SWINNEY vs BOWDEN ROUND 2 - C.J. SPILLER

It's no secret that Clemson Jr. C.J. Spiller, voted first-team All-ACC as both a RB and Specialist in 2008, is one of the most talented and exciting players in all of college football. However, you may remember that Spiller was the target of some criticism during the 2007 season for his tendency to bounce outside or reverse field if he didn't immediately find daylight on a running play. C.J., or "Lightning" as he is known, would at times turn and use his blazing speed to try and outrun the defense to the edge instead of putting his head down and grinding out 2 or 3 yards running north and south yards like his backfield partner, "Thunder" RB James Davis is famous for. Speed versus power. The play would sometimes end up for a loss but other times it would turn into a big gain. Barry Sanders, whom you may have heard of, received the same exact criticism as Spiller during his NFL career in which he earned the league rushing title four separate times. The point is that sometimes great players with phenomenal speed, balance and pure talent just try to make something out of nothing and it doesn't always work out. What was vexing at times to us as fans was why he didn't get more touches, given the fact that he was such a playmaker. Sanders and Spiller are going to make up for that loss and then some if you keep getting them the ball.


When coach Swinney took over at the halfway point in the season, he seemed to understand this better than former coach Bowden did. Swinney stressed that he was going to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers. So, let's look at how C.J. Spiller was utilized and his stats. in the five division 1 games played under coach Swinney (he did not play against Ga. Tech due to injury) versus the four division 1 games under former coach Bowden (stats vs. FBS opponents Citadel and SC State were not considered). Stats on the left are C.J. under Swinney, stats on the right are C.J. under Bowden.


AVG. NUMBER OF RECEPTIONS PER GAME- 4.2 versus 1.75

AVG. RECEPTION YARDS PER GAME- 63.8 versus 15.9

AVG. YARDS PER RECEPTION- 15.2 versus 15.9

NUMBER OF TOTAL RECEIVING TD'S- 2 versus 1

AVG. NUMBER OF CARRIES PER GAME- 12.2 versus 7

AVG. NUMBER OF RUSHING YARDS PER GAME- 59.6 versus 44.0

AVG. RUSHING YARDS PER CARRY- 4.89 versus 6.29

NUMBER OF TOTAL RUSHING TD's- 2 under both

NUMBER OF PASSING TD's- 1 versus 0


A couple of things to keep in mind: One, these stats reflect mostly averages to compensate for the fact that the comparison is over five games with Swinney as coach versus four with Bowden. Second, it's worth considering that the offensive line issues were perhaps more pronounced under Bowden's tenure Third, C.J. came off the field and didn't return to the game against Wake due to injury. Although I was in Winston-Salem for the game, I do not recall how much time was left in the game but this must be considered. Still, it's clear that Swinney made good on his word because Spiller's catches and carries increased significantly and his avg. gains for both stayed fairly close. So, up for debate is whether the win-loss record of 1-3 in the four games played under Bowden would have been more like the 4-1 under Swinney if C.J. got the ball more. We'll never know but it's interesting to see the numbers after the fact.

SWINNEY VS. BOWDEN- ROUND 1- OFFENSE

Here are some interesting statistics comparing offensive categories under former head football coach Tommy Bowden to the offense under current head football coach Swinney. Although each was the coach for exactly half the season or six games, the games against FBS opponents (Citadel and S.C. State) coached by Bowden were excluded. Consequently, there are only four games of statistics under Bowden ('Bama, NCSU, MD, WF against which Bowden went 1-3) but six games under Swinney (GT,BC, FSU, Duke, UVA, SC against which Swinney went 4-2). Swinney's stats. are on the left, Bowden's stats. are on the right.


