Position by Postion: CU vs USC

[Ownage McGee]

The problem with Clemson is they're a streaky offense that relies heavily on momentum to get going. I'm not sure they'll react well to getting hit in the mouth a couple times and having some of the stuff they've been able to do at will all year long suddenly not be available to them.

It's one of those things we'll have to wait to see, but I think if our D gets out and imposes their will early it will be a long night for Tajji boy.

[cofcgamecock9]

I just don't understand why so many of you think this offense that is coming in to play SC this year is basically just the "same offense" that they had last year. Teams do improve sometimes. Their offensive line seems much improved from what I have seen and Boyd is playing much better.

Last year Clemson scored 17, 31, and 13 points in the three games before the SC game against their ACC opponents. This year Clemson has scored 56, 45, and 62 points coming in the last three ACC games coming into the SC game.

Not sure how you don't see that their offense has improved over last years.

Lets take off the glasses here for a second. If our offense had gone the last three weeks and scored 56, 45, and 62 points, I think we would all agree that our offense had improved over last years. It wouldn't matter that we had played Tenn, or a bad Arkansas team. Lets be blatantly honest. If SC scored 56, 45, and 62 points in three back to back weeks, you would believe that our offense had started clicking and was pretty damn good.

We can absolutely beat Clemson next weekend by having a good offensive game ourselves against their bad defense. This is just my opinion, but I think those of you that think our defense is going to repeat the last few years against Clemson and hold them to 13 or 17 points are in for a rude awakening.

Clemson will score 30+ points. We will have to score more.

[cockybusiness2]

I will end this argument right now... WE WILL WIN... Enough said

[duff18]

I think Clemson has a very talented offense and obviously they put up a lot of points. It's just hard to know how good they are since the defenses they've played are not that good. This will be the best and fastest defense they've seen all year. I think their offense is perfect for Clowney and Taylor to disrupt - tall, fast and strong DE's. And they have not seen anything like those two all year.

Having said all that, they will score. I think we need to hold their offense to under 27 points. That will have to come from causing them to kick FG's and our offense eating up clock.

I think Shaw will play well. He ate them up last year, not that he will again, but his scrambling makes a difference. If he ran Clemson's offense, he'd look a lot different.

Hey look at what Stanford did to Oregon last night. Not exactly the same offenses, but high powered fast scoring one was completely stopped. It can happen.

[Liquid_nails]

Exactly. Look at Oregon and K. State in their games last night folks. They played mediocre defenses and got shut down. You guys are going on Clemson scoring these big points on teams with losing records in the ACC.

Our defense will win this game for us. Enough said and quit worrying about it....

[Liquid_nails]

Our front 4 will dominate.

[Cock Kool-Aid]

Originally Posted by cofcgamecock9

No, Boyd did not look the same to me last year so I am not sure what I am "forgetting."

If you remember, he came into our game last year having thrown a ton of interceptions with only two or three TDs in the few games before they played us. He had already started struggling before they played us. Clemson lost 2 out of 3 last year before they came to Columbia. Tajh was a lot of the reason they lost those 2 out of 3.

This year he has played very well throughout the entire season. So I am not sure how you would say he looked exactly the same last year before they played us. He started looking terrible last year 3 games before they played us. He has played well through the entire season this year.

Also, Tajh couldn't scramble at all last year. Not one bit. He is much better this year at keeping the play alive.

So my answer is that in my opinion, Tajh does not look the same this year as he did last year. He looks much better.

Step back from the computer and take a breath please. You're one of the most easily offended posters on here. I never said he looked the same, and I certainly didn't say exactly the same. You said he looks like a good QB and I said he looked like a good one last year too. He put up some gaudy stats and blew out some shitty teams last year just like he is doing this year. He could scramble some last year too. He's gotten a bit slimmer and is running better this year though, which shows on his rushing stats. Yes, he appears to be improved this year, but you are acting like he looks like an entirely new player, which he doesn't. His numbers are slightly improved around the board, but they're still pretty comparable to last year. He's going to finish this year with 100+ less passing attempts than last year and probably about 300 yds less total passing yds with a couple more TDs. BTW Tajh threw 3 picks against Duke and 2 against NCST, so he's still throwing picks entering our game, although throwing more TDs than this time last year. Either way, it's a similar scenario to last year with Tajh putting up good stats big picture without really experiencing the pressure that he's going to versus us. That's my point and here's the numbers:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...0221/tajh-boyd

[HeadCockFan]

Momentum? -facepalm-

Momentum is everything, until it runs out. Pointless. Don't expect that offense to keep on chugging past this D. Sure, you're going to score some points on us, but we are playing in our state. Home state advantage for us.

[Cock Kool-Aid]

Yes, Clemson is executing better on offense than they did last year. They are still, however, running the same system with basically the same players. We have a revamped, more aggressive defense with the same strength (dominant DL) that we had last year which pressured them into mistakes and negated their system. I'm looking at it from that point of view. Unless their OL has improved significantly, I still think we have a great shot at slowing them considerably.

