My concerns going into the 2012 football season.

[Acockolypse Now]

Originally Posted by CoverTwo

I don't have ANY concerns about the S&C Program. Coach Connally basically ran that thing himself during the Summers and he knows exactly what he is doing. He and Coach Fitz together put together the strength plan so there should not and will not be a drop off. I also like how he is focusing a little more on flexibility this Summer.

Solid post C2. Thanks!

[easymoney]

no concerns win 14-0 GO COCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

[CockySpaniel]

Gilmore had talent but not very much technique.
We could do as well or better with a less talented guy with better technique.
A guy with talent and technique would be awesome!

[usc1]

My main concern is the passing game. There's no doubt we have plenty of talent but outside of Ace we don't have any consistent reliable targets...just a bunch of potential. And I don't see Ace getting more than 4-5 catches a game. Guys his size just aren't go to receivers down field in this league. If no one steps up other than Ace we are in a for a long year throwing the ball which will make it tougher on Latti and the ground game.

Shaw is a good and accurate passer IMO but as we all know he struggles with getting the ball out of his hand quickly. Despite the winning streak we had to finish off the year he still consistently struggled with that.

[Gamecock Stock]

Originally Posted by henmania

Are these the same Clempson fans who thought they should have been playing for the national championship this year? Why in the world would you listen to anything those inbreds would say?????

To answer you specifically, we are thin behind the starters at corner. That is a fact but there is talent there. Just unproven talent.

The players I know on the team feel Ward is a distinct improvement on EJ. They felt there were times when we had teams on the rope but we played straight up on D when we could have put them away with a bit more pressure.. You won't see that with Ward. And Ward relates to the players much better. Don't discount that.

This is the best physically conditioned team SC has ever put on the field. Take it to the bank. We have a team of winners now. They almost don't need a coach. But Connally hasn't missed a beat from Fitz according to the players I know.

My two cents although I think most will agree that Clempson fans don't know their ass from a hole in the ground these days.

On the contrary, the concerns I expresed come from my independent thoughts and analysis. I simply mentioned what the moronic taters have said, as an afterthought. I mentioned what they said about Lorenzo and indicated that I didn't necessarily agree with them. And I only stated their complaints about their own S&C Coordinator to highlight the importance that a S&C Coordinator is to a program.

[puddle]

My concerns this year is. The traffic won't be any better and global warming!


Go Cocks

[SC Sandlapper]

I am concerned about the backup QB spot. If Connor gets hurt we have very little experience behind him. Connor's awesome but as much as he runs, I worry that he will get clobbered, and I hope our offense can withstand something like that. Not meant as a knock on the backup qb's but they are untested in clutch situations.

[GH]

Originally Posted by SC Sandlapper

I am concerned about the backup QB spot. If Connor gets hurt we have very little experience behind him. Connor's awesome but as much as he runs, I worry that he will get clobbered, and I hope our offense can withstand something like that. Not meant as a knock on the backup qb's but they are untested in clutch situations.

That's no issue....if Connor gets hurt, South Carolina will put Ellington under center and run the ball 87% of the time...what?

[uscnoklahoma]

#3. We are improved. Fact. Losing fitz wasn't a loss.

[Goofyboy]

I am concerned about the backup QB spot. If Connor gets hurt we have very little experience behind him. Connor's awesome but as much as he runs, I worry that he will get clobbered, and I hope our offense can withstand something like that. Not meant as a knock on the backup qb's but they are untested in clutch situations.

I hope we will be in position score-wise in the early games to get some work for backups at a number of key positions, most notably quarterback. Shaw has shown a number of times his perspective on his role by sliding and going OB when he could stretch some more yards out of a run. I worry most about a blindside hit on a dropback than a hit while running. He already knows his knees will be targeted. There are a couple of edgy teams who go for late hits and head shots apparently seeking damage. LSU comes to mind. Alabama did it a lot vs Arkansas last year, but only got flagged a couple of times.

[BeatBamaTwice]

Originally Posted by SC Sandlapper

I am concerned about the backup QB spot. If Connor gets hurt we have very little experience behind him. Connor's awesome but as much as he runs, I worry that he will get clobbered, and I hope our offense can withstand something like that. Not meant as a knock on the backup qb's but they are untested in clutch situations.

