Tag: Clemson Tigers

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!

Elliott: D.J. is ‘ready for his time’

D.J. Uiagalelei turned a lot of heads nationally in his first two starts at quarterback last season. When Trevor Lawrence fell ill to COVID-19 Clemson remained in sure hands with Uiagalelei when it needed a second half comeback to fend off Boston …

D.J. Uiagalelei turned a lot of heads nationally in his first two starts at quarterback last season.

When Trevor Lawrence fell ill to COVID-19 Clemson remained in sure hands with Uiagalelei when it needed a second half comeback to fend off Boston College and even in a top-five matchup on the road at Notre Dame.

The reason for Uiagalelei’s confidence then and entering another top-five showdown to open the season boils down to his desire for greatness and increased preparation.

Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said Uiagalelei beat him to the office on Saturday hours before practice to prepare for the Bulldogs.

“A perfect example is that we had an early practice on Saturday, and I walked in the building, and he was walking in just ahead of me to go watch film on his own,” Elliott said. “When the players didn’t have to be there for another couple of hours, he’s there putting in.”

The sophomore learned the necessity of preparation and film study from listening to NFL quarterbacks on ESPN and talking with other successful players over the last few years.

Uiagalelei confirmed he arrived at the Allen Reeves Football Complex three hours before the start of practice to get a head start on his day.

“There’s different stuff I watch practices or different game film depending on like Georgia game plan and whatever we are doing with defensive recognition,” Uiagalelei said. “Yeah, I think I got here at 7 a.m. watched film for a little bit and then maybe get some treatment after.”

“I just like to get my day started early and try to get up here before everybody is up here and get a little bit more film in,” he said.

Elliott said it’s a regular occurrence for Uiagalelei to spend extra time in the film room even when nobody else is in the building.

“Every couple of hours I’m hearing his iPhone playing because he’s playing music while watching video, so you know D.J. is in there putting in extra work,” Elliott said. “He prepares like a pro and he’s ready for his time.”

The goal of the preparation for Uiagalelei is simple, to be the best version of himself and put the Tigers in position to win.

“For me I want to be great it’s as simple as that,” Uiagalelei said. “I want to make sure that when I step onto the field I’m ready to go and my teammates can count on me that I’ll be out there ready to go.”

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

Elliott on Phommachanh: ‘He’s a modern-day miracle’

Clemson just continues to be amazed by Taisun Phommachanh’s recovery. After suffering an Achilles injury in the spring, it was expected that Phommachanh’s recovery would continue throughout the regular season. That was based on a safe estimate, as …

Clemson just continues to be amazed by Taisun Phommachanh’s recovery.

After suffering an Achilles injury in the spring, it was expected that Phommachanh’s recovery would continue throughout the regular season. 

That was based on a safe estimate, as Achilles’ injuries generally sideline professional athletes between 8-12 months.

Clemson never provided a timetable for the redshirt sophomore quarterback, but as the Tigers entered summer workouts and then fall camp, Phommachanh was progressing way ahead of schedule.

Now, he’s back and ready to go.

He’s come back in four months from a ruptured Achilles.

Seriously.

“It’s a testament to him and his hard work,” Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott told reporters Monday. “You have to have patience.”

Prior to Phommachanh being cleared, Elliott pointed out to his players and said “Fellas, this is what it looks like. Here’s a young man, who had an 8-12 month projected injury and he’s back out here, he’s worked his tail off. Why’s he doing it? He’s doing it for the love of the team, the love of the game.”

Elliott wanted to point out to a group of players in practice that Phommachanh is the Archetype for what hard work and determination looks like.

Dabo Swinney referred to it as “amazing,” Elliott took it one step further.

“He’s a modern-day miracle,” he said. “It’s an inspiration for everybody. Hats off to our medical staff for putting together a great plan after successful surgery and most importantly to (Taisun) for putting in the work to be ready to help his team come Sept. 4”

Elliott jokingly added that he needs to be on the same plan as Phommachanh as he’s dealt with a nagging back injury over the past couple of years.

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

Clemson-Georgia Week: It’s finally here

It is finally here. It is game week! This Saturday the 2021 football season will begin for third-ranked Clemson, as the Tigers play No. 5 Georgia in the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Clemson vs. Georgia, what a …

It is finally here. It is game week!

This Saturday the 2021 football season will begin for third-ranked Clemson, as the Tigers play No. 5 Georgia in the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Clemson vs. Georgia, what a way to kick off the football season, right?

Like a lot of you, I have a lot of great memories of this rivalry from my childhood. These two played some of the best games in college football back when they played every year.

