The "Enjoy One" Edition

Clemson gets ready for a matchup with Furman in a season that has made fans enjoy wins more than they perhaps have over the past decade. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Each time or Climpson Sports Talk with Lawton Swan.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Now finally, Clemson Sports Talk has come back to drive time.

(00:50):
Hell everybody, Lord and Swan back in the saddle once again.
It is d show that shakes the Southland. Clemson Sports
Talk for you each and every afternoon as you make
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(01:13):
but the dot com on a dog gone it that's
Clemson Sports dot dot com Ato three four five oh
zero zero eighty six. That is the text line and
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(01:35):
six seven to one zero eight. Check them out today
online at mets plumbing dot com. All right out of
the gates on a Friday afternoon, Will Van Dervoort joins
the program from the Clemson insider on Twitter at stealer
Will Will. What's up, buddy, Welcome in my man.

Speaker 3 (01:53):
I'm doing well, man, long time. I know I've been
out of town and stuff you've been hasn't been able
to get me, SoJ listen.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Look, it's okay to admit your big time with me
for your radio gigs that you got there with the
uh with Clemson, the pregame show, I understand. Last week
of Friday up at Louisville twenty to nineteen, Will a
little squeaker if you will. What do you think about it?

Speaker 3 (02:16):
Yeah, it's first of all, I would never big time
any buddy. I mean, give you a hard time about
your barberabolehorses, but never big time here. Second of all, yeah,
that's that was a you know, after the game, Graham
Neft came up to me aflet the rest Clemson. He says, well,
you've been doing this a long time. You've seen a
lot of games. Where does that rank on the crazy scale?

(02:38):
And I told him that had the right probably at
the top. Bright at it, because that was one of
the craziest games I've ever seen. I can't remember when
two teams wanted to lose as bad as Clemson and
Louisville did last last Friday night. They're in Louisville. I
mean it was crazy, But you know what, a win's
a win, man. That's what I always say. The one

(03:00):
thing I hate about college football is that the fans
don't enjoy the wins as much as they should have one.
And you know, I'm a big NFL fan, as you
know with my Steelers, and you know in the NFL,
if you just you went by point and you celebrate it,
you love it that you won, and you move on
to the next game. And uh, college football, they get
people get too stuck on how you're supposed to win

(03:21):
and the beautiful did you get a beautiful win or
not a win to win? College football's got to get
away with this, get away from all this stuff where
people don't enjoy a win as much. Wasn't an ugly win, absolutely,
but you know what, Compson, I ain't had many wins
this year's guys, so enjoy enjoy won when you get
it right.

Speaker 4 (03:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
No, that's a fair point. And ultimately, you know, I
would say that while both teams certainly shot themselves in
the foot enough to lose it, Clemson in the end
did make the plays they needed to make. I thought,
you know, Adam Randall's big run and quite frankly, just
the way he's played really makes me feel like, more
than anything will that he was misevaluated coming out of

(03:59):
high school. Like I think he could have been a
collegiate running back for four years and probably would have
been a really good one.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
I don't disagree with that statement. I agree with you
that maybe there was. I mean not to say that
he wasn't a very looking wide receiver coming out of
high school, because he was. But I think you're right
when you look at the things he can do with
the football and his vision. He has the vision of
a running back as we know. You know, he's he's

(04:31):
very strong at the at the point of attack. You
know he can he's got the burst when he sees
a hole to get through and make a play. So yeah,
I think you're right. I think maybe if he was
evaluated differently a few years back, maybe his career takes
a different path, and maybe it still does. Maybe he
goes on and make some splash plays and gets this

(04:51):
opportunity in the NFL. You know, we'll see. But he
was very he was He ran the ball very well.
I guess a a really good I thought rush defense
for Louisville. They they've been one of the better rushing
deep teams in the ACC all year. And Clemson was
able to run the football with him, and you know,
he looked good doing it. He had a run of

(05:11):
twenty five yards of a touchdown that was all you know,
it was a good block. But then when he got
to the second level that was all him. And then
that forty six y'all run down the sideline was all
him as well. He's he's done well. Interesting how much
they'll play him tomorrow against Furman, right, you know, I mean,
i'd imagine he probably played most of the first half,
but they want to get some other looks at other

(05:33):
guys too, and so you know, but his last game,
I'm sure Dad was gonna try to let him get
get in the end zone one one or two more
times before he calls it the career. There in death
Valley will Van.

