NU vs Clemson

Hey guys! Looking forward to the Gator bowl. I can't blame anyone for being dissappointed that Nebraska is playing Clemson as we still seem to carry that butt whooping Alabama gave us over our heads.

Our offense has improved under our new coach, and Nebraska should definitely be worried about the speed of our backs. Our QB is definitely not the best, but if the same QB shows up that played in our last game against Carolina you guys could have some trouble on your hands.

Anyway I look forward to hearing some more talk, but if anyone wants to visit a really good Tiger board to talk some smack visit www.tigerpawtalk.com (just click the link in my sig).

 
SkullandBones said:
borNred said:
Clone, this game won't be an easy W
Click to expand...
I agree, they have speed and talent all over the field. Our tackling had better be sure or we are going to get real sick of chasing tigers up and down the field.
Click to expand...

hmmm... just my opinion but I think the mighty skers will handle clemson rather easily.

and I don't even like kool-aid ( I predicted a 6-6 or 7-5 NU season -- remember?).

I think that NU has improved as the season progressed, the KU game really showed that.

D genius BO gets a month to prepare the D. suh will probably hospitalize someone.

on offense-- Helu can run, henery can score from freakin midfield.

... and the Ganzinator

...will get the game ball. ;)

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey, don't get me wrong Clone, I hope your right. It's just that they have alot of weapons. We should have nearly everyone healthy, Carl and Bo will have a long time to focus on one team, I think we have the edge overall, but I don't see it being a walk in the park. Hope you prove me wrong though.

 
clone said:
SkullandBones said:
borNred said:
Clone, this game won't be an easy W
Click to expand...
I agree, they have speed and talent all over the field. Our tackling had better be sure or we are going to get real sick of chasing tigers up and down the field.
Click to expand...

hmmm... just my opinion but I think the mighty skers will handle clemson rather easily.

and I don't even like kool-aid ( I predicted a 6-6 or 7-5 NU season -- remember?).

I think that NU has improved as the season progressed, the KU game really showed that.

D genius BO gets a month to prepare the D. suh will probably hospitalize someone.

on offense-- Helu can run, henery can score from freakin midfield.

... and the Ganzinator

...will get the game ball. ;)
Click to expand...
We had 2 weeks to prepare for CU and they burn us for two tds on their 1st four plays. Our team is still too mistake prone to feel like we will 'handle' any team, let alone Clemson. They have alot of speed and talent.

I think it will be a dogfight, but I am really worried about Spiller and Davis. This game will resemble the VT game, but Clemson has a better O as far as I can tell.

We should be worried.

 
Last edited:
I have watched every clemson game this yr. and have been to 2 and their QB sucks
Click to expand...
This is inaccurate. The ACC does not have the caliber of QBs that the Big 12 does, but Harper is one of the top two or three QBs in the league. For the first 7 or 8 games this year, his throwing was affected by a shoulder injury that now seems to have healed and surely will have healed by bowl time. Last year, Harper's numbers included 27 TDs and just 6 picks, so he can get the job done when healthy.

This will be an interesting matchup. The ACC has been down for 4 or 5 years largely because of the weakness at QB. I saw one of your fans quip that FSU has been mediocre since Chris Weinke "turned 65" and graduated around 2000, and that is entirely accurate. The Rix experiment was a failure, and they've been weak at the position since then. Miami has also had QB troubles, and so has VPI since Michael Vick left 6 or 7 years ago. NC State had Philip Rivers from 2000 to 2003, followed by terrible QBs until Russell Wilson took over this year. Maryland had a kid you probably never heard of from 2000-2003, Scott McBrien, who was apparently better than most gave him credit since has been all but irreplaceable. You get the picture.

At the same time the defense has been outstanding, and the ACC has been right behind the SEC in sending players to the NFL even during this down period.

In contrast to the ACC, obviously, the Big 12 has quarterbacks in spades. Ganz gets overlooked by some, but there's no doubt he'd be among the best in the ACC. We will get to see how he does against a defense that may (or may not) be better than any defense in the Big 12. There has been a lot of talk about Clemson's "backfield" -- meaning Spiller, Davis, and sometimes Harper -- from your fans and ours, but when I think of Clemson's "backfield", the first thing that comes to mind is Clemson's DBs. I won't cite Clemson's pass efficiency stats, since they are compiled against a pretty poor group of QBs, but these guys are probably among the top five units in the country. Our sack numbers have improved lately but we have had trouble getting to the QB this year, making the secondary's play all the more impressive. Of course, with the departure of our defensive coordinator, things could look very different when the bowl game rolls around.

