Reese’s Piece: Can Clemson Football stop the Tomahawk chop?
The Committee has spoken and the 8-0 Clemson Tigers are #1 in the land. Fresh off a less than stellar performance against N.C. State, their attention is squarely on the Florida State Seminoles. The #16 Seminoles would love to take down the Tigers and gain control of the Atlantic division and a win would all but secure a division title.
Of course, winning 56-41 in a hostile environment wasn’t an easy task but Clemson got it done. The offense was unstoppable but the defense and special teams got exposed.
I won’t spend a lot of time on the N.C. State game, but I will point out the obvious positives and negatives and how they can affect today’s game.
Positives. The young offensive line did a great job of opening holes for RB Wayne Gallman and protecting QB Deshaun Watson against a good State defensive front. Gallman rushed for 172 yards and Watson passed for 383 yards and 5TDs. If Watson and Gallman have similar success versus FSU, then the Tigers could have Dabo dancing in the rain tonight.
Oct 10, 2015; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Wayne Gallman (9) celebrates with quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) after scoring a touchdown during the first quarter against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Negatives. Coming into the game, the defense knew that QB Jacoby Brissette would be hard to bring down and it was true. Even though they sacked him 5 times, they probably felt really distraught after watching film of the times he got away. FSU RB Dalvin Cook is another tough guy to tackle and the Clemson defenders better get him down quickly, because he will be moving forward and not side to side like Brissette. A missed tackle on Cook could be a quick six for the Seminoles.
KR Nyhiem Hines and PR Bra’Lon Cherry were tough for the Tigers to handle on Saturday and special teams will be a point of emphasis again today. Hines had a 100 yard TD return and Cherry a 47 yard return. Every Clemson fan had to cringe every time those two caught the ball and let the cringing begin again. If fans think Cherry and Hines are fast, wait until they see Seminole WR Kermit Whitfield. Whitfield leads FSU in receiving with 37 receptions and he averages 30 yards per kickoff return. The 5’8 dynamo has a recorded time of 10.21 in the 100 meters and he had the game changing 100 yard return in the 2013 BCS championship game. Any time he has the ball in his hands, Clemson defenders better pay attention and stay in their lanes.
Player of the game. Deshaun Watson was 23-30 along with the aforementioned 383 yards and 5TDs. He also rushed 14 times for 54 yards and scored a touchdown. Each week he gets better and seems to be more comfortable with his receivers and the offensive line. Heisman buzz has started and each game will build his resume and help him stay in the conversation.
Noteworthy quote. Commentator Ed Cunningham is not a favorite of some Clemson fans but he seems to be a fan of WR Hunter Renfrow. Here’s what Cunningham had to say about him after his 57 yard TD catch and run.
"This guy Renfrow, he’s going to end up. I’ll just say this now, I think Renfrow if he stays healthy and plays all four years. He will leave this school as the #1 receiver. He is so fast, he plays that inside slot receiver and in this type of offense those guys are the guys who can have 80 to 90 catches a year. And he can also take the top off of a defense. He has good enough speed to do that. What a wonderful young player for Clemson."
Now let’s get to the game. Clemson plays for the first time as #1 in the state of South Carolina and what hasn’t already been said about this matchup. We know that both teams have good offenses, good defenses, good coaches, and talented players. We also know that it will rain and turnovers can always help determine the outcome.
So who wins and why? I’ve decided to take a scientific approach and look at the constants. My variables are common opponents Boston College, Louisville, Ga. Tech, and Miami. With team records and game scores aside, I used total yards, rushing yards, and passing yards statistics from both sides of the ball to get my result. Here is what each team averaged against those opponents.
Oct 31, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers cheerleaders perform during the first half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Clemson offense.
- Total, 509.3
- Passing, 276.5
- Rushing, 232.8
FSU offense.
- Total, 386.5
- Passing, 249.3
- Rushing, 137.3
Clemson defense.
- Total, 223.5
- Passing, 148.0
- Rushing, 75.5
FSU defense.
- Total, 338.5
- Passing, 208.8
- Rushing, 129.8
Clemson is 4-0 against those teams and FSU is 3-1 with their only loss coming against Ga. Tech in dramatic fashion. There is always other variables to consider also like home games versus away games, the weather, injuries, and I could go on and on.
But here is my conclusion: If I base it on the numbers, then Clemson will win and with no dramatics involved.
I wanted to leave fans with a mention of FSU preseason All-American candidate, senior LB Terrance Smith. Smith returns today after being sidelined since Oct 3rd with a high ankle sprain. He is the cousin of former Tiger and Houston Texans star receiver DeAndre Hopkins and the son of the late Terry Smith. Terry Smith was a great wide receiver at Clemson and lost his life
in 1997. Here is Terrance’s heartfelt story:
Next: A Clemson Football Fan's TV Guide for CFB Week 10
That’s Reese’s Piece for the week. What’s your thoughts, Clemson football fans? Can the Tigers silence the Seminoles and stop the Tomahawk chop or will Florida State be able to stop the Tigers’ momentum?