Clemson game thread

[youwouldno]

I’d like to know what the coaches saw in Clemson’s defensive scheme that gave them the idea that we could run up the middle.

Not sure if they would say this, but I imagine the reason is that they wanted to run Furman's base offense despite the knowledge that various aspects wouldn't work. The purpose of the game was to get paid and prepare for the meaningful games to come . . . running a Clemson-only scheme would be counterproductive. It wouldn't have changed the outcome of this game but would be less valuable for next week.

[The Jackal]

I’d like to know what the coaches saw in Clemson’s defensive scheme that gave them the idea that we could run up the middle.

Not sure if they would say this, but I imagine the reason is that they wanted to run Furman's base offense despite the knowledge that various aspects wouldn't work. The purpose of the game was to get paid and prepare for the meaningful games to come . . . running a Clemson-only scheme would be counterproductive. It wouldn't have changed the outcome of this game but would be less valuable for next week.

Running the ball in the middle isn't sexy, but it tends to reduce injuries and keeps the game moving. Outside runs are great, but we aren't fast enough to get around that defense. You start having guys dragged down from behind and start potentially seeing knee injuries.

Against FCS competition, we will be able to open up things a lot more. My guess is both teams wanted out of there without injury.

[FUBeAR]

The call at the end of the half was BS. The first angle from the end zone showed he was clearly out. They never showed it again. They kept showing the other angle which looked like he was in. So one camera shows in, one shows out where is the indisputable part?? I guess HR was just a token starter. I agree it will be Lincoln and Grainger and very well could be Grainger. I have not been a fan of the play calling today., especially on second down. The few times we had 5 or 6 yds on first down we've come back with a run up the middle for nothing.

Should have been a ‘no-play’ anyway. Right OT jumped the snap.

EDIT: So...I've had the chance to review the "Reviewed/Overturned" play now. I was wrong. The OT did not jump, but he is very quick in his set-up...must be well-coached. See...totally objective....Here's what I saw on the review...last comment...1st step (right foot) when the ball came into his hands was a yard inbounds...BUT, he regripped/juggled the ball when he took his next step (left foot)...the one that was very close to or on the sideline. The Ref clearly ruled is incomplete. I can't tell from the angle I have is his foot was in or out...so, in that case...not enough evidence to overturn. But let's say the Ref's had another angle...an angle that showed 'green' between his foot and the sideline. OK...enough to overturn....BUT...here's the thing...he regripped/juggled the ball AGAIN. You can see it 'squirt' from his grip as he's going down between the Players/Coaches on the sideline. Yes, he held on to it after that, but he was juggling that ball until he was well out of bounds. If they review the catch, they are not just reviewing was his foot in or not, they have to review if he had possession of the ball when he went out of bounds and that 'squirt' / regrip clearly shows that he did not. And, y'all know FUBeAR always brings video evidence to these kinds of issues...



Here's the video. Original play @ about 6:15 and you can see the 'squirt' on the 1st replay shown at about 6:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA6HmGetYJs
Incomplete Pass - 4th & 5 - Clemson punts from their own endzone. What happens after that? Who knows?

Also Side Judge/Linesman on CU side threw a flag on their ‘stuttering’ freeze play that ended up being the long pass right after the bs review. Saw something he didn’t like (coulda been procedure, illegal shift, or not enough men on LOS...or, possibly, D Offsides), but none of the other Officials saw it or conferred with him. He sort of slid inconspicuously back to it...and a CU Mgr/Trainer picked it up and inconspicuously handed it to him...and he lined up for the next play. Regardless of what the call was, he needs to talk to the White Hat about it....not just slide it back into his pocket and keep on tigering. Didn’t see the FU PF on the ensuing KOR; may have been a ‘real’ penalty, but I’m doubtful given that little flurry of BS I witnessed just before. EDIT:This is also on the video. FU was offsides. Clemson looks fine. Ref still should have conferred regarding penalty, IMO. But that play never happens anayway because Clemson should have already punted on 4th & 5.

There was no way that FU was going to be ‘allowed’ to go into halftime only down 13-0.

To me...those 3 plays were the turning point of the game.

[tya1]

I’d like to know what the coaches saw in Clemson’s defensive scheme that gave them the idea that we could run up the middle.

Not sure if they would say this, but I imagine the reason is that they wanted to run Furman's base offense despite the knowledge that various aspects wouldn't work. The purpose of the game was to get paid and prepare for the meaningful games to come . . . running a Clemson-only scheme would be counterproductive. It wouldn't have changed the outcome of this game but would be less valuable for next week.

Running the ball in the middle isn't sexy, but it tends to reduce injuries and keeps the game moving. Outside runs are great, but we aren't fast enough to get around that defense. You start having guys dragged down from behind and start potentially seeing knee injuries.

Against FCS competition, we will be able to open up things a lot more. My guess is both teams wanted out of there without injury.

My assumption was that our chance of breaking a play inside the tackles was probably better than the chance of beating their team speed on the edge. And with less chance of a mistake, especially with rookie QBs. Get a few inside runs and the outside opens up. With a more veteran QB we would have probably tried a few more passes.

[AstroDin]

I can' back up my point — the play by play summary online appears screwed up or my browser is having issues.

