Tag: clemson tigers football

2020 NFL draft: K’Von Wallace scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Clemson safety K’Von Wallace

K’Von Wallace | S | Clemson

Elevator Pitch

Wallace is a big time striker from the safety position. He is at his best when he is in run support and blitzing from his safety spot. When he is around the line of scrimmage he can make plays one on one as he is a fearsome hitter. Don’t discount his ball skills, he can create interceptions as well.

Vitals

Height | 5-11

Weight | 206

Class | Senior

College Stats

College Bio

Strengths

Wallace is at his best when flying downhill. He provides some pass rush ability as a blitzer off the edge or right up the middle. Too quick for most offensive lineman to pick up. He is a striker when comes to attacking the ball carrier. Can really leave a pop on ball carriers.

Wallace can play coverage as well. Will click and close from his safety position very quickly. Does a better job in zone than man coverage due to his ability to read the quarterback. Does possess ball skills and has the athleticism to bring it all the way back.

He is a versatile defender who can play from several different positions. At Clemson played some nickel cornerback, free and strong safety. This allows a defense to confuse the quarterback with his ability to move from spot to spot. Shows a good football IQ.

Weaknesses

Wallace’s lack of size can be a detriment against more physical wide receivers and tight ends. Not a guy you want covering them especially in man coverage as he can get bodied and doesn’t possess ideal length and size to combat it. He is easily beat on quicker receivers without the speed or quickness to recover.

Inconsistent as a tackler, can come in too high which allows the ball carrier to fend him off with strength. Working deep coverage is also a problem for Wallace. He can be a bit aggressive and will bite on double moves in hopes of jumping the route. While he has some ball skills, he will miss some opportunities.

Projection: 3rd-4th Round

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2020 NFL draft: Tee Higgins scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Clemson wide receiver prospect Tee Higgins

Tee Higgins | WR | Clemson

Elevator Pitch

Higgins was a highly productive receiver for the Clemson Tigers over the last two seasons. Catching 59 passes in each year for a total of 2,103 yards and 26 total touchdowns. Higgins will look to be a big play receiver at the next level with his ability to win contested catches.

Vitals

Height | 6-4

Weight | 216

Class | Junior

College Stats

College Bio

Combine Profile

Strengths

One of the biggest strengths for Higgins is his ability to win the contested throws. He has soft hands that allows him to bring in almost any throw and catches outside of his frame pose no problems for Higgins. Uses his height and length well when going up for the ball, high points it well. Most contested catches are 50/50 but for him its more like 80/20. Great body control when in flight.

He provides position flexibility in that he can play from all three wide receiver spots on the field. His long speed can cause fits for defenders when he gets behind the defense. Really does well in tracking the ball on deep throws.

Higgins shows the ability to be a good yards after the catch runner if he is hit in stride. Doesn’t have great short area quickness that allows him to start and stop but he is known to make a house call on deep throws. Uses his long strides well to pick up speed and challenge defenders in open space.

Weaknesses

His frame allows him to add bulk to the upper body and that will be key for him in the NFL. Needs to get stronger to deal with more physical corners who can knock him off his route. Also will help with blocking, he does use his length well but bigger defenders will give him fits when blocking on the perimeter.

His route tree is fairly limited, just based on what he was asked to run at Clemson. Will need work on being more crisp in that aspect. Has the ability to be a better route runner, it will all be based on his new team working on the technique and being more physical at the top of his routes.

Projection: Top 40

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Dabo Swinney shares thoughts on opening against Georgia in 2021

Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney gives his thoughts on opening against Georgia football in Charlotte for the 2021 season.

Both Georgia and Clemson dropped their opening games for the 2021 college football season in order to ramp up the competition and play each other.

The two programs have been at the top of the rankings for quite a while now and it’s about time they’re due for a matchup like this.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney shared his thought with the media following spring practice this Tuesday.

