Thursday Thoughts
I may be the only one but I am excited to see the Tigers again this Saturday against SC State. First, I want to give my thanks and support to the team that worked so hard in the off-season, and I want to thank them for the effort last Saturday night. But I am also ready to see the Tigers play again.
This week is not about the guys we already know enough about.
Tajh Boyd
Tajh Boyd
RS Sr. Quarterback
#10 6-1, 225
Hampton, VA
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and
Sammy Watkins
Sammy Watkins
Jr. Wide Receiver
#2 6-1, 205
Fort Myers, FL
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have nothing to prove to us. In fact, most of the starters could see half of the snaps they played last week.
To me, this week is about seeing some of the reserves get more action. Last week
Cole Stoudt
Cole Stoudt
Jr. Quarterback
#18 6-4, 205
Dublin, OH
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didn't get to play and I want to see how he has progressed since the spring. Who knows, maybe
Chad Kelly
Chad Kelly
RS Fr. Quarterback
#11 6-2, 210
Buffalo, NY
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is ready for Saturday, too.
Zac Brooks
Zac Brooks
So. Running Back
#24 6-1, 185
Jonesboro, AR
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showed some signs last week in his 12 plays at running back and it would be nice to see CJ Davidson get a few plays in.
Germone Hopper
Germone Hopper
RS Fr. Wide Receiver
#5 6-0, 170
Charlotte, NC
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had four plays at wide receiver and
Mike Williams
Mike Williams
Fr. Wide Receiver
#7 6-5, 205
Vance, SC
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only saw action in one play. TJ Green did not get in the game against Georgia.
On the offensive line we didn’t see any action from
Eric Mac Lain
Eric Mac Lain
RS So. Offensive Line
#78 6-3, 260
Hope Mills, NC
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,
Isaiah Battle
Isaiah Battle
So. Offensive Tackle
#79 6-6, 280
Brooklyn, NY
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or
Jay Guillermo
Jay Guillermo
RS Fr. Center
#57 6-2, 290
Maryville, TN
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.
I liked what we saw from
Shaq Lawson
Shaq Lawson
Fr. Defensive End
#90 6-4, 260
Central, SC
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during his 30 snaps and
Tavaris Barnes
Tavaris Barnes
RS Jr. Defensive End
#9 6-3, 270
Jacksonville, FL
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in his 22 snaps, but I would like to see
Kevin Dodd
Kevin Dodd
So. Defensive Tackle
#98 6-4, 280
Taylors, SC
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get more than the two snaps he took last week. The same can be said for DJ Reader, who played for eight snaps.
The Tigers rolled a lot of linebackers in the game.
Tony Steward
Tony Steward
Jr. Linebacker
#7 6-0, 235
Hastings, FL
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played 11 snaps, TJ Burrell had eight, BJ Goodson had seven and
Kellen Jones
Kellen Jones
RS So. Linebacker
#52 6-1, 215
Houston, TX
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had only four.
In the secondary
Korrin Wiggins
Korrin Wiggins
Fr. Defensive Back
#12 6-1, 185
Durham, NC
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was in for 19 plays, but we did not see
Jadar Johnson
Jadar Johnson
Fr. Defensive Back
#18 6-1, 180
Orangeburg, SC
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,
Ronald Geohaghan
Ronald Geohaghan
RS Fr. Defensive Back
#15 6-0, 185
Orangeburg, SC
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,
Cordrea Tankersley
Cordrea Tankersley
Fr. Defensive Back
#25 6-1, 190
Beech Island, SC
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or
Jayron Kearse
Jayron Kearse
Fr. Safety
#20 6-4, 205
Fort Myers, FL
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.
During the second half on Saturday I would love to see some Tigers get their first action of the year and see the depth become more experienced before later in the season.
Surprises
I think most of us expected big games from Boyd and Watkins, but several surprise players emerged Saturday night.
I have raved about
Roderick McDowell
Roderick McDowell
Gr. Running Back
#25 5-9, 195
Sumter, SC
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in the off-season, but how many of us saw him rushing for over 100 yards in the opener?
Raise your hand if you thought
Ryan Norton
Ryan Norton
RS So. Offensive Line
#58 6-3, 270
Simpsonville, SC
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would be the ACC offensive lineman of the week after his first start.
