Tag: Clemson Tigers

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.

2020 NFL draft: Isaiah Simmons scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Clemson linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons

Isaiah Simmons | LB/S | Clemson

Height | 6-4

Weight | 230

College Bio Page

Career Stats

Strengths

If you’re looking for physical tools, you’ll find plenty of them with Simmons.

A lengthy defender with the height of an edge rusher, the speed of a defensive back and the physicality of a linebacker, Simmons is a mismatch wherever you put him on the field. He has fantastic straight-line speed for the linebacker position, as well as the fluidity in space to beat ball-carriers to the edge on outside-zone runs and excel in coverage. His sideline-to-sideline range as a tackler is arguably the best in the 2020 draft class, and when he plays at full speed, he’s essentially unstoppable.

NFL teams will love coming up with ways to utilize Simmons in their defensive scheme. Having taken significant snaps as a linebacker, deep safety, nickel cornerback and an edge rusher in Clemson’s defense, he has experience almost everywhere on the field. He can accelerate very well coming out of his breaks in coverage, and he has the deep speed to keep up with most offensive players when lined up in man. His size-speed combination will make him a tough player for opposing offenses to plan for in the pros.

Weaknesses

As athletic as Simmons is, there are times where he doesn’t get full use out of that athleticism because of developing processing abilities.

His instincts could use some improvement, as he can look lost when playing up on the line of scrimmage at times. He can also be a bit too aggressive on option plays, and he can be a split second too late on reading the quarterback’s eyes and making a jump on the ball in zone coverage.

Simmons can also get a little bit better at disengaging from blocks as a blitzer, and his form as a tackler can slip away from the acceptable norm at times. Otherwise, there aren’t many pressing needs in his skill set.

Bottom Line

An athletic freak of nature with unparalleled versatility and a sky-high ceiling, Simmons is a special prospect who differs from essentially every other top linebacker prospect to enter the draft in recent years. He should be one of the first defenders drafted come April.

Projection: Top 10

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Notre Dame Basketball: Pflueger & Mooney Money in Win at Clemson

It was Pflueger who was out of sorts in a good way who helped paved the way

In an absolute “got to have it” game for Notre Dame basketball Sunday night, veterans John Mooney and Rex Pflueger and John Mooney were nails in the 61-57 Fighting Irish victory.

Mooney did what Mooney does, scoring 16 and pulling down 11 boards en-route to his 19th double-double on the year.

It was Pflueger who was out of sorts in a good way who helped paved the way. The fifth year guard had a season high 18 points while shooting a perfect five-of-five from beyond the arc.

For comparison, Pflueger entered Sunday shooting all of 30% from three.

Clemson was playing without leading scorer and rebounder Aamir Simms who was dealing with the flu. They wound up being led by guards Tevin Mack and Alex Hemenway who each finished with 16.

The Tigers fell to 11-12 overall on the year and 5-8 in ACC play.

Notre Dame won their fourth straight ACC game to improve to 15-8 overall and get back to .500 and 6-6 in the league.

The difficulty scale now gets turned up for Mike Brey and Notre Dame as the Irish return to action Tuesday night in Virginia before a trip to Cameron Indoor Arena and Duke awaits Saturday.

Clemson at Virginia college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Wednesday’s Clemson Tigers at Virginia Cavaliers sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks and bets.

The Clemson Tigers (11-10) pay a visit to Charlottesville, Va. to take on the Virginia Cavaliers (14-6) Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET in an ACC battle at John Paul Jones Arena. We analyze the Clemson-Virginiaodds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.

Clemson at Virginia: Three things you need to know

1. Virginia has lost four of its last seven games, and two of those losses were at home. Poor 3-point shooting and an inability to force turnovers have been issues at the forefront of UVA’s woes. The latter has usually been part and parcel as a strength of a terrific all-around defense.

2. Clemson struggles in away games. Over six such contests this season, the Tigers are 1-5 straight up and 2-4 against the spread. Clemson has been thoroughly game-controlled in five of its road efforts (meaning the final result was never in doubt). The Tigers’ rate in getting to the free-throw line has been a major problem in recent road tilts.

3. The Tigers have some road issues to overcome if they are to stay within a couple scores of the Wahoos. Clemson’s last three games away from home consist of a 12-point loss at Wake Forest (Feb. 1), an 18-point loss at Louisville (Jan. 25), and a six-point loss at NC State (Jan. 18). Only the NCSU game was an ATS win, and that was with a back-door cover in garbage time.

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Clemson at Virginia: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:40 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Virginia 57, Clemson 52

Moneyline (ML)

PASS. There is a lean toward the Clemson side (+300) but the line doesn’t bring enough value into the risk/reward equation.

Against the Spread (ATS)

Virginia is just 4-8 ATS at home and 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games following a straight-up win. The road team is 5-1 ATS over the last six games in this series.

Clemson is 4-5 over games decided by two scores or less. This contest in Charlottesville could well wind up in that range, but the Tigers are also one of the more inconsistent teams in the ACC. Let’s tag this as a low-confidence lean toward CLEMSON (+8, -115).

