Swinney: Bentley is ‘such a great example to everybody on the team in being ready’

LaVonta Bentley found out during pregame warmups that he’d be starting. The hard-hitting redshirt sophomore linebacker was thrust into the starting lineup against Georgia Tech after Baylon Spector was ruled out due to knee inflammation. Talking with …

LaVonta Bentley found out during pregame warmups that he’d be starting.

The hard-hitting redshirt sophomore linebacker was thrust into the starting lineup against Georgia Tech after Baylon Spector was ruled out due to knee inflammation.

Talking with reporters during Tuesday’s media availability, Bentley admitted that Spector told him to be ready. According to Bentley, Spector was “shaky” about his status heading into the week, so Bentley prepared as he usually does.

“Knowing Spec, he be trying to push through all the small tweaks that you have,” Bentley said Tuesday. “We talk in the meeting room daily. So, we had a conversation about if someone goes down, then you gotta be ready. So, we just be on each other about knowing what to do when that time presents itself.”

Bentley took first-team reps in the week of practice leading up to Ga. Tech, just in case Spector wouldn’t be able to play through his injury. When Spector was unable to go, that opportunity presented itself to Bentley.

“It was very important,” Bentley said when asked about receiving first-team reps. “The standard is the same. It shouldn’t be no drop-off when one person or the starter goes down. That’s what I look up to. You need to be consistent, play a great game so we can win.”

Bentley racked up a team-high 13 tackles, including a team-high three tackles for loss and a sack, en route to being named the ACC Linebacker of the Week. His performance helped Clemson’s defense hold an opponent without an offensive touchdown for the third straight week.

“I would say it was great,” he said when asked to evaluate his performance during Saturday’s win. “Supposed to make those plays and things like that…I had said the week before what I should do if I go out there and get that opportunity to play a lot. How many tackles? Write it down. I know I had said like 15 tackles I’d try to get…It was just crazy how everything worked out.”

“LaVonta, he’s just such a great example to everybody on the team in being ready,” Dabo Swinney said Tuesday. “He’s a redshirt sophomore. He comes in redshirts, he’s got a lot to learn…He’s got veteran guys in front of him. I always say, what are you doing when nobody’s paying attention? What are you doing when nobody’s watching? Are you preparing for your opportunity? Or are you just distracted?

“LaVonta is one of those guys where every rep is his rep. That’s the mentality he’s always had. Every rep is his rep, whether he’s in there or not. He’s always listening. He’s always paying attention. He is about his business. He’s definitely one of the most respected guys on this team. He’s that way in the weight room. He’s that way with his academics. He’s that way with his meetings. He’s that way with his practice habits. He’s just an incredibly committed young man. And when you have that and you’re talented, it’s just a matter of time. What a great example of being ready…He’s one of those guys who stays ready.”

While Bentley has had to be patient and wait his turn, he’s had the opportunity to learn from two consummate professionals in Spector and James Skalski. Two guys who know the standard and are quite familiar with what it takes to see the field from a preparational standpoint. 

Who better for Bentley and his fellow linebackers to learn from?

“We always together. [When] practice is over with, we go up and watch film, Bentley said. “Making sure we know the little details about each play, what’s going on around us and then, they make sure that we know what’s going on. They know the playbook like the back of their hand, like a coach. They just help me and help the other linebackers that’s in the room.”

Bentley’s kept that next-man-up mentality, all while waiting in the wings. He said that it starts and ends with film study.

“Everything’s a process,” he added. “Stuff that we do off the field, not being in the room with Coach, just taking the time aside to study on your own. Have those guys like Spec and [Skalski], if I need something or need help on a play, I can go to ‘em and they’ll tell me right away. It’s just a little process just to know all those things and tackle it.”

Now, you may be asking yourself how a young man from Birmingham (Ala.) ended up at Clemson?

“I would say the family vibes that’s here,” Bentley said. “It’s just something different and also I wanted to get away from home. Bama’s like 45 minutes (away) and I just wanted to get outside, see things different. And, the coaches up here, they be real with me.”

