Packer and Durham – Syndication Server

Clemson star calls in to Packer and Durham, updates rehab

A Clemson standout called in to the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network on Thursday. The Clemson basketball team’s leading scorer from the 2021-22 season, forward/center PJ Hall, phoned in to the show with Mark Packer and Wes Durham after hearing …

A Clemson standout called in to the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network on Thursday.

The Clemson basketball team’s leading scorer from the 2021-22 season, forward/center PJ Hall, phoned in to the show with Mark Packer and Wes Durham after hearing the news Wednesday that the program will be taken off the air at the end of this week.

“I heard the news and I had to call in and say what’s up, y’all,” Hall said.

“I know why you’re calling — you want to host the show now,” Packer joked. “I know how it goes.”

“I’ve put my application in,” Hall joked back.

“It’s going to be called ‘Hall and Durham,’ is what it’s now going to be called moving forward,” Packer said.

On a more serious note, during the call, Hall gave an update on his rehab following the foot surgery he underwent earlier this offseason.

As evidenced by multiple social media posts, Hall is out of the walking boot he initially wore after having surgery to repair a fracture in the fourth metatarsal of his left foot. He posted a story to his Instagram account in early June that showed the 6-foot-10, 240-pounder doing some simulated running for the first time since the operation in March.

“It’s feeling good. I’ve been sprinting a little bit, doing more rehab,” Hall said to Packer and Durham. “So, it was just a slow process to be able to get back up and doing more basketball stuff. Forever it was like you were on one foot, shooting one-foot hooks and barely walking around. So now that I’m running around more, I can jump. I’ve been doing semi-basketball workouts. So, it’s definitely coming along, but it was slow, for sure.”

Hall averaged a team-high 15.5 points despite dealing with painful flareups throughout last season, earning all-ACC honorable mention honors.

You can watch Hall’s call to Packer and Durham below:

"PJ in South Carolina" called in to #PackerAndDurham today 🤣🤣🤣@pjhall020 / @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/iGKvP3eJB7

— Clemson Basketball (@ClemsonMBB) June 30, 2022

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Packer on whether the ACC should move to 9 games

Mark Packer and Wes Durham had plenty to discuss on their show after the Atlantic Coast Conference released the new 3-5-5 schedule plan Tuesday afternoon. While Durham believes the ACC could move to nine league games if the other conference make …

One of the reason’s Packer feels strongly that the ACC should stay at eight conference games is the relationship with Notre Dame.

“For the ACC’s sake I think eight conference games gives you the flexibility with your non conference scheduling because you have to have eight and I am going to tell you why,” said Packer on Wednesday mornings show. “Because Notre Dame is still floating. Notre Dame is not a conference member in football, but they have a relationship with the Atlantic Coast Conference where they are going to have on average five games between ACC teams and Notre Dame which is an important non conference component.”

When you combine the games with the Irish and the SEC rivalry games for some ACC teams, that doesn’t leave much scheduling flexibility.

“I think when you throw that in in addition to the ones that you mentioned with the ACC and SEC variety at the end of the season you have to have No. 1 quality games that your fans care about and all of those games fall under the same category. Any ACC team against Notre Dame is a game that you want to see. Any ACC verses SEC game, especially those at the end of the year, are games that you want to see. They are part of your DNA, your fabric. So all of those are critical. So it gives you if you know those boxes are checked and if you happen to be one of those schools that falls in the category that you have Notre Dame and your arch enemy in the SEC at the end of the year man your flexibility of only having two open dates in terms on non conference opportunities it is really is important in how you handle them. Do you go heavy? Do you go light? Is it roast beef A&M or do you jump on a top 20 team? That is difficult so I think that is why eight has got to be the right number for the league,” said Packer.

Packer, Durham share some sad news for Clemson, ACC fans

One Wednesday morning’s show Mark Packer and Wes Durham made an announcement that will disappoint many Clemson and Atlantic Coast Conference fans. Many considered the Packer and Durham show the best show on the ACC Network. That show is ending soon, …

One Wednesday morning’s show Mark Packer and Wes Durham made an announcement that will disappoint many Clemson and Atlantic Coast Conference fans.

Many considered the Packer and Durham show the best show on the ACC Network. That show is ending soon, very soon.