“This was a situation where you set these things out in advance and all of a sudden 2021 was an oddball year for us, and we really needed another game. So, it worked out, especially being able to go to Charlotte. That’s kind of been the formula we’ve had for a long time. … Dan (Radakovich) and I talked about it last summer. I hate the fact we lose a home game, because it’s important to our community, but we’ll get back on track on how we do things moving forward.” said Swinney.

“And it’s exciting … we may not have done it if it was just another random team, but the fact we get a chance to play Georgia is something I think both fan bases will be excited about. Obviously, it’ll be a tough game; it’s hard to win those games, but it’ll be an exciting way to start it off.”

2014 was the last time the schools met in Athens when former Georgia running back Todd Gurley went off for 195 yards and 3 touchdowns, helping the Dawgs win 45-21.  The Bulldogs hold 42-18-4 record all-time against Clemson.

The game is scheduled for September 4th at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.

The two are also scheduled to kickoff the 2024 season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

How much is Georgia paying San Jose St to get out of 2021 opener?

Georgia football is set to give San Jose State a massive payout after cancelling their 2021 season opener to play Clemson instead.

It was announced on Tuesday that the Georgia Bulldogs will play the Clemson Tigers for the 2021 season opener in Charlotte.

The game was not originally on either teams’ schedules, which then begs the question; how did they fit this in?

The Bulldogs were set to play San Jose State for their season opener but worked out a deal that would relieve them from the contest.  The Dawgs will be out a hefty $1.8 million just from cancelling this game while San Jose State will be cashing in.

In the grand scheme of things, this game will make both schools way more money than if Georgia had kept their original season opener.  This matchup is a rivalry that has died out in past years but now seems to be revived.

The Dawgs and the Tigers are set to face off September 4th, 2021.  Georgia has won 6 of the past 7 matchups against the Tigers.

Both teams are tied for 27th in most games played against Power 5 opponents in the past 15 years. 

This will be the first of six matchups between the two programs over the next 13 years.

Ohio State football fans should be rooting for LSU, obviously right?

Ohio State Buckeyes fans should be rooting for LSU and Joe Burrow against the Clemson Tigers in Monday’s CFP Championship Game.

The LSU Tigers will take on the Clemson Tigers on Monday night at 8 p.m. Eastern.

It’s unfortunate the Ohio State Buckeyes won’t be involved, but that doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t still tune in. There’s one reason to watch, and his name is Joe Burrow.

The majority of the Buckeyes’ fanbase still has love for Burrow even after the 2019 Heisman winner transferred out of Columbus. Burrow was on the Buckeyes’ roster for three seasons — nearly beating out another Heisman finalist, Dwyane Haskins for the starting spot.

He knew he wasn’t going to get the chance to start in Columbus so he took his talents to LSU. In Baton Rouge, he’s turned in one of the best seasons in recent history.

With 5,208 yards and 55 touchdowns entering the College Football Playoff national championship game, Burrow is the 2020 NFL Draft’s projected No. 1 pick. He’s turned LSU into a must-watch team.

Burrow accounted for seven FIRST HALF touchdowns against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Tigers semifinal game. Now, he’s looking to take down the defending champs on the national stage.

Of course there’s also this; the Clemson Tigers downed Ohio State, another reason Buckeye faithful shouldn’t be rooting for the Trevor Lawrence-led side.

One more reason is that the Buckeyes should still feel cheated as the refs made their mark on the team’s semifinal performance. They were the better team, yet Clemson came out with the victory. OSU clearly missed out on some opportunities too, but the better team lost that night.

The Buckeyes should want to see Clemson exposed, and they may get their wish with Burrow hitting stride at the right time. There’s no reason to believe he’ll cool down quite yet.

Former Buckeye Joe Burrow against the team that defeated Ohio State. As they’ll be saying in New Orleans, Geaux Tigers!

Kirk Herbstreit “didn’t agree with” overturned fumble in Fiesta Bowl

Some believe Ohio State was cheated in the Fiesta Bowl, and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit agrees “the call” shouldn’t have been overturned.

