GAME COVERAGE OF TIGERS AT SENIOR BOWL

The Under Armour Senior Bowl, played this past Saturday, featured three Clemson Tigers who all have hopes of being selected in the 2009 NFL Draft: S Michael Hamlin, RB James Davis and QB Cullen Harper. All three players were on the South roster, who won the game by a score of 35-18 over the North and each of the three made contributions in the win. Below is a look at their individual performances:

MICHAEL HAMLIN
Hamlin received a very substantial amount of playing time, participating on special teams as well as playing safety for the defensive team. Hamlin accounted for five total tackles, two on special teams and three from his safety position. He was consistently one of the first players down the field to cover the return man on every kickoff and he provided good downfield pass coverage. His special teams play was very impressive and I'm betting that NFL scouts were impressed as well and take this into strong consideration come draft day. His game highlights:

* On the kickoff following the South's first scoring drive, Hamlin made a great solo tackle on special teams. The hit on the return man, Oregon DB Patrick Chung, garnered "ooooh's" from the crowd.
* Hamlin evidently liked hitting Oregon players in this game. His second tackle was made on the Ducks' RB Jeremiah Johnson on the North's fourth offensive series.
* The South team kicked off to open the second half and Hamlin, for the second time on a kickoff, made the special teams tackle on Penn State WR Derrick Williams.
* On a 1st down play, Hamlin makes the tackle on a rushing play by Oregon RB Jeremiah Johnson, his third tackle of an Oregon player out of four total tackles thus far in the game.
* On the very next play, Hamlin again makes the tackle on OSU's Brian Robiskie after a 2nd down pass completion from Texas Tech's Graham Harrell.

JAMES DAVIS
James had 9 carries in the game for a total of 32 yards and an average gain of 3.55 yards per rush. His longest gain was 11 yards. While these are not stellar numbers at first glance, it must be noted that the South's leading rusher (Liberty's Rashad Jennings) also had nine carries for 41 yards and the RB who received the most "hype" during the week was NCSU's Andre' Brown, who had 10 carries for 31 yards.

Davis was not thrown to and therefore had no receptions. Earlier in the week during practice, Davis dropped a couple of balls thrown his way. I wonder if QB's were reluctant to throw to Davis for this reason even when WR's and TE's were covered on passing plays and they had to check down. I do believe Davis will need to work on catching the ball out of the backfield in order to improve his draft status. He only caught 14 passes in seven of thirteen games for Clemson in 2008-09 and NFL teams are going to want more production. His game highlights:

* Davis entered the game on the South's second offensive series and received two straight handoffs from Bama QB John Parker Wilson, taking each carry for a 2 yard gain. (2-4)
* In the same series, Davis got the carry on 1st and goal and made a 1 yard gain. (3-5)
* On Cullen Harper's first series as the South's QB, he handed off to Davis who ran for an 8 yard gain. (4-13)
* In the same series, on 1st and goal from the 6 yard line, Harper hands off to Davis for a 3 yard gain. (5-16)
* On the very next play (2nd and goal), Harper again hands off to Davis for a 2 yard gain to the 1 yard line. (6-18)
* Davis came in the game in the 4th quarter and had a 2 yard carry on 2nd and 10. (7-20)
* Later in the 4th quarter, Davis takes a handoff from WVU QB Pat White for a gain of 11 yards. (8-31)
* On the very next play, Davis carries for a gain of 1 yard. (9-32)

CULLEN HARPER
Harper officially played in four offensive series in the game. He entered the game late in the 1st half and played the entire offensive series, which resulted in an 8 play, 59 yard scoring drive that put the South up 21-3. Cullen was 2-3 for 44 yards on this drive. He came in again on the South's next offensive series with only 0:49 left in the 1st half and went 0-2. On the South's 2nd offensive series of the 2nd half, Harper played the first three downs of the series, going 0-1. His fourth series was inconsequential because he came in the game with 0:44 remaining and took a knee. His final numbers were 2-6 for 44 yards, 0 TD's and 0 INT's. His game highlights:

* On his first play of the game, Harper threw about 5 yards behind the receiver on a deep route. (0-1)
* On 3rd and 9, Harper threw what the announcers said was one of the best throws of the night to Arizona WR Mike Thomas, which went for 32 yards. (1-2)
* On 2nd and 2, Harper completes a slant pass to Southern Cal WR Patrick Turner that hits him right between the numbers and goes for 10 yards and a 1st down. The announcers again said Cullen threw the ball right where it needed to be. (2-3)
* On Harper's 2nd offensive series of the game, he threw incomplete on 1st down. Although the ball was caught by OSU's Briscoe, the ref. called him out of bounds. One of the NFL Network's announcers, Mike Mayock, is ultra-critical but said after the throw that Harper was getting the ball out of his hands efficiently. (2-4)
* On the very next play, Harper threw a screen pass incompete over FSU's Antone Smith's head due to having it to loft it high over the outstretched arms of a North DL that got pressure. After this play announcer Maylock and fellow announcer Charles Davis went on to talk at length about Harper's season being affected by a sprained a/c joint in the 1st game against 'Bama and then having to get his non-throwing shoulder cleaned out after the GT game but leading the team to a 4-1 mark down the stretch in the reg. season afterwards. (2-5)
* On his last throw of the game, Harper though the receiver was going to break outside and the receiver turned inside on the route, so the ball fell incomplete. (2-6)

Overall, I thought Harper played well in the game. He led the team on a scoring drive, made some nice throws and did not turn the ball over or take a sack. He did throw the ball way behind the receiver on the first play of the game and perhaps could have delivered the ball just a split second sooner on the catch that was ruled out but I don't think he did anything to hurt his chances in the draft. His play was solid enough all week that I think if anything it helped him.

UPDATE ON TIGERS IN THE SENIOR BOWL

Yesterday was the last day of practice for Saturday's Under Armour Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL which features three Tigers on the South team coached by the Jacksonville Jaguars' staff: S Michael Hamlin, RB James Davis and QB Cullen Harper. Thursday's practice was in half-pads and included position drills along with live scrimmages featuring the offense going against the defensive in various down and distance situations with liberal substitutions.

All three players wearing Clemson helmets made some very good plays in Thursday's live scrimmage segment. The QB's and RB's as a group received a fair amount of camera time while the DB's received none other than during the live offense vs. defense scrimmages if they were involved in making a play on the ball or the stop. The practice was not all positive for Davis and Harper. There were some things that Jacksonville RB coach Kennedy Pola instructed Davis to improve on and a couple of Harper's throws were off. Let's look at both the areas and plays that were good and the ones that were not so good.

MICHAEL HAMLIN

Good: In the live scrimmage on a red zone play made a terrific break on a pass thrown by WVU QB Pat White and knocked it down in the end zone. The play almost certainly would have resulted in a TD otherwise. The announcers/analysts for the NFL network praised Hamlin afterwards, saying that it was an especially difficult play to make because two different routes were being run right in front of him, "hitting him high and low" but he watched the QB's eyes and didn't bite on the other route/receiver.

Good: Hamlin nearly made an interception on a ball that hit FSU WR Greg Carr's hands and popped off but fell just inches short of Michael's outstretched hands as he dove for it.

Not so good: Nothing. Again, television coverage did not feature DB position drills nor any live comments made to Hamlin by the coaches who were "mic'd up". However, I didn't observe a player he was defending even catch a pass.

JAMES DAVIS
Good: In a red zone situation during the live scrimmage, Davis ran a wheel route and was wide open when he caught a pass from Alabama QB John Parker Wilson and took it into the end zone for a TD. Davis also caught a pass from WVU QB White and had several carries in which he looked good. It is hard to say whether he would have broken any long runs on the carries because there was no tackling allowed.

Not so good: In one RB position drill, Jacksonville RB coach told Davis that his "base" at impact when blocking a defender was too wide and therefore he doesn't have any power. He told James that he needed to get a "power step", which I understood to mean that Davis has his legs so far apart at impact that he isn't forcing the defender backward. If he keeps a more narrow stance and steps into the blocker at impact rather than keeping his legs stationary while moving his upper body forward, it would provide more power.