“The Georgia game always seemed to make or break our season,” said former Clemson head coach Danny Ford, who was 4-4-1 against Georgia in his 11 seasons at Clemson. “I don’t know why that was the case, but for the most part that was the case.”

From 1977-’87 no rivalry in the country was more intense or competitive than the Clemson-Georgia Series. In those 11 years, the two teams battled to a 5-5-1 record, which started with a one-point Clemson victory in 1977 in Athens and ended with a one-point Clemson victory in 1987 in Clemson.

But the rivalry was not the best because the record broke even. No, the reason was due to how highly contested each game was and what it meant for the victors. In 1980, Georgia survived Clemson, 20-16, in Athens and went on to win the National Championship.

In 1981, Clemson used nine Bulldog turnovers to knock off No. 4 Georgia, 13-3, in Death Valley on its way to a National Championship.

The average margin of victory in the series during that 11-year stretch was 4.7 points per game. Nine of the 11 games were decided by a touchdown or less. The only two that were not were the 1978 and the 1981 games.

Clemson had a 3-1-1 record in Death Valley vs. the Bulldogs during that stretch, while Georgia owned a 4-2 mark in Athens. The Bulldogs scored 171 points (15.5 points per game), while Clemson scored 159 points (14.5 points per game).

“If we beat Georgia, we generally went on to have a pretty special year, but if we lost to them, it seemed as if it lingered longer than we would have liked and it would beat us more than once,” Ford said.

That was the case in 1984 when Georgia’s Kevin Butler kicked a then NCAA record 60-yard field goal with 11 seconds left to beat second-ranked Clemson, 26-23. The Tigers ran the ensuing kickoff back into Georgia territory and the Bulldogs were flagged for a personal foul after the tackle. But after a long debate, officials ruled the foul occurred after time had run out and the game was ruled over.

Clemson kicker Donald Igwebuike, who led the nation in field goal percentage that year (17-18), was denied the opportunity to kick a 42-yard field goal. The Tigers lost their next game at Georgia Tech a week later, ending a 20-game ACC winning streak. Clemson went on to finish the season 7-4.

In 1986, David Treadwell beat the Bulldogs with a 46-yard field goal as time expired, 31-28. In 1987, he kicked a 21-yard field goal with two seconds left to beat Georgia, 21-20. Those two games marked the first and last time Clemson beat the Bulldogs in consecutive years since winning seven consecutive years from 1900-’06.

The Tigers went on to win the ACC Championship in each of those seasons, while posting an 8-2-2 record in 1986 and a 10-2 mark in 1987.

“Our kids always looked forward to playing Georgia because Georgia represented the best in the SEC at the time,” Ford said. “They were the standard to live up to and our kids knew if they could beat them, then they could play and beat anyone in the country.”

The Bulldogs may not be the standard in the SEC anymore, but they are the No. 5 team in the country, and win this Saturday for the 2021 Tigers will mean as much as a any of those five wins from 1977-’87.

Also, this is the first time in the history of this rivalry that both teams come in ranked in the top 5.

“It’s what you dream about as a kid, and as a coach, you love these moments,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said recently to the ACC Network. “So, we’re excited about it. And this is two teams that have big-time aspirations, and who knows, could play again down the road somewhere.”

Boy, wouldn’t that be fun?

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

Real reason why Braves’ legend still pulls for the Tigers

ATLANTA – Though he never played football for Clemson, Jeff Francoeur’s roots run deep in the orange clay of Upstate South Carolina. Before he became one of the fan favorites of the Atlanta Braves as a player, and now as a television analyst, …

ATLANTA — Though he never played football for Clemson, Jeff Francoeur’s roots run deep in the orange clay of Upstate South Carolina.

Before he became one of the fan favorites of the Atlanta Braves as a player, and now as a television analyst, Francoeur was a Clemson recruit. And not just any recruit. He was one of the top safety prospects in the country coming out of Parkview High School in 2002.

But now, almost two decades later, Francoeur’s connection to Clemson remains even stronger than it was when he was committed to play for the Tigers before being drafted No. 9 overall by the Braves in the 2002 MLB Draft.

He still has a relationship with former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden. He is tight with both Dabo Swinney and his brother, Tracy, and one of his closest high school friends is Clemson Deputy Athletic Director, Graham Neff.

“I am happy he is up there, and for me, it is great to have these people that you still know and talk to,” Francoeur said to The Clemson Insider at Truist Park on Saturday.

Years ago, when Dabo Swinney was just beginning his tenure at Clemson, Francoeur would give Swinney and his sons tickets to Braves’ games.