Bentley was obviously recruited by both Alabama and Auburn. As a four-star recruit, he was ranked as the No. 16 inside linebacker and No. 10 prospect in the state of Alabama for the 2019 class, per the 247Sports Composite. While he grew up watching former Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster and emulates his playstyle, that didn’t keep Bentley from wanting to leave his home state.

He’s embraced the local atmosphere that Clemson has to offer and it’s paid off.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

The good, the bad and the ugly from Clemson’s escape of Georgia Tech

Clemson’s navigation of its ACC schedule got off to a white-knuckle start Saturday as the Tigers hung on for a 14-8 win over Georgia Tech at Memorial Stadium. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Tigers’ survival (not counting that 1-hour, …

Clemson’s navigation of its ACC schedule got off to a white-knuckle start Saturday as the Tigers hung on for a 14-8 win over Georgia Tech at Memorial Stadium. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Tigers’ survival (not counting that 1-hour, 52-minute weather delay).

The good

What can you say about the defense at this point? And, if you’re Clemson, how much more can you realistically ask of that group? The Tigers limited Tech to 2.7 yards per carry, 4.3 yards per play, got to Tech quarterback Jordan Yates for four sacks, pressured him countless other times and pitched another touchdown shutout on a day when they had to have it. Clemson is the only team in the Football Bowl Subdivision that still hasn’t allowed an opponent to reach the end zone.

Tech certainly had its chances. Three of the Yellow Jackets’ drives reached Clemson’s 5-yard line or deeper. They were turned away each time, none more timely than the Tigers holding on four straight plays from their 3 with less than 2 minutes left to keep Tech from potentially drawing even in what was an eight-point game at the time.

Clemson may also have more linebacker depth than it thought. The Tigers didn’t have Baylon Spector (knee inflammation) and played most of the game without another starting linebacker after Trenton Simpson was ejected for targeting late in the first half. But LaVonta Bentley filled in for Spector on the weak side and racked up a game-high 13 tackles (2.5 for a loss) and a sack.

And Will Shipley continued to make a strong case as the Tigers’ top running back. The freshman got more carries (21) than Kobe Pace and Lyn-J Dixon combined (12) in a game that was tightly contested throughout, an indication of what Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff think of Shipley’s talent and maturity. He scored Clemson’s only two touchdowns.

The bad

D.J. Uiagalelei wasn’t asked to do much in the passing game — and there’s certainly an argument to be made as to whether the Tigers should be doing more through the air — but the misfires on the mid-to-deep throws are starting to become a pattern for the sophomore quarterback.

Numbers-wise, Uiagalelei had his most efficient performance of the season by completing 72% of his passes (18 of 25), though almost of them were short to intermediate throws against a Tech defense that often dropped seven or eight defenders in coverage in an attempt to keep everything in front. But on the few shots Clemson did take down the field, whether they were deep crossing routes, seam routes or back-shoulder throws, Uiagalelei was well off the mark, something that’s going to have to change if the Tigers’ offense is going to reach its full potential at some point.

But on a night when the Yellow Jackets’ defense sagged off, it was a prime opportunity for Clemson to get its running game going, right? Eh.

While Shipley (4.2 yards per carry) and Uiagalelei (5.8) used speed, power and brute strength at times to turn what would’ve been short gainers into longer runs, Clemson averaged just 3.9 yards per carry as a team against a Tech defensive line that’s smaller than most it will go against this season and, again, a box that wasn’t all that crowded. In other words, the push from the offensive line was decent at best, which isn’t a great sign considering the Tigers will see better defenses in the future than what they saw Saturday.

The ugly

Swinney reiterated afterward that the Tigers are going to do whatever is needed to try to win each week, but there’s no identity to Clemson’s offense right now. The Tigers ran for 166 yards Saturday but needed 41 attempts to do it. In the opener against Georgia, Uiagalelei threw it nearly 40 times.

And the explosiveness for an offense that’s been among the most explosive in the country in recent years is sorely lacking. Uiagalelei’s longest completion went for 17 yards, and that was on a broken play where the quarterback found Pace out of the backfield for a catch-and-run first down in the first half. The Tigers’ longest run? 15 yards.

