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Brian_Goodison | August 26, 2014

2014 Clemson Football Season Preview

2014 Season PreviewThe staff of Shakin' the Southland previews the entire fall.
An Introduction Brian_Goodison

The first article in our day long preview of Clemson Football. Check out what it is all about.

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An Introduction Brian_Goodison

Today we are releasing our season preview. It is something the writing staff here at STS has been working on for the past month and I think y'all will enjoy it. Normally a season preview is one article. It is a bit longer, maybe a few videos or images, possibly even some tables with data. Usually a preview will talk about strengths, weaknesses, and looming questions. It is a 30 minute morsel compared to your normal 15 minute bite. Tasty, but still over quickly.

Instead of this we are giving you a full day of previewing Clemson football, one article every hour for the rest of the day. It is an idea I first saw at the SB Nation site for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Behind the Steel Curtain. From there I adapted it to use over at Royal Blue Mersey, and today I’m excited to bring the format over to STS.

What can you expect today? We’ve got position breakdowns for every spot on offense and defense. Quarterbacks, running backs, defensive line, linebackers, and everything in between will be covered. If you don’t know much about that backup linebacker who redshirted last year we are going to give you a little bit of knowledge, perfect for impressing the girls at your tailgate.

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Tight Ends chsmithjr

We preview the tight ends, the most important position in Clemson's offense.

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Tight Ends chsmithjr

Tight ends play a complex and important role in modern offenses. This is even more true in Chad Morris’ "smashmouth spread." They are an integral part of the blocking scheme on runs and a dangerous weapon in the passing attack. Before we get into this year's TE lineup, let's first take a look at what role the position plays in Chad Morris' offensive gameplan.

For an example of how important the tight end is in Clemson’s running game, consider one common play call–the power-read. This play is often run from one of Chad’s favorite formations, the pistol formation with the TE lined up on the hip of the tackle as an H-back. The TE is typically responsible for the defensive end on this play. If the defensive end crashes down, the TE can block down, sealing the corner, allowing the pulling guard to lead the running back outside, or the TE can get into the second level to take on a LB. If the defensive end stays home, the TE blocks him out and the pulling guard leads the back inside the TE and through the line. Since Clemson rarely uses a traditional fullback, on many runs, such as this one, the TE will fill the role of lead blocker.

To get an idea of the tight end’s role in the passing game, let’s look at the numbers put up by TEs over the four seasons Chad Morris has been calling plays at the college level.

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Offensive Line Metal Tiger

Here we look at how the 2014 Clemson offensive line unit shapes up for the season.

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Offensive Line Metal Tiger

So the O-line loses arguably our best offensive lineman in the past decade (there are some other good ones, but I'm basing this off draft position) in Brandon Thomas. We also lose Tyler Shately to graduation, but that could be a blessing in disguise as Ol' Stone Feet wasn't near Brandon Thomas's caliber. Additional losses include Patrick DeStefano and Gif Timothy, but since these losses were early last year, it doesn’t really mean we lose much from the on the field product that we saw towards the end of last season. We recently found out that Shaq Anthony is transferring out of the program.

As far as the effect these losses have on the current season though, it affects us in two ways. The most important being depth at tackle, a point which you will probably hear me groan a lot about this year, especially if things go South on the injury front. Secondly, it will affect how we pass block and how we run scheme. Our right side will greatly depend on how well Joe Gore takes to the spot. If he struggles, it will be a LONG season. The loss of Shately opens up a lot of different guard combos, most of which will probably serve to be more athletic than our departed cinder block. In other words, a more athletic interior but with a slimmer depth at tackle this year with a potential for a right tackle that resembles a turn style.

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Quarterbacks MarkGordon

Clemson fans find themselves in a position that they have not been in for quite a long time: searching for a new quarterback.

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Quarterbacks MarkGordon

It's hard to believe that the last time the Tigers were in this situation was the departure of Kyle Parker after the 2010 season. Some fans find the quarterback search full of excitement and possibilities, where I tend to find it more comparable to an ice cream headache. The good news for Tiger fans (and my stomach) is that Clemson has capable signal callers on the roster, capable of filling in a pair of giant shoes left by departing Senior Tajh Boyd. Let's take a look at the 2014 Clemson Quarterbacks and what we can expect.

