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Hall of Famer [20518]
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For all the hand-wringing about our D...
Nov 25, 2018, 10:14 AM
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...our O has now quietly moved past UCF's and Alabama's and is now (unofficially) ranked third in FBS, behind just Oklahoma and Ohio State.
Our O now averages 539.1 yards per game after that 744-yard explosion. Alabama's fell to 538.0 yards per game after the Iron Bowl.
After the admittedly dismal defensive showing against Bentley & Co, we've fallen just behind Bama in total D - our D, which was briefly in first place after Ohio State got done with Michigan, now allows 283.2 yards per game to Alabama's 282.2. We should be about fifth or sixth, defensively. The D will be immensely disappointed in itself, as LKN Tiger figured yesterday, if Clemson had just held the Gamecocks to under 350 yards yesterday - which we've done pretty much all year - we would have had the #1 defense in college football, again, which we hadn't done since 2014.
As an extra aside, if you it all up, statistically we're 0.1 yards per game better than Alabama on the season. Kind of fascinating.
One thing I would mention, though, is that if you go back and look, a lot of those early busts last night were caused by some extremely unconventional Gamecock formations, including that oddball one where they had their offensive tackles lined up on the perimeter mixed in with the wide receivers. It was a good trick and it worked, and you could tell it rattled our guys because they weren't quite sure what they were seeing thereafter. Way too many coverage busts ensued. At that point it seemed the confidence and communication on the back end was disrupted, and Bentley forced a couple of balls in that easily could have been picked and got away with it...and of course our buddies the SEC refs kept a couple of Gamecock drives alive with phantom PI calls as well. Add it all up and you got about 8-10 huge explosive plays that really sustained the Gamecocks all night. But those problems are correctable...and they were mental errors, not physical ones, and certainly not ones caused by a lack of speed or length or coverage ability on the back end.
Stuff happens like that, sometimes. It's why games are played on the field instead of on paper. And credit where credit is due: Jake Bentley, who I honestly thought was mostly mouth, played better than I've ever seen a Gamecock QB play, and he and some very good receivers played lights-out last night, all night. Dude has become a legit player.
The rest of the Gamecock team looked like flaming hot garbage last night, mind, but hey, Bentley can play. Deebo can play. Edwards can play. Shi Smith can play. So be it. Why argue the fact?
I do think it's ironic: congrats, Will Muschamp, alleged defensive guru. You've somehow managed to field a Big 12 squad. Mad offense, zero D whatsoever. Well done.
Bottom line is we're 12-0, and we still field Top-5 units on both O and D. We absolutely have a shot in the playoffs.
Onwards to Charlotte. We don't have a perfect team - nobody does! - but this team assuredly has everything it needs to keep winning and advancing all the way to Santa Clara.
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Legend [17241]
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Only real concern is the play of Clemson’s Safeties...
Nov 25, 2018, 10:24 AM
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They seem fine in run support at LOS but take bad angles on passes and tackles downfield. They also seem to let guys get open behind them. Last night was obvious but several similar missed assignments were evident throughout the season - but the opponent did not capitalize.
Just one fan’s perspective who still has DJ Howard nightmares.
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Hall of Famer [20518]
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Re: Only real concern is the play of Clemson’s Safeties...
Nov 25, 2018, 10:32 AM
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They seem fine in run support at LOS but take bad angles on passes and tackles downfield. They also seem to let guys get open behind them. Last night was obvious but several similar missed assignments were evident throughout the season - but the opponent did not capitalize.
Just one fan’s perspective who still has DJ Howard nightmares.
Yeah. They gotta clean that up. Muse in particular seems susceptible to getting dragged in but I watched K'Von bust bad last night and give up a TD himself. Hopefully this will serve as a useful object lesson to not cheat on their reads...which I think they have been doing (and as you pointed out, getting away with) pretty much all season. Nothing like some embarrassing roastings to drive that particular point home...and frankly, I'd rather have it happen now than against Tua and Alabama...or, frankly, anybody else we play. Haskins and especially Kyler Murray are both more than capable of doing the same.
Hopefully they learn from this. From my own experience I always learned the most from my bad beats, and those guys collectively all got roasted last night. They definitely have plenty of talent, as a group.
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Scout Team [184]
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Re: Only real concern is the play of Clemson’s Safeties...
Nov 25, 2018, 2:29 PM
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Yeah. They gotta clean that up. Muse in particular seems susceptible to getting dragged in but I watched K'Von bust bad last night and give up a TD himself. Hopefully this will serve as a useful object lesson to not cheat on their reads...which I think they have been doing (and as you pointed out, getting away with) pretty much all season. Nothing like some embarrassing roastings to drive that particular point home...and frankly, I'd rather have it happen now than against Tua and Alabama...or, frankly, anybody else we play. Haskins and especially Kyler Murray are both more than capable of doing the same.