Speaker 2 (05:45):
Der Ward again from the Clemson Insider hanging out with
us today. What you just said about guys and how
much they'll play I was looking back through some old,
you know, senior day photos and things of that nature,
and even you know games where you know, maybe it
was late in the season and Clemson was playing an
opponent that might be a little bit less than if

(06:07):
you will, and they were resting guys, and I did wonder,
you know, at this point in the season, with that
South Carolina game looming, obviously you got to win this
one to become Bowl eligible. But I would venture to
guess that when we get the release this evening about
the the what's it called availability report, I would venture
to guess there might be a few extra names on there.

(06:29):
Not trying to indicate that I think there's anybody in
particular that's going to be out, But it wouldn't surprise
me if they rest a couple of guys, would it
surprise you, Well, well, it.

Speaker 3 (06:40):
Definitely won't surprise me if they arrest, I mean arrest
bad word is there. If they rest a few guys
that maybe are banged up a little bit and they say, okay,
we can get them another week of risk, we'll do that.
I'm interested in what they do with Kake Kudnik, how
much he actually plays. They got to get Bowl eligible,

(07:01):
so you want him to play enough to where he
put gets the game in hand for the for the
Tigers tomorrow, right, Like you know, maybe you build a
twenty one nothing lead or something and then you take
them out because they really want to get a good
look again at Christopher Pazina. They want to get a
good look at Dnson, uh, because they really haven't seen
him before one play all year, so you imagine they

(07:22):
want to see at least a whole quarter of him playing.
I would imagine so. And then but at the same time,
as you mentioned, they got to win the game, so
they got to go win the game first, and then
you start pulling guys. So when is that point? When
do they get to that point? And you hope they
get to that point because let's be honest, Cimson didn't
play well against Troy this year, right, and so you

(07:43):
know it took them almost the whole game before they
could get control of the game. You you hope they
don't do that tomorrow. You hope they're able to go
out there and build the lead early and then start
being able to pull players come maybe late second quarter
and start getting getting those guys rest as they get
ready for South Carolina. But I missed to see because
I know the coaches are anxious to get some guys
in that haven't had opportunities to play this year so

(08:05):
they can get some looks at them and evaluate them
in real game time conditions.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
Will Vanderwarts on Twitter at Steeler. Will it's a four
point thirty kickoff in Depth Valley. They'll finish under the
lights tomorrow as the Tigers and Furman get together, and Will,
I know Clemson's history and tradition are important to you,
and certainly the Military Appreciation Day being a big part
of it. Clemson'll be wearing they're all purple gear. Firman
fans certainly will be wearing their purple as they come in,

(08:34):
so the stadium should look amazing. I'm sure Firman is
probably gonna wear all white uniforms. But either way, when
you think about, you know, the tradition, in the history
and the way Clemson celebrates it all on Military Appreciation Day,
as a graduate, it's certainly got to make you feel
really proud about your school.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, I would imagine that Compson people coming in are
gonna be very proud. And you know, I remember the
first one one. I think Clemson was the first school,
not just first school. I think Clmpson was first of
anybody to do Military Appreciation Day, like anybody, uh and
so and it was in nineteen ninety three. John Siketta

(09:14):
was working uh there and with the marketing team and
John got it started. And you know, I thought it
was a great idea and it was definitely something that
needs to be done. And Clempson Bend with his military
background just you know, my stepdad Clempson grad and he
loved there. He loved Clemson and and and the fact

(09:36):
he was a cadet, and you know, he was very
proud for He never called it Clemson University. He always
called it Clemson College because that's what it was to
him when he was there. And you know, he was
always proud of Clemson and and and I wish he
could be here to see the military stuff. My brother
was in the Air Force and he'll be there tomorrow.