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Running Backs ClemsonFlinn

Here is a preview on what to expect from the running backs of the 2014 Clemson Tigers.

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Running Backs ClemsonFlinn

After losing leading rusher Roderick McDowell, the Tigers still return a deep stable of talented yet unproven running backs. Returning players include Senior D.J. Howard, Juniors C.J. Davidson and Zac Brooks, Redshirt Freshmen Wayne Gallman and Tyshon Dye, and True Freshmen Adam Choice and C.J. Fuller. The offense is expected to rely on the running game this year with the loss of a number of key offensive players as well as the lack of depth on the offensive line. Running Backs coach Tony Elliott wants to have a strong "stable" of running backs this year. He compared his desired "stable" to that of Alabama that has had its fair share of productive running backs over the last decade.

While it is currently a toss-up at the running back position, here is the current pecking order for the running game.

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Wide Receivers JayIngles

Clemson's wide receivers are a major question mark entering the 2014 season.

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Wide Receivers JayIngles

Since Chad Morris’ arrival on campus three years ago, the Clemson passing attack has run like a well-oiled machine and helped catapult several talented Tiger receivers into the high-paying ranks of the NFL – leading some to begin referring to the school as "Wide Receiver U." While it may take a few more wide-outs putting up eye-popping numbers for that moniker to be truly legitimate, there’s no question that elite playmakers on the outside has been a staple of the Clemson offense since 2011.

2014, however, brings the first season since that first one under Morris that there is true uncertainty at the wide receiver position. There are returning players who have had some success, but the looming lack of a primary pass-catching target has many fans worried, and rightfully so. Clemson has eight scholarship receivers on the roster, but half are true freshmen. This young corps will have to grow up fast in order to help out quarterback Cole Stoudt and keep the Tigers’ offense from suffering a drop-off after a torrid three-year stretch. With that said, let’s take a look at the Clemson wide receivers:

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Offensive X's & O's Metal Tiger

Taking a look at Clemson's offense this season and how their strategy could change based on personnel and their opponents.

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Offensive X's & O's Metal Tiger

Key Losses: Tahj Boyd, Sammy Watkins, Martavis Bryant, Roderick McDowell, Zac Brooks (for one year), Tyler Shately, Shaq Anthony (not from a talent standpoint but a depth one), Brandon Thomas, and Darrell Smith. (We can also include Giff Timothy and Patrick DeStefano but these losses were already known).

Key Additions: WR Artavis Scott, WR Demare Kitt, WR Kyrin Priester, RB Adam Choice, WR Trevion Thompson, and TE Milan Richard…….oh yeah and QB Deshaun Watson (ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN).

The 2014 Clemson offense will have a much, much different look to it compared to last 2 years. And yes, it is mostly due to the fact that we have lost Mr. Watkins, Mr. Boyd, and Mr. Bryant. Granted we have lost many other key contributors in between but, these guys were the key to playing the ball downfield for explosive plays. Tahj had the arm strength and deep ball placement to hit guys in stride 40+ down the field, and Sammy and Martavis were able to outrun 99.99% of people playing football. This was a deadly combo.

This year, expect a lot more methodical drives that take up 12, 14, hell even up to 18 plays. I do not expect us to be as explosive as the previous season, but I do expect us to be much more efficient in moving the ball in smaller pieces. Also, if Cole can keep up the break neck pace that he had when he came into games last year, we could see this offense run even faster. (Please, do not take this as a guarantee, as I am just a lowly sports fan and not a gypsy.)

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Defensive Line Matt_Goldin

Clemson's d-line looks to be a strength of the 2014 team.