In short, our strengths are, in order: (1) tailbacks, (2) DBs, both safeties and corners, (3) QB, now that he's healthy, and (4) DL, despite the disappointing sack figure. Weaknesses are (1) OL, though improving, (2) linebackers, who are young and also improving.

 
MWS Tiger said:
I have watched every clemson game this yr. and have been to 2 and their QB sucks
Click to expand...
This is inaccurate. The ACC does not have the caliber of QBs that the Big 12 does, but Harper is one of the top two or three QBs in the league. For the first 7 or 8 games this year, his throwing was affected by a shoulder injury that now seems to have healed and surely will have healed by bowl time. Last year, Harper's numbers included 27 TDs and just 6 picks, so he can get the job done when healthy.

This will be an interesting matchup. The ACC has been down for 4 or 5 years largely because of the weakness at QB. I saw one of your fans quip that FSU has been mediocre since Chris Weinke "turned 65" and graduated around 2000, and that is entirely accurate. The Rix experiment was a failure, and they've been weak at the position since then. Miami has also had QB troubles, and so has VPI since Michael Vick left 6 or 7 years ago. NC State had Philip Rivers from 2000 to 2003, followed by terrible QBs until Russell Wilson took over this year. Maryland had a kid you probably never heard of from 2000-2003, Scott McBrien, who was apparently better than most gave him credit since has been all but irreplaceable. You get the picture.

At the same time the defense has been outstanding, and the ACC has been right behind the SEC in sending players to the NFL even during this down period.

In contrast to the ACC, obviously, the Big 12 has quarterbacks in spades. Ganz gets overlooked by some, but there's no doubt he'd be among the best in the ACC. We will get to see how he does against a defense that may (or may not) be better than any defense in the Big 12. There has been a lot of talk about Clemson's "backfield" -- meaning Spiller, Davis, and sometimes Harper -- from your fans and ours, but when I think of Clemson's "backfield", the first thing that comes to mind is Clemson's DBs. I won't cite Clemson's pass efficiency stats, since they are compiled against a pretty poor group of QBs, but these guys are probably among the top five units in the country. Our sack numbers have improved lately but we have had trouble getting to the QB this year, making the secondary's play all the more impressive. Of course, with the departure of our defensive coordinator, things could look very different when the bowl game rolls around.

In short, our strengths are, in order: (1) tailbacks, (2) DBs, both safeties and corners, (3) QB, now that he's healthy, and (4) DL, despite the disappointing sack figure. Weaknesses are (1) OL, though improving, (2) linebackers, who are young and also improving.
Click to expand...
And this is what worries me. PLUS THE SPEED! CU went down to FSU and the 'noles just ran circles around them.

I don't think any NE Fan should be taking this game lighlty, as some seem to be. I see us as a slight dawg in this one.

Maybe I'm wrong.

 
Last edited:
MWS Tiger said:
I have watched every clemson game this yr. and have been to 2 and their QB sucks
Click to expand...
This is inaccurate. The ACC does not have the caliber of QBs that the Big 12 does, but Harper is one of the top two or three QBs in the league. For the first 7 or 8 games this year, his throwing was affected by a shoulder injury that now seems to have healed and surely will have healed by bowl time. Last year, Harper's numbers included 27 TDs and just 6 picks, so he can get the job done when healthy.

This will be an interesting matchup. The ACC has been down for 4 or 5 years largely because of the weakness at QB. I saw one of your fans quip that FSU has been mediocre since Chris Weinke "turned 65" and graduated around 2000, and that is entirely accurate. The Rix experiment was a failure, and they've been weak at the position since then. Miami has also had QB troubles, and so has VPI since Michael Vick left 6 or 7 years ago. NC State had Philip Rivers from 2000 to 2003, followed by terrible QBs until Russell Wilson took over this year. Maryland had a kid you probably never heard of from 2000-2003, Scott McBrien, who was apparently better than most gave him credit since has been all but irreplaceable. You get the picture.

At the same time the defense has been outstanding, and the ACC has been right behind the SEC in sending players to the NFL even during this down period.