I suspect or at least hope that Conner spent a few hours analyzing the big hits he took last year and ways they might have been avoided. When you already have the first down it just isn't worth your season to risk clobberation for a few more.

[cockymac]

I am concerned about experience at the left and right tackle spots, as well as the receivers. Sanders will be good there, but the older receivers haven't been great, and the young guys will need a good 6 or 7 games before they get enough reps.

[SC Sandlapper]

Originally Posted by cockymac

I am concerned about experience at the left and right tackle spots, as well as the receivers. Sanders will be good there, but the older receivers haven't been great, and the young guys will need a good 6 or 7 games before they get enough reps.

Don't forget Ellington who has been clutch. Runs good routes, fast as hell, gets open, has good hands. I have hugely high hopes for KJ and Shaq but as you say it may take some time .

[GamecockMastermind]

Originally Posted by SC Sandlapper

Don't forget Ellington who has been clutch. Runs good routes, fast as hell, gets open, has good hands. I have hugely high hopes for KJ and Shaq but as you say it may take some time .

I expect Byrd to have a breakout year as well.. dont forget about mr speedy

[GH]

Originally Posted by Gamecock Stock

I am cautiously optimistic going into the 2012 football season. But, like there would be for any football program, there are concerns I have for Carolina football. They are:

1. Replacing Stephen Gilmore at CB. I'm not going to say that Gilmore was 100% perfect as a cover CB. But, he was good enough to be drafted in the first round. The thing that he brought to the table, in my opinion, was that he was a playmaker. He was always around the ball. He made things happen. Who can forget the blitz he put on Tajh Boyd in the opening of last year's clemson game? That hit rattled Boyd. From then on, Boyd folded like a cheap lawn chair for the rest of the game. I do think that we are in good shape with Auguste and Hampton manning the corners. But, what if one of them goes down? Yikes. I am not so sure about the quality of depth we have at CB.

2. Replacing the man who called the above-referenced blitz....Ellis Johnson as Defensive Coordinator. Some clemson fans claim that Johnson was the ONLY reason for our success the past few years. Can Lorenzo Ward get the job done as DC? He did a good job, I thought, against Nebraska in the Cap One Bowl. And Lorenzo did learn under 2 of the best DC's in the game....Johnson and Bud Foster. But, now, Ward is on his own. clemson fans played the Nebraska performance down by saying that Ward simply executed Ellis Johnson's game plan. Well, I don't know about that. But, still, I think Lorenzo has to prove himself over the course of a full football season. Ward's philosophy is a little different from Johnson's. Ward prefers to blitz more than Johnson does. When Ellis had us blitzing, it was a true surprise such as the opening blitz he called on Boyd in the clemson game.

3. Something that's not talked about much.....Joe Connally replacing Fitz as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator. Again, to hear clemson fans talk, many of their woes lays at the feet of Joey Batson, their S&C Coordinator. There's no doubt that Fitz did a great job for us in the 3 years he was at Carolina. He was very vocal, too, on the field. I know that Connally has a good background, good resume and that he worked closely with Fitz, who brought him to Carolina after having previously worked with him at Harvard. But, like Lorenzo, Joe is now on his own. Will he get the job done? We shall see. We shall see.

1) The secondary did pretty well this year and it was do to teams worrying about that front 4-7 guys. But Hampton, Legree, Holloman etc all had times when they got burned and other times when they came up with the interception, batted ball or strip we needed. They stayed on the receivers long enough most of the time to allow the line and lbs to put pressure on the qb.

2) Lorenzo Ward not only proved to be a good replacement for EJ but he had many fans wishing he'd been the DC sooner after the look of the defense this year. So Whammy as DC is gold and anyone who says otherwise will have to provide a stunning argument. This is no direspect at all to Ellis and I wish him (limited) luck as DC at Auburn University.

3) Joe probably didn't change much if anything at all from what the guys did. We have a team full of strong gladiators now and I would put our guys toe-to-toe with LSU and Alabama physically (maybe not so much Alabama). Your strength and conditioning program must be doing something right (or very, very wrong) if opposing teams think you are cheating because you are so big, fast and mean.