AVG. POINTS SCORED: 24.3, 15.6

AVG. YARDS OF OFFENSE: 324.2, 296.5

AVG. # OF FIRST DOWNS: 17.7, 15.5

AVG. # OF TOUCHDOWNS: 2.83, 1.75

AVG. # OF PLAYS: 67, 56.5

AVG. # OF YARDS PER PLAY: 4.82, 5.18

AVG. # OF RUSHING YARDS: 99.5, 102

AVG. # OF CARRIES: 36.3, 26.7

AVG. # OF PASSING YARDS: 224.7, 194.5

AVG. PASS COMPLETION %: 64.55, 60.32

AVG. # OF PASS ATTEMPTS: 30.7, 29.7

AVG. # OF INTERCEPTIONS: 1.3, 1.0

AVG. # OF TOTAL TURNOVERS: 2.5, 2.5

AVG. 3RD DOWN CONVERSION %: 33.3, 25

AVG. # OF PENALTIES/AVG. YARDS PER: 4.67/8.61, 6.25/9.08

So, what's it all mean? First, to be fair, Bowden did not actually run the offense himself. He left that job to former offensive coordinator Rob Spence, the so-called "mad genius" who was fired about thirty seven seconds after Swinney was named interim head coach. However, Bowden was the head coach and therefore is ultimately responsible for offensive production or lack thereof. An examination of these statistics reveals that under coach Swinney, the Tigers offense averaged more points, more total yards, more first downs, more touchdowns, more plays, more carries, more passes, more passing yards, a higher pass completion percentage, a higher third down conversion and less penalties and yards per penalty than it did under Bowden.

Three of the categories look better under Bowden: The Tigers offense averaged more yards per play and more rushing yards even though it averaged less carries. There was also less average interceptions. Statistics don't tell always tell the whole story and in some cases, teams can dominate a game statistically and lose it. However, in this case there is clearly a marked improvement offensively across the board under Coach Swinney and the win-loss record also improved.

12/12 UPDATE- NEW TIGERS FOOTBALL COACHES

The Clemson Tigers head football coach Dabo Swinney has officially announced the hiring of new staff members Danny Pearman; Charlie Harbison and Woody McCorvey along with their respective titles. Pearman has been named tackles and tight ends coach, Harbison has been named defensive backs coach and McCorvey will serve as an administrator within the football program. Below is a summary of the coaching careers of all three new staff members:

Danny Pearman
2008 MD Tight Ends, Special Teams, Halfbacks
2007 DUKE Tight Ends, Special Teams
2006 UNC Tight Ends, Special Teams Asst.
1998-2005 VA TECH Tight ends, Special Teams Asst. and Offensive Tackles
1997 ALABAMA Special Teams, Defensive Tackles
1991-1996 ALABAMA Special Teams, Offensive Tackles
1990 ALABAMA Graduate Assistant
1988-1989 CLEMSON Graduate Assistant
Played Tight End at CLEMSON 1984-1987

Charlie Harbison

2007-2008 MSU Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs
2003-2006 ALABAMA Wide Receivers
2001-2002 LSU Running Backs
1998-2000 ALABAMA Defensive Backs
1995-1997 CLEMSON Defensive Backs

Woody McCorvey

2004-2008 MSU Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks

1999-2003 UT Running Backs

1998 SC Wide Receivers

1990-1997 ALABAMA Wide Receivers (coached Dabo Swinney)

1983-1989 CLEMSON Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

NEBRASKA NEWS CHANNEL SPORTS

GATOR BOWL MATCHUP- NEBRASKA ARTICLES

I've been scanning every Nebraska football website I can find for interesting articles about their bowl game preparations, player interviews or news, injury reports, trash-talking and so on. As of right now, there really isn't a whole lot of information out there. I've created some links to what I've come up with so far. (Note- links do not open in a new window, so use your back button to return to this page). Click here for Nebraska coach Bo Pelini's comment about red and orange. Click here for an article on Nebraska's RB Marion Lucky. Finally, click here for an article on Nebraka's bowl preparation.

BLAST FROM THE PAST- CLEMSON VS. NEBRASKA

TIGERS VS. GAMECOCKS HIGHLIGHTS 2008

WEEK 14 RECAP OF CLEMSON PLAYERS IN NFL

JUSTIN MILLER-KR OAKLAND RAIDERS

Pro Bowl kick returner Justin Miller, who was recently waived by the N.Y. Jets and picked up by the Oakland Raiders, raced 92 yards for a touchdown after receiving a kickoff in the Thursday night game against the San Diego Chargers. Miller fielded 6 kickoffs and averaged 29 yards per return.