Not so good: On a situational play where the offense faced 2nd and 2 on the defense's 30 yard line, Davis took the pitch 7 yards deep in the backfield from WVU QB White and ran wide to the left for 7 yards but was met by a LB at the line of scrimmage and the play was called dead. Coach Pola can be heard screaming in the background "Get the 1st down, beat him there". After the play, Pola called James over and asked him if he knew the down and distance on the play. James answered "yes" and started to trot off the field when Pola called him back and said that if he was aware of it, then sooner or later he would have to plant his foot in the ground, lower his shoulder and get the 1st.

Not so good: Davis had two other balls thrown his way- both by 'Bama QB Wilson that hit him on the hands but he did not catch either one. The first was a slightly high throw that James had to leap for but it popped up in the air off his hands. The other was also slightly high and James leaped for this one and had it hit his hands again but he fell to the turf and couldn't bring it in. The balls weren't necessarily uncatchable. It was just a situation where if Davis had been 6' 1 instead of 5' 11, he probably makes the catch on both. Had he shown enough vertical jump and balance to haul both in, it would have certainly been impressive to NFL scouts in attendance.

CULLEN HARPER
Good: Cullen Harper threw a TD pass to Southern Miss TE Shawn Nelson on a red zone drill play. Harper threaded the ball between three defenders, one of whom made a break on the ball to try for an interception. The pass definitely was only where only Nelson could catch it and had a lot of velocity on it. On another series in the live scrimmage, he completed a pass to Southern Cal WR Patrick Turner. On a another play in the live scrimmage, Cullen rolled left and made a short completion to a player whose team/name I did not get.

Not so good: NFL Network announcers/analysts criticized Harper for throwing a ball high and late to FSU WR Greg Carr. It was a curl route and Cullen was slightly late with the ball, taking a three step drop instead of two but Carr had dropped every ball thrown to him previusly in the scrimmage and he is 6' 5 and can jump. Even the announcers were criticizing him later in the game when he dropped another pass from WVU QB White, so I don't know if you can pin all of this incompetion on Harper but he was in fact a little late with the throw.

Not so good: On the next series after his TD pass, Harper threw an incompletion that appeared to be very low and way behind the Southern Cal receiver who reached down and back for it. What was curious to me is whether there was some confusion on the play about just who the intended receiver was. There was another receiver running across the field who it looked like Harper was trying to hit because the ball went about five feet in front of him but the player didn't even make an attempt to catch the ball. It may have been a bad throw either way.

The Senior Bowl game takes place on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the NFL Network. Here's wishing Hamlin, Davis and Harper the best of luck in the game. Hopefully they will impress the NFL scouts in attendance with their play.

FULL INTERVIEW WITH LEVON KIRKLAND, PARTS I and II

Levon Kirkland is a familiar name to Tigers football fans. It's also a familiar name to Steelers fans, since he spent the vast majority of his successful 11 year NFL career with Pittsburgh. I recently spoke to a couple of people that I know who had seen Levon (his full name is Lorenzo Levon Kirkland) at church and the gym here in the upstate of SC. I was very excited to hear this and my immediate thoughts were to try and secure an interview with him. Sometimes, it is much more difficult than you may think to get an interview with a former player, regardless of their "star-status". In this case, to me, Mr. Kirkland represented an "icon" and a living legend and so I was a little unsure of my chances. However, I was able to speak with him yesterday and he graciously agreed.

Levon is from Lamar, SC, which is in Darlington County and very near Florence. He played football (also ran track and high-jumped) at Lamar High School, which is a small, Division 1 class A school with three state football titles over the last decade. He came to Clemson in 1987 and red-shirted his freshman year. As a RS freshman, he made an immediate impact at LB and had his best game against Maryland, accounting for 13 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble. As a sophomore, he was named all-ACC and was also MVP of the Gator Bowl after recording 9 tackles, a sack and 3 QB pressures. As a junior, he was again all-ACC, named second-team All American, was a finalist for the Butkus award and a key part of the nation's #1 defense. In his senior season, Kirkland was again all-ACC, a first-team All American, a semi-finalist for the Lombardi award and a member of the team which most recently won the ACC championship.

After his senior season, Levon was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2nd round of the 1992 draft. After moving from outside to inside LB, he learned the ropes as a rookie but became the starter the following year and every year thereafter. 1996 is considered by many to be his "breakout" year, in which he recorded 114 tackles, 4 sacks and 4 interceptions. After both the 1996 and 1997 seasons, he was selected to the Pro Bowl. Kirkland played a total of 9 years for the Steelers and was waived in 2001 due to salary cap pressure. He was signed by Seattle for the 2003 season and recorded 100 tackles and one sack. In 2004, he was signed by Philadelphia and retired after the season.

Upon retirement, Levon returned to Clemson to finish his degreee in sociology and was looking for an opportunity to give back to the University. The opportunity presented itself and he was subsequently hired as Coordinator of Minority Recruitment at Clemson. Kirkland was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 2001 and in 2008 was indcucted into the SC Athletic Hall of Fame.

JM: You played high school football in your hometown of Lamar, SC for the Lamar Silver Foxes. You've mentioned over the years that you were not heavily recruited, so considering your success at Clemson, there must have been a lot of college coaches who regretted overlooking you. Do you believe it puts kids at a disadvantage from a recruiting standpoint- coming from a small town and high school program?

LK: I believe back then it was a big disadvantage for most kids from small towns. The State and the Greenville News just didn’t cover kids from the Pee Dee or surrounding areas. You had to be discovered. I was lucky because I was basically discovered by Clemson University. I still think that some kids get overlooked, not because of the lack of information but because of their size or the size of the high school programs and most universities don’t have the time or man-power to recruit under every rock.

JM: Who recruited you for Clemson and what other programs did you receive offers from? Did you grow up a Clemson fan or what sealed your decision to play for the Tigers?

LK: I was recruited by Miles Aldridge and he was the inside linebacker coach at the time. He looked a little like Nick Nolte, the actor from 48 hours with Eddie Murphy. I received offers from University of South Carolina, South Carolina State and Appalachian State. My one college visit to Clemson is what sealed the deal for me. I saw the campus, met the Clemson family and that's all it took. I didn’t even visit another school because I knew I found what I was looking for in a university.

JM: You had some great accomplishments during your playing days at Clemson, including being named MVP of the Gator Bowl, All-ACC for three straight years, first team All-American your senior year, a seminfinalist for the Lombardi and finalist for the Butkus awards. What or who motivated you to play at such a high level and when did you realize that the prospect of playing in the NFL could be a reality?

LK: I’ve always gotten encouragement in every level that I played on. My initial motivation was to be better than my older brothers because I heard all of their war stories (laughs). Seriously, I had mentors that saw more in me than I saw in myself and encouraged me to be the very best. I was also blessed enough to play for some outstanding programs. You don’t get much better than Clemson University, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Lamar Silver Foxes when it comes to class and the development of athletes. It wasn’t until after the Gator Bowl (against West Va. in 1989) that I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I always thought I could play professional football but running after Major Harris and winning the MVP of the Gator Bowl really gave me the boost I needed to take it to the next level.

JM: Looking back on all of the games you played in during your Tiger career, are there memories that stand out to you now about your personal peformance and/or the team's performance in some of them? How about fond and/or fun memories you have of Clemson off the field?

LK: The best memories I have about Clemson University is the fact that I got to run down the hill on most Saturdays during my college career. That was the best! I loved the fact I played for a great program and was a member of the number one defense in 1990. As far as off the field memories- take your pick, I was at a university that loved football.

JM: You did go on to play in the NFL and had a successful career for eleven years, most of which was with the Steelers. Describe what was going through your head at the start of your rookie season when you arrived in Pittsburgh and meet all of these veterans you've watched on TV. Was it like deja' vu coming to Clemson from Lamar and wondering if you can play at that level?

LK: It was actually like coming to Clemson from Lamar. The biggest surprise for me was that everyone on that team was very good, worked hard and wanted to be the best. As a rookie, you have to earn the respect of the players and most players on that level can recognize a fraud or a player when they see one. So, it was back to the drawing board but it was a dream to be playing at the highest level.

JM: Not to get too personal here but seven years after leaving Clemson, you were the highest paid linebacker in the NFL. Without question, your accomplishments on the field allowed you to earn it. I think most people wonder what it would be like to be an athlete getting paid millions of dollars. What goes through your mind when the checks are rolling in? Were you thinking, "I've made it, I can buy mansions and Ferraris" or were you worried about injuries and trying to live conservatively?