(09:56):
So it's always good to kind of share that moment
with him. U when you know the Air Force is honored,
and you know, it's just a it's a it's a
proud thing. I love to go over to, you know,
the Scroll of Honor every I do it every year
before the game, the Military game. And you know, because
obviously military runs in my family, and then also with

(10:17):
you know, my stepfather and the Clemson UH connection and
and and being the former cadet, you know, that means
something to me. And so I always go over there
and and just kind of take it in for a
little bit, if you will. And so it's it's important
to me, it's important to my family, and I'm glad
Clinton does this each year because it's just it gives

(10:39):
me another moment to think of my stepdad and my
dad both were in the military, and my dad and
my dad and the Air Force as well, my brother
and Air Force, and then my stepfather was in the Army,
and so just that makes it durable because those guys,
they each risk their own lives to help us have
our freedom, and you know, it's very appreciative. And then
you know, to honor all those people you know at

(11:01):
you know that died, there were former Clemson students that
risk their lives for us. You know, it's great that
Clinton does that. And also the fact that the stadium
is named for those people, that's why it's called Memorial Stadium.
And so, you know, obviously very proud of Clemson and
proud of the way they do things each year with
the military game, I'll be wearing my military appreciation shirt

(11:24):
as well. In the press box there tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (11:27):
Will Van Dervoord hanging out with us, so will for
those seniors. It's a final game in Death Valley, and
Kay Klubnick is one of those guys. If you try
to define his career right, I think it's incredibly difficult
to do because of the number of losses that he's taken.
Even when you stack him up by comparison to a

(11:49):
taj Boyd, I mean, it just hasn't felt the same.
What would you say about his career? And again, I
think if he goes out with a victory over South
Carolina this coming weekend and doesn't allow the game Cocks
to win two games in a row, that would be
a huge mark for Clemson Tiger fans to say, hey,
remember when Kad did that? But right now, I don't

(12:11):
know that he has a remember when Kad did that moment?
Outside of what maybe winning the ACC Championship two years
or three years ago, or possibly his performance against Texas
which was still in defeat.

Speaker 3 (12:26):
I would say probably him coming off the bench and
went winning MVP in that twenty twenty two ACC Championship
game is probably his memorable moment. The crazy thing is
it was his first moment and h you know really
that you know he was able to do something, and
but you know that sometimes it works that way. But listen,

(12:47):
he may not have the records that Taj Boyd had
as far as touchdown passes and yardage and all that,
but he's got he's got one more a SC championship
than Taj. And he's a two time MVP in the
AHENC Championship Game and he led Clemson to the Tage
Football Playoffs. So he's he's like, he's right there with Taj,

(13:10):
I'd say, because his numbers aren't the same as Taj
as far as all those other things that Taj did,
but when you look at his winning two conference championships
and going to the college football playoffs, that won't be forgotten.
He'll be remembered for those things because he did do that.

(13:31):
You know, he did ball in both those championship games
to get Clemson where they needed to be. And you know,
I think fans take it for granted winning ACC championships.
I hope this season has talked on some fans a
valuable lesson that nothing is guaranteed to you. That you know,
it's hard to win, it's hard to consistently win. And

(13:53):
Clemson has done that for a long period of time,
and you had a quarterback who led you to two champampionships.
That's not that shouldn't ever be taken likely that that
should be honored. And I think it will be one
day when Clinton fans look back in or say, Okay,
you know, where does Kate Clubman rank among the best
Clemson quarterbacks. Well, he may not be Taj Boyd, he

(14:15):
may not be Trevor Lawrence or Deshaun Watson or Steve
Fuller or Homer Jordan, but he's on that next tier.
And you know he's right up because he won two
A SEC championships. You know that's right there by Roddy Williams,
that's right there by Steve Fuller. You know that's right
there by you know, Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence in
the act of winning conference championships. He's in that mix.