The Tigers also put the ball on the ground far too many times, which is starting to become an uncomfortable pattern. Clemson technically only had one turnover, but Uiagalelei’s fumble inside Tech’s 20-yard line early in the fourth quarter was a drive killer. It easily could’ve been more with the Tigers fumbling three other times, including one by Shipley in the shadow of his own end zone in the waning seconds of a one-possession game that nearly turned disastrous.

Of course, it was also a head-scratching coaching decision for the Tigers to still be lined up in the shotgun and start a play three yards deep in its own end zone in that situation.

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Swinney updates why Bentley played for Spector

Baylon Spector was expected to start up until pregame. Spector, Clemson’s starting weakside linebacker, started the Tiger’s first two games but was noticeably absent for the team’s first defensive possession of the game against Georgia Tech. He …

Baylon Spector was expected to start up until pregame.

Spector, Clemson’s starting weakside linebacker, started the Tiger’s first two games but was noticeably absent for the team’s first defensive possession of the game against Georgia Tech.

He didn’t have his helmet on the sideline, signaling that he wouldn’t be playing Saturday.

As Spector found himself unable to go due to injury, LaVonta Bentley stepped up and rose to the occasion. The redshirt sophomore linebacker recorded 13 total tackles (2.5 for loss) and a sack during Clemson’s 14-8 win over the Yellow Jackets.

“Lavnota Bentley had to step in, literally right after pre-game when we find out that Baylon’s not going to be able to go,” Swinney said postgame. “He had a flare-up, some inflammation on Thursday, but thought he was gonna be able to go. He came out after pregame and said he didn’t think he could do it.”

Swinney did not offer a timetable for Spector’s return.

Baylon Spector: Saturday night will be legendary

With the Border War game between Clemson and Georgia just days away, we started off the week hearing from one half of “The Bruise Brothers,” linebacker Baylon Spector. He kicked it off by sharing his excitement for the rivalry game in Bank of …

With the Border War game between Clemson and Georgia just days away, we started off the week hearing from one half of “The Bruise Brothers,” linebacker Baylon Spector.

He kicked it off by sharing his excitement for the rivalry game in Bank of America Stadium. For him, it’s not just a “border war,” but past family ties to the Bulldogs make this game more personal.

Spector admitted to not knowing too many players on Georgia’s roster but did have some comments about their running backs.

“All of them are very explosive, quick, downhill runners, great in the
passing game. They do everything they can…utilize their backs, as they should, they’re all great backs.”

Spector’s thoughts on seeing Derion Kendrick wearing the black and red instead of the orange on Saturday: “He’s a talented player, he’ll be a great key for them. He had a ton of strengths, a ton of talents. I know he’s excited to play us, as we are them.”

When asked if Kendrick’s knowledge on the way the Tigers operate will be an advantage, Spector said, “Kendrick isn’t too focused on what he’s bringing from one to the other. It’s definitely tough to flip-flop and just be there for the summer, but I think he’ll just be focused on himself.”

An expected star player in Saturday’s matchup is Bulldogs quarterback J.T. Daniels. Spector agrees he’s legit, he’s a Heisman contender and he’s accurate. He thinks Daniels’ experience and intelligence are all things that make him dangerous.

History shows both teams are great on the road and both fan bases bring the heat, but only one can win. Spector said it best, “Saturday is to be a legendary night.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

‘This could be a possible playoff matchup down the road’

It’s not uncommon for Power Five teams to ease into their schedule with an opponent or two they know they can physically overwhelm. And while that usually guarantees wins early on, beating inferior opponents by four or five touchdowns doesn’t …

It’s not uncommon for Power Five teams to ease into their schedule with an opponent or two they know they can physically overwhelm. And while that usually guarantees wins early on, beating inferior opponents by four or five touchdowns doesn’t exactly give the victors the most accurate assessment of where they are in terms of their strengths and weaknesses.

Clemson doesn’t have to worry about that this season.

“This could be a possible playoff matchup down the road,” Clemson guard Will Putnam said.