Over/Under (O/U)

This figures to be a slower-paced basketball game, and the projected total bears that out. The Over is 4-0 in Clemson’s last four efforts after a SU loss and it is 5-1 against teams with a winning percentage over .600. The latter group includes some top defensive teams.

So, the zag here is backing the OVER 106.5 (-121).

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

Follow @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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Ohio State vs. Clemson Fiesta Bowl top game of year according to ESPN

ESPN named its top 100 games of 2019, and Ohio State’s loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl took the top spot.

It was another fantastic college football season in 2019. We can look back and feel some regret for sure, but the reality is that there were a lot of really great games that made us fall in love with this game all over again, even if Ohio State didn’t quite finish the deal on the national stage.

ESPN has looked back to and named its top 100 college football games of the year, and you might suffer from some triggers when we tell you what game landed at No. 1. Yep, you guessed it. The worldwide leader in sports programming has named the Ohio State vs. Clemson matchup in the Fiesta Bowl as its top contest of 2019.

Here’s what Bill Connelly said about the game that will live on as a missed opportunity forever in Buckeye history.

It was the only game so good I decided to score it like a 12-round title fight.

It featured star moments from virtually every one of the game’s stars: Trevor Lawrence’s absurd 67-yard gallop. Justin Fields’ huge fourth-down, fourth-quarter touchdown pass. Travis Etienne’s touchdown explosions. J.K. Dobbins’ 68-yard run (followed soon after by a 64-yard run). Isaiah Simmons’ tiptoeing interception. A hurry and half-sack (later overturned) by Chase Young with Ohio State trying to seize control of the game in the second quarter.

It contained a lingering waft of controversy thanks to refs having to make two of the hardest types of calls (a less-than-100 percent-clear targeting call and a vital catch-or-no-catch ruling). That never hurts for making a lasting impression.

It gave us all the plot twists a great game should feature — a 16-0 start from Ohio State, a 21-0 run by Clemson, three second-half lead changes (with a fourth prevented only by a last-minute interception) — and on a national semifinal stage. The most talented players in the country, playing in one of the most important games, and putting on a lasting show. Can’t ask for much more than that from college football.

The game was definitely entertaining, and I’m sure all the rest of the country loved watching it. As for me and I’m sure a large contingent of Buckeye fans, it left me a little sick to my stomach.

Hopefully there’s jubilation to remember next time Ohio State is put in the same position. But yeah, you have to agree with Connelly on this one — it was a highly entertaining game with drama and intrigue. Especially as an unbiased observer.

 

Clemson at Louisville college basketball odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Clemson Tigers at Louisville Cardinals sports betting odds and lines, with college basketball betting picks and tips.

The Clemson Tigers (10-8) visit the Louisville Cardinals (16-3) in a Saturday matinee at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET. We analyze the Clemson-Louisville odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.

Clemson at Louisville: Three things you need to know

1. Louisville — the No. 5 team in the nation on the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll — is on a roll with five straight wins. This surge is coming on the heels of bracketing the New Year with losses to Kentucky (Dec. 28) and Florida State (Jan. 4). The Cardinals have been dialed in from distance, shooting 42.6% from 3-point range over the five straight wins.

2. While it certainly isn’t one, this game feels like a tussle for the ACC, as both teams have recently defeated the now-No. 8 Duke Blue Devils: Clemson Jan. 14 and Louisville Jan. 18.

3. Other recent wins for UL — the non-Duke victories — haven’t been all that commanding, but can the Tigers capitalize on the road, where they haven’t looked great overall? Clemson is weak on the offensive boards and hasn’t created a lot of turnovers lately.

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Clemson at Louisville: Odds, betting lines and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:55 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Louisville 69, Clemson 61

Moneyline (ML)

LOUISVILLE (-556) is a fair price, worthy of consideration in middling a double-digit spread. In other words — a play on the Cardinals for the straight-up win and on the Tigers carrying the points.

Against the Spread (ATS)

The Tigers are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games as an underdog. The Cardinals are 1-3-1 ATS in their last five games as a favorite. The underdog is 4-1 ATS over the last five meetings between these ACC foes.

The lean is on CLEMSON (+10.5, -125), but it’s only a slight lean.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Over is 5-1 in Clemson’s last six games and 5-1 in Louisville’s last six Saturday games. The strongest play of these three is the OVER 127 (-125).

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

Follow @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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Ryan Day vows to use Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson as motivation

Ohio State football head coach Ryan Day spoke to the Value City Arena crowd Thursday night and vowed to use the Clemson loss as motivation.

The Ohio State football team accomplished an awful lot this past season. It went undefeated during the regular season, won the Big Ten Championship, beat its arch-rivals for the seventh straight time. and appeared in the College Football Playoff. That’s a good year no matter how you slice it.

But it ultimately finished short on the goal of winning a national championship. Making the final four in any season is great, but when you get there, there’s still work to do. The Buckeyes laid it on Clemson early in the game and raced out to a 16-0 lead, but then some breaks and momentum plays went the wrong way.

