I'll be doing two blog swaps with Clemson beat writers this week, the first with Tiger Illustrated's Larry Williams, who has covered the Tigers for a number of years with the Charleston Post & Courier and now with the Clemson's Rivals.com page. Here are the answers to the five questions I posed to him:
1. After the way the Tigers have played against Wake Forest and Miami, have they truly turned the corner under Dabo Swinney? Or are the Tigers setting their fans up for more disappointment?
That's really impossible to answer, but I think they took a big step with the win over Miami.
They absolutely drilled Wake Forest after a loss to Maryland that gets uglier by the week. I think a lot of folks (including me) wondered whether they'd be able to do it two weeks in a row.
To me, the most impressive thing about the win in Miami was that Clemson didn't have to play over its head to win. The Tigers made a ton of glaring mistakes in that game, including coming up empty on four trips inside the Hurricanes' 27-yard line (three turnovers, one missed field goal). They also gave up eight plays of 20 yards or more after yielding 15 of that variety in the first six games.
So there's still lots to correct, and plenty of reason for this team to think it hasn't yet arrived.
The Tigers will likely be favored in their remaining three conference games (Florida State, at N.C. State, Virginia). They might actually be able to afford losing one of those and still win their division for the first time.
The outlook certainly looks good. But this is my sixth season covering the program, and I've learned never to bank on anything with this bunch. When you're ready to bury them, they do something spectacular. When you're ready to anoint them, they fall on their faces.
2. Coastal's offensive line has struggled recently. What can the Chanticleers do to slow down Ricky Sapp and Da'Quan Bowers off the edge? Is that even possible?
Miami had some good success using maximum-protection stuff. The Tigers had three sacks, and two came on well-timed blitzes by linebacker Brandon Maye and safety Marcus Gilchrist.
Sapp did have one big sack late, but overall I thought Miami did a good job of neutralizing him and Bowers.
Obviously Miami's OL and Coastal's OL are apples and oranges. Not sure what the Chants can do to limit these guys ... other than pray, maybe.
3. Name one player on offense and one on defense that have been pivotal to the team's recent success that haven't gotten as much attention as perhaps they deserve. Why did you pick them?
On offense, I really like fullback Chad Diehl. For a while now, the kid has been known as the most feared blocker on the team. He's just now starting to emerge in games, and it's quite a sight to behold.
He absolutely pulverized a Miami linebacker on multiple occasions while lead blocking out of the I formation, including one time where he sent the guy's helmet flying.
I think Diehl is a key component as Swinney and Co. try to instill this offense with more physicality that will theoretically lead to improvement in short yardage.
On defense, I'm going to go with linebacker Kavell Conner. He's the fourth-leading tackler on the team, so he's not exactly an unusual suspect. But he definitely doesn't get a whole lot of credit or pub, due in part to his reserved nature in interviews.
Conner can be a liability in pass coverage, but he can be very good at finding the ball and attacking on stretch running plays. He made a great play on the goal line against Wake Forest, darting in and balling up the running back before he could get to the goal line.
4. How much can we expect Clemson's C.J. Spiller to play? This week, ESPN started to re-hype him as a Heisman contender. Does he realistically have any chance to even get to NYC? Does he need to pad his numbers against Coastal to have a shot?
I think Spiller's numbers are a hindrance only in the eyes of people who solely look at his rushing numbers.
He has not piled up great stats on the ground (78.1 per game, good for 54th nationally), but he leads the nation in all-purpose yards (207.8 per game). His all-around excellence reminds me of Rocket Ismail, who did a lot of different things and finished second in the Heisman voting in 1990.
Spiller's pyrotechnics against Miami were a major story across college football Saturday night and Sunday morning. It helped that he did it in a game that was so riveting.
If he keeps this up -- and a primetime game Nov. 7 against Florida State would offer him another major showcase -- I'd say he does have a shot to get to NYC. That is also predicated on the number of finalists (as few as three and as many as five).
No doubt winning plays a major role in Heisman voting, so the Tigers can't afford many more losses if Spiller wants to make a serious run at being a finalist. But find me a player in college football who is more electrifying or takes your breath away more on a per-play basis. I can't think of anyone.
If Clemson is up 17 or 20 points after one quarter, I don't see why you play him. And I can definitely see the logic in not playing him at all. Will his numbers against a Division I-AA team (and a struggling Division I-AA team, at that) really carry much weight?
His toe has hampered him this year, and the most important thing is having him as healthy as possible for the stretch run.
5. You live in the Clemson area. If you had to recommend one activity (indoor or outdoor) that Coastal fans should do before or after the game, what would it be?
Before the game: It doesn't get much better than tailgating on a college campus in late October. Clemson's atmosphere is one of the best, in my opinion.
Downtown Greenville is really cool. That'd be a nice place to go for dinner or a beverage or two after the game.
As for Clemson, here are some really good restaurants:
Calhoun Corners
Blue Heron
Villa Novella (excellent Italian in nearby Central)
If you like real Mexican food, there's a really good place in Clemson (Super Taco on 123) and one in Central (Taco Loco on Hwy. 93). Both do it from scratch, and it's excellent.
If you're looking for really off-the-beaten path stuff, there's a place called Grits and Groceries in Belton (south of Anderson). The fare is Cajun, Creole and Southern, and the two chefs are quite decorated (both spent extensive time at well-known New Orleans restaurants). Check out their web site at: www.gritsandgroceries.com. I went last week, and it's well worth the drive out into the sticks.