The Ohio State football team lost 29-23 to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl Saturday night (as if we have to remind you). It was brutal, and there were two distinct and impactful moments the officials had a hand in that will forever live in the minds of Ohio State fans.

The first was the Shaun Wade targeting call, taking the team’s third-best cornerback out of the game permanently. That rule in general needs to be changed as Wade clearly wasn’t aiming to put a vicious hit on Trevor Lawrence.

Then, what I’ll just go ahead and dub “the call” happened. While many disagree with the decision to overturn the fumble and ensuing touchdown, the refs left their mark on the game yet again.

It was a brutal reality for Ohio State fans who thought the Buckeyes had wrestled the lead back in the team’s most important game of the season. However, the call was overturned, shocking the world — and maybe the entire Milky Way Galaxy too.

Let’s just say former Ohio State alum and ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who keeps his opinions on the Buckeyes extremely fair and neutral, didn’t agree with the call.

Herbstreit, who “didn’t agree with (the call) at all,” knew that just one decision didn’t force the game Clemson’s way. After all, Ohio State’s dynamic offense did settle for three first-half field goals.

The Buckeyes were on the wrong end of those two calls, but they needed to be better. Herbstreit knew that, and Ohio State knows that. Needless to say, it doesn’t make anything better for die-hard Buckeye fans.

What Wisconsin can learn from Clemson

Wisconsin looks at Clemson in the College Football Playoff

As the four teams who qualified for the College Football Playoff begin to settle in for the actual playoff, Badgers Wire thought it would be interesting to examine what the Wisconsin Badgers could learn from each of the teams in the Playoff. This column will look at what they could learn from the Clemson Tigers. 

Few teams in the nation have had more success recently than the Clemson Tigers. Here is what Wisconsin can learn from Clemson. 

Clemson’s rise to the top of college football’s elite didn’t come out of nowhere. Since Dabo Swinney was appointed interim coach and then officially named head coach, the Tigers have shown that they were going to compete for glory. Clemson wins every way possible, too. The Tigers have done it with elite quarterback play — Tajh Boyd, Deshaun Watson, and Trevor Lawrence — and they’ve shown that they can also win big with elite defense or a power running game — Travis Etienne, C.J. Spiller, and Wayne Gallman. In other words, Clemson can literally beat opponents in various phases of the game. 

Here is where Wisconsin can learn something from the Tigers. Wisconsin tends to struggle if opponents shut down the Badgers’ run game. To that end, teams do everything in their power to stuff the run and force Wisconsin’s quarterbacks to beat them, which isn’t something they’ve shown they can do with great consistency — occasionally, yes, but not most of the time. It’s typically a one-and-done style from the Badgers. They have to improve in this facet of competition if they want to take the next step. The Big Ten Championship is a perfect example. Jonathan Taylor did his part, and Jack Coan played well, too. However, when Wisconsin fell behind by 13 points, the Badgers’ offense was not tailored to mount a rally. UW was plainly out of its element, then. That’s not a knock on Coan. It is more a reflection of the style of offense Wisconsin runs, with the passing game needing the threat of Taylor in the running game in order to be as potent as possible. Wisconsin needs passing game potency which can — at times — exist independently of the running game. 

Coan and Wisconsin have to do more in some ways and in some situations, or the Badgers have to find a way to win when Coan can’t do more and Taylor has done all he can. Clemson can do it all, and Wisconsin can do most of what it takes. There is a big difference between all and most. If programs want to make that turn from pretender to contender in the national title race, they eventually have to do everything, not just most things, really well. If the Badgers and Coan can take that turn in 2020 while maintaining their defensive stature and running all over the field, they’re going to be a very tough team to beat.

Ohio State’s rush defense away from home could be a mild concern in the Fiesta Bowl

Ohio State has struggled to defend the rush on the road, and that could be an early red flag for their Fiesta Bowl matchup with Clemson.