LK: To tell you the truth, the day I signed that contract was the most humbling day of my life. In one way I couldn’t believe it that I was the highest paid linebacker and in other ways it gave me hope that with hard work and faith that anything is possible. No Ferraris or mansions, maybe one day.

JM: You played at a very high level during your entire eleven-year NFL career, even including the last season with the Seattle Seahawks in which you started 15 games and had 74 tackles. Why did you choose to retire after that 2002 season when it seems that statistically you had proven you were still capable of continuing to play at that high level?

LK: I just really didn’t love it as much as much as I once did. Now, I will always love the game of football and I would love to coach one day and share the knowledge that I have but I didn’t love playing it anymore. Plus, I had just gotten married and wanted to spend some time with my wife and new baby girl.

JM: After your NFL career, you returned to Clemson and received your degree in sociology. You then expressed a desire to give back to the University and were subsequently hired as Coordinator of Minority Recruitment Initiatives. What exactly is it that you do?

LK: I basically go out and share my experience of being an Clemson alum. and try to share the educational and social opportunities here at Clemson University. I know what it means to be a first-generation student and I want those students to know that there is someone here that they can relate to and be comfortable with.

JM: In your senior season, you played on the last football team to win an ACC championship for the Tigers, which was in 1991. Give us your thoughts on the current state of the Clemson Tigers football program, the coaching changes and what needs to happen in order to bring another conference championship to Death Valley. Are you currently involved with the football program in any way?

LK: I think Clemson is headed in the right direction now. I believe that Coach Swinney will do a great job as head coach. I think it will take some time but Rome wasn’t built in a day. We as fans can become so impatient and want a national championship right now. It doesn’t happen that way and that’s a fact. He will lead the troops in the way of an ACC Championship and after that, the sky is the limit. I’m not currently involved with the program, but I would like to be. I know I could make a difference with my knowledge of the game and being a positive mentor for the athletes.

JM: I'm assuming that since you spent the majority of your NFL career with the Steelers that you're happy they're playing in the Super Bowl this year. Will you be jealous of Nick Eason if he ends up with a Super Bowl ring?

LK: I’m very happy for the Pittsburgh Steelers and course I’m thrilled for Nick Eason and the great opportunity he has to become a member of a Super Bowl Championship team. I will never be jealous of another person's success. In fact, I celebrate when good things happen to people.

JM: Levon, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to allow Tigers fans to catch up with you. I am proud that you are a Clemson Tiger and for all you have done and are doing for the university, students and fans.

C.J. SPILLER IS GOING TO SET AN EXAMPLE

Words cannot describe how overjoyed I was when I learned the news that C.J. Spiller would be remaining at Clemson for his senior football season. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Spiller is one of the best and most exciting players to ever put on a Tigers uniform and one of the most fun to watch in all of college football. He's a superstar that's loaded with talent, skill and ability. He is a fiery competitor that gives his all on the field. However, there is one thing about Spiller that appeals to me equally as much: He's got class.

There are many talented players on the college and pro levels today who care nothing about being a role model or setting a good example. These athletes only care about themselves, their statistics, their fame and money. Having such a selfish and arrogant attitude is usually detrimental to both the player and the team that they play for but their behavior is tolerated because of their abilities. Sometimes, it seems that the media wants to promote these very players and puts the spotlight on them, which to me is a kind of endorsement and sends the wrong message to our youth. It's a sad state of affairs that so many of football's great athletes are selfish egomaniacs or thugs but yet their on-field performance is the measure by which they are judged.

Back to Spiller. The reason that I say he has class is not simply because he elected to stay for his senior season. Class, to me, is defined by the reasons he was motivated to stay. Spiller mentioned previous to his press conference that he desires to be an example for his little sister and get his degree. Then at the press conference announcing his decision, he mentioned that he also wants to set an example to both the younger players and future players on the team by getting his degree. C.J. was more concerned with having regret for not accomplishing his goals that he set when he came to Clemson than he was with signing a contract this spring for millions of dollars. Maybe class is not the best word. Perhaps character is.

DAWKINS AND PRYCE CONCLUDE THEIR SEASONS

Former Tiger Brian Dawkins concluded a stellar postseason in which his Philadelphia Eagles made it all the way to the NFC Championship game before falling to Arizona on Sunday. Dawkins recorded 6 tackles in the game. In the previous playoff game against the defending champion NY Giants, he had 10 tackles. In the wild card game against Minnesota, he accounted for 6 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. During the regular season, Brian had 75 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 forced fumbles and an interception. Dawkins will play in his seventh Pro Bowl on Feb. 8, 2009. He is a free agent and has not yet signed a contract to play with Philadelphia for the 2009 season.

Former Tiger Trevor Pryce also concluded the postseason when his Baltimore Ravens were defeated by the Steelers in the AFC Championship game on Sunday. Pryce accounted for two tackles in the game. In the previous playoff game against the Tennessee Titans, he had no tackles. In the wildcard game against the Miami Dolphins, he recorded 1 tackle and 1 sack. Trevor had 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks during the regular season. A two-time Super Bowl Champion (one with the Broncos and one with the Ravens) and four-time Pro Bowl selection, Pryce is under contract with the Ravens through the 2010 season.

FORMER TIGER NICK EASON IN SUPER BOWL 43

The NFL conference championship games are over and Super Bowl 43 will match the AFC champ Pittsburgh Steelers against the NFC champ Arizona Cardinals. The only former Tiger on the roster of either team is #93, DE Nick Eason of the Steelers. Eason, from Lyons, GA, played football and basketball for Toombs Co. High School (GA). He was a star in both sports, being named Georgia's 2A Basketball Player of the Year and lettering four years in football. Nick was recruited by Clemson to play defensive end.

After red-shirting his freshman year, he played DE at Clemson during the 1999-2000 seasons and was then moved to defensive tackle for the 2001-2002 seasons. For his career, Eason recorded 155 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 15 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Eason was named the team Defensive MVP in 2000 and was an all-ACC first team selection his senior year in 2002. During his Clemson career, he also spent a great deal of time involved in community service and was honored with a Top Six Award for four straight years, presented by the ACC to the top six student-athletes at each school recognizing them for their community service. Nick also holds the distinction of being the first athlete at Clemson to graduate in three years and have two years of eligibility remaining.

Upon completion of his career as a Tiger, Eason was then selected by the Denver Broncos in the 4th round of the 2003 NFL draft. Eason suffered an achilles injury (one that had bothered him greatly during his Sr. season at Clemson) during his first year and did not play. In 2004, he was waived by the Broncos and signed by the Cleveland Browns, appearing in one game. In 2005, Eason played in all 16 games for the Browns, recording 19 tackles and 2 sacks. In 2006, he started 3 games for the Browns and played in 13, recording 23 tackles. In 2007, he was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Steelers and played in all 16 games, making 14 tackles. Pittsburgh signed Eason to a 2 year contract in 2008 and he finished the regular season with 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Although I am a Tampa Bay Bucs fan and have Gaines Adams to pull for as a bonus, I always pull for the NFL teams that have former Tigers on their roster as long as they're not playing the Bucs. So, during this year's Super Bowl, I will be cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the hopes that Nick Eason will be added to the list of former Tigers with an NFL Super Bowl ring.

THREE FORMER TIGERS IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

And then there were four. In Saturday's NFL games, the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Tennessee Titans 13-10 and the Arizona Cardinals put the smackdown on the Carolina Panthers, 33-13. In Sunday's action, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the San Diego Chargers 35-24 and the Philadelphia Eagles got the victory over the the New York Giants by a score of 23-11.

Three of the four remaining teams each have a former Tiger player on the roster: Baltimore has DE Trevor Pryce, already a two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowl player. The Pittsburgh Steelers have DE Nick Eason, who has been in the league six years. The Philadelphia Eagles have S Brian Dawkins, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection who was the leading tackler in the Eagles' win over the Giants on Sunday with ten. Dawkins has been in the league for thirteen years and is widely respected as one of the game's greatest defensive players.

So, there is at least a 50% chance that one of these three players will be wearing a Super Bowl ring because the NFC Championship game matches the Philadelphia Eagles against the Arizona Cardinals (the only team without a former Tiger on the roster) on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The AFC Championship game matches the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens, who both have former Tigers. So, unless the Cardinals defeat both the Eagles and the winner of the AFC Championship game in the Super Bowl, a former Tiger will be a Super Bowl Champion. In the event that the Ravens win it all, Trevor Pryce will have this third Championship ring- one with the Broncos, and his second with the Ravens.

