Monday August 09, 2010

Up the Middle

Up the Middle
In baseball it is said that the best defenses are the ones that are strong up the middle, meaning catcher, pitcher, shortstop, second base and centerfield.

In football the same can be said. The best defenses are strong up the middle at both defensive tackles, middle linebacker and safety in a 4-3 scheme like the Tigers mostly use.

Clemson’s rise in the college football world in the late seventies and early eighties was built around great defenses. The tradition continued throughout the eighties and early nineties. It was defensive tackles and middle guards like Jeff Bryant, Jim Stuckey, Steve Durham, Dan Benish, James Robinson, Charlie Bauman, William Devane, William Perry, Ray Brown, Michael Dean Perry, Rob Bodine, Tony Stephens, Mark Drag, Otis Moore, Vance Hammond, Chester McGlockton, Brentson Buckner and Warren Forney.

From 1978-1997 Clemson had 27 All-ACC selections and eight All-Americans at defensive tackle and middle guard.

This year’s group of defensive tackles remind me of some of those great Clemson interior defensive linemen.

After his freshman season I was asking the staff what they thought about Jarvis Jenkins and linebacker coach David Blackwell told me, “He will remind you of what we used to play with around here.”

Jenkins looks to be in the best shape of his life and is poised for a big senior campaign. Each year Jenkins has gotten better. He played 100 plays as a freshman, 435 as a sophomore and 536 last year. He has progressed from eight tackles as a freshman to 36 as a sophomore to 69 a year ago. Jenkins has started 26 of the last 27 games for the Tigers. Athlon’s magazine has Jenkins as a second team All-American in their pre-season publication.

Brandon Thompson enters his junior season coming off a year in which he started 13 games. Like Jenkins, Thompson reported to camp in excellent condition and expects to have a big 2010 season. Also like Jenkins, he has progressed nicely. As a freshman he played 292 plays and had 25 tackles and last season he played 523 plays and recorded 50 tackles.

The Tigers are blessed to have Miguel Chavis, Rennie Moore, Tyler Shatley, Josh Watson and Tra Thomas at defensive tackle to provide excellent depth.

Linebacker U
The second level of the middle of the defense has been extra special through the glory years and beyond. Many thought of Clemson as “Linebacker U.”

It started with Randy Scott and Bubba Brown in the late seventies. Jeff Davis, Johnny Rembert, Henry Walls, Doug Brewster, Ed McDaniel, Tim Jones, Anthony Simmons, Keith Adams and Leroy Hill continued the tradition.

Since 1977, Clemson inside linebackers have been named All-ACC 21 times. Nine times they were named All-Americans.

The Tigers have not had that kind of productivity in the last couple of seasons at the middle linebacker position but there are a lot of people around the program who think that is about to change.

Corico Hawkins is the new starting MIKE linebacker and I think he has the instincts to grow into a player that may remind us of Keith Adams and Leroy Hill. Hawkins had played 79 plays going into the bowl game but was named the starter against Kentucky. He responded with seven tackles in forty plays. He is a much more natural and instinctive linebacker than what the Tigers have had their in the past two seasons.

I also think Justin Parker has an extremely bright future at one of the inside linebacker positions.

The Safeties
The final level of the middle of the defense has also been a strength since the late seventies. Terry Kinard and Brian Dawkins are the two huge names here. Kinard was the national defensive player of the year in 1982 and Dawkins might be the first Clemson player to make it to the NFL Hall of Fame.

Steve Ryan, Rex Varn, Robert O’Neal, Leomont Evans, Robert Carswell, Charles Hafley and Michael Hamlin were also All-ACC performers at safety. Since 1977, the Tigers have had 18 safeties to make the All-ACC squad and five were All-Americans.

That tradition is in good hands this season with DeAndre McDaniel and Rashard Hall.

McDaniel might be the best safety in America. He has started 20 straight games including 14 last season when he was named first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association. He has 11 interceptions in his career including eight last season. He played his best game in the bowl win over Kentucky when he had 15 tackles.

This is a special athlete that plays well because of his biggest assets, his eyes. McDaniel has great vision and anticipates extremely well. He also excels against the run and is comfortable playing close to the line of scrimmage.

Hall started seven games as a freshman last season and recorded six interceptions. The staff talks about his intelligence and his knowledge of the scheme. Hall was a freshman All-American last season.

Being great up the middle means a few things but most importantly it means stopping the run. In the five losses last season Clemson gave up big rushing games in four. In the two losses to Georgia Tech the Jackets rushed for 301 yards and 333 yards. TCU ran for 167 yards and South Carolina rushed for 223 yards. Maryland was the only team that Clemson lost to that did not run the ball well as the Terps were held to 69 yards.

If the middle of the defense is as big of a key as I think it is then the Clemson defense of 2010 could be one to remember. Jenkins and Thompson are future NFLers and the Tigers could get a big upgrade with Hawkins at the MIKE. McDaniel and Hall might be the best safety duo in America as well.

This kind of ability up the middle of the defense will allow the defensive staff to do so much more with the other pieces of the defense.

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, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, 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, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, 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, Carole White Begley, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, Steve Cato, the Nicolopulos family, Cason Palmer, Scott Jackson, "the Jacksonville, FL guys", Kim Sims, the Coyle familty, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Richard Crawford, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, Steve Williams Jr, Steve Williams III, Kim Thomas, Reid Thomas, Sam Thomas, Linda Wiggs, Emily Claire Young, Dr. Wallace Honeycutt, Stacy Fowler, Kitty Bowers,
Nick Corontzes.