Monday November 05, 2007

Duke Review

Duke Review
I sat with a good friend and his wife and son at the N.C. State game this year and at the end of the big Clemson win I explained to them my philosophy as a spectator at Clemson games. I explained how as a kid the losses hurt more than the wins felt good but as an adult I try to enjoy the wins more. I just witnessed Clemson gain over 600 yards of offense and hold State to about 200. I was ecstatic.

The first time I employed this new philosophy was at the Peach Bowl in 2003 against Tennessee when I just sat in the stands for several minutes after the game to just soak it all in. Now after every win I try to take a mental image of the scoreboard, the sights, sounds and smells of the post-game celebration. I don’t care if it is a victory over Louisiana-Monroe or Florida State.

On Saturday my friend’s wife said she remembered the conversation and she now tries to enjoy the wins more. Maybe our head coach should try it.

I was a little disappointed Sunday to read how Bowden seemed to take my old approach. He seemed more relieved than excited. I know it is only Duke but a win is a win and we should enjoy them.

Duke, Maryland and Central Michigan are not powers but watching 147 points was fun. Watching James Davis, C.J. Spiller, Cullen Harper and Rendrick Taylor was enjoyable. Taylor alone was worth the trip Saturday.

The Clemson defense has played fantastic this season and Saturday was no different so I enjoyed watching the Tigers’ energy. I thought it was great to see Jamie Cumbie get his first start. I loved seeing Jarvis Jenkins, Miguel Chavis and Kourtnei Brown.

Don’t get me wrong because I understand Bowden. It is his job that is on the line. He has had plenty of great wins but understands the bad losses are the ones people tend to remember. So I do understand his philosophy. Pilots land planes safely thousands of times each day and few ever tell them great job.

I also understand that Duke is the fifth best team in North Carolina, the 12th best team in the ACC and somewhere in the 100s in Division I-A. However, that is the team we played Saturday and that is the team we destroyed. It was the only team we could have defeated on Saturday. It would have been nice to beat Ohio State Saturday but the NCAA does not allow doubleheaders in football and I doubt I want any of the Buckeyes anyway.

So I enjoyed each minute of the Duke win. I enjoyed the crisp weather. I enjoyed the 50-yard line seats even though my tickets were on the 10-yard line. I enjoyed the food. I enjoyed the tailgating. I enjoyed all of the other games including an FSU win over Boston College that changed Clemson’s outlook on the next two games. But more importantly I enjoyed this Tiger win.

I thoroughly enjoyed the last 90 seconds of the first half when the Tigers turned a 10-7 lead into a 26-7 halftime score. Harper’s big pass to Aaron Kelly set up the Tigers second touchdown of the contest and then it was Clemson’s special teams that helped pin the Blue Devils deep in their own territory. A great sack by Courtney Vincent and Rickey Sapp gave the Tigers a safety and Spiller gave the fans another reason to enjoy a big play with his 84-yard kick-off return. Sixteen beautiful points in the final 1:10 of the half. I viewed that as fun not relief.

Davis hit a gorgeous 70-yard touchdown run and Spiller looked like he continued to gain confidence in the second half. Harper had another terrific effort including two more touchdowns without a pick.

The defense did not have worry about the run but they did a nice job against a decent passing game.

I was very pleased to see no turnovers again and only four penalties for 35 yards. I was especially happy to see Davis and Harper break out the baseball caps in the fourth quarter and Tribble Reese throw for a touchdown. Brian Linthicum also caught another touchdown pass to highlight a good freshman campaign.

And how about those Tiger special teams? The kickoff coverage was very good. Clemson had two kick-off returns of 65 yards or more including Spiller’s score. The punt team was excellent as well and Buchholz hit his only field goal and all of his extra points.

Saturday was a complete effort as the Tigers won on offense, defense and special teams. I was a little more excited than relieved.

Bowden was wrong on another point when he said that Saturday was just our seventh win and the game meant nothing else than seven wins. I understand his cautious approach but it meant more than that. It meant Clemson did its part and thanks to FSU the Tigers now have a chance. It means that the Tigers now control their own destiny.

Two home games for the Atlantic Division title. Two of the biggest home games in recent memory. The Tigers have a chance now and they don’t have to depend on anyone else for help.

I will not go into Saturday’s game tight and worried. Wake Forest is a very good football team and the Deacons cause for a lot of concern but we should not be up tight. The Tigers should embrace this as an opportunity. They have a chance to win a championship and win it at home. The Valley should be rockin’ Saturday and please don’t hand me this noon starting time crap. Any Clemson fan should be so excited that if they played the game at 3:00 AM it would be OK. I am glad it is at noon because I can’t wait until the game gets here anyway. Can we play this afternoon instead?

Congrats to the players and staff in turning around this season and for taking care of business against three inferior opponents. Now the fun really starts. This is what you play for. This is what fans dream of. This team is worthy of this moment and these fans will be ready to welcome them at the top of the hill. This is it. Wake Forest meet us at the 50 and let’s get it on!

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