Ohio State has not had the same success defending the rush away from home, and that could be a bit of an early red flag for their Fiesta Bowl matchup with Clemson.

The rush defense for the Buckeyes has been a tale of two stories in some ways. While at home, they’ve thrived; on the road, they’ve failed to match that same elite success found at Ohio Stadium.

The numbers speak for themselves. Ohio State gives up 73.4 rushing yards at home and 130.7 on the road. At-large, that makes them a top-five rush defense in the nation, but by taking the effort away from Columbus, it would make the Buckeyes an average No. 37 in the country.

Oddly enough, Ohio State’s home performances have seen names like Jonathan Taylor and have included top-tier teams like Penn State and Cincinnati.

On the road, it’s been a completely different story.

The second time facing Jonathan Taylor the Buckeyes allowed him to let loose with 148 yards, as the Badgers notched 200 as a team. They even gave up 150-plus rushing yards to Northwestern in a 52-3 blowout victory.

Traveling to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl, the Buckeyes will have to face Travis Etienne and a potent and balanced Clemson offense. With an elite combination under center, on the edge and in the backfield, Ohio State must be ready for a lethal attack.

Etienne, the 5-foot-10 junior back, is experienced. He has eight 100-yard performances with two of them being for over 200 yards. He has over 1,500 yards on the season.

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He has the skill set, and although Clemson will try to do plenty of damage through the air, if the Tigers can use him to expose some chinks in the armor on the defense, it could hinder the undefeated Buckeyes from moving on to New Orleans.

Knowing what’s at stake, expect Ohio State’s front, led by Chase Young, to be ready on December 28. It has better be.

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College Football Futures: National Championship Best Bets

Previewing the College Football Playoff futures including National Championship best bets.

The College Football Playoff kicks off Dec. 28 with the semifinals. Top-ranked LSU Tigers (13-0) faces the No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners (12-1) in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and the second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (13-0) will battle the No. 3 Clemson Tigers (13-0) in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Below is my best bet and rationale for who will be crowned the national champion on Jan. 13.

Get some action on this game or others by placing a bet at BetMGM!

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. ET.

CLEMSON +200

It’s amazing how relatively under-the-radar defending champion Clemson has flown in 2019. A bonafide dynasty, the Tigers have played in four of the five College Football Playoffs, winning two titles in their three Championship Game appearances, including last year’s 28-point blistering of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. (Photo Credit: Jamie Rhodes – USA TODAY Sports)

Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence received Burrow-esque hype following Clemson’s 2018 title run, but has been largely missing from the national conversation because of a shaky start to 2019 –  he threw eight interceptions in his first seven games. However, he finished strong with 20 passing touchdowns and NO interceptions and ended up with 41 total touchdowns. While LSU’s Joe Burrow is getting all the buzz heading into the CFP, make no mistake, Lawrence should be the No. 1 pick whenever he enters the NFL Draft, presumably in 2020.

Led by coach Dabo Swinney and defensive wizard Brett Venables, Clemson has the best coaching staff in the Playoff. No other coach in the CFP has a national championship appearance or title. The Tigers have been here before and the moment will not be too big for them. Despite all the defensive players drafted back in April, Clemson’s defense is still stout, allowing the least passing yards per game (138.5) in the country, and ranking ninth in rushing yards allowed (106.2 YPG).

Another random tidbit that I cannot explain but thought was worth mentioning: The No. 1 seed in the CFP has never won the national title. I don’t know if that’s because the top team is really feeling themselves during the extended break, grows complacent or the opening-round matchup against the No. 4 team isn’t difficult enough to get them ready for the title game. Whatever the case is, Clemson entering the CFP as the 3-seed only makes me feel better about my CLEMSON +200 ticket.

New to sports betting? Every $10 wagered on Clemson to win the National Championship would profit $20 if the Tigers prevail.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @Geoffery_Clark and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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