Skalski's daily Ohio State reminder leads to more physical practices, renewed focus

Tyler Venables attacks the bag during Monday's practice.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue Mar 09 08:01:04 GMT-04:00 2021

Practices at Clemson are a little more intense this spring. The hits are harder, the coaching is tougher, and the mindset is sharper. Getting waxed in the Sugar Bowl in front of a nationwide television audience will do that to a team, cause them to refocus and find that extra motivation needed to get through a long season. Ask Trenton Simpson and Matt Bockhorst, they will tell you.

Simpson met with the media following Monday’s practice, and I asked him about the edge I’ve seen at practice. It just seems like there is a renewed focus on a team that is used to winning big games on the biggest of stages. But over the last two seasons there have been losses to what appeared to be more physical teams, including last December’s loss to Ohio State in a game in which the Buckeyes punched the Tigers in the mouth.

Simpson knows all about that game. He played in it. And he’s reminded of it. Daily.

“We are reminded constantly of what the last outcome was, and we won't forget about it, so every day we are starting practice off tougher,” Simpson told TigerNet. “We are trying to set a mindset for the rest of the spring and all of the way up until Sept. 4th to be ready and to be more physically ready in the trenches, from the d-line to linebacker to the back seven. Everyone ready to strike somebody and win and be on the other side of the line of scrimmage every single play.”

When I asked him who does the reminding, Simpson didn’t hesitate with an answer.

“It's within the locker room, especially our linebacker corps. (James) Skalski won't let it go by,” Simpson said. “He is reminding us every day that we got punched in the last game. So we have to come out and prepare every day at practice, that we have to be ready to play as hard as we can.

“That starts in practice. Like coach Swinney, if you don't practice physical -- you can't expect to play physical. Every day coming to practice and playing as physical as you can it will translate to the game.”

Left guard Matt Bockhorst said the loss was the slap in the face the program needed to regain its edge.

“They dominated us on both sides of the ball, and moving forward, that physicality is something that we need to really harp on and improve upon. We have played on that level and played well, and so we know we have the ability,” Bockhorst said. “But somewhere along the way, maybe the mindset or motivation was lacking a little bit. And they were hungry and they felt slighted from the year before and they came out ready to play. You can tell when one team has more of an edge than the other and what happens. It's unfortunate that something like that has to happen for us to reevaluate where we are. They showed more hunger.

“You look at the Sugar Bowl in 2017 when that Alabama team was coming off the championship loss to us and they just had the edge to them. They were mad about the loss and salty about the loss and they were coming with something to prove. I think sometimes a team with that type of edge to them and intrinsic motivation, you have to match that. I just don't know if we did.”

Simpson agreed.

“It was definitely a wakeup call. Next season, it is going to be a whole different mindset and we are going to be the team on the other line of scrimmage every single play,” Simpson said. “I see that just by the way we are practicing and even in the meeting room and weight room. Especially in the weight room. Everyone is pushing a lot harder and they are pushing themselves to get more reps and never let that happen again.

“You have to be physical with technique. We are a pretty big team right now, but if you can take that physicalness with great technique, you will be able to dominate big teams. We are making sure we are striking and working on the fundamentals, tackling harder, and making sure that your physical tackle comes with great technique. Thudding up and wrapping up and running through. The smaller fundamentals are shining through and that mindset is why we will be more physical next year.”