Clemson and Georgia both have those aspirations, and one of them will get an immediate boost to their College Football Playoff resume when they meet Saturday in the marquee matchup of college football’s opening weekend. With the Tigers having made six straight trips to the CFP and Georgia having made two CFP appearances under Kirby Smart, the matchup of preseason top-5 teams could pit the best collection of talent and athleticism that either team will see all season against each other off the rip.

“I think it’s no-nonsense,” fellow offensive lineman Matt Bockhorst said. “Let’s spot the ball and play. I don’t like having a false sense of security and then getting exposed. Let’s just spot the ball and play, and let’s see if we’re about it.”

Clemson’s offense is ushering in a new era with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, the ACC’s all-time leading rusher, off to the NFL. Yet quarterback D.J. Uiagalalei is already generating buzz as a Heisman Trophy candidate after excelling in the two spot starts he made as a true freshman last season against Boston College and Notre Dame.

Meanwhile, J.T. Daniels is set to take over behind center at Georgia on a full-time basis for the first time after transferring from Southern Cal following the 2019 season. A former five-star recruit himself, Daniels was the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback for the last four games last season and threw for more than 400 yards in Georgia’s Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati.

But perhaps the biggest reason expectations are still high for both teams heading into the new season is the opposition that each offense goes up against in practice each day. Clemson, which has all but one regular starter back on defense, is led by one of the deepest, most experienced defensive lines in the country, which includes All-America candidate Bryan Bresee in the middle. Georgia also has a wealth of experience on defense headlined by an All-America candidate of its own at nose tackle, senior Jordan Davis.

Some of the matchups within the matchup? Clemson’s top-25 passing attack from a season ago against Georgia’s 88th-ranked pass defense. Clemson’s 15th-ranked run defense against the Bulldogs’ 56th-ranked rush offense (which has its top three running backs returning in Zamir White, James Cook and Kendall Milton). And Clemson’s 75th-ranked rush offense against a Georgia run defense that’s been the best in the country the last two seasons.

“This is a playoff-caliber game, 100%,” linebacker Baylon Spector said. “And I think that’s what makes it so exciting for the first game of the year.”

As for the playoff chances for the loser, recent history has shown they won’t completely evaporate. Just last season, Clemson lost to Notre Dame during the regular season before getting into the playoff as a one-loss ACC champion. Georgia was blown out at Auburn in 2017 but still won the SEC title that season and advanced to the CFP championship game.

The margin of error, though, would decrease dramatically, particularly if it’s the Tigers who come up on the short end. Unless one of Clemson’s ACC opponents — say an N.C. State, Pittsburgh or Boston College — cracks the top 25 by the time those games roll around, the Tigers won’t play another ranked team until a potential ACC championship game matchup.

Who knows? Maybe these teams will meet again in four months. Regardless of the outcome of this one, though, Clemson is guaranteed to have a pretty good gauge of what’s going well and where it needs to improve on its quest to get back to the CFP once again.

“Everything is going to be put to the test,” Putnam said. “This is a heavyweight matchup. Some people might be kind of timid and kind of looking at this like, man, we’re coming out of the gate against a really good team. But I do think I can speak for everyone else in that we’re genuinely very excited to play a great opponent coming out of the gate because we’ll know kind of what we’re made of.

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Clemson-Georgia ‘huge rivalry’ for the Spector family

Baylon Spector grew up hearing the lore of the Clemson-Georgia rivalry from his father Robbie who played for the Danny Ford in the late 1980s. In those days the Tigers met the Bulldogs on the gridiron more frequently and now the matchups between the …

Baylon Spector grew up hearing the lore of the Clemson-Georgia rivalry from his father Robbie who played for the Danny Ford in the late 1980s.

In those days the Tigers met the Bulldogs on the gridiron more frequently and now the matchups between the regional rivals are few and far between.

But Spector knows the importance of Saturday’s game for fans of both programs.

“Being so close it definitely means something to both states,” Spector said. “He (Robbie) did talk about the intensity every year playing them and is super excited and always looked forward to it. I don’t know why they got away from it but I’m glad it’s back.”

Not only does the game mean more to Spector because of his Clemson ties but it also carries weight because of familial ties to the Bulldogs.