“He is great. Him and his brother, I text Tracy all the time. He is a beauty,” Francoeur said. “They know I love to be a part (of Clemson). I am just a big fan, and it is fun. They enjoy having people support the program that are outside that area. Outside Anderson and Greenville, you know, people around the area.

“So, whenever Dabo comes in recruiting and stuff, every once in a while, he will stop by, go to lunch or do something, so I am always happy for hm. He has done a great job and I love what he stands for up there. So, for me, it is a perfect fit.”

Francoeur says he still talks to Bowden, too. He says they talk quite a bit, and he and his wife usually go out to dinner with the Bowdens at least once a year when they are in Florida.

“I have always stayed in close contact with them. Tommy is awesome, man. Tommy is a lot of the reason why I chose Clemson,” Francoeur said.

Jack Leggett was the other reason. The former Brave said he had a great relationship with Clemson’s former Hall of Fame baseball coach.

His relationship with Bowden crew stronger when he bought a house alongside him in Florida.

“Me and Tommy became next door neighbors down there. So, we always kind of saw each other whenever he would come down for the season,” Francoeur recalled. “Of course, when he resigned and that whole ordeal, we saw him full-time.

“I just became a Clemson fan. I loved the University and everything about it.”

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

Former Tiger on the move

Shaq Lawson has a new home. The former Clemson Tiger was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, according to multiple reports. Lawson didn’t appear in a single regular-season game for the Texans. He was …

Shaq Lawson has a new home.

The former Clemson Tiger was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, according to multiple reports.

Lawson didn’t appear in a single regular-season game for the Texans. He was traded to Houston back in March, coming over from the Miami Dolphins, who signed him a three-year, $30 million deal, the season prior.

In just three preseason games with the Texans organization, Lawson recorded four total tackles.

Last season for the Dolphins, Lawson recorded four sacks and 18 quarterback hits in 14 games.

Originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2016 draft, Lawson will now catch on with his third team in the AFC East division.

Lawson has a chance to make an immediate impact for the Jets, who were in dire need of pass-rushing help, following a season-ending injury to former Auburn University edge rusher, Carl Lawson.

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

Swinney: Clemson-UGA matchup ‘what you dream about as a kid’

Dabo Swinney and Clemson try to treat every game with the same mindset, like it’s the most important game of the season because it’s the game they are playing that particular week. But even Swinney admits there is added excitement surrounding the …

Dabo Swinney and Clemson try to treat every game with the same mindset, like it’s the most important game of the season because it’s the game they are playing that particular week.

But even Swinney admits there is added excitement surrounding the third-ranked Tigers’ season-opener against No. 5 Georgia on Sept. 4 in Charlotte.

“It’s just so exciting,” Clemson’s head coach said in an interview with Kelsey Riggs and Eric Mac Lain during the ACC Network’s ACC Football Road Trip show at Clemson. “You can just kind of feel it in the air. And then you throw in the fact that you’re playing a team that’s good enough to win the national championship — and we think we’re a pretty good team — it’s just even more so.”

ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast live from Charlotte ahead of the highly anticipated showdown between the Tigers and Bulldogs, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium and will be televised on ABC.

There has been no shortage of hype and hoopla heading into the game between two teams hoping to contend for a national championship in 2021, and it’s the type of dream matchup that Swinney embraces as a coach and knows his players do, too.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “It creates a lot of conversation. You’ve got GameDay and all that stuff right out of the gate. You’re going to Charlotte, it’s national TV. I mean, it’s awesome. It’s what you dream about as a kid, and as a coach, you love these moments. So, we’re excited about it. And this is two teams that have big-time aspirations, and who knows, could play again down the road somewhere.”

One of the biggest challenges for Swinney and the Tigers in preparing for the game against the Bulldogs is the fact that while each team has had an entire offseason to get ready for it, neither team really knows what to expect from the other and there’s so many unknowns going into a season opener like this one.

“There’s so much,” Swinney said. “You get 12 days. You think about that — 300 and something days, all we’ve got is kind of each other. It’s so different from all the other sports. Basketball, baseball, you got to play a million games. But in football you get 12 days that you have on a schedule, and the rest of the year is spent preparing for those 12 days. And you get in the rhythm of the season, you get in a routine.

“But that first game, it seems like it takes forever to get here. There’s so much to do. There’s the most unknowns of any time of your season. You never have this much time to prepare. You know the least at any time because you’re basing everything on last year and last year’s people. So, there’s just so much. It’s the first game for a lot of people. Lot of first-game reminders and procedures and sideline organization and just a lot to get ready for.”