TREVOR PRYCE-DE Baltimore Ravens

Two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowler Trevor Pryce had one tackle in a win against the Washington Redskins on Sunday night, 24-10. Pryce now has 25 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2008 and the Ravens are 9-4, one game behind the Steelers in the AFC North. The next game is against the Steelers in a battle of two of the league's best defenses.

BRIAN DAWKINS- S Philadelphia Eagles

Six-time Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins made four tackles in a road win over the defending Super Bowl champion N.Y. Giants on Sunday, 20-14. This week, Dawkins tied the team record for career games with 180 and last week tied the team record for interceptions with 34. Brian has 61 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and an interception so far this season. The Eagles are 7-5-1 and need to win out to have a good shot at the playoffs. Next opponent- Cleveland Browns.

CHANSI STUCKEY- WR N.Y. Jets

Chansi Stuckey had 4 receptions for 43 yards, leading the Jets in receiving yards on Sunday in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers. It was the Jets (8-5) second straight loss and puts them in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC East with the Patriots and Dolphins. The Jets play division rival Buffalo next.

PHILIP MERLING- DE Miami Dolphins

Merling had one tackle in the Dolphins 16-3 win against their NFC East division rival, the Buffalo Bills. Merling now has 23 tackles and one sack in his rookie year. The Dolphins are 8-5 along with the Patriots and Jets in the NFC East division. They face the 49ers next.

DID NOT PLAY OR NO STATS-

Gaines Adams- DE Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jamaal Fudge- DB Atlanta Falcons

Barry Richardson- OT Kansas City Chiefs

Charlie Whitehurst- QB San Diego Chargers

Anthony Waters- LB San Diego Chiefs

Nick Eason- DE Pittsburgh Steelers

Tye Hill- CB St. Louis Rams

GATOR BOWL- CLEMSON vs. NEBRASKA

Since taking over as interim head coach halfway into the 2008 season, Dabo Swinney has twice faced the daunting task of going against opponents whose head coaches had recognizable and respected names, established reputations and NFL experience on their resume'. So far, so good. Both Virginia's Al Groh and South Carolina's Steve Spurrier are former head coaches in the NFL whose teams lost to the Swinney-coached Tigers. In the upcoming Gator Bowl, Swinney and the Tigers will again face a team whose head coach has a ton of coaching experience, including nine years in the NFL and six years as DC of three major college programs with both Super Bowl and BCS National Championship rings to show for it. The Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach, Bo Pelini, served as DB coach with the San Francisco 49ers under George Seifert and won a Super Bowl. Pelini also served as LB coach for the New England Patriots under current USC Trojans coach Pete Carroll and finished up his NFL career as LB coach for the Packers, going 33-15 under coach Mike Sherman. Pelini then served one year as DC for Nebraska, another year as co-DC for Oklahoma and spent the most recent two years as the DC for LSU, winning a BCS national championship in 2007.

The Nebraska football program has a rich championship tradition, having won five national championships, including back-to-back titles in 1970 and 1971. The Cornhuskers also had back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995, with their most recent title coming in 1997. As all Tigers fans know, there is a little history between these two teams where national championships are concerned. Clemson defeated Nebraska 22-15 in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1982 and won the 1981 national championship as a result. Since the Cornhuskers' perfect season in 1997, they have had some successful seasons- going 12-1 in 1999, 10-2 in 2000, 11-2 in 2001 and 10-3 in 2003. Lately, there has not been as much to cheer about. In 2004, they lost 6 games, lost 4 in 2005, lost 5 in 2006 and lost 7 in 2007. Nebraska's AD was fired last year and replaced with former Cornhuskers' head coach Tom Osborne, who in turn promptly fired then-head coach Bill Callahan one day after the final game of a 5-7 season. Osborne then hired Bo Pelini, who in his first season provided a bigger turn around than most expected and improved the regular season record to 8-4. As mentioned in a previous article, the losses came to some tough competition in Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech. The future again looks bright for the program and the Nebraska football fans are excited. Here's hoping Clemson dampens their enthusiasm just a bit with a win over the Cornhuskers in 2008. MORE ON THIS MATCHUP TO COME. Go Tigers!