PHOTOS FROM THE GATOR BOWL

Thanks to Candy Turner for providing these shots.

FINAL WRAP-UP OF THE GATOR BOWL

As painful as it was, I finally watched the replay of the second half of the Gator Bowl. It took me a little over four hours to watch 30 minutes of football because I watched plays over and over and over, making over five pages of notes in a spiral notebook I had sitting in my lap. I watched most plays in slow motion in order to watch the offensive and defensive line, pass routes, tackling and so forth.

After watching both halves the same way, DVR remote in one hand and a notebook in the other, I can tell you in my honest opinion that Cullen Harper is not the reason we lost this game. I admit that I have been a little on edge over the past week because many of my fellow Tigers fans have blamed the loss on Harper and I couldn't see it. I reserved my judgment until I could take my time, watch the replay, and really break the game down.

Now that I've done that, I think there is plenty of blame to go around as to why we lost. Trying to put the loss on the shoulders of one member of the team in this case is very short-sighted. Mistakes were made by lots of individuals that are part of the team and you win or lose as a team. If the team learns from these mistakes and corrects them, then we've taken something positive out of the loss instead of dwelling on a bunch of negativity. Let's take a look at the second half highlights and lowlights:

HIGHLIGHTS:
Chad Diehl fumble recovery
Diehl is one of those guys who is kind of like an offensive lineman from the standpoint that he does not get a lot of publicity. He just does what he is asked to do, which is block and play special teams. In this instance he made a big play on special teams by recovering a fumbled punt by Nebraksa that gave the Tigers the ball back with great field position.

Cullen Harper/Jacoby Ford
Jacoby Ford and Cullen Harper had already connected for 3 catches and 55 yards in the first half, the key play being the 46 yard pass reception on 3rd and a mile to get the Tigers from their own 3 to mid-field. Ford and Harper followed up with two fantastic plays in the second half: The first one came in the third quarter as the offensive line did a great job of blocking and giving Harper time to throw. Jacoby ran a great route and Harper lofted a beautiful 41 yard pass right down the middle that Ford caught for a TD. The second play was on 4th and 4 late in the 4th quarter, when Harper hit Jacoby for a 16 yard strike that kept the drive going. On a side note, even Steve Beuerlein toned down his criticism of Harper in the second half and gave him credit for standing in the pocket with the corner blitzing and hitting him after he threw on this play.

Da'Quan Bowers
Bowers had a great first half with two tackles for loss and three QB pressures. He came out in the second half and followed that up with two more tackles for loss and two more QB pressures and was credited with a tackle assist. The official stats. only credit Bowers with three TFL's but according to my eyes and notes, he had four. In any event, it was Bowers' most dominating performance all season. As he continues to develop and mature, it is going to be fun to watch him wreak havoc on our opponents.

Andre' McDaniel
McDaniel is another Tiger that continued to make plays in the second half (with one exception) after forcing the Ganz fumble and returning it for a TD in the first half. Andre' had three tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in the second half and finished the game with 6.5 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a QB pressure, a forced fumble and a TD.

LOWLIGHTS
Tackling (or lack thereof)
In the second half, there were a lot of missed tackles that resulted in Nebraska turning what should have been short to medium gains into big plays. Just a few: On Nebraska's 2nd series of the 2nd half, Chris Clemmons was in perfect position to make a tackle after the whole defensive line (except for Bowers) was blown off the ball but let RB Castille run right by him. The play went for 58 yards. Three plays later, Nebraska scored a TD.

More failure to tackle
In the 4th quarter, with Nebraska facing 3rd and 13, Ganz completed a short pass over the middle and McDaniel was in position to make the tackle and missed it. Instead of the Tigers holding on 3rd down and giving the ball back to the offense, the play went for 20 yards and Nebraska was able to chew up more time off the clock. Later in the 4th quarter, on Nebraska's second to last offensive series of the game with time winding down, RB Castille takes the handoff on their own 41 up the middle and Brandon Maye just flat out misses the tackle. Clemmons also misses him and Castille is off to the races, barely being pushed out of bounds before the goal line. This results in a FG and a five point lead for Nebraska instead of a 2 point lead when the Tigers get the ball on their final possession. A stop by the defense with no points allowed on that drive and a FG on Clemson's drive would have resulted in a win.

Offensive line
Once again in the second half, the Tigers struggled to run the ball. James Davis had 3 attempts for 3 yards, Spiller had 3 attempts for 4 yards and Ford had 1 attempt for 3 yards on an end-around. For the entire game, these three players accounted for a net 46 yards rushing on 20 attempts for an average of 2.3 yards per carry. Let's face it: Nebraska has an outstanding defensive line and their nose tackle Suh would certainly go in the 1st round of the NFL draft if he were to declare himself eligible this year. He almost single-handedly controlled the line of scrimmage and was dominant throughout the entire game, even moreso than Bama's Cody.

Suh practically lined up against everyone on the offensive line and no one could really block him one on one. He constantly crashed through the line and either sacked Harper, made a tackle for loss or just made a "normal" tackle. When we double teamed him, sometimes it didn't matter but other times it provided blitz opportunities or allowed someone else to go free. Suh finished the game with two sacks, four tackles for loss, six solo tackles, two assists and Lord only knows how many QB pressures. Nebraska had a total of five sacks and eleven tackles for loss in the game.

There were so many plays where offensive lineman missed their blocks in the second half that resulted in their man either making the tackle or getting pressure or a sack on the QB that I don't want to take the time and space to list them all. Here is just an overview: Bobby Hutchinson missed two, both on Suh and also had an illegal procedure penalty on third down. Landon Walker also missed on Suh. Mason Cloy missed a block on Suh, Antoine McClain missed a block on Suh and Chris Hairston missed a block but I couldn't get the player's number. The only offensive lineman that I did not note missing a block that resulted in a tackle for loss, QB pressure, sack, etc. is Thomas Austin.

Dropped passes
Midway in the 3rd quarter, Harper threw an accurate bubble screen pass to Jacoby Ford that hit him right in the hands. In my opinion, after watching the replay numerous times and in slow motion, Jacoby lost his focus because in his peripheral vision he could see the Nebraksa defender Amukamra (#21) was closing quick. The ball popped up in the air off of Ford's hands and was then intercepted. Despite what the announcers said, Nebraska really didn't make a great play. Ford just didn't catch the ball.

On next series in the 3rd quarter, facing 3rd and 6, Harper threw an accurate swing pass to a wide open C.J. Spiller that hit him right in the hands but was dropped. Spiller had open field in front of him. On the next play, Maners' punt was blocked, Nebraska got great field position and scored a FG.

In the 4th quarter with a little over eight minutes remaining, Clemson faced 3rd and 4 and Harper threw a pass to Aaron Kelly which hit him in the hands but was dropped. It would have resulted in a first down but instead the Tigers had to punt. The announcer (Beuerlein) said Harper did not make a good throw. It appeared that the ball might have been slightly off line but it hit Kelly in the hands. As soon as Kelly made his break on the slant route, the ball was there and I'm not sure he was ready for it. Another possibility is that like Ford, it could be that Kelly saw the defender coming to put a hit on him and lost focus momentarily. I think if the ball hits you in the hands, you should catch it.

On Clemson's last drive of the game with time winding down and no time outs, the Tigers faced 3rd and goal from the 26 after Harper's sack. The pass from Harper to C.J. Spiller was perfect but the Nebraska defender made a great play on the ball and knocked it away. I don't know if you can really call this one a dropped pass. It was more of a pass break up or pass defended. It could have been caught and maybe it could have even been called pass interference since the defender's body came into Spiller from the back and his hand was on Spiller's helmet.

Blocked punt
In the 3rd quarter, Jimmy Maners' punt was blocked when Sadat Chambers didn't get a good block on the Nebraska player who was rushing in from his right side. It looked like he attempted to just give the guy a push to knock him off balance rather than slide over and get in front of him to get on his pads.