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Chandler’s decision to play pro ball eerily similar to Francoeur’s

ATLANTA – Jeff Francoeur faced a difficult decision after he graduated from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia back in 2002. At the time Francoeur was committed to play football and baseball for Clemson and enrolled in June ahead of the 2002 …

ATLANTA – Jeff Francoeur faced a difficult decision after he graduated from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia back in 2002.

At the time Francoeur was committed to play football and baseball for Clemson and enrolled in June ahead of the 2002 MLB Draft.

But when his hometown team, the Atlanta Braves, called his name with the ninth overall pick of the draft, he opted to pursue a career in professional baseball and it obviously worked out for him.

“I just became a Clemson fan, I loved the university and I loved everything about it,” Francoeur told The Clemson Insider at Truist Park on Saturday. “I just had to do what was best for me at the time and that was play baseball.”

This summer two Clemson enrollees, Bubba Chandler and Will Taylor, faced a similar decision-making process and took divergent paths.

Chandler opted to pursue the big leagues and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 72nd overall pick in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

But Will Taylor turned down professional baseball offers with large incentives to play football and baseball for the Tigers.

Francoeur recalled the difficulty of choosing between two sports you love but his first round selection eased the burden of that decision.

“I think it’s like anything if you get two or three million dollars and every opportunity to make it to the big leagues it’s tough to turn that down it really is,” Francoeur said. “They are going to make sure you have everything you need to be successful to give you that opportunity.”

Francoeur still doles out advice to young players faced with the choice between a two-sport college career and by-passing the amateur ranks to turn professional.

“I tell them look make the best decision with you and your family,” he said. “My dad always said you go to college to figure out what you want to do afterwards and for me I just had the opportunity to be able to figure it out before. And that’s kind of what my dad was saying.”

The decision paid off for Francoeur who wrapped up a 12-year MLB career in 2016 that included six seasons with the Braves. He finished his tenure with a career .261 batting average, 698 RBIs and 160 home runs.

Francoeur maintains a positive relationship with Clemson and remains an avid Tiger fan despite his residence in the heart of Georgia Bulldog country.

He joked that Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney always reminds him that he has four years of NCAA eligibility remaining to play for the Tigers.

“Dabo still tells me when I text him that I have four years of eligibility but the only thing I could do is hold an extra point now. I don’t know if I’m worth much of anything else,” Francoeur said.

While Francoeur may not return to play for Clemson he told TCI he will certainly be at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday to pull for his Tigers against Georgia.

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

Smart says Bulldogs ‘fired up and ready to play’ as they prepare for Clemson

The season-opening showdown against Clemson in Charlotte has added extra pep to Georgia’s preseason preparation. UGA head coach Kirby Smart joined ESPN’s College GameDay show on Saturday morning via FaceTime and was asked what type of impact the …

The season-opening showdown against Clemson in Charlotte has added extra pep to Georgia’s preseason preparation.

UGA head coach Kirby Smart joined ESPN’s College GameDay show on Saturday morning via FaceTime and was asked what type of impact the top-five matchup between the fifth-ranked Bulldogs and No. 3 Tigers has had on Smart’s team in practice ahead of the Sept. 4 game.

“It ramps it up,” Smart said. “When you’re playing a team like Clemson and a program like Clemson, all your guys, they come fired up and ready to play. We’ve started on them the last couple days, and you can see the energy starting to increase.”

Smart was also asked about the differences he sees in his team’s offense entering the 2021 season, with junior quarterback J.T. Daniels running the show with a year already under his belt in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s system.

“I think everybody’s a lot more comfortable with a guy at the helm understanding what to do in Coach Monken’s offense,” Smart said. “In terms of repetition, there’s been a lot more. Just spring practice alone, we were able to get a lot more work. But getting quality depth and more guys that can play winning football, that’s kind of been the objective of camp, and we’ve been able to do that.”

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Podcast: ‘The Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football’

Miller Yoho of the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic stops by and talks to Levon Kirkland and myself to give Clemson fans all the info they need to know about all the events and other things surrounding next week’s game between Clemson and Georgia in …

Miller Yoho of the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic stops by and talks to Levon Kirkland and myself to give Clemson fans all the info they need to know about all the events and other things surrounding next week’s game between Clemson and Georgia in Charlotte.

Clemson’s Running Down the Hill Tradition won the Herbie Award for College Football’s best entrance, we discuss it and we compare it to other stadium entrances in college football.

We also have an interview with Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and we update you on all the latest injury news ahead of the Georgia game.

You can listen to today’s podcast here (LINK), or listen to it and download it where you listen to all of your podcasts at either Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify.