Tuesday September 01, 2009

What To Expect Saturday

What To Expect From the Clemson Offense Saturday
Clemson has a lot of question marks heading into the season but maybe we will begin to get some answers Saturday evening. I can see several scenarios taking place in the opener.

First, I think Middle Tennessee wants to limit Clemson’s big play capability. They like to blitz normally but I see their defense playing a little more conservative Saturday.

The Blue Raiders are more experienced in their secondary and the Tigers have question marks at wide out so I think Middle Tennessee will be able to handle the passing game in most situations. The secondary will have to tackle well in order to keep C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford from breaking a long one on a run or short pass though.

I expect Middle Tennessee to really key on both Spiller and Ford. I think they feel they have a better chance by making the Tigers earn their points with long drives instead of gambling and forcing the issue. Inexperience at quarterback and question marks on the offensive line would lead to some thinking about blitzing more but my gut tells me Middle Tennessee would like to make Clemson drive the ball the length of the field and take their earn their points. My guess is they don’t want to give up the cheap one.

Clemson needs to be able to prove that they can run the ball effectively and consistently. That starts up front. So the offensive line will have to prove itself Saturday.

Kyle Parker will have something to prove Saturday. He will have to guard against trying to do too much in his first start. Parker needs to build some confidence heading into the next few games and this game presents that opportunity. It is only a starting point though. I would think the staff wants him to guard against trying to do things beyond his ability and just run the offense.

The wide receivers have something to prove. Jacoby Ford needs to prove he is healthy and can be the number-one guy. The other wide outs are out to prove their value and their role. The staff is looking for receivers they can trust in the run game as blockers and in the passing game as receivers.

Jamie Harper has to prove he is ready to be the power guy in the running game. Andre Ellington will be playing in his first college game. Both should have opportunities to stake their claim for more carries Saturday.

I don’t think the game plan will be ultra-conservative though. I think we will see a lot of the offensive package Saturday. Not all of it, but I think we will see some wrinkles.

Besides those issues, I would look to see some of the typical “first game” issues. Penalties may be a factor. Turnovers are always a concern. First down yardage, third down conversions, etc.

What To Expect From the Clemson Defense Saturday
I think we will see a very aggressive defensive game plan Saturday. I think the Tigers would like to send a message.

There is nothing to save for the Georgia Tech game because Tech’s offense is so different. Middle Tennessee will feature the spread and four and five wide outs so they want to spread the field. The Blue Raiders have a new offensive coordinator in spread specialist Tony Franklin. However, this will not be the spread we see from Texas Tech. I think we will see the Blue Raiders try to run the ball out of the spread. They have a big back and should feature an athletic quarterback. In fact, I would think the quarterback’s feet worry the staff as much as his arm.

I can see Middle Tennessee using the three step drop in order to neutralize the pass rush. I am not sure we will see Clemson blitz a ton and have a bunch of sacks so when I say aggressive I mean in the coverage and in the scheme. You can be aggressive with tighter coverage and more defenders closer to the line of scrimmage. I think Clemson wants to force the issue on Saturday. This was not always the case over the last few seasons.

Several Tigers return but some will be seeing more time than they have on the past. One such player is Marcus Gilchrist. The junior is playing safety for the first time and he would like to start out with a solid performance.

Speaking of safeties, I think the pair of DeAndre McDaniel and Gilchrist have a chance to make more plays than the previous safeties. Both Michael Hamlin and Chris Clemens were very good players in Tigertown but they were more solid than spectacular. Both were very solid on assignments and rarely gave up the big play (except for the BC game of 2007). Both will also play in the NFL. However, this new group could make more plays. I look for more turnovers and more big hits out of McDaniel and Gilchrist. Also I think Jonathan Meeks will continue to develop into a force at safety.

Because of the spread, I would look for Scotty Cooper to have more snaps than Kevin Alexander.

In summary, I would expect an aggressive bunch of defenders in orange Saturday evening but that might yield for more chances at big plays from both squads.

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