GATOR BOWL 1st HALF HIGHLIGHTS & LOWLIGHTS

HIGHLIGHTS
C.J. Spiller

Lightning struck in Jacksonville, FL on New Year's Day and as always, it was an awesome sight to behold. How about C.J.'s 33 yard return on the game's opening kickoff? Even better was Spiller's punt return later in the first quarter, also for 33 yards. After catching the punt near the left sideline on the 19, he worked his way all the way over to the right sideline, making six different Nebraska defenders miss him in the process and ended up finally getting tackled on the Cornhuskers' 48 yard line. He had a 10 yard rush on the first play of the 2nd quarter, breaking two tackles along the way.

James Davis

With 1:35 remaining in the 1st quarter, James had a gain of nine yards. On the last play of the 1st quarter, Davis broke two tackles and had a nice gain of gain of 11 yards.

Jacoby Ford
On Clemson's third series of the game, they were on their own 3 yard line and facing 3rd down and 17. Ford caught a short pass from Harper and made the most of it, racing for 46 yards to give the Tigers plenty of breathing room at midfield. Jacoby caught 3 passes for 55 yards in the first half and also returned a Nebraksa punt for 20 yards.

Aaron Kelly/Cullen Harper
Certainly one of the biggest plays of the first half was the 25 yard Cullen Harper pass and the TD catch by Aaron Kelly just before halftime to put the Tigers up 14-3. Harper did a great job of throwing the ball where only Kelly could catch it and Kelly did a great job of positioning himself for the catch. Aaron finished the first half with 3 catches for 39 yards and set the Clemson career reception yards record.

Da'Quan Bowers

Bowers had a great first half and was getting off his blocks and getting in the backfield regularly. He had two tackles for loss on the first downs of Nebraska's first and second offensive series. He also had 3 QB pressures of Nebraska QB Joe Ganz. It is good to see #93 making some plays and I look forward to watching him over the next two (hopefully three) years.

Chris Chancellor
The best hit of the first half goes to Chris Chancellor, hands down. On Nebraska's second offensive series in the first quarter, Nebraksa QB Joe Ganz threw a pass to RB Helu Jr. and Chancellor saw it coming all the way. It was reminiscent of the hit Byron Maxwell put on the UVA WR earlier in the season in that respect. As soon as the ball touched the fingers of Helu Jr., Chancellor arrived instantly and just crushed him. He rang his bell so hard that the whole Gator Bowl crowd let out a big "ooooohhhh".

Andre' McDaniel
Where would Clemson be if not for the big plays of Andre' McDaniel this season? The guy is a play-maker. Nebrasaka QB Ganz rushed to his left on an option play and pitched it out to RB Castille. McDaniel read it all the way and got between the two of them, tipped the pitch, picked it up and took it to the house for a 28 yard TD. What is interesting to note is that McDaniel was red-hot on this defensive series. On the previous play to the TD, McDaniel was right in Ganz's face when he threw the ball that Michael Hamlin nearly intercepted. On the previous play to that one, McDaniel tackled Ganz on a QB keeper and Ganz got up limping. In the first half, McDaniel accounted for a special teams tackle, the tackle on Ganz, the fumble recovery, a TD and a QB pressure.

Crezdon Butler
Butler tackled Nebraska RB Helu Jr. early in the 2nd quarter. Late in the 2nd quarter, after Harper's tipped pass was intercepted by Nebraska deep in Clemson territory, Crezdon returned the favor and intercepted Nebraska QB Ganz on Clemson' s 28 yard line. He returned it 59 yards to the Nebraska 13 to set up Clemson's next TD before halftime.


LOWLIGHTS
First play from scrimmage
On Clemson's first offensive play of the game, they lined up and then shifted into a different formation but had to burn a timeout to avoid a 5 yard penalty for delay of game. This is hard to accept after all the prep. time but it didn't end up hurting us, per se'. It just didn't help. It is questionable if they should have run the exact same play after the timeout as it seems Nebraska was well prepared and had James Davis double covered, so the pass from Harper fell incomplete for no gain.

James Davis fumble
On Clemson's 2nd offensive series, facing 2nd and 8, Davis took the handoff but fumbled the ball. Thankfully, Mason Cloy was alert and recovered it but it resulted in a 3 yard loss and put the Tigers in a 3rd and long which they did not convert.

Offensive line
A lot of fans complained bitterly about Cullen Harper's play and perhaps some complaining is justified. However, Harper was pressured, hit and sacked in the first half due to some mistakes that were not his- breakdowns in protection by the line. I am not naming names to make these guys look bad. Mistakes are going to happen. I appreciate all of the times they make the blocks and protect well but here is what I observed:

Prior to the huge 3rd down conversion where Jacoby was off to the races for 46 yards, Harper was sacked on Clemson's own 1 yard line when Thomas Austin gave up the inside to Nebraska's Steinkuhler. It almost went for a safety.

On 4th and 1, when Clemson elected to go for it on Nebraska's 32 yard line in the 1st quarter, James Davis was tackled by the defender that Bobby Hutchinson was supposed to block and didn't.

On 3rd and 8 with Clemson on Nebraksa's 39 yard line, Landon Walker and Antoine McClain double teamed Nebraska's #93 (Suh) and still let him plow right through both of them to get pressure on Harper. Granted, Harper held on to the ball for a while and Suh's a beast but two on one should be enough to keep this guy out of the backfield.

Late in the 2nd half, after Butler's interception and Clemson on the Nebraska 13 yard line, Mason Cloy just got manhandled by Suh and ended up sacking Harper and throwing him to the turf for a 17 yard loss.

Davis had 8 carries in the first half for 22 yards, an average of 2.75. Spiller had 4 carries for 13 yards, an average of 3.25. Of the 12 carries, only three were for more than 2 yards.

Failure to take advantage of excellent field position and opportunities on offense

It's a shame that the Tigers could do nothing with the excellent field position they had on nearly every offensive series in the first half. On the first series, Clemson started on their own 43 and went 3 and out. On the second series, they started on their own 41 and again went 3 and out. On the third series, they drove from their own 10 to the Nebraska 32, chose to go for it on 4th and 1 and had a timeout to discuss and prepare and still didn't convert. On the fourth series, the Tigers started on Nebraska's 48, had 1st and goal from the 5 and ended up with a 3rd and goal from the 9. Buccholz then had the FG blocked. On the fifth series, Clemson started on the Nebraska 41 and went 3 and out. This makes me sick just to think about all of these missed opportunities.

HARPER VS. BEUERLEIN, ROUND 1

Although I was at the Gator Bowl, I always enjoy watching the replay on TV because you get a closer view and multiple angles to see the plays from. Having a DVR is even better because you can rewind a play and watch it in slow motion. I just watched the first half on TV for the first and I was struck by the fact that listening to the tv announcers can potentially change your perspective on the game and the players you are watching if you let their opinions influence you. For those of you who were not able to attend and watched the game at home, imagine if you could have used a special remote control that allowed you to hear the game action (crowd, pads popping, whistles, referees calls, etc.) but muted the announcers' comments throughout the entire game. How might your perspective, opinions and experience of watching the game be different?

One of the announcers for this game was Steve Beuerlein, a former QB for Notre Dame and six different NFL teams, who continuously criticized Cullen Harper throughout the first half. Now, let me make it clear that I have not watched the replay of the second half yet, so I am only going to discuss the first. Let me also make it clear that I am not going to try and defend Cullen Harper's play in the first half as perfect. However, I do think Beuerlein was overly critical of Harper and at first I thought it was because being a former QB, he was more prone to do that. However, Beurerlein didn't seem to let up even though he should know that no QB is perfect throughout an entire game. Certainly if you look back at the stats. on his own career, just from 1996-2000 and the 59 games he played as a Carolina Panther, he was sacked 191 times, threw 50 interceptions and fumbled 44 times. His overall pass completion percentage for his NFL career is 56.9. In his career, over 147 games played, he was sacked 332 times, threw 112 interceptions (to 147 TD's) and fumbled 70 times. (All stats from NFL.com). Do these stats. look like those of a perfect QB that avoided pressure, always threw the ball out of bounds and never made a poor decision?