(14:38):
So I would say he's probably right there behind. So
I would me I would rank him like, you know,
obviously you're gonna put Watson to me there's there's the
number one tier to me is Deshaun Watson, Trevor Lawrence,
Steve Fuller and Homer Jordan are in that first tier
because of what they did for Clemson. And I say

(14:59):
to Boyd, is in that fifth tier, And I would say,
you know, you can probably throw Charlie Whitehurst and Woody
Danceler and that second tier, I mean behind them, And
then I would put right in there. And he could
even put him ahead of Charlie Whitehurst and wood He
because he won two a SEC championships. But I would
put That's where I would put Kate Clubbeck in that

(15:20):
tier right here, that second tier of Clemson grapes.

Speaker 2 (15:23):
And this weekend, with a win, he'll get his twenty
fifth victory as a starting quarterback, which he would become
one of just six guys to do that since World
War Two, joining many of those names you mentioned Trevor
Lawrence who had thirty four career wins, to Shaun Watson
with thirty two, along with Taj Boyd. Rodney Williams also
had thirty two, and then Charlie Whitehurst.

Speaker 3 (15:43):
Yeah I forgot Rodney.

Speaker 2 (15:45):
Yeah, Charlie Whitehurst had twenty five. So would you put
Rodney on that first tier second tier.

Speaker 3 (15:52):
I put Rodney on his second tier because he never
won an asy he won and never won a national championship,
and he won three ACC championships. He's still the only quarterback,
if I'm not mistaken, to win three Atlantic Coast Conference
championships because Tage won one, uh, Deshaun won two, Trevor
one two. So and then Kelly Bryant won one during

(16:13):
that stretch, right, and so Rodney is Rodney's in the
second tier. And because you got to give him what
he did winning football games as a start quarterback, always
made clutch plays and key moments, helped whenson win and
those three conference championships, but I think when you win
national championships. Now, Steve Fuller didn't win a national championship,

(16:34):
but maybe he should have. And that's why I put
Steve Fuller in with those other three national championship quarterbacks.

Speaker 2 (16:40):
And now you got me, count. I think Trevor got three, right,
he would have gotten twenty eighteen nineteen. In twenty twenty, Yeah,
you're right, Trevor did get three.

Speaker 3 (16:49):
He tied Rodney Biams at that.

Speaker 2 (16:51):
You have me, You had me thinking, But that's why
I bring you on. Man, I'm like to get in deep.
I'm going a case one of those. But one of
those years was a weird win, right. It was the
COVID year over a Notre Dame, which twenty twenty. That
was a that was a strange one.

Speaker 3 (17:05):
That was that was a strange football season. It's it's
it's you don't want to say you forget it because
you don't, but you do sometimes because it was they
didn't play South Carolina. Uh, you know, the Florida State
game was canceled. You know, Trevor got COVID right in
the middle of the season, and they didn't He didn't
or he didn't win the Heisman Trophy because he got COVID,

(17:26):
which was the dumbest thing I've ever seen in my life.
Like the guy got COVID, and I mean, people come
on during the time.

Speaker 5 (17:31):
That was tough.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
And you know, he should have won the Heisman Trophy
that year. The reason they didn't give it to him
just beyond me.

Speaker 5 (17:38):
You know, Uh he missed.

Speaker 3 (17:40):
Yeah, yeah, he's missed two games, but he was eight
no and the and and you know.

Speaker 2 (17:45):
Tutt, right, two out of ten games a ten game
season yeah, yeah, that.

Speaker 3 (17:51):
Average and fifteen yards passing a game one of the
top led the led the acc and touchdown passes and
I mean, I just didn't get it. Like, how in
the world has got the Heisman Trophy winner. I have
no idea finishes the runner up but didn't win. It
makes no sense.

Speaker 2 (18:06):
Again on Twitter at Steeler Will Will Van Dervoort hanging
out with us here for a few more minutes as
we get you geared up for Clemson and Firman tomorrow
in Death Valley, the final home game of the regular season,
and obviously Will, with Clemson and South Carolina both on
the horizon, we do need to talk a little bit
about the Game Cocks, the epic melt down there in
College Station. I was trying to do some research to

(18:28):
see if Clemson had ever won a game by one
point on the same weekend that South Carolina lost the
game by one point one point. Losses and wins or
few and far between and Clemson's history, and ironically they
actually have two of them this season, one win and
one loss. They did that I know one other time
back in nineteen thirty six through some of my research,

(18:50):
but I will ask you, what did you think, yeah, thanks.
Tim Bray was also impressed. What did you think about
South Carolina in their performance out in College Station.

Speaker 3 (19:03):
I was surprised at first with the way they went
out there and just took control of the game, and
we're up thirty to three, and I thought to myself,
I really can't see this in there where they're gonna
mess this up. It's what I'm thinking thinking to myself.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
Because hey, Will, let let me cut you off. We
got a hard time break coming up at about forty seconds.
So that's Will Van der Vort again hanging out with
us here on a Friday afternoon eight zero three four
five O zero zero eighty six. That is the text
line in the phone line. If you want to be
a part of the program, Will is gonna hang out
with us for a few segments talking college football. We'll
talk more about South Carolina in that game there at

(19:40):
Texas A and M when we get back in. And
now number two Tommy Bowden joins the program, so stick
around for that as we got a whole lot more
Clemson football coverage for you right here on the show
that Shakes of south Land is Clemson Sports Talk Well
Fox Sports Radio fourteen hundred and on the iHeartRadio app
Lawton Swan Clempson's sports talt Will Van Devoi on the
guest line talking about South Carolina's loss this past weekend

(20:04):
at Texas A and M. Will, we were talking about
the game. Cocks, big lead, you were giving us some
insight into your thoughts on it.

Speaker 3 (20:11):
They're up thirty to three. All they have to do
is run the football with some consistency, you know, get
some first downs and maybe score one more time even
with the field goal, probably enough to win it, right,
But they didn't do any of that, and I was
like stunned. And now I give credit for a just
ting because obviously South Carolina had a new office coordinator

(20:33):
when they came out there, so they threw some wrinkles
out at Texas A and M to start the game
that Texas A and M hadn't seen right and say
what non film and so they weren't prepared for it.
But Mike Eckles and the staff give them credit. They
made a justice in the second half. And I think
they held South Caronto seventy one yards of total offense
or something like that in the second half. That is outstanding,

(20:55):
especially when a team is trying to hold on to
a lead, and you know, just if anything just you know,
play vanilla, run the cloth kind of plays. They didn't
do anything. They had they got the start to give.
They start off, you know, turning the ball over on
downs in the second half, and then I think they're
like punt punt out again out on downs on like

(21:15):
five plays and then punt punt like that was like
five or six three and outs in that second half.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah, twenty six total snaps.

Speaker 3 (21:24):
Yeah, that's just the I mean, you give A and
M credit for getting the stops because it's not like
South Caroline was just trying to roll over there. So
it was it was interesting what happened that second half.
And then the obviously, you know A and M was
moving the ball in the first test, so you knew
they were gonna move the ball in the second half.
They just kept shooting themselves in the foot. So you

(21:45):
knew if they just started executing and stopped shooting themselves
in the foot that they could get themselves back in
the game. But I didn't think that what happened was
gonna happen that and that they gave us South Caroline
and gave up twenty eight second half points. You know,
it reminded me speaking of upson, that reminded me of
a certain Clemson game that you'll remember from thirty three
years ago when Clemson was playing a ranked team on

(22:07):
the road at Virginia and we're down twenty eight to
nothing late in the second quarter when Lewis Solomon went
up the sideline just before halftime for about sixty nine
yards I believe, and next ding and there it's twenty
eight to seven. And then Clemson had that miraculous come
from behind one point twenty nine to twenty eighth victory,
which is still the largest come from behind victory in

(22:29):
ACC history, I believe, and also still in Clemson history,
you know, which was amazing. That game was against a
tenth ranked Virginia team that year in Charlottesville. That's what
that game reminded me of, except you know, it was
Clemson winning the game as opposed to South Carolina losing
the game.

Speaker 2 (22:47):
And so how do you think, and again we could
talk a little bit more about Clemson in South Carolina
next week, but how do you think the fact that
South Carolina's not going to be able to go to
a bowl game? Do you think that gives them a
little more. I don't know importance to this Palmetto Bowl
given the fact that it essentially is their bowl game.