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Defensive Line Matt_Goldin

Defensive Ends: Clemson is bringing back a stable full of talented DE's. So much that it's a shame that we can only play 2 at a time. Clemson's pass rush game will be nasty. I'm looking forward to seeing some third and longs where our guys just pin their ears back and come full on at the QB. I want to see our guys play disciplined and keep the contain as well. Against Sakerlina, our guys did a good job on keeping Mike Davis contained, but Connor Shaw was able to evade the pocket and hurt us with big plays. Our play against mobile QB's used to be abysmal, but under Venerables, it has drastically improved. Hopefully we see even more improvement against Jameis Winston in week 3. Our key ends are:

Vic Beasley #3, Senior, Adairsville, Ga, 6-3 235: Arguably the best defensive end in college football this year. "The Beast" racked up 12 sacks in 14 games last year. His fumble recovery in the second half of the Boston College game turned the tide to keep the Tigers undefeated and in the top 10. Compared to the likes of Da'Quan Bowers and the late Gaines Adams, Vic is a little undersized, but has combated that with his speed and athleticism. Beasley turned down NFL money for one more year in Tiger Town, and should be rewarded by being a first round pick in next year's draft. Despite switching positions multiple times before his sophomore year and being under the radar before his Junior year, Vic has found his home at end and proved the doubters wrong countless times. Personally, I love watching a fellow Northwest Georgia boy succeed, but even more when it is a stand up guy like Vic.

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Linebackers c_craft

Clemson appears to be entering a Renaissance on the defensive side of the ball, especially the men on the second level.

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Linebackers c_craft

I was able to enjoy some of the greatest defenses in Clemson history as I rose up through middle school into high school. Those teams were usually defined by a stable of linebackers that were the envy of just about every college program in the country. Henry Walls, Terrence Mack, Jesse Hatcher, Ed McDaniel, Doug Brewster, John Johnson, Levon Kirkland, Ashley Sheppard, and Wayne Simmons were household names with Clemson fans. When Tommy Bowden got the job at Clemson, he reflected on facing the Tigers during those days and said, "You would come to the stadium in two buses but would leave in a bus and two ambulances." The program was still able to pull in some top flight linebackers during the 90s like Anthony Simmons, Rahim Abdullah, Wardell Rouse, and Keith Adams, but the depth had eroded. By the time 2005 came along, Leroy Hill was the last of what could be considered the great Clemson linebackers. Anthony Waters had a chance but a knee injury in the first game of 2006 derailed him. Some of the more talented Tiger linebackers, like current NFL backer Kavell Conner, were sometimes misused to the point that we didn't know just how good they were. Conner played like 3 snaps against Middle Tennessee State in 2009! The Kevin Steele era was a forgettable one from a linebacker perspective, and some of the worst defensive performances of that time (see GT games, West Virginia game) featured egregious mistakes from the linebacker position.

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Defensive Backs TheKraken and Brian_Goodison

We preview Clemson's secondary and hope they are poised for some real improvement this year.

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Defensive Backs TheKraken and Brian_Goodison

After an abysmal 2012, Clemson's secondary showed some improvement in 2013. While there were still some glaring problems, such as inability to tackle properly or a basic understanding of 9th grade geometry, they were able to prevent things from getting too ugly. The real problems came on giving up the big plays (takes big sip of bourbon), hopefully that changes this year.

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Howard's Talk: A Clemson Podcast Brian_Goodison

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Howard's Talk: A Clemson Podcast Brian_Goodison

I've been teasing this for a few weeks, and I am excited to announce the debut of an STS Podcast, Howard's Talk. We hope for this to become a weekly event breaking down each game as well as looking towards the future. Hopefully we can talk about breaking news, look at recruiting, and everything in between. If we're lucky we may even be able to accept callers and have some fun.

For the first episode I was joined by Metal Tiger to preview the season. We ran through the positions and offered some overall thoughts on the year, possibly even cracked a few jokes. Because football is finally here, we also took some time to talk about the Clemson-UGA game. Finally we answered some reader questions, a big thanks to everyone that asked and we'll probably continue the mailbag as part of the weekly podcast.

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Special Teams Spencer York

Like the other units on the 2014 team, the Special Teams unit has some questions to answer this year.

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Special Teams MarkGordon

Special teams are sometimes the most overlooked part of a game but they can often times be the most important. For example, bad special teams play cost Alabama a shot at a national title this year and good special teams play almost provided Auburn with a victory over FSU. A team can gain or lose "hidden yardage" in special teams that doesn't really show up in the box score. Clemson special teams have been hit or miss the past few years, and like the Tiger offense and defense, there are some key departures but also key returnees. Jay Ingles already wrote a great outlook earlier in the summer, so I will add on to some of what he discussed.