We ran far more option pitches than I thought we would, and I don't remember having a back pulled down from behind.
I think Bell got tackled for a loss and the reverse by Gordo just went for a couple.

Let's go back to the last game of last season, Wofford. We got zero on outside runs. The addition of Watkins and Bell will change that -- plus Blaze was mobile Lincoln and Grainger are more than just mobile.

[The Jackal]

I'm pretty sure Coach Hendrix was steamed at one of Clemson's touchdown passes in the first half as well. See the :30 mark and following:

Lawrence runs an RPO. He rides the RB with the ball until he sees Okeh commit to the run, at which point he pulls it and throws it behind him for a TD.

The difficulty for officials on these types of plays is that they are run plays until they aren't. Look at Clemson's RG on that play. He blocks, and then sort of rolls into our linebackers. He has to stay at the line of scrimmage because the play might be a pass. When the ball is thrown he's nearly on the goalline - 5+ yards downfield.

As I understand the rule, that's an illegible man downfield. Clemson cannot fake a run, then throw AND have their offensive linemen 5 yards downfield. It should have been called back as a penalty.

[Jasper]

A penalty was called on that exact same situation in the Auburn-Wash game. The officials missed it. It was not the only one they missed. But I guess that is why the call them "home" games.

[Jasper]

The call at the end of the half was BS. The first angle from the end zone showed he was clearly out. They never showed it again. They kept showing the other angle which looked like he was in. So one camera shows in, one shows out where is the indisputable part?? I guess HR was just a token starter. I agree it will be Lincoln and Grainger and very well could be Grainger. I have not been a fan of the play calling today., especially on second down. The few times we had 5 or 6 yds on first down we've come back with a run up the middle for nothing.

Should have been a ‘no-play’ anyway. Right OT jumped the snap.

Also Side Judge/Linesman on CU side threw a flag on their ‘stuttering’ freeze play that ended up being the long pass right after the bs review. Saw something he didn’t like (coulda been procedure, illegal shift, or not enough men on LOS...or, possibly, D Offsides), but none of the other Officials saw it or conferred with him. He sort of slid inconspicuously back to it...and a CU Mgr/Trainer picked it up and inconspicuously handed it to him...and he lined up for the next play. Regardless of what the call was, he needs to talk to the White Hat about it....not just slide it back into his pocket and keep on tigering. Didn’t see the FU PF on the ensuing KOR; may have been a ‘real’ penalty, but I’m doubtful given that little flurry of BS I witnessed just before.

There was no way that FU was going to be ‘allowed’ to go into halftime only down 13-0.

To me...those 3 plays were the turning point of the game.

Once again, you are 100 % correct, BeAr. I saw a flag dropped on that play and they it suddenly wasn't there. I did not see the sequence you described but that explains it. And the "review" overturn was total BS. I don't care whether anyone thought the receiver was in or out of bounds. That often depends on what color glasses your are wearing. But if an on the field call is overturned, it must be indisputable evidence. How can it be "indisputable" if it takes so long to review the play? IMO, if the replay officials cannot make a decision that the play was called incorrectly within say 2 minutes, then it must stand as called. How long did they take to review this play? Seemed like 5 - 6 minutes to me.

[JohnW]

Long and short of it is we could not block their DL. Couldn't get a push on running plays, couldn't give the QB time to find his first option let alone the second, and they were too fast to fool. This does not mean our OL is bad just that they are that good. If everything went our way, no iffy calls, no TOs, it's still a four touchdown game. More if they play their starters longer.

Considering our youth, the quality of the opponent, inexperience at QB, and if truly no injuries, I think it fair to say forget Clemson, the season starts this week.

[dornb]

We scored against the #2 team in the country, even if it was against the reserves, kept them under 50, and collected $360,000. I think that is a great start to our season! Go Paladins! Beat the Phoenix!

[ccoates]

Best team I've ever seen us play.

I think Harris Roberts should nose around the Engineering Department to see if Clemson's linemen were manufactured in a lab in the basement of old Fike Field House.

[apaladin]

We scored against the #2 team in the country, even if it was against the reserves, kept them under 50, and collected $360,000. I think that is a great start to our season! Go Paladins! Beat the Phoenix!

I agree. There were 29 FBS teams that scored more than Clempson Saturday and only one(Alabama) was ranked higher and they were playing another Power 5 team who gave up 51 points. FWIW the last 2 games against Clempson we have played nothing but freshmen quarterbacks. Assuming our 2 freshmen QB's play 4 years it will happen again when we play Clempson in 2022.

[The Jackal]

We scored against the #2 team in the country, even if it was against the reserves, kept them under 50, and collected $360,000. I think that is a great start to our season! Go Paladins! Beat the Phoenix!

I agree. There were 29 FBS teams that scored more than Clempson Saturday and only one(Alabama) was ranked higher and they were playing another Power 5 team who gave up 51 points. FWIW the last 2 games against Clempson we have played nothing but freshmen quarterbacks. Assuming our 2 freshmen QB's play 4 years it will happen again when we play Clempson in 2022.

A lot of (all?) the writeups on the game notes how Clemson played a bunch of players.

I imagine Furman just about emptied the bench too.

[apaladin]

I haven't read them all but I have yet to see any mention that FU played 2 freshmen QB's the whole game.

[gman]

Game over. Beat Elon!