the most talented group of defenders this season.

But to be fair in the other direction, he has been criticized for the lack of development at linebacker and I think that criticism is fair.

At this point in the afternoon I am not sure if it will be released as a firing or a resignation. There are also rumors of health issues being a factor and if that is the case then certainly the criticism should soften. Most Clemson fans I know would be compassionate if health was a concern.

Also at this point, I am hearing Coach Swinney will have several good candidates interested if he goes outside the program and a couple still inside the program that have been coordinators as well.

I listed the following things this defense could not do but great defenses do:
A-They are fundamentally sound
B-They tackle well
C-They don't give up big plays
D-They stop the run
E-They force teams to become one dimensional
F-They pressure the passer
G-They create turnovers
H-They force the issue
I-They are physical

I asked the other day and will once again today, how many of those things did this defense do?

The next defensive coordinator will have his hands full because there will still be talent issues throughout the defense. However, if he can shore up the fundamentals and get his defense to tackle better then this could be a much improved unit.

Coach Swinney hit one of the biggest home runs in college football when he hired Chad Morris last year to run the offense. This defensive hire could be the next step towards getting this program to yet another level.     

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

*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, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Daniel Rosborough, The Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs,Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas. V Family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers,Julie and motivateLocke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Mary Priester, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr, Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Randy Anderson, Lillian, Matt Hogan, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, Nancy Taylor, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, Tricia Hood, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Nancy Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Jimmy Head, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jack Bailey, Jake David family, Janice Thompson, Angie Crowley, Rachel Graves, Ira, Elsie Taylor, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham.