Boyd not satisfied with spring, vows no days off

Swinney gives Boyd some encouragement during the spring game.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Apr 11 11:11:59 GMT-04:00 2011

CLEMSON – The final seconds ticked off of the game clock at the end of Saturday's Orange and White Game in Death Valley, and Tiger quarterback Tajh Boyd Tajh Boyd
Quarterback
#10 6-1, 230
Hampton, VA
View Full Profile had just one thing on his mind – that it was time to go to work.

Boyd capped off a busy and learning-intensive spring by completing 8-of-24 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in the spring game, and he said Saturday’s performance shows just how crucial summer workouts are going to be for him – and the rest of the team.

“I think we did a lot of good things this spring, and now I can’t wait to get kicked off this summer,” he said after the game. We have a lot of work to do, but this is going to be a fun year. But I know this summer is going to be important for me and for this team. If we are going to be the type of team we want to be – which is a championship team – it will all start with the work we put in this summer.”

Starting right tackle Landon Walker Landon Walker
Offensive Line
#72 6-6, 310
North Wilkesboro, NC
View Full Profile agreed, saying that Boyd needs to take what he learned over the spring and apply it all summer.

“I am damn proud of him,” Walker said. “He had a great spring, and I love the way he is running the offense. You are going to have bad days; you just need to keep them to a minimum. Hopefully, like some others, he will get better this summer. Film study is going to be crucial for him, and getting out and throwing to the receivers and against the defensive backs will be big for him.”

Boyd said he gives himself a “B” grade for his work during the spring, and a “B-minus” for Saturday’s performance, and said that he was happiest with how he ran the ball.

“I thought I did some good things with my feet,” he said after toting the ball eight times for 43 yards and a touchdown. “But I have to keep working on my passing game. The short to intermediate passing game was fine, but the longer throws weren’t there. I need to learn where my receivers are going to be coming out of cuts and things like that.”

New offensive coordinator Chad Morris said he wanted to see Boyd work on his ball security – including not putting the ball in jeopardy – and was pleased with how his quarterback responded.

"I thought he pulled the ball down and made some plays with his feet when they were all over us,” he said. “I thought that was a plus, instead of throwing the ball and putting it in jeopardy. It was probably what I expected. He had a few three-and-outs where we had some mental breakdowns, but that's to be expected. I thought he had a good idea. He's continued to get better. He didn't have a turnover and that was a plus.”

Boyd obviously wasn’t working with his first team offensive line, and faced constant pressure from freshman defensive end Corey Crawford Corey Crawford
Defensive Line
#93 6-5, 275
Chatham, VA
View Full Profile and tackle Rennie Moore Rennie Moore
Defensive Tackle
#94 6-4, 270
Saint Marys, GA
View Full Profile , but declined to use the harassment as an excuse for some of his rushed throws.

“Honestly, Coach wanted to see what guys could work together in certain groups,” he said. “If we are going to be the great team we want to be, then we can’t have that drop-off when a guy goes down. That is why this off-season will be crucial for all of us. This game tells us what we need to work on.”

He finished by saying Clemson fans won't find him playing video games or sitting around eating during the summer heat – he will be working to bring a championship to Clemson.

“This is like a profession, even though we have classes and go to school. It’s just like a job, and I have to keep working on it,” he said. “The difference between certain teams – who all have talent – is the small stuff. There will be no days off. None.

“I am going to be constantly in the film room and constantly on the field. There is not going to be any sitting back. If we sit back and eat cake all summer, then we are going to be subpar, and I feel that is how things went previously. We need to set individual goals and team goals, and set out to achieve those goals. If we do that, then the season will turn out well.”