So how about them Clemson Tigers? The first quarter of the regular season ends with a 3-0 record and a #10 ranking in the Top 25. Before we head into potentially the biggest game of our season this week at #4 Florida State, let’s first review the first three games of the season.
September 1st: #14 Clemson vs. Auburn
Atlanta, GA at Georgia Dome
Won 26-19
On Labor Day weekend, our boys kicked off the season with a victory over the Auburn Tigers just down I-85 in Atlanta. The game was played in front of a Chick-Fil-A Kickoff record setting sized crowd of more than 75,000 in the Georgia Dome and marked the third game of our recent series. In an intense battle to see which Tigers would be king of the jungle and had every fan in the Dome on the edge of their seat, Clemson pulled off a 26-19 win that allowed them to take this three-game series.
For a few weeks leading up to the game, there was a lot of speculation about how are offense would perform without our Heisman-capable and amazingly talented Sammy Watkins. However, our offense showed that it can hold it’s own. In terms of keeping the ball on the ground, we rushed for 320 yards with running back Andre Ellington accounting for a large majority of that. Ellington, who was plagued with injuries throughout the 2011 season, rushed for an incredible 228 yards on 25 carries. If you do the math, he averaged 9.1 yards a carry, which basically means every time he carried the ball, we could expect to be close to a first down. Can you say awesome? Unsurprisingly, he led the NCAA FBS in rushing yards after week 1 of the football season.
Also impressive were Tajh Boyd and Deandre Hopkins, both of whom had the responsibility of stepping it up in Watkins’ absence. Boyd simply looked great, keept his cool, broke tackles and seemed to have stepped up more as a leader of the team. He completed 24 passes on 34 carries for 208 yards and a textbook touchdown pass to Deandre “Nuk” Hopkins in the fourth quarter. Hopkins had 13 receptions for 119 yards and not only caught the great pass from Boyd, but somehow got a foot down in the endzone, which gave us the permanent lead.
In the fourth quarter when we were up by four with a minute and a half left, offensive coordinator Chad Morris made the brilliant decision to safely kick a field goal instead of riskily going for the touchdown. Kicker Chandler Catanzaro seemed to say “No big deal,” kicking the ball through the uprights, giving us a seven-point lead and sealing our fate as the winner.
On the defensive side, there is also a lot of credit to be given. It was our first game with a new defensive coordinator and stats don’t lie. Our new coordinator, Brent Venables from Oklahoma, seemed to have the boys on defense in the right state of mind as they looked more confident and showed the urgency we lacked last year (see Orange Bowl 2012 for more details).
Although Auburn quarterback Kiehl Frazier passed for 194 yards and a touchdown, he completed less than 50 percent of his passes with 11 completions in 27 attempts and also threw an interception, picked off by our safety Rashard Hall. Despite trailing them entering the fourth quarter, they held Auburn to only one touchdown. The defense’s shining moment came with less than a minute to play in the 4th quarter when defensive end Vic Beasley gained up his lone tackle of the night by sacking Frazier on 3rd and eight, driving them back ten yards, bringing up an incomplete pass on 4th and 18, and thus ending the game.
September 8th: #12 Clemson vs. Ball State
Death Valley, SC
Won 52-27
In the 2012 kickoff in Death Valley, the Tigers defeated the Cardinals of Ball State University by a score of 52-27 to earn a 2-0 record. Though the game was a bit of the blowout, it was a good opportunity for the boys to put in reps like they were playing a top ten team and to allow backup players receive real game experience. Also, this marked the last game without our beloved Sammy Watkins, and fans began counting down the days until Sammy was back behind the line of scrimmage.
For the second week in a row, Tajh Boyd looked like a man in charge, passing for 229 yards and three touchdowns. Similarly, Deandre Nuk Hopkins and Andre Ellington had good games as well, scoring three and two touchdowns as well.
Since we were able to quickly leave Ball State in the dust, our second and third string players were able to get out on the field and gain some experience that will help them when their time comes. Backup quarterback Cole Stout got in a few reps, as well as wide receivers such as Matt Porter and Stanton Seckinger.
September 15th: #11 Clemson vs. Furman
Death Valley, SC
Won 41-7
For the second week in a row, our players were able to separate themselves from the opponent, the Paladins of Furman University. Located in Greenville, SC, just a forty-minute drive away, Furman is one of our closest neighbors and historical rival.
The game against Furman was somewhat uneventful, except for the moment Clemson fans had been dying for and opponents had been dreading: Sammy Watkins’ return to our offense. Sammy performed up to par, catching four passes for 52 yards and having a 58-yard rush for a touchdown. Tajh Boyd continued looking great by passing for 310 yards, two touchdowns and giving away no interceptions. Nuk Hopkins, who leads the team in receptions, had seven catches for 95 yards. Even though he only had 15 carries for 59 yards, Andre Ellington found the endzone twice.
One cause for concern was our defense during this game. Though they limited to Furman to a single touchdown, they had some trouble containing their backup quarterback, Reese Hannon, who threw for 235 yards and a touchdown in his first collegiate start. Despite the troubles, linebacker Quandon Christian had an interception that set up Andre Ellington’s second touchdown and safety Rashard Hall intercepted a pass during Furman’s 63-yard opening drive to our 5-yard line. These seasoned veterans will have to continue to step up and lead the defense so our defense can grow stronger and play up to their full potential.
Once again, our backup players received more field playing time once the game was out of Furman’s reach. These players could have great responsibilities in the future so it is vital that they gain familiarity now so they will be ready.
Next Week’s Game:
September 22nd: #4 Florida State
Tallahassee, FL at Doak Campbell Stadium
8 p.m. on ABC
Saying this game is important is seriously the biggest understatement since someone said Tiger Woods had an affair. Not only are we playing an ACC rival, but also we are basically playing to decide who is likely to win the Atlantic Division of the ACC. Which means who will likely go on to the ACC Championship to play the winner of the Coastal Division. So, it’s pretty much a huge deal.
In order to defeat the Seminoles next week, our defense is going to have to play a lot harder and smarter. New defensive coordinator, Brent Venables, was quoted in an ESPN article saying “They’ll break the scoreboard if we don’t play better.” Right you are, Brenty. We know they’re capable of doing well, or else they wouldn’t be here.
On top of that, we really need Tajh Boyd to be on top of his game. The past few weeks, he’s looked amazingly
comfortable with the ball in his hands and if he shows up with the confidence and work ethic he displayed against Auburn, our offense will do great.
Lastly, tiger fans, if you can, GET DOWN TO TALLAHASSEE. The game is at Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium at 8 pm. ESPN’s College Gameday will be there, which could be a HUGE disadvantage to us if Clemson fans don’t make a big showing down there. For those who don’t know, Doak is slightly bigger than our stadium. Holding 82,300 fans, it’s the 17th largest stadium in America and the largest in the ACC. So it’s going to be loud and it’s vital that we have enough people there to contrast with the Seminole fans and cheer on the boys.
All pictures from orangeandwhite.com.