It's also interesting to note that Beuerlein did not criticize Ganz during the first half but just for comparison's sake, he was 9 for 20 with 0 TD's, had one fumble that was returned by Andre' McDaniel for a Tigers touchdown, threw one interception right to Crezdon Butler that should have been returned for a touchdown and his team was down 14-3. Moving on, let's look more closely at Cullen's numbers for the first half: 8 of 19 with one interception and one TD. Let's break down those numbers further below. Harper's completions/attempts (0/0) are listed after each passing play:

1st QUARTER

On the first play of the game, the "trick" play after changing formations, Davis was double-covered and the pass from Harper fell incomplete. 0/1. On 2nd down, Harper was flushed out of the pocket and threw the ball away. 0/2. On 3rd down, he completed a pass to Ford. 1/3. On the second series, he missed Aaron Kelly, who was open. 1/4. On the third series, he completed a pass to Ford, who broke it for 46 yards. 2/5. On 1st down, he threw a screen to Spiller that fell incomplete. 2/6. On 2nd down, pass completed to Ford. 3/7. On 3rd down, he completed a pass to Faerber for the first. 4/8. On 1st down, he led Grisham too far and underthrew it. 4/9. On 2nd down, completion to Spiller. 5/10. On 3rd down, completion to Kelly for 8 yards. 6/11. On the fourth series, with receivers covered and Clemson facing 2nd and goal, he scrambled and then attempted a "push pass"- a Favre-like flick that was a little dangerous. 6/12

2nd QUARTER

On 3rd down, completion to Kelly. 7/13. On the fifth series, Harper threw to Jacoby Ford on 1st down, who let the ball go through his hands. 7/14. On 3rd down, he was criticized by Beuerlein for running to his right out of the pocket into pressure and throwing the ball away when Nebraska was only rushing four. Here is the situation on that play: #93 for Nebraska- Suh- was double teamed by Landon Walker and Antoine McClain and plowed through both of them. The safety blitzed from the right corner and James Davis was responsible for the block but let him get around his left side on the back side of Harper, which usually results in either a sack or a stripped ball. The pocket was collapsing due to pressure from these two defenders and Harper chose to run right, which is the general direction the pressure was coming from Suh but he could not have rolled to his left because that is the direction the safety was getting pressure from. Now, it's easy for someone sitting up in the booth or on a seat or couch to say he should have done something different. Maybe he should have stepped up two steps into the pocket away from the pressure. However, if everyone is covered, then what? Throw the ball away or scramble. Harper, as we all know, does not scramble well. So, whether he rolled into Suh's pressure and threw it away or stepped up in the pocket and threw it away, he threw it away. He didn't get stripped or sacked and he didn't try to force the ball into coverage and have it picked. 7/15

On the sixth series, on 2nd down the pass attempt was batted down and even if completed would have resulted in Aaron Kelly getting killed on a bubble screen. 7/16. On 3rd down, a Nebraska defender came through untouched and Harper was hit as he threw- incomplete. 7/17. On the seventh series, on 1st down, Harper's pass was tipped on a great defensive play by Nebraksa's Steinkuhler and intercepted. 7/18. On the 8th series, on 1st down from the Nebraska 13, Harper was sacked for a 17 yard loss. Once again, let's look a little closer at what happened: The beast known as Suh- #93 for Nebraska, manhandled Mason Cloy by getting Cloy moving to his left and then Suh just simply changed direction, gave him a swat-and-swim move to get by before wrapping Cullen up and slinging him like a ragdoll. Beuerlein again was very critical of Harper for not getting rid of the ball and this time, the criticism was a little more deserved because Cullen was looking for Grisham all the way. Grisham's ran what looked like a hook route and was open for a split second but it was a dangerous throw. Harper pumped towards and held the ball but he did have a screen to Spiller wide open, who was running right out of the backfield. It was too late because Suh was on him at that point. On the very next play, Harper throws a TD to Kelly in the end zone. 8/19. Beuerlein says he thought the pass was late and that Kelly had to turn 360 degrees to catch it. Clearly, while running the route, Kelly turned to look for the ball over his right shoulder, then turned his back toward the end zone when the ball was in the air and then turned left because Harper threw the ball over to the left side of the end zone so that Kelly could shield himself and the ball from the defender and make the catch.

TIGERS IN THE NFL- WILD CARD WEEKEND UPDATE

Trevor Pryce- DE Baltimore Ravens
Two-time Super Bowl champion and four-time Pro Bowl player Trevor Pryce had one sack and one tackle in the Ravens 27-9 win over the Miami Dolphins in the wild card playoff game on Sunday. Pryce now has 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks for the 2008-09 season. The Ravens now face the Tennessee Titans in the AFC divisional playoffs on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

Phillip Merling- DE Miami Dolphins
Merling had two tackles in the 27-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. In his rookie season, Merling registered 26 tackles, one sack and one interception which he returned for a TD. The loss ended the Dolphins' season.

Brian Dawkins- S Philadelphia Eagles
Seven-time Pro Bowl selection Brian Dawkins continues to have a stellar 2008-09 season. In the wild card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Dawkins accounted for six tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. For the year, B-Dawk has 75 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 forced fumbles and an interception. The Eagles beat the Vikings 26-14 and play the defending Super Bowl champion NY Giants on Sunday in the NFC divisional playoff game at the Meadowlands. Game time is 1 p.m.

Jamaal Fudge- DB Atlanta Falcons
Fudge had one tackle in the wild card playoff game Saturday versus the Arizona Cardinals. The Falcons lost 30-24 and their season is now over. Fudge joined the Falcons late in the year after spending most of this season and all of his three-year pro career with the Jacksonville Jaguars seeing very limited playing time. He tallied 13 tackles this season.

Charlie Whitehurst and Anthony Waters- QB and LB San Diego Chargers
The Chargers beat the Colts 23-17 in OT in the AFC wild card playoff game on Saturday. The Chargers move on to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC divisional playoff game on Sunday at 4:45 p.m.

Nick Eason- DE Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers had a bye in the first round of the playoffs last weekend but now face the San Diego Chargers in the AFC divisional playoffs on Sunday.

BACK FROM JACKSONVILLE!

It's been a while since the last post but I am now back in the saddle after a few days in Jacksonville and Savannah enjoying some time off. The Gator Bowl was a lot of fun despite my disappointment in the final outcome of the game. My hotel room at the Hyatt overlooked the St. Johns River and was very close to Jacksonville Landing where there was a live band playing after the game and all kinds of festivities in addition to shops, restaurants and bars/clubs. I got to see quite a few of the Clemson players out and about, including Cullen Harper who I photographed riding a mechanical bull.

I also took some photos of a car that pulled up in front of the Hyatt after the game. You may have seen it on the live television broadcast when they showed it in the parking lot at the stadium. The owner is obviously a diehard Clemson Tigers fan but I could not believe all stuff all over it. If you look closely at some of the hundreds of tiger paws on the car, you will see where many Tiger football team members have signed inside of them. Even the interior of the car was customized in orange. I am not sure if this will be a collectors item you'll see at Barrett Jackson anytime soon but it was great entertainment.

The weather, except maybe for some cool winds on the morning of the game, was great. There were Clemson Tigers fans and orange everywhere but a lot of Nebraska fans, too. Every Nebraska fan that I encountered and/or spoke to was extremely nice and were very good sports before, during and after the game. I think they were just happy to be there and supported their football team by chanting "Go big red" a lot. The Jacksonville Jaguars stadium is first class with everything you would expect in an NFL stadium- comfortable seats, cup holders, escalators, a jumbotron on each end of the field, Outback Steakhouse takeout and so on. The one deficiency that I noticed about it was that the concourses are not very wide and therefore the crowds do not flow through well at all. However, the overall experience was fantastic and I would definitely go back again.

I'm looking forward to watching the game again in HD on the wide screen with DVR remote in-hand to get a little better perspective on things than the one I had from my seat. I know the game has been covered seven ways to Sunday by now but I will post a wrap-up of my own tomorrow. I will also be covering how the former Tigers playing in the NFL did in the first round of the playoffs.

BEST OF TIGER FOOTBALL 2008- PART II

BEST KICKOFF RETURN
C.J. Spiller's 64 yard kickoff return against BC. With about nine minutes to go in the 4th quarter, BC had just scored a TD and taken a 21-17 lead after Clemson led 17-0 at halftime. It seemed as though history might repeat itself with Clemson having lost the last three close games against BC. On the ensuing kickoff return, Spiller carved and diced his way through defenders for 64 yards, all the way to the Eagles 15 yard line, giving the offense great field position. Four plays later, the Tigers found the end zone, regained the lead and went on to win 27-21. Check the 3 minute mark in the following clip:

Honorable mention: C.J. Spiller's 96 yard kickoff return against Alabama at the beginning of the second half in the Georgia Dome finally gave Tigers fans something to cheer about in this otherwise dismal game. While it had no effect on the final outcome, 34-10 looks much better than 34-3 on the scoreboard and it was a fantastic play.


