Jeremy Parker Posts

Well, in case you haven't noticed, the holidays have slowed things down around here. Us Clemson folk tend to do the family and friends thing around Christmas time which leaves little time for blogging...

But I digress.

Clemson takes on the Wildcats of Kentucky tomorrow in the "Some stupid advertiser's name goes here" Music City Bowl. Kickoff is at 1PM--eastern standard time. The game is in Nashville, Tennessee making it a Noon kickoff locally.

I'll refrain from the the usually "Keys to Victory" for this one ... that would just be too easy. Ya know, run the ball well, don't turn the ball over, etc.

Instead, I'll give a nice "Go Tigers!" and wish the boys well--especially those seniors playing in their last game as a Clemson student-athlete.

Oh ... and just like every other week, I'll predict a Tiger victory. Clemson 31, Kentucky 24. The Tiger running game will be too much for a Kentucky defense that allows 189 yards per game on the ground.

Well, it has happened again.

Clemson senior starting tight end Thomas Hunter broke his foot on Sunday. His career as a Clemson football player is now officially over as he'll miss the Music City Bowl game against Kentucky.

For those keeping score, that's the third broken foot this season.

Both Chansi Stuckey and Michael Hamlin suffered the same injury earlier this season, although both were able to return to the field.

Is it the shoes? Is it the turf? Is it karma?

At any rate, Hunter had this to say about his injury:

"This is difficult to accept," said Hunter. "It is a tough way to end your career, but I have no regrets. When I came here all I wanted to do is run down the hill. I got to play in over 40 games and be a part of some very big games here. This probably won't sink in until we get to Nashville and I am watching from the sidelines."

Best of luck to you in the future, Thomas. Your presence will be missed and your contributions to this football team were impressive. Thanks for choosing Clemson.

Well isn't this just spectacular?

Star running back James Davis is miffed at his limited role (and productivity) over the last four games of the football season.

First, from the Anderson Independent:

"I've been frustrated a long time," he said. "I didn't get the ball like I used to in the first half of the season. I've been trying, trying, trying my best to wait it out and see what the coaches have in mind. I'm going to continue to talk to them and see what's going on and see if I can get more of a role in the offense."

I'm cool with that type of talk. It's the "I want to play more because I love the game and I really enjoy banging heads out there". And he's right, his role has diminished. That role became limited partly with the success of C.J. Spiller and partly with Davis' shoulder injury.

But Davis continues (discussing the final series of the South Carolina game):

"I think Reggie started off that series. That was my series to start with," Davis said. "Coach Burns told me he's going to put Reggie in, see what Reggie can do. I want to see Reggie play, it's his last game (at home), I'm not mad at Reggie about it.

"Me, I just want to win the game. But then they took him out, it's my turn to get in, and it's like, oh, get CJ. That becomes a question right there."

Davis said he tried to talk with Burns after the game, but "coach Burns was mad, so he didn't want to talk to nobody."

So, since Coach Burns wouldn't talk to you about, James, you decide to go to the press?

I don't like that. James Davis is an amazing running back. Unfortunately for him, so is C.J. Spiller.

If we can't learn to play nice, folks, then this is going to be a long offseason.

More on this from The State.

It wasn't meant to be this year for the Tigers as the Spurrier-led Gamecocks held off Clemson in a 31-28 upset.

The Gamecocks really dominated much of the game, and that put a damper on part of the day.

But football in the South is more than just the game.

It's the experience.

So without further ado, here is this year's version of the Palmetto rivalry ... in pictures.

(Yes, that is the Tiger. Yes, he did show up at our tailgate after the game. No, he never uttered a word.)

In case you missed it, South Carolina managed to pull out a close one over the Tigers on Saturday dropping the Clemson record to 8-4 on the season.

Of course, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and again as this was only the second time in ten years that Carolina managed to defeat the Tigers.

Go figure.

But make no mistake, the Gamecocks outplayed Clemson Saturday. So how'd the Tigers do against the "keys"?

1. Throw deep. The first Clemson series of the game saw a 76-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Ford. The rest of the game saw ... nothing. Um, it worked once guys, why not try it again? And yes, I know the defender fell down--but so what. Ford just showed he could catch the long one. Throw deep, darnit. Tigers get a C for this one despite the one play success.

2. Get two big plays. Well, this was clearly a poor choice for a "key". Every touchdown for the Tigers was a play over over 30 yards. All four of them. Amazing, huh? I have a theory. The two big plays from Spiller and Ford early in the game forced the Tiger defense back onto the field with limited rest. They were tired. Yup. That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it. I guess. I have to give the team an A+ for this one. They did make it exciting.

3. Hold Carolina to under 15 points. Um ... F. Carolina put together 31 points and 492 yards of offense. Where'd the Clemson defense disappear to? I have no idea. Of course, the Tiger defense gathered up 3 interceptions on the day--which should have been 5. Ugh. Blake Mitchell played well enough to win the game for the Gamecocks. There was no pressure on the quarterback. Poor tackling. I could go on.