Hopefully they learn from this. From my own experience I always learned the most from my bad beats, and those guys collectively all got roasted last night. They definitely have plenty of talent, as a group.
Had been waiting to hear quozz’s take on the poor defensive showing - great post AS ALWAYS, quozz. We definitely have learned from “bad beats” the last two years - Syracuse, Pitt - painful losses that served as catalysts to excel moving forward. I almost think we don’t beat Alabama in January 2016 without that home loss to Pitt. Last night hopefully was a painful wake up call “loss” that we happened to win by 21 and clinch a 12-0 regular season and 5th straight win over our instate rival in the process. That last night felt like a loss is a testament to the unprecedencted level of success we’ve experienced the last several years, a level many have gotten used to and come to expect.
It’s just plain human nature. I have to fight it, too - I was disappointed too in the defensive showing this close to the CFP. For that reason, I try really hard to always keep the perspective fresh in my mind of my first semester and first home game experience at Clemson. Despite all the anticipation of tailgating and agonizingly long wait for kickoff against Virginia Tech, we lost 38-0 to Frank Beamer and Co., the start of a painful 3-8 campaign that led to Tommy West’s ouster.
My $0.02 (if it’s even worth that) - Don’t count the Tigers out just yet, and don’t jump on the Colin Cowherd bandwagon (after so many did after our loss to Pitt in 2015) that we’re a fraud and hand Alabama the title. This senior class has a way of making the naysayers look like fools.
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110%er [5388]
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Re: For all the hand-wringing about our D...
Nov 25, 2018, 10:46 AM
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Hoping that everyone made it home safely last night and have thawed. We are 12-0. Something we could not say the last two seasons. We scored 56 points against the gamecocks. The same as two years ago when we won it all. Our defensive players and coaches are not immortal. There were some breakdowns in pass coverage. On the other hand we had a goal line stand during a critical time of the game. We have the best defensive coach in college ball. He will do what is necessary to plug the holes. We need to move on from last night and concentrate on Pitt, a team that will show up Sat ready to play. Go Tigers!
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110%er [7173]
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Exactly Right!
Nov 25, 2018, 11:31 AM
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Our defense is not immortal. The lamecocks have probably had a period of their practice all year where they practiced those plays. I mean, every tendency was probably practiced against during their practices for at least a short period of time. Beating your rival can help sway recruits and get the perception of your program to where you garner top players and coaches respect! Which means they may perhaps come join. Which would mean an up-tick perhaps in your programs success! Don't think for a second the Clemson period of their practices wasn't happening; b/c based on what I saw last night - it did! Maybe that's why they struggled to finish some other games; they held back useful formation so BV couldn't see them!
Two ways of looking at it: They scorched us with some unique formations! They played well on offense and still lost by 3 TD's.
Clemson is ranked where it is b/c of "complimentary football" meaning, the offense and defense typically can win games for you. Some teams rely only on defense and "hope" the offense can do something. Some teams are all about the offense. We play complimentary football and last night the offense had to bail out the defense. Not a problem b/c we can beat you in more than one way. All the moral victories in the world can't take that away from the conversation!
Go Tigers! Get better this week in preparation for Pitt. We have never beaten Pitt so besides hopefully winning the conference; that will add a little more personal pride to the mix.
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Orange Blooded [4659]
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Re: For all the hand-wringing about our D...
Nov 25, 2018, 11:34 AM
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Playing like crap and winning by 3 touchdowns is amazing stuff. 
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All-TigerNet [10343]
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Re: For all the hand-wringing about our D...
Nov 25, 2018, 2:36 PM
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Stats are nice but the number one defense is the one who allows their team to hoist the trophy in the end.
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Oculus Spirit [79990]
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coots ran that same play with the offensive tackles spread out
Nov 25, 2018, 2:37 PM
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Against Florida. Our coaches should have had our guys ready for it again.
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Orange Blooded [3545]
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Re: coots ran that same play with the offensive tackles spread out
Nov 25, 2018, 2:41 PM
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Thought I'd seen that in that UF game while in a bar in boston watching but wasn't sure. They did very well to iso deebo on kvon there and a deep route from him in that situation with a free release is seldom gonna end well for wallace. Didn't pay attention to where the safety was or if there should've been a safety over top of that but that was a great design to get that Iso
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All-Pro [662]
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Re: coots ran that same play with the offensive tackles spread out
Nov 26, 2018, 9:02 AM
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Well said but I do want to point out that I'm 95% sure the weird "unconventional" formation is something the coots ran against both Florida and Kentucky this year. Not sure how much tape we watched and if they broke tendency from how they ran it prior, but seems like we got wrapped around the axle with the weird formation instead of realizing most of their stuff is just window dressing to confuse the fact that they really just want to get the ball to Deebo.
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Orange Blooded [2618]
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Re: For all the hand-wringing about our D...
Nov 26, 2018, 9:05 AM
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SC did us a favor. I feel sorry for Pitt.
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