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YOUR BALANCE
New Story: Tigers wrap up strong practices, prepare for Deacons on Thursday in primetime
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New Story: Tigers wrap up strong practices, prepare for Deacons on Thursday in primetime


Nov 4, 2014, 5:04 PM

Tigers wrap up strong practices, prepare for Deacons on Thursday in primetime

The final third of the regular season begins Thursday night at Wake Forest, and head coach Dabo Swinney said some time off was just what his team needed heading into a stretch run that will be critical to the Tigers’ bowl hopes. What does he say about the time off? What does he say about Clemson's defense and how it compares to the great defenses of the past?
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"They punt the ball very well" LOL on that one***


Nov 4, 2014, 5:12 PM



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Re: "They punt the ball very well" LOL on that one***


Nov 4, 2014, 5:31 PM

Translation: Dang, that's all they got!!!!

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Translation: "They punt more than anybody in the FBS"***


Nov 4, 2014, 6:36 PM



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"Dabo crushed my soul." --- Classof09


Sorta like


Nov 5, 2014, 8:40 PM [ in reply to "They punt the ball very well" LOL on that one*** ]

"She doesn't sweat much for a fat girl".

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"Dabo crushed my soul." --- Classof09


BV is the coach of the year***


Nov 4, 2014, 5:20 PM



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Re: BV is the coach of the year***


Nov 4, 2014, 5:35 PM

I beg to differ. If we weren't a top 5 defense this year, there would have been some changes happening. If you would have told me we would have had all the injuries on the offensive line and still be 6-2 coming into November, I would have told you no way. He is absolutely correct that Coach Caldwell is looking more and more like a genius.

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Re: New Story: Tigers wrap up strong practices, prepare for Deacons on Thursday in primetime


Nov 4, 2014, 6:28 PM

I think we've already seen 5 or 6 of the best punters in the country! What's one more ?

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Re: New Story: Tigers wrap up strong practices, prepare for Deacons on Thursday in primetime


Nov 4, 2014, 7:08 PM

Sorry, Dabo. I'm going to have to say that the conservative offensive philosophy for much of this year (not to call it flawed) did at least contribute to the Georgia loss - in addition to personnel decisions and the suspensions on D. Otherwise, it's gotten the job done so you can only complain so much.

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Coach Caldwell and the OL


Nov 4, 2014, 7:14 PM

I really like Robbie Caldwell as a person, but he has made little improvement in the OL since he's been at Clemson. The OL still is our weakest link, and for better or worse, he is our OL coach and, therefore, he is responsible for their performance. The product he has put on the field has not gotten the job done. I offer as evidence our inability to make a 4th and 1 inch. Fix the OL, and the rest will fall into place. Sorry, Robbie, but sometimes the truth stings.

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Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL


Nov 4, 2014, 9:12 PM

The fact that we have so many capable OL on the squad that we can endure multiple injuries, suspensions, and defections and still win ball games is a testimony to just how good a job Robbie Caldwell is actually doing.

There was a season not too long ago when the injury to a former walk-on named Phillip Price effectively put our offense out of commission. We had absolutely nobody to plug into his spot and honestly, we had recruited so poorly in the first place and suffered so many injuries that a walk-on actually became our go-to guy at LT ...

Those days are over thankfully. We have lots of big strong guys, most of whom are cross-trained well enough to fill in in multiple spots and do a good job.

Do we have a great offensive line right now? Well, no, we don't ... it's a patchwork of guys who were lightly recruited, many of whom are actually over-achieving.

But we have offensive linemen coming in the next class who are the talent equivalent at their position of Sammy Watkins and CJ Spiller.

I hope you and other fans being so hard on Robbie Caldwell will at least give him the chance to coach the type of players that make a coach look absolutely brilliant at his job.

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I like Caldwell a lot


Nov 4, 2014, 9:55 PM

However his philosophy and Chad Morris' philosophy doesn't mesh at all. Often times they haven't seen eye to eye. I think he's a great OL coach, but it hasn't really translated to on the field at Clemson, and I think it's largely due to those differences. Guys just haven't completely developed at the pace they need to. I do think recruiting is the biggest issue at OL. Hopefully what we've seen in this class coming in keeps up and we don't go a year or two after '15 only taking a couple the next two classes. That is what we've done in the past and it can kill your depth.

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People soon forget how far our line has come from


Nov 4, 2014, 10:20 PM [ in reply to Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL ]

a few years ago. I think that OL is one of the hardest to recruit and project and he has had to cross train due to injuries every year. With the recruits coming in and Caldwell's coaching the future should look a lot brighter than it has been for quite a few years.

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Re: People soon forget how far our line has come from


Nov 5, 2014, 11:29 AM

I agree that it is tough to recruit and tough to develop OL, but it has to be done, and it's his job, and like it or not, it has been a very, very weak (the weakest) link for Clemson. I don't want him gone. I just want him to produce to a better standard than we have seen in a long, long, long time. If he can't do it, we owe it to our team and to our fans to get someone who can.

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Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL


Nov 5, 2014, 11:24 AM [ in reply to Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL ]

I hope he can someday soon live up to my, and most other Tiger fan's, expectations. The fact is that we didn't move the ball very well, even when there weren't so many injuries, etc. Come on, man. We haven't been able to move the ball well on the ground, especially in goal line and short yardage situations in a long time. This isn't new. We couldn't even get 4th and 1 inch at times. That is shameful, and I am a former Clemson OL. I will grant you that Robbie Caldwell hasn't had a lot to work with, but come on.

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Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL


Nov 5, 2014, 12:21 PM

If the recruits coming in next season stay healthy and academically eligible and Coach Caldwell still can't turn the corner on the offensive line issues, then I think most people will agree with you.