BEST TRICK PLAY- TIE
1. C.J. Spiller pass to Tyler Grisham vs. UVA. Dabo Swinney had made it clear on day one that he was going to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers. Of course, C.J. Spiller fits the bill and had been on a roll over the past few games after having to sit out the Ga. Tech game. So, when Clemson visited Charlottesville, VA. you can rest assured that the Cavs defensive mindset was to limit his big plays as much as possible. With the game scoreless in the 1st quarter, Clemson had driven to the UVA 15 yard line and had 1st and 5 after a Cavs penalty. Harper pitched the ball to Spiller in the backfield as he ran right. There were literally nine UVA players all pursuing Spiller toward the sideline, with one DB in man coverage on the receiver lined up on the opposite sideline. This left Grisham completely uncovered in the corner of the end zone and Spiller lofted a perfect pass to put the Tigers up by 7 after the extra point. Once again, the Tigers had momentum on their side and never looked back, winning 13-3.
2. Cullen Harper pass to Jacoby Ford vs. SC. I watched this play unfold and had no idea it was a trick play until the following day when I read about it in the news. The play was called "cock-a-doodle-doo" and was designed to have WR Jacoby Ford appear to come off the field with two other players after a one yard run by Spiller on 1st down. However, the trick was that he was going to actually remain on the field of play as an eligible receiver. Ford jogged towards the sideline with the two other players, bent down just on the edge of the field and pretended to tie his shoes while supposedly getting chewed out by receivers coach Jeff Scott. It worked. SC did not catch on that Ford was the 11th Tiger player on the field and left him uncovered. What really made this play even more special was the fact that Harper was in the grasp of a SC defender with both knees just inches from the ground about to be sacked and still made the throw 27 yards downfield.

BEST PUNT
Jimmy Maners vs. SC. Yes, this is a weird category and once again, this play happened during the SC game. However, Jimmy Maners, who averages about 40 yards per kick, came through in a clutch situation and I believe it is worth mentioning. Clemson held a 10-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter but SC drove the ball into Tigers territory, eventually stalling on the Clemson 40 yard line after failing to convert on 3rd down. SC punter Lanning pinned Clemson deep in their own territory, with the Tigers taking over on their own 3 yard line. After James Davis gave them a little breathing room with a 7 yard rush on 1st down, Harper was sacked on consecutive plays and Clemson was pushed back to their own 6, forcing 4th down. With Maners standing at the back of his own end zone, he unleashed a booming 54 yarder that pushed the gamecocks back to their own 40 yard line and had fans, players and coaches alike applauding.

BEST FG
Mark Buccholz vs. BC. Buccholz did not have the opportunity to kick a FG for a win in a game 2008 as he had done in 2007 against SC. The most crucial field goal was actually one to double the Tigers' 3 point lead over BC late in the game. Clemson held a 17 point lead up until about the 10 minute mark in the 3rd quarter, watched it all slip away as they went down 21-17 in the 4th, only to come back and regain the lead 24-21. Knowing the history of this series, 3 points did not seem like enough of a lead when kicking the ball back to BC after the go-ahead TD. All BC needed was a FG to tie and a TD/PAT to go ahead by 4, the latter scenario forcing the Tigers to score a TD to win with very little time left. However, the Eagles fumbled and Clemson recovered. Clemson's drive stalled but Buchholz lined up for a 43 yard FG to put CU up by six. It was good and now the tables were turned in that BC had to score a TD/PAT to win. Clemson went on to stop BC's next drive and run out the clock.

BEST INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE EFFORT- TIE
1. DeAndre' McDaniel vs. SC. McDaniel had his most impressive overall game of the season against, of course, the gamecocks. #2 was all over the field in this game, making 11 tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and forced a fumble.
2. Kavelle Connor vs. UVA. Connor ended up as the Tigers' leading tackler on the team after the final regular season game but really had a dominant performance against the Cavaliers. Kavelle had 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery after the big hit by Byron Maxwell on Cavs FB Rashawn Jackson

BEST OF TIGER FOOTBALL 2008- PART I of II

BEST BIG HIT- TIE
1. Byron Maxwell on UVA FB Rashawn Jackson. This category is about collisions, not just tackles. There were relatively few really big hits delivered by Clemson defenders during the 2008 season but this one definitely stands out. After catching a 4 yard pass from Cavaliers QB Mark Verica, the Cavaliers' Jackson turned his eyes upfield and was run over by the Mack truck that was Byron Maxwell. It was over for poor Jackson before it started as Maxwell read the play and timed his arrival perfectly with the ball. The hit knocked Jackson off his feet and separated him from the ball, which LB Kavelle Connor recovered. Clemson went on to get 3 points as a result of the turnover and kept the momentum going with a 10-0 lead.
2. DeAndre' McDaniel on BC WR Clarence Megwa. McDaniel's hit on Megwa happened with about six minutes left in the 4th quarter of a close game. BC was facing a crucial 3rd and 3 and the Tigers were clinging to a 24-21 lead on the road. Keep in mind that BC has a history of winning these close games against Clemson, having won the last 3 by a total of 7 points. The defense had to step up and fortunately for the Tigers, Andre's hit caused Megwa to fumble the ball and Clemson recovered. The Tigers ran some time off the clock, got 3 points as a result of the turnover and the defense held on 4th down of BC's final possession to seal the win. Unforunately for Megwa, his leg was badly broken and he may never play football again.

BEST WIN
The win against the gamecocks. The conference win against BC on the road was big, given the fact that the Eagles had become the Tigers' division nemesis after beating them three years in a row since joining the ACC. However, getting a win in the SC game was actually more important this year than it usually is to the Tigers. Make no mistake, it is always important but more so this year for several reasons: First of all, a win resulted in the Tigers becoming bowl-eligible. Next, at that time, Dabo Swinney held the title of interim head coach and a win over the gamecocks would surely help propel him into the permanent position. Finally, the SC defense was considered to be the team's strength and there was a lot of talk and pregame hype about them. The fact that Florida hung 56 on them was an aberration because they were doing that to everybody and Clemson is no Florida, they said. After allowing 383 yards of offense, the old ball coach and SC players later admitted that they weren't as good as they thought and that Clemson was in fact the better team. I'm sorry, could you repeat that?

BEST RUSHING PLAY
C.J. Spiller in the 1st quarter of the SC game. It is nearly impossible to select just one out of all the great runs by Davis and Spiller this season but this run by C.J. Spiller stands out to me. It didn't even go for a TD but after taking the handoff from Harper, Spiller made five different SC defenders miss, juking two of them out of their shoes and causing all of them to grasp at air before he was finally taken down at the gamecock 1 yard line after a 39 yard gain. Davis punched it in on the next play, Clemson went up 7-0 and never looked back. It firmly put the momentum on the Tigers' side. In addition, it was one of those plays where you can just rewind it over and over and watch in awe at the athleticism and talent. We as Tiger fans are fortunate to see C.J. in orange on Saturdays and plays like this is why he is one of the best ever at Clemson U.

BEST INDIVIDUAL EFFORT ON A SINGLE PLAY
C.J. Spiller in the MD game on 3rd and 18. I believe we got robbed on this play, despite the fact that it was reviewed afterwards and the spot was upheld. My seats are in the South stands, 10 rows up from the field on about the 33 yard line closest to the West Zone, so I had a really good view of the play in person. While getting looks that seemed to question my sanity from both my wife and dogs, I took about thirty minutes and watched it about a dozen times in frame-by-frame slow motion after the game. I still thought he made it. Spiller took a short pass out of the backfield and from there I observed him make what I consider almost a superhuman effort to get the first down in a crucial situation. He jumped sideways up and over the first defender who read the play beautifully and then faked the second defender out. He then had four Terrapins crash in on him and still went forward five more yards as they bounced off. It looked as though he willing himself to get it, pushing off one, then both feet backwards through the air, twisting sideways with one last effort before going out of bounds and then stretching the ball out to the marker. The players and coaches on the Clemson sideline went crazy over what they had just witnessed but the ball was spotted a little over a yard short even after review. Short or not, I witnessed amazing heart and sheer determination.