In contrast to the ACC, obviously, the Big 12 has quarterbacks in spades. Ganz gets overlooked by some, but there's no doubt he'd be among the best in the ACC. We will get to see how he does against a defense that may (or may not) be better than any defense in the Big 12. There has been a lot of talk about Clemson's "backfield" -- meaning Spiller, Davis, and sometimes Harper -- from your fans and ours, but when I think of Clemson's "backfield", the first thing that comes to mind is Clemson's DBs. I won't cite Clemson's pass efficiency stats, since they are compiled against a pretty poor group of QBs, but these guys are probably among the top five units in the country. Our sack numbers have improved lately but we have had trouble getting to the QB this year, making the secondary's play all the more impressive. Of course, with the departure of our defensive coordinator, things could look very different when the bowl game rolls around.

In short, our strengths are, in order: (1) tailbacks, (2) DBs, both safeties and corners, (3) QB, now that he's healthy, and (4) DL, despite the disappointing sack figure. Weaknesses are (1) OL, though improving, (2) linebackers, who are young and also improving.
Click to expand...
Wher are you Clemson fans from in SC, I live in clover?

 
Damn... with all of the Mizzou Tigers here... and now Clemson Tigers... Are we going to be over thrown?

Seriously, there's like eleventy billion of you that just came out of nowhere.

Welcome all you new people!

 
Clempsun, awesome post.

Clempsun said:
As for the game itself, it will all come down to the battle in the trenches. Our offensive line has struggled for most of the year but has seen improvement over the past 4 weeks. They finally have some continuity for the first time with a consistant lineup. If Nebraska's D-line can hold Clemson's run game in check then they will have a much better chance of winning. Our running game is where it all starts. CJ Spiller is the best player I have ever witnessed at Clemson and can score from anywhere on the field. James Davis is not flashy but picks up tough yards and can occassionally break one if he can get past the first and second level. He has a hard time busting through the defensive backfield. Clemson's QB can hurt you however. He got a bad rap during the first part of the season b/c of a fall off in production from last year. This was in large part due to an offensive line that looked like they were bull fighting instead of playing football. As the offensive line has improved so has Cullen Harper's game. He is a drop back passer with a very strong arm and good accuracy. He also has improved his scrambling ability but is not much of a threat to run. The wide recievers are a solid group. Aaron Kelly is a tall guy with very sure hands. He seems to always make the big catch on 3rd downs and is a good jump ball guy. Tyler Grisham is the type of player coaches love to have on their side. He doesn't do anything great but he produces. He is the most sure handed guy on the roster and love to block downfield. Jacoby Ford is the burner of the group as is evidence by his title of 2008 60m ACC Indoor track champ. He has developed into a good reciever this season and can also score from anywhere on the field.
Click to expand...
As others have said on this board, our main problem is our secondary. There are usually ~3 big plays per game based on one of our safeties being out of position. We've got some guys who have speed there and can hit (Asante, Thenarse) but there are obvious mental lapses with picking up coverages that get to that level. We have some walk-ons that will see some time and probably make some mistakes, too. Our corners have been burnt but they have also played exceptional against the run, including some reverses but also being able to stop screens. As most others have pointed out, the D-line is our strength behind Ndamukong Suh but we have other players that are very underrated (Steinkeuhler, Potter and Allen) and seem to do well when opposing offenses key in on Suh. They have all had their share of hurries/sacks and are fairly aggressive but also smart. The LBs are a depleted group, with some promising future players but the best LB we had got indefinitely suspended for God-knows-what.

On defense we have been pretty solid from top to bottom. The defensive line is very talented with some big bodies. They have had a problem this year with sealing the deal when they get to the QB though. Seems like they put good pressure on opposing teams QB's but can't seem to get the sack. DaQuan Bowers is a star in the making at DE. He was ESPN's #1 rated recruit out of high school and has lived up to the hype. We do a pretty good job of stopping the run, but that will definetly be a tough task with the talent Nebraska has at the RB position. Clemson's LB's are the weakness of the defense. They are VERY young and undersized but with alot of speed. They get from sideline to sideline in a hurry but often over pursue. Like the offensive line the group at linebacker has also improved alot from the beginning of the season. The defensive backfield is without a doubt the strength of the defense. The corners are very fast and play physical. Our safeties are both seniors and have been starters for 3 years. They are very smart football players and are rarely out of position. The things you will see from our DB's is that they will come up and hit you. Overall Clemson's defense is a deep unit that rotates in alot of players. They have picked up the intensity since Swinney has taken over the coaching job and play very fast. I think the Nebraska offense will be a difficult test for the Tiger D.
Click to expand...
The over pursuit could haunt your D, if it's quite prone to happening. Helu at RB will split the LBs and be able to put together 10-12 yard runs fairly easily. With the zone-read in there, Ganz might be able to take some runs for decent gains, too. Others have mentioned, our pass game isn't necessarily flashy. We don't really try to go up-top too much but we have some receivers (Swift, Peterson, sometimes Holt) that run routes that are almost impossible to cover. This is what the genius of Billy Callahan brought to Nebraska, quick 6-7 yard strikes in the passing game. If you've seen any of our games, you'll notice that we get this to work to draw the CBs out to the perimeter, then go in the middle to a tight-end (either McNeill or Young) for either a TD or a big gain. Of course all this gets to be pretty difficult to stop with the running game flowing.