1. After the way the Tigers have played against Wake Forest and Miami, have they truly turned the corner under Dabo Swinney? Or are the Tigers setting their fans up for more disappointment?
That's really impossible to answer, but I think they took a big step with the win over Miami.
They absolutely drilled Wake Forest after a loss to Maryland that gets uglier by the week. I think a lot of folks (including me) wondered whether they'd be able to do it two weeks in a row.
To me, the most impressive thing about the win in Miami was that Clemson didn't have to play over its head to win. The Tigers made a ton of glaring mistakes in that game, including coming up empty on four trips inside the Hurricanes' 27-yard line (three turnovers, one missed field goal). They also gave up eight plays of 20 yards or more after yielding 15 of that variety in the first six games.
So there's still lots to correct, and plenty of reason for this team to think it hasn't yet arrived.
The Tigers will likely be favored in their remaining three conference games (Florida State, at N.C. State, Virginia). They might actually be able to afford losing one of those and still win their division for the first time.
The outlook certainly looks good. But this is my sixth season covering the program, and I've learned never to bank on anything with this bunch. When you're ready to bury them, they do something spectacular. When you're ready to anoint them, they fall on their faces.
2. Coastal's offensive line has struggled recently. What can the Chanticleers do to slow down Ricky Sapp and Da'Quan Bowers off the edge? Is that even possible?
Miami had some good success using maximum-protection stuff. The Tigers had three sacks, and two came on well-timed blitzes by linebacker Brandon Maye and safety Marcus Gilchrist.
Sapp did have one big sack late, but overall I thought Miami did a good job of neutralizing him and Bowers.
Obviously Miami's OL and Coastal's OL are apples and oranges. Not sure what the Chants can do to limit these guys ... other than pray, maybe.
3. Name one player on offense and one on defense that have been pivotal to the team's recent success that haven't gotten as much attention as perhaps they deserve. Why did you pick them?
On offense, I really like fullback Chad Diehl. For a while now, the kid has been known as the most feared blocker on the team. He's just now starting to emerge in games, and it's quite a sight to behold.
He absolutely pulverized a Miami linebacker on multiple occasions while lead blocking out of the I formation, including one time where he sent the guy's helmet flying.
I think Diehl is a key component as Swinney and Co. try to instill this offense with more physicality that will theoretically lead to improvement in short yardage.
On defense, I'm going to go with linebacker Kavell Conner. He's the fourth-leading tackler on the team, so he's not exactly an unusual suspect. But he definitely doesn't get a whole lot of credit or pub, due in part to his reserved nature in interviews.
Conner can be a liability in pass coverage, but he can be very good at finding the ball and attacking on stretch running plays. He made a great play on the goal line against Wake Forest, darting in and balling up the running back before he could get to the goal line.
4. How much can we expect Clemson's C.J. Spiller to play? This week, ESPN started to re-hype him as a Heisman contender. Does he realistically have any chance to even get to NYC? Does he need to pad his numbers against Coastal to have a shot?
I think Spiller's numbers are a hindrance only in the eyes of people who solely look at his rushing numbers.
He has not piled up great stats on the ground (78.1 per game, good for 54th nationally), but he leads the nation in all-purpose yards (207.8 per game). His all-around excellence reminds me of Rocket Ismail, who did a lot of different things and finished second in the Heisman voting in 1990.
Spiller's pyrotechnics against Miami were a major story across college football Saturday night and Sunday morning. It helped that he did it in a game that was so riveting.
If he keeps this up -- and a primetime game Nov. 7 against Florida State would offer him another major showcase -- I'd say he does have a shot to get to NYC. That is also predicated on the number of finalists (as few as three and as many as five).
No doubt winning plays a major role in Heisman voting, so the Tigers can't afford many more losses if Spiller wants to make a serious run at being a finalist. But find me a player in college football who is more electrifying or takes your breath away more on a per-play basis. I can't think of anyone.
If Clemson is up 17 or 20 points after one quarter, I don't see why you play him. And I can definitely see the logic in not playing him at all. Will his numbers against a Division I-AA team (and a struggling Division I-AA team, at that) really carry much weight?
His toe has hampered him this year, and the most important thing is having him as healthy as possible for the stretch run.
5. You live in the Clemson area. If you had to recommend one activity (indoor or outdoor) that Coastal fans should do before or after the game, what would it be?
Before the game: It doesn't get much better than tailgating on a college campus in late October. Clemson's atmosphere is one of the best, in my opinion.
Downtown Greenville is really cool. That'd be a nice place to go for dinner or a beverage or two after the game.
As for Clemson, here are some really good restaurants:
Calhoun Corners
Blue Heron
Villa Novella (excellent Italian in nearby Central)
If you like real Mexican food, there's a really good place in Clemson (Super Taco on 123) and one in Central (Taco Loco on Hwy. 93). Both do it from scratch, and it's excellent.
If you're looking for really off-the-beaten path stuff, there's a place called Grits and Groceries in Belton (south of Anderson). The fare is Cajun, Creole and Southern, and the two chefs are quite decorated (both spent extensive time at well-known New Orleans restaurants). Check out their web site at: www.gritsandgroceries.com. I went last week, and it's well worth the drive out into the sticks.
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