Who knew
Corey Crawford
Corey Crawford
Jr. Defensive End
#93 6-5, 270
Columbus, GA
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was ready for his breakout game?
How many of us thought
Stanton Seckinger
Stanton Seckinger
RS So. Tight End
#81 6-4, 210
Isle of Palms, SC
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and
Darrell Smith
Darrell Smith
Gr. Fullback
#40 6-1, 250
Gadsden, AL
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would be more productive in the passing game than Georgia's two NFL tight ends?
One day over the summer I wrote a blog about the importance of guys finding their role. Saturday night was a great example of players doing just that.
Boyd's Odyssey
Tajh Boyd has done a lot of great things, including setting a lot of records during his days at Clemson. Saturday night he took another step towards becoming perhaps the greatest quarterback in school history. He also tied former Clemson quarterback Homer Jordan with 22 wins as the starting quarterback. I was surprised to see the two signal callers have an almost identical record: Jordan's record was 22-6-1 while Boyd's is currently 22-6.
Line of Scrimmage
The SEC speed thing has been overused through the years, but I think the biggest differences in the SEC and the rest of the country are the lines of scrimmage. The conference simply has more big bodies.
For the second straight game Clemson has more than held its own against two of the nation's top programs in SEC powers LSU and Georgia.
In my opinion Clemson had the better offensive and defensive lines Saturday night. The Tigers defensive line showed great depth with contributions from
Grady Jarrett
Grady Jarrett
Jr. Defensive Tackle
#50 6-1, 290
Conyers, GA
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,
Carlos Watkins
Carlos Watkins
So. Defensive Tackle
#94 6-3, 300
Mooresboro, NC
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,
Josh Watson
Josh Watson
RS Jr. Defensive Tackle
#91 6-4, 285
Wilmington, DE
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,
DeShawn Williams
DeShawn Williams
Jr. Defensive Tackle
#99 6-1, 285
Central, SC
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, DJ Reader, Corey Crawford,
Vic Beasley
Vic Beasley
RS Jr. Defensive End
#3 6-3, 225
Adairsville, GA
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, Shaq Lawson and Tavaris Barnes.
The defensive staff just kept rolling in big body after big body and the Tigers seemed to be the stronger team along both lines of scrimmage.
Finally, I think we saw another feather go into the cap of strength and conditioning coach Joey Batson. It was fairly obvious to me that Clemson was the better conditioned team again Saturday night. Batson and his staff's hard work over the summer once again paid big dividends.
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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 email 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, 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, 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 Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr., Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Lillian, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Jim Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Mr. and Mrs. Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jake David family, Angie Crowley, Ira, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson, William Ross, Meredith Legg, Scott Johns, Frank Carroll,
Brandon Thompson
Brandon Thompson
Defensive Tackle
#98 6-2, 310
Thomasville, GA
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, Alvin Sammons, Georgine McAlhaney, Glen Davis, Mike Price, Clay Childers, Aaron Knight, Danielle Johnston and family, Nicholas Abrams, Lana Kuykendall, Gary, Gary G., William Huggins, Jim Bennett, Chantz Fowler, Ethel McElveen, Michele Gurganus, William Gentry, Lewis Usher and Tanya Sanders, Shon Cooper, Nick Collins, Amanda Peake, Danny Hammond, Chip Turner, Nick Collins, Allen Steen, the Sturkey family, the Lance family, Nick Chrisley's family, Allison Williams, Lt. Kyle Walker, Summer and Joel Johnson, Nicole O'Donnell, James O. Johnson, Joy Pruett and family, Bill Schmidt, Jack Bailey, the Gardner family, Charles Turner, Kathy Bartholomew, Ray Sanders, David and Robin Blocker, J.R. Ray, Kenneth Kowe, Lauren Sielicki, Doug Bailey and family, Jenna Phipps, Mark Lawrence, Harlan Sullins, Peter Laboy, Kat and Carlisle Jones, Elizabeth Galloway and family, Anita McDonald, Willard Harryman, Liz Surratt, Molly Senn, Jackie Shearer, Richard Sellers, Tim Drisdelle, Edward Easterling, Dawson Bourne, Susan and Mike Brown, Julie Goodman Marshall, Willard and Dorothy Harryman, Justin Jernigan, Jack Cunningham, Mia Daughtery, Tee Senn, Jim Lanier and our great country and the men and women in uniform that protect and serve every day, plus their families.