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SC State Preview
I know a lot of fans are disappointed the Tigers are playing two I-AA opponents this season and I understand their point. I also understand why because I thought the Alabama game would have been worth it.

But really almost every major D-I schools plays at least one cupcake per season. Unfortunately the economics require it. Home and home series are demanded by even some mid-majors now. Clemson would have had to go to Louisiana Tech this season and that was another no-win situation.

I don’t like it either and hopefully we won’t ever have two I-AAs in the same year anytime soon.

However, if you have to have a cupcake then I would rather play a team from South Carolina than a team no one cares about.

Almost every ACC and SEC school plays two cupcakes. In most cases one is one I-AA and the other is a I-A cupcake but still a cupcake. Here is a list of the ACC’s and SEC’s I-AA opponents this year:

Florida plays The Citadel
Georgia plays Georgia Southern
South Carolina plays Wofford and UAB
Tennessee plays UAB and Northern Illinois
Kentucky plays Norfolk State
Auburn plays Tennessee-Martin and Louisiana-Monroe
LSU plays App. State, Troy and North Texas
Alabama plays Western Kentucky and Arkansas State
Ole Miss plays Samford and Louisiana-Monroe
Mississippi State plays SE Louisiana
Arkansas plays Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe
FSU plays Western Carolina and Chattanooga
Maryland plays Delaware and Eastern Michigan
Boston College plays Rhode Island and Kent State
NC State plays William and Mary
Virginia Tech plays Furman and Western Kentucky
North Carolina plays McNeese State
Miami plays Charleston Southern
Georgia Tech plays Jacksonville State and Gardner-Webb
Duke plays James Madison
Virginia plays Richmond

Again, I can accept one I-AA school and a patsy I-A program because you need home games to support the rest of the athletic department. But if you have to play two patsies then why not keep the interest with local schools. I have more interest in SC State, Wofford, The Citadel, Furman and Coastal Carolina than Louisiana-Monroe, McNeese State, Western Kentucky, Samford, etc.

In recent years Clemson has hosted Utah State, Temple, Florida Atlantic and Louisiana-Monroe. Each of those schools provided less resistance than Furman and The Citadel.

I am embarrassed to admit that I have never seen South Carolina State play a football game before and am more interested in seeing the Bulldogs than I would be seeing Utah State.

The Bulldogs are 2-1 coming into Death Valley. The opened with a 17-0 loss at Central Florida and rebounded with a 42-3 win over Benedict and a 28-19 victory over Bethune-Cookman.

Their defense has been the standout unit so far this season. The Bulldogs are led by All-Conference safety Markee Hamlin of Lamar, SC. This is the younger brother of Clemson safety Michael Hamlin.

Several SC State players received looks from the Clemson staff including former Tiger defensive end Xavier Littleberry.

Other players to watch on defense are former Clemson signee linebacker Julius Wilkerson and several players with ties to the state like defensive tackle James Simmons and Sterling Blunt and linebacker Tony White.

Offensively the Bulldogs feature several names many Tiger supporters are familiar with including quarterback Malcolm Long of Gaffney who has gone 42 of 69 for 484 yards for three touchdowns and three interceptions this season.

South Carolina State’s running attack features two highly thought of upstate natives. Traveler’s Rest native Will Ford is a speedster who 334 yards rushing and five touchdowns so far this season. Clemson recruited former Greenville High School star Travil Jamison who has 120 yards and two scores this season.

The strength of the offense might be the offensive line which features NFL prospect Johnny Culbreth at left tackle.

The Bulldogs have players on their roster who signed with ACC and SEC schools out of high school (Clemson. Auburn, NC State, etc). They will feature good speed but depth is a concern.

Also don’t forget about one of the highlights of the day, The Marching 101. South Carolina State’s band will certainly entertain the Clemson fans like no other band ever has. I am not a big follower of halftime shows but I promise I will n ot leave my seat at halftime this Saturday.

Solid Orange Volleyball
I know a lot of you are not big volleyball fans but I hope the locals or anyone coming to town early will come by Jervey Gym Thursday at 7:00 for Clemson’s opening ACC match of the season. The Tigers will begin their defense of the ACC title by hosting the second place finisher last year, Georgia Tech. Admission is free and I know they would love your support Thursday for the Solid Orange event.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Comments:

You do know that Clemson has a band that performs at half time, right?

They are pretty good and deserve some support, as well.

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/breaking_news/story/439243.html

Posted by clemsongt on September 17, 2008 at 06:44 PM EDT #

When did La-monroe, W Kentucky, UAB, N Texas, E Michigan, Kent State, and Arkansas State become 1-AA schools? These are ALL FBCS or D-1 A or whatever you want to call them last time I checked. Not too many other schools playing 2 actual 1-AA teams like us, unfortunately.

Posted by fall90 on September 17, 2008 at 08:07 PM EDT #

While I'm definitely disappointed that I'm going to miss the Marching 101 this weekend, it's more than a little disappointing to hear that a Clemson fan (especially one with considerable influence) is more interested in the away band--regardless of the novelty or "wow" factor--than our own Tiger Band. I've never left for a halftime show and I think Tiger Band deserves to be more than an afterthought. While I can certainly understand how watching an entire halftime show might've been a chore during the Hosler era (1992-2002, I believe)--his shows were absolutely the most boring, dry, predictable shows I've ever experienced, and I'm saying this as someone who marched in 3 years of those shows--Tiger Band is a LOT better and DEFINITELY more entertaining under Dr. Spede.

Posted by grover173 on September 18, 2008 at 07:51 AM EDT #

Stop defending the tiger band for crying out loud. Mickey was trying to make a nice point about another South Carolina school, stop trying to flip it on him like he's a bad guy. THIS BLOG ISN'T UP WITHOUT HIM!!!

Posted by Alans24 on September 18, 2008 at 08:32 AM EDT #

The Marching 101 will make Clemson's band look like little children. They are fun to watch, and extremely entertaining. AND, they may actually play songs that people care about and want to hear.....

Posted by natedawgSWU on September 18, 2008 at 11:02 AM EDT #

Alans/natedawg: I would LOVE to see the Marching 101 perform. I've heard they're awesome and have a well-deserved reputation. No arguments there. What rubs me the wrong way is the implication that Tiger Band is not a band worth watching. Mickey put in a plug for the volleyball team, but he can't plug for Tiger Band? Why don't they deserve "support"?

NateDawg: If you want to hear specific songs, contact Dr. Spede directly. I'm more than confident he'd take your suggestions seriously.

Posted by grover173 on September 18, 2008 at 01:18 PM EDT #

I love Tiger Band, but they are nowhere near as good as they were 15 years ago. Sorry, but if given the choice of either having a beer and tailgating for a few minutes, or sitting in my seat and watching a halftime show where it is painfully evident that the band can't march and play their instruments with any sort of reasonable volume at the same time, then I will tailgate every time. Don't get me wrong because I love Tiger Band, but they are nowhere near the band they were 15 years ago.

Posted by Locotiger on September 18, 2008 at 01:45 PM EDT #