While I agree that things could be a lot better, I'm of the opinion that the OL coaching this year is a primary reason (along with stellar defense) that we're looking at a potential 10-2 season and the Orange Bowl rather than sitting home with a losing record.

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Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL


Nov 5, 2014, 3:06 PM

Let's just agree to disagree, because I see an offensive unit that has struggled to even score, and but for the defensive performances put in this year, I doubt we would be ending up at 10-2. Of course, we have had injuries, and we have been limited in having/playing a QB from the start who could perform like we have grown used to, but that said, even when we had TB, SW, MB, et.al., we still didn't manage to open many holes nor provide much protection for the QB. Thankfully we had TB who was a great running QB. I share your optimism about the group we have coming in, though, and I'm glad we have started to pay more attention to the OL. That new emphasis will only help our program in the future. IMO

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Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL


Nov 5, 2014, 7:24 AM [ in reply to Coach Caldwell and the OL ]

I feel the same way. Been looking at game replays and blocking sucks. It's not a lack of talent but schemes. I know it's been a tough year but it's been that way for 4 yrs. with great talent. You're dead on...fix blocking and we'll be rolling like a steam roller.

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Scheme not talent??


Nov 5, 2014, 10:00 AM

That makes no sense to me.

There are two major deficiencies on the OL that point to multiple people creating our lack of a quality OL.

#1 is effort/toughness. We have guys that don't maintain blocks, give up on plays, don't show a nastiness that is needed on the OL. I can't tell you how many times I've seen OL pull and never put a helmet on ANYONE. They just kinda run around and act like they want to block but frankly, they go through the motions way too many times.

#2 is talent. We have average talent, not bad, not outstanding. We seem to have guys who are strong but slow (Beasley, McClain for example) or guys who have good feet but are not strong enough (Battle, Gore, Norton). I believe some of this is due to our S&C, which is probably good but not great. This is also a factor of recruiting. We simply have not emphasized recruiting quality OL as much as other programs. I am hopeful Dabo and Company are seeing the light with this next class coming in but as others have stated, the real verdict will be on 2016 and beyond.

I don't think there is a schematic problem; there may be a development problem but it has nothing to do with our offensive scheme. I hear rumors that Chad and Robbie don't see eye to eye but I really don't know that to be true (or false) but if your "scheme" is to pull a G into the C gap leading a RB on an Iso, and your G can't get there fast enough or doesn't hit anyone when he does or can't move anyone when he hits them, I don't think that is schematic. That is one (or a mixture) of the items noted above. When your C gets pushed back 2 yards time after time, is that scheme or #1 or #2?

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Re: Scheme not talent??


Nov 5, 2014, 11:35 AM

+1!!! Exactly my points, and it's not getting better. I hope with the new recruits we have committed and with the new emphasis on OL that changes. I have been wanting and waiting on a really dominant and purpose driven OL for a long time. I'm still waiting.

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Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL


Nov 5, 2014, 11:31 AM [ in reply to Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL ]

Yep, and nobody want us to have a great OL more than I do. It is the difference in a fair and a great team.

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Re: Coach Caldwell and the OL


Nov 5, 2014, 12:27 PM [ in reply to Coach Caldwell and the OL ]

I suggest you go back and look at the OL this STAFF has recruited over the last 3 years and you'll see the problem. Don't think the OL coach is it. If we put half the energy and numbers recruiting OL as we do WRs this wouldn't be a problem.

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If we lived in a vacuum, I'd agree with you.


Nov 5, 2014, 1:13 PM [ in reply to Coach Caldwell and the OL ]

We don't.

It was well documented that Morris & Caldwell obviously had two different "styles" or expectations/plans for the OL. Morris came in after, and in the end is the OC so his way goes. That said, like any organization - one must work through differences in 'staff' and when you have good/great people a good leader finds a way to make them work together.

Anyone with a brain can see how successful the O has been since Morris got here, and then can also understand the challenges this year.

You don't can a guy like Caldwell because he wasn't 'from' the Morris mold...they've grown, and now I would say the fact we have someone as experienced and good as Caldwell is why this offense is able to do ANYTHING with all the crap that's gone on. This 'crap' happens everywhere from time to time, however at other places it means you are losing games....we're still winning.

Let's not lose site of this.

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There's no such thing as a stupid question, just stupid people who ask questions.


Re: If we lived in a vacuum, I'd agree with you.


Nov 5, 2014, 5:46 PM

We have won a bunch of games in spite of a very mediocre OL. Caldwell has been at Clemson long enough to have the OL performing at a much higher level, and he should be very happy that Morris runs the offense we run. Think of how pitiful this offense would be if we were a Power I team. When is the last time we could count on a running play up the interior of the OL on short yardage? I can't remember it since DF was there. We do have some OL who came in that were offered by some big name programs. If they wanted them, they weren't without talent. Most leave without ever achieving greatness, or at least without ever reaching a level that has made them a strength at Clemson. Granted, we have done a much more aggressive job recruiting skill guys, but it isn't like we haven't signed some sought after OL. I hope those we bring in this year will be #1 OL NFL draft picks some day. If they develop into that, we will be unstoppable. I hope it happens. I'm tired of the OL being a weakness.

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Re: Real or Fake


Nov 4, 2014, 7:52 PM

The home stretch is here. Are the Tigers seasoned? Are the Tigers better than their first game, their last game? Is the focus there? Will they put the foot on the throats of their opponents and not let off? All valid questions I say. This years team history is ready to be written. It's now up to the Tigers to decide the ending. Real or Fake? Either Man up or Man down. Choose.

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D is real! O is still in question! Hope both are on fire for


Nov 5, 2014, 11:28 AM

rest of year leading to a blasting of a another high-ranked team in Orange Bowl!

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