GATOR BOWL BOUND- CLEMSON vs. NEBRASKA

NEBRASKA'S RECORD Nebraska is 8-4 this season and like the Tigers, come in riding a three game winning streak. The Cornhuskers' four losses came against very tough opponents: #8 Texas Tech in OT, #4 Oklahoma, ACC Coastal division winner Virginia Tech and #19 Missouri. The wins came against Western Michigan, San Jose State, New Mexico State, Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado.

NEBRASKA'S OFFENSE During the current three game winning streak, the Cornhuskers have scored 141 points for an average of 47 points per game. Nebraska seems to have no problem scoring points even against quality opponents: They put up 31 against Texas Tech, 28 against Oklahoma and 30 against Virginia Tech. They have averaged a little more than 36 points per game over the entire season. Nebraska's QB Joe Ganz has thrown for 3332 yards, completed 69.3% of his passes and has 23 TD's and 10 INT's. The Huskers' top two rushers are Roy Helu and Marlon Lucky, who have combined for 1321 yards and have 7 TD's each. Lucky has suffered from turf toe of late but is expected to play. The top receiver is 6'2 Nate Swift with 60 catches for 909 yards and 9 TD's, including 4 games in which he had 100+ yards. Swift is also the career receptions record holder at Nebraska. Todd Peterson is a 6'4 WR with 58 receptions for 690 yards and 3 TD's. Peterson's stats seem to indicate that he plays best in the "big" games. TE Mike McNeill has scored 6 TD's, one shy of the Nebraska school record. Kicker Alex Henery is solid at 14 out of 17 FG's and booted a record setting 57 yarder in the last game.

NEBRASKA'S DEFENSE The good news for Clemson is that Nebraska's defense is nearly giving up the same number of points as the offense is scoring, to the tune of almost 30 points per game. The Cornhuskers' defense is led by nose tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is the top tackler with 68. Suh also has 15 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 INT's both of which he returned for TD's and a forced fumble. 6'7, 280 lb. DE Zach Potter is also a key defensive player whose stats with the exception of tackles almost mirror Suh's: 43 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 INT's and a forced fumble. DE Pierre Allen's stats are impressive as well: 50 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and a forced fumble. The Cornhuskers have 30 total sacks on the year and forced 15 turnovers.

MORE ON THE GATOR BOWL MATCHUP COMING SOON

C.J. SPILLER- WILL LIGHTNING BOLT FOR NFL?

Every time I think about Clemson RB C.J. Spiller lately, the Clash song "Should I Stay or Should I Go" keeps playing in my head. Spiller has a big decision to make: Declare himself eligible for the 2009 NFL draft which will take place sometime in April or remain at Clemson for his senior season and get his degree. C.J. made previous statements which indicated he would almost certainly return to CU, especially if Dabo Swinney was hired full-time as head coach. On October 21, 2008, he was quoted in an article by Ed McGranahan of the Greenville News as saying "My decision right now is I'm coming back. I pray to God that Coach Swinney gets this job. I'm looking forward to the 2009 season, to play for him and to see how much we can grow as a team." It wasn't a guarantee, of course. However, in addition to playing one last year for the coach who recruited him, he also mentioned the importance of receiving his degree because he has a younger sister who looks up to him and wants to be a good role model.

The flip side of this equation is that there is a lot of talk around the NFL about implementing a salary cap for rookies under a new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement- which is the central document that governs all negotiation of NFL players contracts) as early as March 2010. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been quoted as saying "There is something wrong about the system. The money should go to people who perform." The issue that has created such controversy is that under the current CBA, the compensation packages for NFL rookies who have never played a down can be higher than the veteran players who have proven they're worth the money. NFL franchise owners and veterans, for the most part, do not like it and feel it's getting out of hand, especially with the current economic conditions. While there is a lot that has to happen in order for this rookie salary cap to actually become policy by 2010, Spiller will certainly have to take these developments into consideration. There is at least a chance that coming back could end up potentially costing him a lot of money.

SWINNEY OFFICIALLY NAMED HEAD COACH

Clemson University made the announcement at a news conference on Monday afternoon: Dabo Swinney is no longer the interim head football coach of the Clemson Tigers. He is now the "official" head coach. While the specifics of the compensation package have yet to be revealed, Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips did state that the contract length will be five years. Swinney does not plan to discuss any changes he may make to the coaching staff until after the Tigers' bowl game.

