Olsen Poses A Major Threat |
If Clemson’s defense thought they had their hands full with Vernon Davis, then bad news is coming this weekend. Miami tight end Greg Olsen may be the best tight end in the country. At 6-6 247 pounds, Olsen is a terror on opposing defenses.
He had his coming out party in the opener versus Florida State. He had four consecutive catches on Miami’s final drive. He is clearly the number one target of sophomore quarterback Kyle Wright. If not for injuries, Olsen may have emerged last season. At a school that is becoming a pipeline for tight ends to the NFL, Olsen is emerging as one of the best. Is he Jeremy Shockey or Kellen Winslow, Jr.? Time will tell us the answer to that question, but what he is, is a dangerous weapon Clemson must be ready for. Olsen knows how to get open and get separation from the defense. He said on Tuesday he hopes Clemson will key on him. “I don’t know, if they will key on me. I hope they do because if they do, we have five or six other guys that will make a play,” said Olsen. It is a catch-22 for Vic Koenning. His defense wants to force Miami to beat them through the air, but you cannot make yourself to vulnerable to Olsen. Starting running back Tyrone Moss is listed as doubtful, so offensive coordinator Dan Werner will rely even more heavily on Olsen. The tight end was Brock Berlin’s saving grace numerous times. Miami is hoping Olsen will carry Wright through his growing pains. Wright showed flashes of excellence against FSU, but it was evident he is a first year starter. It will be another extremely tough environment for Wright on Saturday, and when he gets in trouble, he will be looking for his safety blanket in Olsen. If Clemson is able to contain Olsen early, they may be able to force Wright into some early mistakes. Should Olsen and Wright connect early, the Tigers will likely need to win a scoring fest on Saturday.
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