An announcement from Packer And Durham: pic.twitter.com/DocDmcZP0m

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) June 29, 2022

We wish both of them well in their new assignments for the ACC Network, but are very disappointed to see the show we have enjoyed every morning no longer in the plans for the network.

Bakich intends to help Clemson compete for ACC, national titles ‘right away, next year’

Erik Bakich doesn’t think Clemson Baseball needs to undergo a rebuild. Instead, the Tigers’ new head coach feels the program, which has a rich tradition and long history of success, simply needs to reload. That’s what Bakich said recently on the …

That’s what Bakich said recently on the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network, when asked what the first step to rebuilding the Clemson baseball program is.

“I don’t know if I would use the word ‘rebuild,’” Bakich said. “There are great players on this roster. You look at Max Wagner, the ACC Player of the Year last year. And Clemson was just so close last year from getting into the tournament, and when you get into the tournament, anything can happen. I think Clemson is a place you just reload.”

Bakich is tasked with trying to get Clemson back to the point where it’s meeting the high standard and expectation level for a program that has won an ACC-high 10 ACC Tournament titles in history and made it to the College World Series a dozen times.

The Tigers, who are coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament misses, haven’t been to the College World Series since 2010 and most recently won the ACC Tournament in 2016, when it beat Florida State 18-13 in the title game.

But Bakich — who returns to Tiger Town after starting his coaching career as a volunteer assistant coach at Clemson under head coach Jack Leggett and alongside Tim Corbin and Kevin O’Sullivan at Clemson in 2002, when the Tigers had a 54-17 record and advanced to the College World Series — believes Clemson has the pieces in place to compete for ACC and national titles right off the bat in his first season as the Tigers’ head coach in 2023.

Bakich thinks the Tigers just have to put those pieces together in order to make that happen, and he intends to do just that.

“The tradition and the history and everything here is set, the infrastructure is set,” Bakich said. “So, right now, step one is a needs assessment of what can we do from a recruiting standpoint? Before that, it’s finalizing a coaching staff.

“But Clemson Baseball is not a rebuild – it’s a reload, and we are going to put some pieces together so that we’re competing for ACC and national championships right away, next year.”

What did Swinney say about the ACC considering elimination of divisions?

At the ACC spring meetings this week, there has been “lots of football scheduling discussion” that could result in the elimination of the Atlantic and Coastal divisions. As for what a new scheduling model would look like without divisions, one of …

At the ACC spring meetings this week, there has been “lots of football scheduling discussion” that could result in the elimination of the Atlantic and Coastal divisions.

As for what a new scheduling model would look like without divisions, one of the potential new models is reportedly where each team would have three permanent conference opponents and two sets of five teams that rotate on and off every other year.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney joined Packer and Durham at the ACC spring meetings Wednesday and was asked if he likes the 3-5-5 scheduling model being considered.

“It doesn’t really matter, honestly,” Swinney said. “I’m not passionate one way or the other. If we change to one division, I can get on board with the 3-5-5, not that it matters. But of the changes that I’ve heard, to me, that makes the most sense. I, personally, like the divisions. That’s my personal preference for various reasons. But I’m not really passionate about it one way or the other. I want to do what’s best for the league. If a lot more people smarter than me that run this league, if they think that’s what best for this league, then hey, I’m all for it. So, I can go either way.”

Swinney added “it’s the same issues in all these other conferences” as far as determining the best route to go with scheduling.

“Some conferences are getting even bigger and it’s becoming more of a problem,” he said. “So, everybody’s dealing with the same conversations. What’s the best way to address it? And I think you can address it with the divisions as well, with a little bit of maybe a change in some of the cross-rival stuff. And you’ve still got some issues there in how to protect it, and we’ve had some conversations there.

“But again, at the end of the day, what’s best for the league moving forward? I think all of us would like our kids to have a quicker cycle through in being able to play everyone. It’s good for the fans, etcetera. But still a lot of conversation, I think, to go on that.”

Under the current scheduling format, Clemson plays fellow Atlantic Division members North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Florida State, Syracuse, Louisville and Boston College every year. Georgia Tech is the Tigers’ permanent cross-division opponent while the eighth conference game rotates among the other Coastal Division teams annually.