Coach Swinney has done a fantastic job after accepting the interim head coach position, especially considering the circumstances. He guided the team to a 4-2 record, winning on the road against ACC Atlantic Division winner Boston College as well as defeating Virginia in Charlottesville. The Tigers also routed Duke by 24 and closed out the regular season with a three game win streak by whipping in-state rival South Carolina at Death Valley by 17. Under Swinney's watch, the offense made tremendous strides and the ferocity and attitude of the defense was much improved.

As impressive as the play and the wins have been, Dabo's leadership qualities stand out as well. Many folks were inspired by the speech he gave at the press conference announcing his new position as interim head coach and wanted to go "all in". A few said it was gimmicky, just like Tiger Walk and "One Clemson" and having players lock arms side by side before every game. Well, leaders lead and they move forward with a purpose and a vision. People wanted to follow because they believed in the vision, because they were inspired. Dabo managed in just a few weeks to inject unity into the team, the university and the fans. His enthusiasm both on the field and off has been contagious. Yet, you get the sense that the guy is both genuine and humble. When you consider that he has a six year history with the program, is widely considered one of the top recruiters in the country and just proved himself capable of coaching his team to wins against guys like Al Groh and Steve Spurrier, one can understand why he got the job. Congratulations.

SPURRIER, SC PLAYERS POST GAME COMMENTS

Here are several quotes from gamecock head coach Steve Spurrier and gamecock players in post-game interviews:

STEVE SPURRIER:

"Give Clemson credit. They made a bunch of third downs. They made more third downs on us than I think about anybody this year. That's how you play the game; their guys made plays."

"Give Clemson credit......they got a dang good team......they're a better team than us right now this year, simple as that and hopefully someday we'll be on a level with them. We're not there yet."

"We just got smashed instead of trying to learn how to compete, I think, yep, yeah. You can sugar coat it all you want but uh, they got two big-time running backs, they got a big-time quarterback. They got some big time ball players on that team o' ere and we gotta get us some big time ball players......and play better."

"Yeah, I'm frustrated too. I thought we could play with these guys but it turned out we couldn't. They're better than us, okay? That's all you can say right now. Got a better team. Better coach, better team."

CAPTAIN MUNNERLYN

"I felt like we were the better team but they came out today and proved they were better than us."

"We were 7-3 [prior to FLA AND CU] and headed for a great year. Now it seems like it's all gone down the drain."

"I don't know what's going on. I don't know what's happening. We're just not playing as good as we were in the beginning."

KENNY MCKINLEY

"They got on us today. It's Clemson. It's supposed to be a hard-fought game and really, it was one-sided."

I LOVE A COLD, WET ORANGE CRUSH

It was worth fighting the traffic. It was worth the cold and rain. It was worth losing my voice. It was even worth having my binoculars stolen. I found out later that two upset gamecocks fans sitting behind me swiped them off the bleachers when they inexplicably left early in the 2nd quarter. The Tigers mauled the gamecocks 31-14 on Saturday at Death Valley, winning their third straight game and becoming bowl eligible. It was the 10th victory in the last 12 games of the rivalry with SC.

There were so many highlights in this game, so many game changing plays on both sides of the ball. My defensive game ball goes to Andre' McDaniel: 11 tackles, a forced fumble and 0.5 tackle for loss. #2 was just all over the field, finding the ball and making big hits. The offensive game ball goes to the RB combo of Davis/Spiller: 183 yards rushing, 52 yards receiving. Davis had 3 TD's and crucial short yardage runs. Thunder and Lightning in the rain were fantastic.

