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Athletic Dir [1144]
TigerPulse: 53%
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"We beat ourselves!"
Dec 2, 2013, 6:17 PM
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I really do get that train of thought, with the 6 TO's and inexplicably giving up on the run game, when Rod is having a career night. Add to that, appearing to have no answer at all for Shaw's passing or running, and you have the prime ingredients for a disaster. However, there is one part of the equation that no one has mentioned yet. For the past five years (and especially for the last three), the gamecock players have been mentally tougher than the Tigers. I'm certainly not an expert, but doesn't that fall somewhere on the coaches? Spurrier said in the paper today that he believes part of their success is in downplaying the rivalry, and trying to treat it as just another game. I'm not sure I'm buying anything he says about that, but his team always plays looser, and with more reckless abandon than Dabo's. The Tigers always appear to press and tense up in this series recently, which would lead to less than stellar play if they're playing tight. I think that the magnitude of the Clemson fans' (and coaches') expectations weight heavily on their young minds now, with each passing loss,wanting so desperately to 'end the streak!'
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Letterman [198]
TigerPulse: 82%
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Re: "We beat ourselves!"
Dec 2, 2013, 6:19 PM
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Agree.
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All-Conference [437]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Athletic Dir [1144]
TigerPulse: 53%
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Re: "We beat ourselves!"
Dec 2, 2013, 6:50 PM
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90cualum, Hats off! Great post! Sorry I missed it yesterday. I think you're absolutely right about this. SOS has always been a master of psychological warfare, and his team plays looser and the Tigers play like the weight of the world is on their shoulders.
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Athletic Dir [1144]
TigerPulse: 53%
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Re: "We beat ourselves!"
Dec 2, 2013, 7:01 PM
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My UGA cousin told me at Thanksgiving that Spurrier had the same thing going in the 90's with UGA and UT. They just didn't want to beat him, they had to crush him because of all the quips and barbs toward them. Guess who played uptight, with plenty of turnovers and missed assignments? I did check the UF/UGA and UF/UT series records during that time and it opened my eyes a bit.
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All-Conference [437]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Re: "We beat ourselves!"
Dec 2, 2013, 9:27 PM
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I truly think that is some of the method behind his seemingly random madness of smarting off and getting under this rivals skin. Sure makes it more plausible if you believe what was said today that they really de-emphasize our game each year.
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All-In [10883]
TigerPulse: 100%
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Posts: 12942
Joined: 2012
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Down playing the rivalry?
Dec 2, 2013, 6:54 PM
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Is that why the announcers said Spurrier told them his team had a different attitude leading up to the game? That there was no joking going on in the locker room? That it was all business that week? That they had to sit the entire team down, and ask them questions about what they do in certain situations just to make sure everyone was on the same page?
Sounds like Spurrier wasn't downplaying anything. He wanted the W, probably because it would help cement his status as one of the greatest coaches to coach at USuCk.
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