Packer on ‘million-dollar question’ at Clemson, stretch of games that will determine its 2022 season

On the Packer and Durham show this week on ACC Network, Mark Packer and Wes Durham weighed in on Clemson’s 2022 schedule, which was released Monday. Durham pointed to the conclusion of Clemson’s 2022 campaign – the three consecutive home games …

On the Packer and Durham show this week on ACC Network, Mark Packer and Wes Durham weighed in on Clemson’s 2022 schedule, which was released Monday.

Durham pointed to the conclusion of Clemson’s 2022 campaign — the three consecutive home games against Louisville, Miami and South Carolina to end the regular season — as what jumps out to him about the Tigers’ 2022 slate.

It will represent Clemson’s first time ending a regular season with three consecutive home games since 2012, when the Tigers hosted Maryland, NC State and South Carolina to end the regular season.

“The thing that pops off the page about Clemson’s schedule is the three home games in a row to finish at the end,” Durham said. “It’s been a while, Pack, since that’s happened.”

Packer, though, has a different perspective about Clemson’s schedule next season. He is circling the stretch of four straight games at Wake Forest (Sept. 24), vs. NC State (Oct. 1), at Boston College (Oct. 8) and at Florida State (Oct. 15).

Packer believes Clemson must figure out its quarterback situation with rising junior D.J. Uiagalelei and five-star freshman Cade Klubnik prior to that stretch of games, which he thinks will go a long way toward determining what type of season the Tigers have.

“It doesn’t pop at me, Wes. You’ve got a different view than I do,” he said. “I think this. To me — I could be a thousand-percent wrong — the million-dollar question at Clemson is what happens at quarterback, right. D.J. Uiagalelei, does he improve? Does the Klubnik kid come in from Texas and just steal the thunder? I don’t know how that’s going to play out.

“Clemson better figure out the quarterback answer, though, early, because I think the stretch of four consecutive at Wake, the showdown with NC State, at BC, at Florida State — that’s four consecutive weeks, three on the road, and it’s early — to me, determines what the Tigers are all about.”

Packer added that the Tigers will “be a problem” at Death Valley if they’re undefeated at home heading into the month of November with those three straight home games to end the season.

“They get through the middle of that schedule, and if they’re still rocking and rolling, I think they take their chances at Notre Dame and they welcome everybody to Death Valley,” he said. “I mean, listen — if we get to November and the Tigers still haven’t been beaten at home and they cruise away and find a way through the mines there, they’ll be a problem in November in Death Valley.”

Durham pointed out that next season will mark the first time since 2006, and just the second time since 1996, that the Tigers will have only one road game after Oct. 15 — the date at Notre Dame on Nov. 5.

Clemson enters the 2022 season with a 34-game win streak at home — a school record for both the longest home winning streak and longest home unbeaten streak in school history (as well as the nation’s longest active home winning streak).

“How many in a row have they won at home? 300 in a row?” Packer quipped. “Good luck with that.”

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‘There’s gonna be a Tiger being a Super Bowl champ once again’: Swinney talks Tigers in Super Bowl

No matter what happens in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., at least one former Clemson football player will walk away from the big game as a Super Bowl champion. If the Cincinnati Bengals emerge victorious, …

If the Cincinnati Bengals emerge victorious, then rookie offensive lineman Jackson Carman, second-year NFL wide receiver Tee Higgins and sixth-year pro defensive tackle D.J. Reader will all get rings.

And if the Los Angeles Rams come away with the win, then offensive lineman Tremayne Anchrum Jr. will end his second NFL season as a Super Bowl champ.

Clemson leads the ACC with four players on Super Bowl rosters, and head coach Dabo Swinney talked about those players Tuesday during a guest appearance on the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network.

“I’ll say this – Jackson Carman, I’m really proud of that young man,” Swinney said. “But Jackson Carman, his freshman year here in 2018, he won a national championship. And Tee Higgins’ second year here in 2018, he won a national championship. So, it’s the second year for Tee in the NFL and the first year, rookie year, for Jackson.

“But man, Jackson’s going to be a great player. Heck of an offensive lineman. He was a second-round pick, came out early. He’s started some for them, and it’s good to see him having some success and making an impact.

“And then you see what D.J. Reader’s done. D.J. Reader’s last year here was 2014. He was on our No. 1 defense in the country that year. What a career he’s had. He’s a great leader. I texted with his mom, Felicia, the other day. I’m really happy for him, just his career. And then same thing with my man Tee. I talked to his mom, Lady, the other day and she’s excited, going to the Super Bowl. But Tee Higgins, a couple huge plays down the stretch there (in the AFC Championship Game vs. Chiefs). And then you’ve got Tremayne Anchrum, he’s the lone guy with the Rams.