Here is my Clemson Tigers highlight-reel list, key plays and big hits of the game:

1st QUARTER

13:23 C.J. Spiller 28 yard reception from Harper

9:01 Chris Chancellor intercepts a long throw from Smelley on 3rd and 20

6:41 Jacoby Ford runs for 21 yards

4:41 C.J. Spiller takes handoff, makes 5 different defenders miss, gains 39 yards to the 1

4:14 James Davis 1 yard TD run

3:19 Jamie Harper blocks Succop's punt which leads to a Buccholz FG

2:31 James Davis knocks CB Woodson out of the game after 11 yd. reception

2ND QUARTER

14:31 Just as Smelley gets an incomplete pass attempt off, Brandon Maye absolutely levels him

13:45 Chris Clemmons and Michael Hamlin converge on a Smelley pass and knock it down

13:34 After a Succop punt pins Clemson on its own 3, James Davis runs for 7 yards on 1st down

11:20 Clemson drive stalls deep in own territory but Jimmy Maners booms a 54 yard punt

10:32 Dorell Scott tackles RB Mike Davis for a loss

9:09 Chris Clemmons intercepts Smelley pass; DaQuan Bowers lays out TE Cook with a block

8:33 Cullen Harper is all but sacked, with both knees inches from the ground and somehow

throws a perfect spiral 27 yards to Jacoby Ford, who takes it in the rest of the way for TD

7:14 Chris Chancellor drills WR McKinley and sends him flying out of bounds after 21 yd. rec.

Gamecock players immediately call for trainers as McKinley looks badly hurt

5:42 Michael Hamlin picks off Smelley pass. TE Cook immediately goes to gamecock sideline

and expresses his frustration to coaches and Smelley

4:31 James Davis takes handoff, makes 2 defenders miss and rumbles in for 20 yd. TD. ESPN

cameras show gamecocks fans hiding their face or shaking head in amazement

3:15 Scotty Cooper puts a huge hit on RB Maddox after 2 yd. reception

:23 C.J. Spiller 39 yard kickoff return

:16 Aaron Kelly 42 yard pass reception

3RD QUARTER

13:24 Andre' McDaniel and Brandon Maye tackle WR McKinley for 5 yard loss

7:35 Aaron Kelly key 3rd down conversion on short pass from Harper to keep drive going

5:52 Tyler Grisham key 3rd down conversion on short pass from Harper to keep drive going

4:38 James Davis on 3rd and 2 picks up 5 yards for another key conversion to keep drive alive

3:38 James Davis 2 yard run for TD

1:44 Crezdon Butler blitzes from the left corner, sacks Smelley and forces fumble (SC recovers)

:37 Andre' McDaniel and Kavelle Connor hit RB Davis and force fumble (SC recovers)

4TH QUARTER

6:52 Andre' McDaniel breaks up Smelley pass

4:25 Chris Chancellor intercepts Smelley deep in gamecock territory

2:41 James Davis, on 3rd and 6 pinned back on Clemson 11 yd. line has 8 yard run to convert

WEEK 13 RECAP OF CLEMSON PLAYERS IN NFL

Gaines Adams- DE Tampa Bay Bucs

Gaines Adams had one tackle and 0.5 sack in the Buccaneers 23-20 win over division rival New Orleans Saints. He also had a key QB pressure on Drew Brees that contributed to a drive killing interception with less than 2 minutes left in the game. Adams now has 31 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 interceptions and one TD this season. The Bucs are 9-3 and NFC South division leaders.

Trevor Pryce- DE Baltimore Ravens

Pryce, a two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro-Bowler, had three tackles in the Ravens blowout of the Cincinnati Bengals 34-3. Trevor's stats for 2008 include 24 tackles and 4.5 sacks. The Ravens are 8-4 and one game behind the Steelers in the NFC North.

Brian Dawkins- FS Philadelphia Eagles

Brian Dawkins, a six time Pro Bowl player, had a huge game against the Arizona Cardinals on Thanksgiving day. Dawkins recorded five solo tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in the Eagles rout of Arizona 48-20. For the 2008 season, Brian has 57 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and an interception. The Eagles are 6-5-1.

Philip Merling- DE Miami Dolphins

NFL rookie Philip Merling (1st selection, 2nd round) had four tackles in the Dolphins 16-12 victory over the St. Louis Rams. Merling has 22 tackles and a sack so far this year. The Dolphins are 7-5 and still in contention in the AFC East.

Chansi Stuckey- WR New York Jets

Stuckey had three receptions on Sunday for 30 yards in a loss to the Denver Broncos 34-17. Through 12 games, Stuckey has 24 receptions for 266 yards and 3 TD's. The Jets are leading the AFC East division race at 8-4.

