Fan [69]
TigerPulse: 97%
Posts: 77
Joined: 2/14/12
|
Tuesday Afternoon News and Notes
Jan 1, 2013, 12:47 PM
|
|
1. I'm hungover. Special thanks to Bud Light, Maker's Mark, and Johnnie Walker Red Label.
2. I went to a small get together with some friends of mine that was more of a New Years party, but of course we watched football all day too. I was 1 of 3 Clemson fans and there were between 15 and 20 other people there (mostly SCar students). We were glued to the TV the entire game. We didn't miss a single play. We took some crap after each LSU score or sack, but our team always allowed us to dish it right back after some amazing plays.
Now on to the important stuff.
3. D-line: Holy crap. Where was that all year? Sure they let Hill bust 2 long ones, but they put unrelenting pressure on Mettenburger the whole game! Grady Jarrett and Malliciah Goodman tore up that O-line. Couldn't be more surprised or happy about that amazing performance last night.
4. Travis Blanks: Wow. Did you SEE that interception? Kid came flying out of nowhere. Impeccable timing and terrific feel for that play. Man he laid out for that thing beautifully. I know 1 INT doesn't make the whole game or mean a player is exceptional, but I think its a good indication of what we will see from him next year at safety (D. McDaniel 2.0? Minus the trouble off the field, of course).
5. O-line: Help up better than I hoped. Still would like a little more consistency, of course, but great job last night. Also proud of Gifford Timothy stepping in when we needed him. Kid held his own, and I hope he keeps it up. They showed that they should be much better next year.
6. Missed tackles: Still saw a few too many of those last night. Even Shuey tried to get away with an arm tackle and got burnt. Gotta break that habit quick, Coach V.
7. Mr. DeAndre "Nuk" Hopkins: Wow. Career game. I'm pretty sure he's had games with more yards, but to have that many catches and that many yards against a top ranked defense across the board is pretty remarkable. That guy showed a lot of heart and even more skill. He was relentless on that secondary and just kept hauling in some amazing catches similar to those he made his freshman year that got us so excited about him. I think he made a statement to the NFL scouts last night, but of course I'm still hoping he sticks around another year. If not, congratulations and thank you for 3 years of electrifying catches.
8. Play calling: Still a little off sometimes. I guess you could say some of it was to keep their D guessing, but there were a few plays that never worked and we just kept on running them. Can't be too upset, though. Still had some great plays.
9. Andre Ellington: Boy, did he take a beating. We only ran the ball 21 times if you don't count Tajh's carries, but he was in there pass blocking against that tough D-line and never backed down. What a tough guy. Obviously didn't have any eye-popping yardage, but he still had a 4.5 ypc average. I'll take that any day against a defense like that.
Best for last
10. Mr. Tajh Boyd: Could you ask for a QB to be any more clutch???? This guy took some serious shots and STILL put up 346 in the air! That 4th and 16 might be his career highlight. I'm really amazed at how well he played, and not just at the end, but the entire game. 2 TD's and no INT's against LSU. I'm not sure how many other people can say that this year, if any. Man, I really want this guy back next year. If he can be that focused all year, we will put up even more ridiculous numbers!
End Note: No "I" in TEAM: I singled out a few guys here, but this was really a team win. Every single player went out there and fought with everything they had. They finally proved they can be physical, and I couldn't be more proud of them. That's a tough team they just beat. I'm sure every Clemson fan reading this is just as happy for them as I am, and I hope they see this note and know how much we appreciate the work they put in last night. Apparently they never got the memo that the ACC isn't supposed to be able to hang with the SEC's top teams.
Here's to a great end to 2012.
GO TIGERS!
|
|
50