At the end of it, Ohio State was left asking “what if” as celebration ensued on the Clemson sideline after a flukey interception in the end zone to seal it. The Buckeyes outgained, out possessed and outplayed the Tigers for a majority of the game, but the final score of 29-23 is all that mattered in the end.

If you think it was a turn the page type of affair, then you were sadly mistaken. Head coach Ryan Day and the football team was honored at halftime of the game against Minnesota on Thursday and Day made it clear how he felt about what happened in the desert night out in Arizona.

“That game out there in Arizona didn’t sit well with any of us,” said Day to the Value City Arena crowd. “I just want everybody to know in the room right here — that game did not sit well with us. And you have my word we’re not going to forget about that game. And our guys have already been working hard, working hard with coach Mick (Marotti), and we’re going to do everything we can to keep that game in the back of our minds so next year we come back even stronger.”

You can get a listen to his comments to the crowd below thanks to the Twitter feed of Colin Hass-Hill.

You tell ’em Day. Sometimes there’s nothing like failure to spur a team on to greater heights. Some of our best lessons in life are learned through defeat. Not only is Day preaching about remembering what happened in the Fiesta Bowl, but the staff has also installed a sign in the weight room with the final score emblazoned on it.

Hopefully it all works as motivation towards an even bigger year in 2020.

 

Clemson Will Play at Notre Dame After Bye Week

Some Notre Dame fans may be upset about the fact Clemson gets an extra week to prepare and get healthy for Notre Dame.

The ACC announced its schedule for the 2020 football season on Wednesday morning and Notre Dame fans probably aren’t going to be too happy.

That is because the marquee opponent of 2020, the defending national runner up and the team that figures to be a runaway number one entering the season will be coming off their bye week when they play at Notre Dame in November 7.

That’s right, the Clemson Tigers will play Syracuse on October 24, have a bye week on Halloween weekend and then come to Notre Dame on November 7.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame will play host to Duke on Halloween before welcoming Clemson to Notre Dame Stadium for only the second time ever a week later.

Are you surprised?

I’m not but I’m not upset about it, either.

You may recall that Notre Dame played seven teams coming off a bye week last year and went 7-0 in such games. Meanwhile the Irish went 1-1 after the bye in 2019 including the debacle at Michigan to end October.

To me that’s life as an independent. When you say you embrace getting everyone else’s best shots that doesn’t just for middle of the road squads who play their best game of the year against you.

It goes for the elite programs like Clemson as well.

Don’t make excuses, make plays.

Get me to November already!

Clemson defensive weapon Isaiah Simmons declares for 2020 NFL draft

Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons is leaving school early to enter the 2020 NFL draft

One of the most versatile and dynamic defenders in all of college football is making the early jump to the pro ranks.

Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons is leaving school early to enter the 2020 NFL draft. He made his announcement via social media Saturday.

A rare athlete, Simmons has been deployed by a Tigers at nearly every position on defense, with a high level of success no matter what he’s asked to do. While some may view his skill set as a reason to question his fit at the next level, any NFL defensive coordinator worth his whistle will be able to take advantage of his playmaking ability, no matter where he lines up.

Simmons should light up the NFL Scouting Combine, and could lock himself in as a top-10 pick.

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Texans 2020 NFL draft target: Clemson CB A.J. Terrell

The Houston Texans need help at cornerback, and one prospect in the 2020 NFL draft they should consider is Clemson CB A.J. Terrell.

The Houston Texans spent a second-round pick on cornerback Lonnie Johnson in the 2019 NFL draft, but they could still stand to get younger at the position.

Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell announced Friday his intention to to declare for the 2020 NFL draft. If the former CFP National Champion enters the draft, he could be a prospect the Texans target as they look to get younger and more talented in the secondary.

The Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling projects Terrell to stick around for Day 2 at the latest, which is where the Texans will first have a chance to grab him in the second round.

Coming off yet another trip to the College Football Playoff and the National Championship Game, Terrell helped lead one of the nation’s most talented defenses. His combination of size, length and athleticism should make him one of the first players off the board at his position. Terrell should come off the board on Day 2, at the latest, when draft weekend rolls around.

Two of the Texans’ biggest playmakers are products of Dabo Swinney’s coaching in receiver DeAndre Hopkins and quarterback Deshaun Watson. Defensive tackle D.J. Reader, a Pro Bowl alternate who has routinely been praised by coach Bill O’Brien and defensive end J.J. Watt alike, was also a standout at Clemson. Throw in defensive end Carlos Watkins, and it is safe to say that Clemson produces the right kind of guys that the Texans look for.

Terrell earned first-team ACC honors as a junior in 2019 as he collected 34 tackles, two interceptions, and three pass breakups in 14 games. The Texans currently have starter Johnathan Joseph about to enter his 15th season and at age 36 years old and also have Bradley Roby out of contract as they signed him to a one-year prove-it deal in 2019 free agency.

Adding Terrell, at 6-1, 190 pounds, would give the Texans better physicality at the position, much like what they have in Johnson, who is 6-3, along with youth.