“So, no matter how the game goes, there’s gonna be a Tiger being a Super Bowl champ once again. That’s pretty cool for our program.”

Clemson leads the ACC with FOUR players on Super Bowl rosters.

“No matter how the game goes, there’s gonna be a Tiger being a Super Bowl champ once again. That’s pretty cool for our program.” —@ClemsonFB's Dabo Swinney 🐅 pic.twitter.com/c9hR89g4Rb

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) February 1, 2022

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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Swinney gives his thoughts on Clemson’s 2022 schedule

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney joined the Packer and Durham show Tuesday on ACC Network and gave his thoughts on the Tigers’ 2022 schedule, which was released Monday during The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACCN. Clemson, which finished …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney joined the Packer and Durham show Tuesday on ACC Network and gave his thoughts on the Tigers’ 2022 schedule, which was released Monday during The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACCN.

Clemson, which finished the 2021 season 10-3 (6-2 ACC), will open its 2022 slate on Labor Day evening — Monday, Sept. 5 — when the Tigers face Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

It will mark the fifth time in the last seven years that Georgia Tech will be Clemson’s first ACC opponent of the season (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022). Clemson holds an 11-2 mark against Georgia Tech in ACC openers since the ACC’s first season in 1953.

The Tigers will then return to Memorial Stadium for their home opener against Furman on Saturday, Sept. 10, before playing Louisiana Tech at Death Valley on Saturday, Sept. 17.

“It’s really cool to start out obviously in an incredible venue, Labor Day night there in Atlanta playing Georgia Tech,” Swinney said. “That’s going to be a great opener for both teams and college football. We get to come home for a couple weeks, and then we’ve got to play five straight division games.”

Those five consecutive ACC Atlantic division contests will see Clemson play at Wake Forest (Saturday, Sept. 24), vs. NC State (Saturday, Oct. 1), at Boston College (Saturday, Oct. 8), at Florida State (Saturday, Oct. 15) and vs. Syracuse (Saturday, Oct. 22).

Clemson will play four of its first five ACC games on the road. It marks only the fifth time since the ACC’s first season in 1953 that Clemson will play four of its first five conference games on the road, joining the 1956, 1986, 1988 and 1990 seasons. Clemson posted a combined record of 11-4-1 in the four road games in the first five conference games of a season in those four years.

Overall, the Tigers will play eight straight games to open the season prior to their bye week on Oct. 29.

“First of all, we’re going to play eight straight before we have an open date,” Swinney said. “But five straight division games. At Wake, who’s had a heck of a run under Coach (Dave) Clawson. Obviously we got beat by NC State. They’ve got a lot of guys back. Man, at BC — we haven’t been to BC in a while (since 2018), but man, that’s always a tough place to play. My man Haf’s (Jeff Hafley) got those guys rolling. I mean, it’s going to be a challenging schedule. Back-to-back on the road, going to Florida State. Coming back at home versus Syracuse, and then we will get an open date. So, September and October, we’ve got a lot of football to play.”

Following the open date, Clemson will travel to South Bend, Ind., for a marquee road matchup at Notre Dame on Saturday, Nov. 5, before concluding the 2022 regular season with three home contests against Louisville (Saturday, Nov. 12), Miami (Saturday, Nov. 19) and, of course, the annual rivalry game against South Carolina (Saturday, Nov. 26).

Clemson’s three-game homestand to end the regular season marks its first time ending a regular season with three consecutive home games since 2012, when Clemson hosted Maryland, NC State and South Carolina to end the regular season.

“Eight straight, and then we come back and November, we’ve got three games at home to finish up there,” Swinney said. “With Louisville, we know who they are, and that quarterback they’ve got (Malik Cunningham) is special. Miami, I think is going to be really good under Coach (Mario) Cristobal. I think he’s going to do a great job there. And then how about the job (Shane) Beamer did this year down at South Carolina. Seven wins and going to the bowl game. I think he exceeded what a lot of people thought they were going to do. He’s done a great job, so you know that’s going to be a tough battle.