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Visiting Clemson Spencer York

Inside we look at places to stay, eat, drink, and tailgate in Clemson if you're in town for a visit.

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Visiting Clemson Spencer York

you're coming to Clemson for the first time? Well hopefully this small guide here will be able to help you out on your stay, whether you're an opposing fan, or a neutral just checking out a game. Inside are places to eat, bars to drink at, places to stay, tailgating and parking info, etc.

So lets say you're coming into town for a game and you need a place to stay. You have multiple options in Clemson, Seneca, Anderson, Easley, and Greenville.

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Great Expectations Brian_Goodison

Our writers give their own expectations for Clemson football this year.

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Great Expectations Brian_Goodison

It wouldn't be a season preview without looking at our expectations for this season of Clemson football. But rather than roll out a single article with our expectations as an entire site, I've put the question to our entire staff and asked for their thoughts. What follows is the expectations from each writer. As you'll see we have a decent variety of opinions based on the question of what needs to happen for you to be happy with Clemson's season.

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Clemson Season Predictions Brian_Goodison

Our writing staff makes their predictions on Clemson's W/L record.

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Clemson Season Predictions Brian_Goodison

We've already laid out our season expectations for Clemson, and now our entire writing staff is making their predictions for what will actually happen. Below you'll see everyone's record predictions as well as who they think Clemson will lose to.

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Expected Wins Ryan Kantor

Clemson's d-line looks to be a strength of the 2014 team.

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Expected Wins Ryan Kantor

Defensive Ends: Clemson is bringing back a stable full of talented DE's. So much that it's a shame that we can only play 2 at a time. Clemson's pass rush game will be nasty. I'm looking forward to seeing some third and longs where our guys just pin their ears back and come full on at the QB. I want to see our guys play disciplined and keep the contain as well. Against Sakerlina, our guys did a good job on keeping Mike Davis contained, but Connor Shaw was able to evade the pocket and hurt us with big plays. Our play against mobile QB's used to be abysmal, but under Venerables, it has drastically improved. Hopefully we see even more improvement against Jameis Winston in week 3. Our key ends are:

Vic Beasley #3, Senior, Adairsville, Ga, 6-3 235: Arguably the best defensive end in college football this year. "The Beast" racked up 12 sacks in 14 games last year. His fumble recovery in the second half of the Boston College game turned the tide to keep the Tigers undefeated and in the top 10. Compared to the likes of Da'Quan Bowers and the late Gaines Adams, Vic is a little undersized, but has combated that with his speed and athleticism. Beasley turned down NFL money for one more year in Tiger Town, and should be rewarded by being a first round pick in next year's draft. Despite switching positions multiple times before his sophomore year and being under the radar before his Junior year, Vic has found his home at end and proved the doubters wrong countless times. Personally, I love watching a fellow Northwest Georgia boy succeed, but even more when it is a stand up guy like Vic.

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Fall Camp Notes & The Clemson Athletic D QuackingTiger

A few tidbits from Fall Camp plus a look at the media lock down coming from the Clemson AD.

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Fall Camp Notes & The Clemson Athletic D QuackingTiger

I am surprised I have not seen any push back from the media folks connected to Clemson University. But, then again, I'm really not that surprised. This fall camp has been the most locked down camp in perhaps the entire history of Clemson athletics and Clemson football. You won't read about this from other outlets because they are afraid of losing what little access they have right now. If you have been to the newly revamped Clemson Athletics site they are masterfully using story streams to give you their controlled version of practices and Clemson news. This is by design as the AD becomes a one-stop shop for all things Clemson sports and media.

Let me be clear, I don't fault the Clemson AD and if I was in their position I would be doing the exact same thing. Bring everything in-house and build your own media empire and brand from within so you completely control the message and the access. We don't even have Don Munson to kick around anymore (who would have thought we would be missing his voice giving us practice reports?). One PAW Drill video this year and I was surprised we even got that.

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Designers Josh Laincz, Georgia CowleyDeveloper Josh LainczProducer Luke ZimmermannSpecial Thanks Chris Mottram

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