The graduate linebacker’s first cousin, Kris Durham, played wide receiver for Georgia from 2006-10 before he was picked up by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Durham finished a successful college career in red and black with 64 catches for 1,109 yards and four touchdowns.

“It’s very exciting, I grew up dreaming of these situations and games,” Spector said. “I had family that played for Georgia so I’m super excited that’s all I can say.”

The Calhoun, Georgia native said there has been no family trash talk as of Monday but expects a call or text from Durham before the Tigers take the field against his alma mater on Saturday.

“He hasn’t hit me up about it actually, but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t this week he probably will,” Spector said.

Spector wishes the two teams played more frequently and recalled conversations with his dad about the 11-year war. For him the game between Clemson and Georgia is definitely a rivalry game.

“He talked about it a good bit and it’s a huge rivalry even though we don’t play each other every year,” he said.

Clemson opens the season with the Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

A closer look: Clemson’s LBs vs. Georgia’s TEs/RBs

With Clemson’s mammoth opener against Georgia just a weeks away, The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at some of the position matchups that could go a long way in determining the outcome of that Sept. 4 clash at Bank of America Stadium in …

With Clemson’s mammoth opener against Georgia just a weeks away, The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at some of the position matchups that could go a long way in determining the outcome of that Sept. 4 clash at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Next up is Clemson’s linebackers against Georgia’s tight ends and running backs. TCI previously analyzed matchups between the Tigers’ offensive line and the Bulldogs’ defensive front (and vice versa) and Clemson’s receivers against Georgia’s secondary.

Note: If only one number is listed in parentheses beside a player’s name, that means that player hasn’t started a game. The number listed is how many career games he has played. If no numbers are listed for a player, he has yet to play a game.

Clemson’s projected starting linebackers

WLB Baylon Spector, Sr (42 games played, 11 starts)

MLB James Skalski, Sr (56, 25)

SLB Trenton Simpson, Soph (12, 3) and/or Malcolm Greene, Soph (12, 3)

Like most positions on the Tigers’ depth chart, the linebackers are loaded with experience. 

Spector is a fifth-year senior, Simpson is a former five-star prospect who got a handful of starts on the strong side last season, and Skalski is the heart and soul of Clemson’s defense in the middle. The sixth-year senior (the Tigers have two of those on defense this season) has played 1,222 career snaps and the ninth-most games in ACC history. Nobody in league history has played in more league championship games (5) than him.

With 335 career tackles between them, Skalski and Spector have earned the Bruise Brothers moniker from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. There’s little doubt as to the duo’s knowledge, aggressiveness and toughness, particularly when playing downhill against the run. Simpson showed flashes of his raw athleticism and instincts as a newcomer last season with 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

The need for improvement with the linebackers is covering tight ends in the middle of the field and running backs out of the backfield in space, which would go a long way in helping the Tigers improve their pass defense overall. It wasn’t that Clemson was bad in that department last season — the Tigers allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the ACC (214.2 per game) — but they struggled with it against better competition.

It certainly helped that Boston College (Phil Jurkovec), Notre Dame (Ian Book) and Ohio State (Justin Fields) had quarterbacks that have already been or will be taken in the NFL Draft, but those teams combined for 1,122 passing yards against Clemson. The tight ends’ receiving stats in those four games? 23 catches, 280 yards, 3 TDs.

Georgia’s projected starting tight end and running back

TE John FitzPatrick, Jr (23, 6) and/or Brock Bowers, Fr

RB Zamir White, Jr (23, 11) or James Cook, Sr (35, 3) (16 rec last two seasons each, No. 4 rec last season) or Kendall Milton, Soph (7, 1)

Georgia is big and fast at the tight end position. The good news for Clemson is the Bulldogs won’t be quite as big and fast as they usually are there.

Former five-star recruit Arik Gilbert transferred in from LSU during the offseason. The 6-foot-5, 248-pounder could’ve lined up at receiver, tight end or really anywhere on the field. Darnell Washington is another potential mismatch for Georgia at the position at 6-7 and 265 pounds.

But neither is likely to play against Clemson. Gilbert hasn’t been with the team this summer after recently taking a personal leave of absence that he’s yet to return from, and Washington sustained a foot injury during fall camp that required surgery. That leaves the Bulldogs with John FitzPatrick and true freshman Brock Bowers as the most likely contributors for now.