[renegade_doc]

Originally Posted by Cock Kool-Aid

Step back from the computer and take a breath please. You're one of the most easily offended posters on here. I never said he looked the same, and I certainly didn't say exactly the same. You said he looks like a good QB and I said he looked like a good one last year too. He put up some gaudy stats and blew out some shitty teams last year just like he is doing this year. He could scramble some last year too. He's gotten a bit slimmer and is running better this year though, which shows on his rushing stats. Yes, he appears to be improved this year, but you are acting like he looks like an entirely new player, which he doesn't. His numbers are slightly improved around the board, but they're still pretty comparable to last year. He's going to finish this year with 100+ less passing attempts than last year and probably about 300 yds less total passing yds with a couple more TDs. BTW Tajh threw 3 picks against Duke and 2 against NCST, so he's still throwing picks entering our game, although throwing more TDs than this time last year. Either way, it's a similar scenario to last year with Tajh putting up good stats big picture without really experiencing the pressure that he's going to versus us. That's my point and here's the numbers:

http://espn.go.com/college-football/...0221/tajh-boyd

One Int against Duke was a hail mary with :00 on the clock at halftime, the other was a tipped ball.

There's a reason he's #2 in the nation in passing efficiency. He's making very good decisions.

Tajh was playing horrible the 3 weeks before the SC game last year. Right now he's the hottest QB in the nation.

[renegade_doc]

Originally Posted by JTJGarnet

Let's review your "stud" RB's performance against SC the last 3-yrs:
2009: Ellington 13-yds; team total: 48 yds
2010: Ellington 1 carry, 0 yards; team total: 61 yds
2011: Ellington 66 yds; team total: 70 yds (by the way, fat tajh had -23)

"Ellington is one of the leading rushers in Clemson history"; well apparently, not when playing the Gamecocks. So yeah, Miles has outperformed your "historically leading rusher" in the head-to-head during that period.

He wasn't the starter in 2009. He was injured the last 2 years and obviously wasn't 100%.

[cofcgamecock9]

Originally Posted by Cock Kool-Aid

Yes, Clemson is executing better on offense than they did last year. They are still, however, running the same system with basically the same players. We have a revamped, more aggressive defense with the same strength (dominant DL) that we had last year which pressured them into mistakes and negated their system. I'm looking at it from that point of view. Unless their OL has improved significantly, I still think we have a great shot at slowing them considerably.

I hope you are right. I just think Clemson is a much better team than they were last year. I know it is a lot of the same players, but things do change. Confidence can be a huge factor, etc. To me Clemson just looks much improved over last year where we seem to be about the same.

I hope I am wrong.

[Cock Kool-Aid]

Originally Posted by renegade_doc

Right now he's the hottest QB in the nation.

That damn Hansel. All I care about is how hot he is next Sunday.

[Copperhead]

Experience against quality, competitive opponents - USC (by a mile)
They lost to the only team that posed a challenge. And will AGAIN

[lilhornet]

Renegade_doc,
Why do you honestly think y'all will win? I mean that in no disrespect or trash talk. Do not get me wrong Clemson has a potent Offense, when Boyd has time. When he is rushed and is forced to make throws then it goes down hill. I am really not worried about the run game at this point because your OL is going to have to get push against our DL which is our strength and our LB's are playing really good in run support?

[JTJGarnet]

Originally Posted by renegade_doc

He wasn't the starter in 2009. He was injured the last 2 years and obviously wasn't 100%.

Yeah, that's right Spiller, aka 'Lightning' was: 9 carries, 18-yds. Who's using the 'injury' excuse now?

[snoopcockycock]

the only reason taj has looked like he can scramble this year, is because he is playing against slow terrible dl's. can you guys not see that? although he had a few mishaps in a couple of games last year, right before we played them, he still looked very much the same as he does this year. the difference is his mentality when he realizes how fast our defense is. he will fold! mark it down. CLEMPSCUM HAS NOT PLAYED A GREAT DEFENSE ALL YEAR, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF FSU. they will not be able to deal with our defenses pressure all night long.
i think they have a good offense, but not a great one. many teams look good against bad competition, we aren't one of them, but many do, and i think they are one of them. our safeties are playing lights out, especially dj, and our corners are playing well. our lb's are much better, and the dl isn't even a competition. on offense, we looked excellent against tenn and arkie, who have poor defenses, but better than clemscums defense, because they play better teams. our special teams have played much better over the last few games, and their st's looked terrible from what i saw in the nc state game. the biggest advantage they have is playing at home.
finally, boyd might get the nod over an injured shaw, but while healthy i'd take shaw any day of the week and twice on sundays!

[JTsecSC]

Originally Posted by JTJGarnet

Yeah, that's right Spiller, aka 'Lightning' was: 9 carries, 18-yds. Who's using the 'injury' excuse now?

Only injuries I know of are the numerous cases of "hurt pride" that clem players leave the game with. Injury prone if you ask me.

[Schecter]

Here's my quick analysis. Every offensive postion clemson has the edge. every defensive postion USC has the edge.

[crowcutta]

andre ellington was fine, funny how this "injury" is being brought up when he had 8 touches in the first half and had 20 carries 125 yards the following week. funny how boyd looked great the week after playing us too.
boyd was hot early this season too, then proceeded to look awful in the 2nd half vs fsu.