Justin Miller- KR Oakland Raiders

Pro Bowl player Justin Miller returned 5 kickoffs for an average of 20 yards per return in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders were beaten 20-13 and are currently 3-9.

Nick Eason- DE Pittsburgh Steelers

Eason had two tackles in a blowout win over the New England Patriots, 33-10. Eason has 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2008.

Did not play or no stats available

Barry Richardson- OT Kansas City Chiefs

Tye Hill- CB St. Louis Rams

Charlie Whitehurst- QB San Diego Chargers

Jamaal Fudge- DB Atlanta Falcons

Anthony Waters- LB San Diego Chargers

SENIORS RUB THE ROCK ONE LAST TIME

Saturday marks the last time the Seniors and Graduates on the Clemson Tiger football team will rub the rock and run down the hill at Death Valley. This is a very talented group of players and includes some guys who have made huge contributions to the program in their careers at Clemson. Below is a partial list in random order.

There is a strong chance that at least a couple or more of these players move on to a professional career in football. Rub The Rock will be following the 2009 NFL draft and keep everyone updated. Let's show our appreciation and support Sat.

WR Nelson Faerber

S Michael Hamlin
WR Aaron Kelly
DT Rashaad Jackson

RB James Davis
P Jimmy Maners
QB Cullen Harper
S Chris Clemmons
DT Dorell Scott
K Mark Buccholz
S Haydrian Lewis
WR Tyler Grisham
C Bobby Hutchinson
RB Rendrick Taylor
TE Akeem Robinson
DT Jock McKissic
LB Josh Miller

SPURRIER'S FIRST YEAR

The Tigers go to Williams Brice Stadium in 2005 and beat the #19 gamecocks 13-9.

REMEMBER THIS FROM LAST YEAR?

The infamous billboard that caused such a stir after Clemson beat the gamecocks in Williams Brice Stadium in 2007. The billboard was located on I-26 in Columbia, SC.

IT"S A CONSPIRACY!

Since it's rivalry week, I thought I would post the SC automobile license plate since it contains purple and orange and therefore represents Clemson.

2003 TIGERS vs. GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS

Of course, no one on either side of the rivalry who watched or attended this game will ever forget it. The 2003 63-17 beatdown ranks up there as one of my favorite games of all time and I still admire Charlie Whitehurst for going 4-0 against the gamecocks during his Clemson career. The video isn't the greatest (but what youtube video is?)but it's worth watching. Thanks to clemson342 for the video and Todd Ellis for announcing "touchdown Clemson" nine times.

2007 TIGERS vs. GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS

Just a little something to get you in the mood for this coming Saturday's showdown. The music is by Sammy Hagar and thanks to gotigers2005 for the video.

WEEK 12 RECAP OF CLEMSON PLAYERS IN NFL

Each week I will give a brief update on game stats of Clemson players in the NFL.

Gaines Adams- DE Tampa Bay Bucs
Gaines Adams had 3 solo tackles and a sack for the Bucs D. Tampa Bay overcame a 17 point 1st quarter deficit to rally for a road win against the Lions and reclaim the NFC South division lead. Adams now has 30 tackles, 5 sacks and 2 INT's for the 2008 season.

Leroy Hill- LB Seattle Seahawks
Leroy Hill had 2 solo tackles in a losing effort as the Washington Redskins defeated the Seahawks 20-17. Hill has 83 tackles on the year, 63 of which are solo tackles.

Trevor Pryce- DE Baltimore Ravens
Two time Super Bowl Champion and four time Pro Bowl player Trevor Pryce had 3 solo tackles and was credited with 0.5 sack in an obliteration of the Philadelphia Eagles. Pryce now has 21 tackles and 4.5 sacks for the season.

Brian Dawkins- FS Philadelphia Eagles
Six time Pro Bowl player Brian Dawkins had 2 tackles, one solo, in a loss to the Ravens. Dawkins is credited with 52 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 2 sacks so far in 2008.

Phillip Merling- DE Miami Dolphins
Rookie Phillip Merling had 3 solo tackles in a loss to the Patriots on Sunday. Merling now has 18 tackles and a sack for the year.