FitzPatrick also has plenty of size at 6-7 and 250 pounds, but with just 11 career receptions, the junior is more in the mold of an in-line blocking tight end. Bowers, a four-star signee out of Napa, California, is more of a flex tight end and receiving threat but has yet to play a collegiate snap.

With White, Cook, Milton and Kenny McIntosh at running back, Georgia may be the deepest it’s been since the Todd Gurley-Nick Cubb-Sony Michel trio Clemson got an up-close look at in 2013 and 2014. Cook, perhaps the most versatile of the group, was the Bulldogs’ fourth-leading receiver last season.

The matchup

Gilbert and Washington are almost certainly out for this game, and even FitzPatrick was dinged up a bit during camp. So what does Georgia’s implementation of its available tight ends in the passing game even look like at this point?

Maybe the Bulldogs still try to find mismatches using FitzPatrick’s height. And word out of Georgia is the Bulldogs’ coaching staff is high on Bowers, but do they trust him enough to immediately put him on the field for significant snaps, particularly if he has to help try to block Clemson’s defensive line?

Georgia could also go with more four-receiver sets (though the Bulldogs are dealing with injuries at that position, too) or use its running backs more as pass-catchers, which is a matchup Ohio State exploited against Clemson last season with Trey Sermon, who had four catches for 61 yards in the Buckeyes’ Sugar Bowl win.

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables could choose to counter with more zone coverage, and if the Tigers’ pass rush can create consistent pressure on Georgia quarterback J.T. Daniels, that would help protect the second and third levels. Clemson needs its linebackers to be better in coverage, but if the Bulldogs do try to get more receivers and backs involved, don’t be surprised to see Simpson and Greene, the Tigers’ nickelback, on the field at the same time often to better match Georgia’s personnel moves.

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

 

Don’t forget about this ‘baller’ in Clemson’s linebacker corps

James Skalski and Baylon Spector have gotten plenty of attention during fall camp. Given their experience and their availability – neither one was during the spring – it’s easy to understand why. To call Clemson’s veteran linebackers the leaders of …

James Skalski and Baylon Spector have gotten plenty of attention during fall camp. Given their experience and their availability — neither one was during the spring — it’s easy to understand why.

To call Clemson’s veteran linebackers the leaders of the group would be an understatement. Sixth-year and fifth-year seniors, respectively, Skalski and Spector have a combined nine years of experience at the collegiate level and have gained the affectionate nickname, the Bruise Brothers, from head coach Dabo Swinney over that time.

It can be easy to forget there’s a third starter at the second level of the defense, too. That designation belongs to Trenton Simpson, a 6-foot-3, 225-pounder that may be the most athletic of the bunch at the Sam linebacker spot.

Doing things right in camp are expected from players as seasoned as Skalski and Spector are. But Swinney said Simpson has been on his game, too, over the last few weeks.

“He’s a baller,” Swinney said of Simpson. “He’s still a young player and obviously made some great strides for us last year. You just notice him all the time.”

Simpson was the most sought-after of the three on the recruiting trail. A five-star prospect in last year’s recruiting cycle, Simpson originally committed to Auburn before backing off that pledge and eventually signing with the Tigers.

The Charlotte native played in all 12 games as a freshman and started three of them, flashing the kind of playmaking ability he’s capable of whether  helping in run support or rushing the passer. He finished with 32 tackles and four sacks, tying the likes of William Perry and Shaq Lawson for the third-most sacks ever by a Clemson true freshman.

He’s also got the speed to make him a three-down linebacker that doesn’t always have to come off the field in passing situations. There’s still work to do for Simpson to round himself into a more polished product at the collegiate level, but the youngster isn’t any less important to Clemson’s defense than the veterans lining up beside him.

“You’d like to see him be a little more detailed in certain areas, but he’s one of those guys that covers up mistakes,” Swinney said. “Just a tremendous young prospect that is going to keep getting better.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Clemson’s marquee opener brings ‘different focus’ to camp

Baylon Spector downplayed his answer. As much as he could, at least. Like any team, Clemson’s senior linebacker acknowledged the fact that winning the opener is one of the Tigers’ goals every season. Clemson wants to prepare for every opponent the …

Baylon Spector downplayed his answer. As much as he could, at least.

