Straight From the Tiger Beat
I don’t know anyone who knows more about all things pertaining to Clemson athletics than Larry Williams, a good friend who happens to be the senior writer for Tigerillustrated.com. Larry checked in with me last week and suggested we do an information exchange, with me at least trying to answer his questions on Wake and him fielding questions on the Tigers.
I’m always up for giving you good folks in the Peanut Gallery the best info to be had, so we decided to give it a go. And if this collaboration is well-received, who knows? There may be more. Larry said he’s pretty handy around a drum kit, so maybe we’ll make some music as well.
Larry’s answers go a little something like this:
Q —The Tigers are struggling on offense, ranking 10th in the league in points per game? What have been the biggest problems?
Larry—The biggest problem has been a self-impaling inability to cash in with points on possessions that reach the red zone.
The Tigers rank 117th nationally in red-zone offense, scoring points on just 69 percent of their opportunities. When you’re walking away with no points 31 percent of the time, that is a huge, huge problem.
Clemson has been terrible on field goals. They have missed seven—SEVEN!—kicks from inside 40 yards on 12 attempts. Six of those misses have come in the last four games.
And consider this stat: Over the past four games, the offense has been inside the opponent’s 23-yard line 19 times and scored FOUR touchdowns. Add in five field goals, and that’s 10 possessions that have produced zero points. Given those stats, you wonder how they’ve managed to win two of the last four.
The Tigers have moved the ball fairly effectively this season, but they really bog down when they get close to the end zone.
Q—How much pressure will the defense be able to mount on Tanner Price?
Larry—A lot, I would think. Clemson’s front four has been absolutely dominant over the past 10 quarters. They thrashed N.C. State’s offensive line, and they did the same to Florida State’s front last week.
Da’Quan Bowers has been unstoppable. On the interior, Jarvis Jenkins and Brandon Thompson have consistently disrupted.
Given that Wake Forest has given up 17 sacks in seven conference games, I’d say the chances are good that Clemson gets pressure Saturday.
Q—What’s the local opinion of Kyle Parker’s season.
Larry—Most people expected better. Dabo Swinney has defended him at just about every turn, but the fact is Parker has been much more erratic than everyone envisioned.
To be fair, Parker has not been helped by the lack of proven guys at receiver. It was a lot easier last year when he had C.J. Spiller, Jacoby Ford and Michael Palmer. And it should also be pointed out that Parker suffered bruised ribs in the third game against Auburn, and it took a while for him to recover.
But he threw two completely inexplicable fourth-quarter interceptions in a six-point loss at Boston College. Against N.C. State, he fumbled twice and was lucky to have an interception return for a touchdown called back by a penalty. And last week, both of his interceptions were deep in Florida State territory—including one in the end zone.
Some folks have called for backup Tajh Boyd, but Parker gives the Tigers their best chance to win. He has not been awful, but he hasn’t been great.
Q—What is the local opinion of Dabo Swinney’s short run as head coach?
Larry—There’s some concern at this point, for sure. Swinney took over a program that didn’t need a vast overhaul.
Even though he brought the school its first division title last season, no one has patience for a 5-5 record through 10 games. Not with the kind of talent they have on hand here.
Swinney is the perfect fit at Clemson in a lot of ways. He says and does a lot of the right things, and he’s a genuine dude whom people can embrace. But he has to win, and right now the Tigers are flirting with a 6-6 season.
If South Carolina comes to Death Valley and wins its second consecutive game over the Tigers—that hasn’t happened since 1970—there will be major pressure on Swinney to win in 2011.
And if the Tigers manage to lose Saturday in Winston-Salem? There would be calls to fire him on the spot, though I don’t think anything will keep him from getting a third season.