“So, it’s going to be a fun season, a challenging season, and we’re excited about it. It’s always fun when it comes out and you can kind of start mapping out what you’ve got to do to get your team ready.”

Clemson enters the season with an active winning streak against 10 of the 12 teams on its schedule. Clemson has active winning streaks against Furman (31), Wake Forest (13), Boston College (11), Georgia Tech (seven), Louisville (seven), South Carolina (seven), Florida State (six), Syracuse (four), Louisiana Tech (three), Miami (three) and Notre Dame (one). NC State won its most recent meeting with Clemson in 2021.

–Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story

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Swinney asked if he has any signing day surprises in store

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was a guest Tuesday on the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network. Swinney was asked if he and the Tigers have any surprises in store for Wednesday’s National Signing Day. “I mean, we signed our first portal guy,” …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was a guest Tuesday on the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network.

Swinney was asked if he and the Tigers have any surprises in store for Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

“I mean, we signed our first portal guy,” Swinney said of transfer quarterback Hunter Johnson, who is returning to Clemson — the institution with which he originally signed as a five-star recruit in the class of 2017 — after playing in 12 games for Northwestern across the 2019-21 seasons.

“I don’t know if that’s a surprise. I think that’s news. He’s a boomerang portal guy. He’s coming back where he started, coming right back. So, that’s probably it.”

Heading into Wednesday’s National Signing Day, Clemson has 12 signees that inked with the Tigers in the December early signing period.

Clemson also has five verbal scholarship commitments — defensive backs Myles Oliver and Kylon Griffin, linebacker Kobe McCloud, defensive end Jahiem Lawson and wide receiver Cole Turner — all of whom are expected to sign with the Tigers on Wednesday.

In addition, Clemson is in contention for the signatures of several prospects who will announce their decisions on Wednesday — Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic Prepatory School four-star linebacker T.J. Dudley, Lanett (Ala.) High School four-star defensive tackle Caden Story, Parish Episcopal School (Dallas, Texas) three-star running back Andrew Paul and Pine View High School (Saint George, Utah) three-star running back Keith Adams, Jr.

“I don’t think I’m going to have any surprises,” Swinney said. “We’re going to sign a great class, some really talented players and meet all of our needs that we needed from a depth and talent standpoint. It’s exciting. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Clemson’s 2022 class currently ranks No. 11 nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite team recruiting rankings.

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ACC analysts discuss which former Tiger would be the best addition to Clemson’s staff

On the Packer and Durham show on the ACC Network this week, Mark Packer and Wes Durham discussed which former ACC football players would be the best additions to the coaching staffs at their alma maters. When thinking about Clemson, their choice was …

On the Packer and Durham show on the ACC Network this week, Mark Packer and Wes Durham discussed which former ACC football players would be the best additions to the coaching staffs at their alma maters.

When thinking about Clemson, their choice was a no-brainer — 2021 first-team All-ACC selection James Skalski, a two-year team captain who completed his decorated six-year career as a linebacker (2016-21) credited with 310 career tackles (20.5 tackles for loss), 10.0 sacks, 12 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries (including one he returned 17 yards for a touchdown) and a forced fumble in 1,920 snaps over 69 games (38 starts).

Check out the following dialogue from Packer and Durham about Skalski and why they think the five-time ACC Champion and two-time national champ would be a great coach:

Durham: “This guy’s gonna coach. I keep waiting to see, somehow, he’s involved for next year.”

Packer: “He’s going to be a coach.”

Durham: “He’s gonna be. He was a coach last spring.”

Packer: “He was a coach in his last game after he got hurt at halftime of the Cheez-It Bowl.”

Durham: “This is like the easiest one of all time.”

Packer: “James Skalski at Clemson, gotta be on the list. Has to be.”

Durham: “I just envision Skalski with a get-back coach. That’s the thing. Because (Brent) Venables… Skalski and those guys, Baylon Spector and that crowd, they used to laugh at Venables with the get-back coach, right. Well, see, I envision Skalski with a get-back coach, and Skalski and the get-back coach getting into it on the sideline because of how fired up he’ll be. And I told Dabo this last year, and I said this to Skalski when Roddy (Jones) and I did the spring game – I think he’ll be a terffic coach. I think he’ll be a terrific coach, because it means something to him.”

Packer: “True passion.”

Durham: “And he’s been to the top of the mountain. He knows what the price is you have to pay.”

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