BEST PUNT/KICK BLOCK
Jamie Harper's block of gamecock Spencer Lanning's punt. Jamie Harper was a heralded recruit coming into the 2008 season. He just happened to be playing behind two of the best backs in the country and didn't get his number called at RB too many times. So in 2008, playing on special teams during the SC game, it was a nice surprise to see the gamecock punt being blocked but a bigger surprise to find out who blocked it. In 2007, during the game against the gamecocks in Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, the Tigers had two huge momentum-changing special teams plays when Nelson Faerber blocked one Ryan Succop punt that LaDonte' Harris returned for a TD and then Harris blocked another Succop punt later in the first half. It's a very demoralizing thing for the punting team and pushes huge momentum onto the side of the blocking team when it happens. Jamie Harper's block of Lanning's punt in the 1st quarter of this year's SC game reminded me of thetwo last year and that these big plays often come from guys who are not in the limelight all the time. The block resulted in great field position for the Tigers, 3 points from Buchholz's FG, a 10-0 lead and continuation of the momentum for the Tigers.

Part II upcoming......check back soon.

TIGERS IN THE NFL- WEEK 17 RECAP

Jamaal Fudge- DB Atlanta Falcons
In his first career start with the Atlanta Falcons, 3rd year player Jamaal Fudge had his best performance since turning pro, finishing with 10 tackles in a 31-27 win over the St. Louis Rams. Fudge started in place of the injured Lawyer Milloy. Atlanta now faces the Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs this Saturday.

Phillip Merling- DE Miami Dolphins
Rookie Phillip Merling had his first career interception and also returned it 25 yards for his first career TD (click here for the clip) on Sunday against the NY Jets. Merling picked off QB Brett Favre late in the 2nd quarter and upon his arrival in the end zone, the game announcers immediately announced that he was a rookie from Clemson. Phillip also had one tackle in the game which Miami won 24-17. Merling finished the regular season with 26 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception. The Dolphins clinched their division and now face the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs on Sunday.

Brian Dawkins- SS Philadelphia Eagles
7 time Pro Bowl selection Brian Dawkins had a dominating performance on Sunday as the Eagles destroyed the Dallas Cowboys 44-6. Dawkins had 5 tackles, a sack and 2 forced fumbles, both of which teammates returned for TD's. Dawkins now has 75 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 forced fumbles and an interception at the conclusion of the regular season. The Eagles clinched a wild card playoff spot as a result of the win and now will face the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Justin Miller- KR Oakland Raiders
Kickoff return specialist Justin Miller had a 41 yard return on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 31-24 win. Miller fielded four kicks and averaged 22 yards per return. Miller's career was revived after being signed by the Raiders in November of this year. After the NY Jets drafted Justin in 2005, he had two stellar seasons in a row and earned a spot as a kick returner on the 2007 Pro Bowl team. Miller then suffered a season ending injury in the early part of the 2007 season and only returned one kick for the Jets in 2008 before being waived. After signing with the Raiders, he returned kickoffs for TD's in back to back games and his overall average was 24.7 per return.

Gaines Adams- DE Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2nd year pro Gaines Adams had 2 tackles and a sack but the Bucs lost to the Oakland Raiders 31-24 on Sunday. The Bucs needed to win the game in order to have a shot at the playoffs but finished the season by losing four games in a row. The Tampa D allowed an average of 30 points per game in those four losses and in three of the four allowed an opponent RB 150+ yards rushing. Adams finished the season with 38 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 2 interceptions and 1 TD.

Chansi Stuckey- WR NY Jets
2nd year pro Chansi Stuckey had 4 receptions for 50 yards on Sunday in a loss to the Miami Dolphins, 31-24. Stuckey started two games, played in 15 and finished the season with 32 receptions for 359 yards and 3 TD's. The Jets did not make the playoffs as a result of the loss. Eric Mangini was fired as the NY Jets head coach after the loss.

Nick Eason- DE Pittsburgh Steelers
6th year pro Nick Eason had one tackle in the Steelers 31-0 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Eason now has 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks for the season. Pittsburgh is one of the top seeds in the AFC and has a first round bye in the playoffs.

Did not play or no stats available:
Charlie Whitehurst- QB San Diego Chargers
Anthony Waters- LB San Diego Chargers
Barry Richardson- OT Kansas City Chiefs
Tye Hill- CB St. Louis Rams (injury)
Trevor Pryce- DE Baltimore Ravens (illness)
Leroy Hill- LB Seattle Seahawks

FROM 3-4 TO THE GATOR BOWL!

The kickoff of the 2009 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl between the Clemson Tigers and Nebraska Cornhuskers is less than 7 days away! I can think of no better way to spend New Year's Day than watching the Tigers play. Even though the expectations were very high coming into this season, I think all Tigers fans would agree that we are very fortunate to be playing in a prestigious New Year's Day bowl game after the way things unfolded in the beginning and middle part of the schedule. I think back to the feeling I had while sitting in the Georgia Dome at halftime of the Alabama game and after the game. I remember how I felt numb sitting in Death Valley after the Maryland game, almost in a state of shock. I recall being in Winston-Salem and thinking to myself that Tommy Bowden had just sealed his fate with that loss to Wake. The media talked about how the mighty had fallen and Bowden's hot seat was the hottest it had ever been. At this point, it began to get tiresome listening to reports about our offensive line problems, division among the team, how Harper was playing hurt and it just wasn't a fun time to be a Clemson Tigers fan.

However, next up on the roller-coaster ride was a mixture of surprise and relief when it was announced that Bowden was "stepping down". After the announcement of Dabo Swinney as interim coach and listening to his press conference, I felt excitement and pride to the point that tears came to my eyes. I am proud of the way that the team responded afterwards. I am proud of the way coach Swinney unified not only the team but the university and the fans. After the Ga. Tech loss, I didn't have so much of a sick feeling afterwards. I did hate that the 8 year old who sat behind me with his dad and screamed "Go Jackets" seemingly for the ENTIRE game left satisfied. I will never understand why some CU fans sell their tickets to just anybody and force their fellow fans to have to listen to the opposing fans carrying on but I digress. I always hate losing but during the Ga. Tech game, I began to see some light at the end of the tunnel. I had hope. It was great to finally get a win against BC and to do it on the road was even better. Then, we just demolished Duke. Detractors can say whatever they want but I was as nervous about playing Duke this year as I have ever been. We got a great win over Virginia on the road even though I still heard the detractors say how our offense was anemic and this and that. I looked at it as a W. Sure, it's always nice to put up points but when the clock hits 0:00, the W is what counts and it was just a good, old-fashioned, grind-it-out defensive battle. Then, in the annual rivalry against the gamecocks in Death Valley it was, well, just pure bliss. I was wet and cold but jumping for joy the entire game. The only time I was nervous was when SC came out and drove the the length of the field for a TD after the second half kickoff and made it 24-14. We ended up scoring another TD and making big play after big play and the game was never in doubt again. Swinney was then named the head coach and shortly thereafter it was announced that we were playing Nebraska in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day. Now, I ask you- how cool is that after sitting at 3-4 after the Tech game?

The only way to make this turnaround story even better is to get a win in the Gator Bowl game. Most of the national sportscasters are predicting a Nebraska win but I think the Tigers can pull it off, although it will certainly not be easy. I have studied Nebraska quite a bit since the announcement that they will be our opponent. I have a lot of respect for their offense and they too are having a similar turnaround season. They score a lot of points and have some great weapons on offense. They have a great coach and a strong fan base. It should be an exciting game and I believe we will need to score a minimum of 30 points to get a victory.

The team was scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. today at the team hotel in Jacksonville, their first since the Christmas holiday break. The Tigers should have good weather for their practices with the exception of Monday. According to the Weather Channel, the current weather in Jacksonville is party sunny and 78 degrees. The extended forecast calls for similar weather through the weekend but a 40% chance of rain on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday are both expected to be mostly sunny, although the highs will drop to around 69-70 degrees. On game day, the forecast is for a high of 69 with scattered showers with the chance of precipitation at only 30%. I can't wait until kickoff. Let's finish off this wild season with a win against Nebraksa. GO TIGERS!!!