So there ya have it. If you would have told me that Clemson would score 28 points at home against South Carolina, I would have guaranteed victory every time you said it.

I would have been wrong.

I hate being wrong.

The only question left now is, where are we "bowling"?

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is just about time for the final game of the Clemson football season and the Gamecocks are the team to beat.

The Tigers come in ranked 24th in the nation in all the major polls with Carolina enters Death Valley unranked but bowl eligible for the second straight year under head coach Steve Spurrier.

So let's get right to it ... what do the Tigers have to do to win one for the thumb?

1. Throw deep. A complaint I had with the Maryland loss was the lack of the deep ball from the Clemson offense. The Tigers lost that game, and I think much of it had to do with Maryland's ability to stop the run because there was no threat of a deep pass--until late in the game. The N.C. State game was different because Proctor threw deep at least three times. They were all incomplete, but the potential of the deep ball softened the State defense and allowed for a better rushing game. Same goes for the Georgia Tech game earlier in the season. Do the same against Carolina, and the Tigers can win.

2. Get two big plays. C.J. Spiller has become the master of the big play. His freshman highlight reel rivals ... well ... that of James Davis. The Tigers need one big offensive play (30+ yards) coupled with another either offensive or defensive "big play" if they expect to win. See key number 1 for a big play possibility.

3. Hold Carolina to under 15 points. I liked this one so much for the N.C. State game that I'm using it again. The Tiger defense is holding opponents to 13.73 points per game. But Carolina quarterback Blake Mitchell has the hot hand in the past few weeks, so pressure is key. Rattle him early and rattle him often and the Gamecock offense will hopefully fold under the pressure. Keep them under 15 and I predict Clemson victory.

So there you have it. Simple, right?

The rivalry prediction: Clemson 24, South Carolina 13.

Go Tigers!

The Ray Ray and Fahmarr McElrathbey story has been chronicled here before.

But the story just got a little better today as the Virginia Cavaliers have announced that they will contribute $2,565 to the Fahmarr McElrathbey Fund.

The contribution is a collection of money from the players themselves--mostly from the per diem given to them to cover meals over the Thanksgiving holiday.

A few thoughts:

"In just like an hour, I think we collected just over $2,000," said junior defensive end Chris Long. Virginia players contributed some of the meal money they receive while in town over the Thanksgiving holiday.

"It's a really legit cause, and I think it's great. Everybody really bought into that," Long said.

Groh, on his radio show Monday night, said: "This is a nice thing we're doing, but the young player at Clemson is the real hero."

Virginia becomes the second team to contribute to the fund as the Temple Owls made a contribution earlier this year.

A thanks goes out to both of those teams from this Tiger fan.

Statistics are a strange creature.

You can bend them, twist them, and turn them into just about any interpretation you desire.

I love them.

And this particular stat concerning the Clemson/South Carolina rivalry is an interesting one: Clemson is 7-1 when playing South Carolina on a full two week break.

The last time the Tigers lost to South Carolina when Clemson had two weeks to prepare? 1896. Yep, the first year the two teams played.

And it gets better.

Clemson is 7-2 against the Gamecocks when the game is played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The Tigers (ranked 24th) are 5-1-1 at home in the series when they come into the game ranked in the top 25.

So what does all this mean for the game on Saturday?

Your guess is as good as mine.

After all, Clemson is just 1-6 against the Gamecocks in years that Clemson is competing for its fifth consecutive win--which is the case this year.

Aren't statistics fun?

It must be tough for a college football player to know that he will be away from his family on Thanksgiving day. Worse yet, it might be even more difficult to handle the thoughts of missing out on mom's home-cooking.

Such will be the case for many Clemson players this week as they will have to practice on Thanksgiving morning in preparation for the South Carolina game.

But not to worry, the Tigers will be well fed:

Clemson will have 25 turkeys of assorted variety on hand, with the dessert options limited to bananas foster.

Now that's a lot of turkey.

I do hope the players aren't disappointed in the limited desert options. I had to look up what bananas foster was ... I'm not exactly a gourmet chef myself. But I'm cool with any dish that has to be "ignited" to be cooked. Outstanding.

Of course, all of this is just an appetizer as the main course will be fried chicken on Saturday.

I never expected to have a follow-up piece to this post, but I guess I'll have to.

You see, Clemson managed to climb to the 24 spot in the AP, Coaches, and BCS Polls this week following ... well ... nothing.

Okay, so my analysis is too simplistic.

Maryland's loss to Boston College dropped the Terps from 21 to out of the polls. This allowed the Tigers to bump up a spot in all of the polls.

Good for us.

Clemson is one of four three-loss teams to be ranked in the Top 25. That leaves clear room for improvement in the polls if the Tigers can take care of business against the Gamecocks this Saturday. Such improvement may make a bowl appearance in Jacksonville or Atlanta more tenable for the selection committees of the Gator and Peach Chick-fil-a bowls respectively.

Meanwhile, the ACC Atlantic standings are a mess. Boston College still has to take on Miami in Miami while Wake and Maryland also have to play each other. What a year.