After posting that, I'm excited about this football game! GBR!

 
zE bOp said:
MWS Tiger said:
I have watched every clemson game this yr. and have been to 2 and their QB sucks
Click to expand...
This is inaccurate. The ACC does not have the caliber of QBs that the Big 12 does, but Harper is one of the top two or three QBs in the league. For the first 7 or 8 games this year, his throwing was affected by a shoulder injury that now seems to have healed and surely will have healed by bowl time. Last year, Harper's numbers included 27 TDs and just 6 picks, so he can get the job done when healthy.

This will be an interesting matchup. The ACC has been down for 4 or 5 years largely because of the weakness at QB. I saw one of your fans quip that FSU has been mediocre since Chris Weinke "turned 65" and graduated around 2000, and that is entirely accurate. The Rix experiment was a failure, and they've been weak at the position since then. Miami has also had QB troubles, and so has VPI since Michael Vick left 6 or 7 years ago. NC State had Philip Rivers from 2000 to 2003, followed by terrible QBs until Russell Wilson took over this year. Maryland had a kid you probably never heard of from 2000-2003, Scott McBrien, who was apparently better than most gave him credit since has been all but irreplaceable. You get the picture.

At the same time the defense has been outstanding, and the ACC has been right behind the SEC in sending players to the NFL even during this down period.

In contrast to the ACC, obviously, the Big 12 has quarterbacks in spades. Ganz gets overlooked by some, but there's no doubt he'd be among the best in the ACC. We will get to see how he does against a defense that may (or may not) be better than any defense in the Big 12. There has been a lot of talk about Clemson's "backfield" -- meaning Spiller, Davis, and sometimes Harper -- from your fans and ours, but when I think of Clemson's "backfield", the first thing that comes to mind is Clemson's DBs. I won't cite Clemson's pass efficiency stats, since they are compiled against a pretty poor group of QBs, but these guys are probably among the top five units in the country. Our sack numbers have improved lately but we have had trouble getting to the QB this year, making the secondary's play all the more impressive. Of course, with the departure of our defensive coordinator, things could look very different when the bowl game rolls around.

In short, our strengths are, in order: (1) tailbacks, (2) DBs, both safeties and corners, (3) QB, now that he's healthy, and (4) DL, despite the disappointing sack figure. Weaknesses are (1) OL, though improving, (2) linebackers, who are young and also improving.
Click to expand...
And this is what worries me. PLUS THE SPEED! CU went down to FSU and the 'noles just ran circles around them.

I don't think any NE Fan should be taking this game lighlty, as some seem to be. I see us as a slight dawg in this one.

Maybe I'm wrong.
Click to expand...

i too see us as the dawg in this one, but the list he put forth really plays in our favor i think.

our strengths in order 1) D-line 2) QB 3) WR 4) RB 5) o-line..... our LBs and DBs are hit and miss so we'll just see how hit or miss they are on jan. 1st

 
Last edited by a moderator:
? for you tiger fans.... how's the play of our special teams?

ours isn't out standing, it seems to be hit and miss mostly, we've had a few good punt and kick returns this season, but nothing to hang your hat on.

and our kick and punt coverage is average at best.

oh yeah, we have a couple good kickers

 
Last edited by a moderator:
In addition our MO this year is to keep opponents' Os on the bench. We lead the nation (I think) in time of possesion. I understand that this meant very little in a couple of our games, but in the close ones -Texas Tech for example - it can mean a great deal. IMO the Husker key has to be tackling. Poor tackling has got us into alot of trouble, it's gotten better to be sure, but with Clemson's running attack it has to be lights out.

I'm really looking forward to this game.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top