Chansi Stuckey- WR New York Jets
Second year player Chansi Stuckey made one reception in a blowout win over the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans. Stuckey now has 21 receptions for 236 yards and 3 TD's for the 2008 NFL season.

Justin Miller- KR Oakland Raiders
Justin Miller, who spent the past 3 1/2 seasons with the NY Jets, was recently acquired by the Raiders as a kick return specialist. He had 3 returns, averaging 21.0 yards, in a win over the Broncos on Sunday.

*note- did not play or no stats:
Tye Hill CB St. Louis Rams
Charlie Whitehurst QB San Diego Chargers
Anthony Waters LB San Diego Chargers
Barry Richardson OT Kansas City Chiefs
Jamaal Fudge DB Atlanta Falcons

TIGERS 13 CAVS 3

Charlottesville, VA

The Tigers came away with a big road win on Saturday, defeating UVA in a low scoring, hard fought battle 13-3. The Tiger D played lights-out, intercepting Cavs QB Mark Verica three times and sacking him twice. Michael Hamlin, Crezdon Butler and DeAndre' Mc Daniel each had a pick and Hamlin actually had a second INT that was nullified due to a penalty. Hamlin is now tied with former Tiger Justin Miller with 13 in his Clemson career. There were plenty of big plays on defense but my defensive game ball goes to Byron Maxwell. 7 solo tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a forced fumble caused when he laid Virginia's FB Rashawn Jackson out like he had been run over by a Mack truck. Here is what Maxwell had to say: “I thought, ‘This is going to be a big hit,’ because I knew he didn’t see me coming and I knew I was going to get there right when the pass came in. Then, I just hit him, really hard.” Yes, he did and it was a highlight reel hit. There were so many great plays on defense. Rashaad Jackson and Kavelle Connor each had a sack and tackles for loss. Jarvis Jenkins and DaQuan Bowers also had tackles for loss and the overall intensity of the defense was awesome.

On the offensive side of the ball, the only touchdown of the day came on a trick play: C.J. Spiller lined up in the backfield; Grisham at receiver. Spiller took the pitch from Harper and ran right while Grisham headed straight up field and then broke into the right side of the end zone. The safety moved up to provide run support, leaving Grisham uncovered and Spiller lofted his first career TD pass to make it a 7-0 game. Buccholz kicked two field goals, one from 32 and another from 23 to continue his stellar year. His only miss was from a ridiculously long 58 yards. QB Cullen Harper went 18-28 for 139 yards and continues to look much better than he did earlier in the year. He did not throw a TD but neither did he throw an INT or make poor decisions. Jacoby Ford had a nice 19 yd. catch and run, Aaron Kelly padded his ACC reception record by 5 more and Spiller, Davis and Grisham caught passes for some decent gains as well. The offensive stats don't jump out at you but the important thing is the "W".

The offensive line held up well and although neither Davis nor Spiller's rushing stats are impressive, two things must be noted. First, James Davis took full advantage of the holes that were there and gained some tough, grinding yards, averaging 3.6 per carry. Late in the game, with Clemson facing a 3rd and 6 and holding a 7 point lead, Davis gained seven yards. Here is what JD had to say: “I told them to give me the ball and let me and the offensive line put this game on our backs and we will take it home". The entire VA defense was committed to stopping Spiller at all costs and did a good job, holding him to 31 yards on 14 carries but their strategy also resulted in the TD pass to Grisham. Second, coming into this game the Cavs were second in the ACC with 28 sacks, only one behind FSU. VA's LB Chris Sinton received a lot of press coming into the matchup and rightfully so since he racked up 11 sacks in his previous 10 games. I'm sure the Cavs D was salivating after watching Clemson give up 5 sacks to Duke the previous week but Sinton and the rest of the VA defense did not register a single sack in the game.

Overall, it was a great win for coach Dabo Swinney and the team. The Tigers are playing inspired football and have a chance to win their seventh game this Saturday against their state rival. With coach Swinney trying to lock up the head coaching position for 2009, a bowl game and bragging rights, a lot is riding on the game. Go Tigers!