Like any team, Clemson’s senior linebacker acknowledged the fact that winning the opener is one of the Tigers’ goals every season. Clemson wants to prepare for every opponent the same, he said. 

“But we’re excited for sure,” Spector said.

Truth is, the Tigers’ titanic clash with Georgia on Sept. 4 isn’t just any opener, which is why some players believe it’s helped Clemson keep its collective focus high amid the dog days of fall camp. The number of weeks left before arguably the Tigers’ most important game of the season is quickly dwindling as Clemson approaches the midway point of its final week of camp.

Sure, there’s a certain level of focus and excitement for players at the start of every season regardless of the opponent, but senior Nolan Turner said playing a fellow Power Five team of Georgia’s caliber takes all of that to another level.

“A team and a program like Georgia definitely brings a different mindset and a different focus,” the Tigers’ sixth-year safety said. “It’s something to kind of motivate you through the summer and seeing that picture of what it’s going to look like.”

Not since a 19-13 win at Auburn in 2016 has Clemson started a season against a Power Five opponent, and that Auburn team wasn’t ranked. With Clemson sitting at No. 2 and No. 3 in the preseason coaches and AP polls, respectively, and Georgia ranked no lower than fifth, the Tigers and Bulldogs have a consensus top-5 matchup awaiting them at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

And when it comes to trying to get back to the College Football Playoff, one could easily argue there’s more at stake for Clemson.

Georgia figures to get multiple shots at ranked teams this season, including their annual Jacksonville meeting with Florida, a preseason top-15 team. Meanwhile, only two other ACC teams, Miami and North Carolina, appeared in the preseason polls, and Clemson wouldn’t play either one until a potential matchup in the ACC championship game.

Maybe it changes depending on the kind of seasons teams like N.C. State (14 votes in the preseason AP poll) and Boston College (five votes) end up having. But, for now, Georgia is the only ranked team on Clemson’s schedule. 

Beat Georgia, and Clemson has a marquee win right off the bat that it can keep in its back pocket. Lose, and the Tigers likely have no margin for error the rest of the way when it comes to trying to reach the CFP for the seventh straight year.

Whether it’s producing a sharper focus, more excitement or a combination of the two, the Tigers know the start that’s looming is different.

“I think, for the most part, we’re just all excited just to be able to play our first game,” quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei said. “Then knowing we have a quality opponent in Georgia, a high-caliber team, I think that just makes it that much more fun going through fall camp.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Spector excited for a taste of home on Sept 4

Clemson opens up its season on September 4 th with what many consider to be one of the top matchups this fall in Georgia, but for Baylon Spector, the game is a little more personal. The linebacker who hails from Calhoun, Ga, knows a thing or two …

Clemson opens up its season on September 4th with what many consider to be one of the top matchups this fall in Georgia, but for Baylon Spector, the game is a little more personal.

The linebacker who hails from Calhoun, Ga, knows a thing or two about the Tigers first opponent. With both friends and family who call themselves Bulldogs, Spector has experienced some preseason jabs and while it’s all love, he is excited to show the world what his Tigers are made of come game day in Bank of America Stadium.

“Being from Georgia, a ton of my buddies go to school there,” Spector said. “I have a cousin that played there, my family has Georgia fans in it, so a ton of people that I know.”

“It’s exciting, like a jab here, jab there, it is what it is. Just between me and my buddies, nothing personal, just having fun with it.”

Spector is not only excited to face his home state of Georgia, but he’s also ready to show off the experience and depth this year’s defense brings when faced with a very physically tough Georgia squad.

“I’m going to say knowledge and then just from last year, we came out and kind of got embarrassed,” Spector said. “We were out-physicaled last year and just reinstating who we are and coming out for this upcoming game, first game of the season. We’re excited and we know they’re a tough opponent, they’re going to be great, they’re going to be ready, but it gives us confidence and knowledge and dudes that are coming back hungry.”

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