Speaker 3 (23:10):
I am glad you asked that question.

Speaker 5 (23:13):
Here.

Speaker 3 (23:13):
Here's why you know me, man, I do my like you.
I don't research all the way in nineteen thirty six
or one point wins on the same weekend with a
one point loss, but I do do it when it
comes to Clinton Carolina. I do a little extra prep research,
and so I looked at this game and when Clinson
has had a team with a losing record or mean,

(23:36):
excuse me, let me say the average to losing record
right when Clinton has had so that means six and
five or losing record going into the game since nineteen
seventy seven, and South Carolina has had a losing record,
Clinton has won eighteen of those twenty four games. So
in your scenario where hey, this is South Carolina's bowl game,

(24:00):
Clemson wins way more than those what the winning what?
What is that? What is that seventy something percent?

Speaker 6 (24:07):
Is that?

Speaker 3 (24:07):
Is that accurate? So this is regardless of the games
played in Carolina or in Columbia or in Clemson. Clinton's
eighteen and six in that scenario that you just mentioned
against South Carolina. So even if they do like chances,
the numbers tell me Clemson is in good shape here, right,
if you're going by trends, right, and so that's going
all the way in nineteen seventy seven, Okay, And I

(24:30):
picked seventy seven because that's that was really where, you know,
the turn of the Clemson football program, because Crimson only
had four losing seasons.

Speaker 2 (24:37):
Yeah, that's when I was born. That's when greatness was born.

Speaker 3 (24:42):
Well, I like to say greatness is born in nineteen
seventy two. I just can't the immaculate reception here and
all that happened at the same time. So you know,
you know, so anyway, but that's we won't go with
those semantics. We will argue those I found it. I
found it interesting in this scenario that you add. I said,
that's crazy that you asked me that question. Clemson's eighteen

(25:03):
and six in this scenario, and so yes, I think
South Carolina will throw everything at Clemson and the kitchen
sink because I think Shane Diemer would love to say
three and four against Dabo Sweeney and Clemson in the
last four years. And I think, you know, the fan
base down there would love to have that, and I
think you know they would love to like may put

(25:23):
a little sourness to what's already been a sour season
for Clemson. But I think Clemson is still the better team.
And I said that going into the Louisville game. I
said Clemson's better than Louisville overall, and I'm like, if
they can just find a way to win the game,
they should win the game because of the better team,
and that proved to be. Even though Louisville you could

(25:44):
say Louisville was the better team in the game, I
still think Clempson was still the more talented team and
they gave themselves a chance to win the game. I
feel the same way going down in Columbia. I think
it's gonna be a weird game like that. I think
South Carolina has the best player on the field, without
a doubt when they have the ball. But if Clempson
can just stop him, I think every day they I
think they're Okay, it's gonna be what they what they

(26:07):
do against him that's gonna decide whether they winna lose
that game.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
In a couple of weeks, all right, final thing back
to this weekend's matchup against Firm and Clemson. Now Braden
Jacob's out fluke injury after that Louisville game, then obviously
losing Walker Parks. The offensive line is not being great
for Clemson this year, but you certainly don't want to
lose starters at this point in the season. How does
that affect Clemson, not only this week but moving forward

(26:32):
in your opinion?

Speaker 3 (26:33):
Oh wow, that's a great question, because you know you're
gonna throw in Adam Adam Sandler. What's wrong with me?
You're gonna throw a Colin Saddler, and you're gonna throw
uh waterboys coming back. They're gonna they're gonna throw a
Colin Sadler there at left guard. You're gonna put Harry

(26:57):
Sewell at right guard. And then you're gonna bring in
you know, Running O'Connell's gonna be used, Detrick Pennington. You
know they could be using the freshman and Gavin Blanchard
as well in that rotation. So just there could be
some new parts coming in there to help out with

(27:18):
the rotation and.

Speaker 2 (27:18):
All, Hey will let me cut you off real quick.
We'll come back, We'll get some more Will's thoughts on
that the situation with Clemson's offensive line. When we get
back right here on Fox Sports Radio fourteen hundred, Keep
it Locked, Lawton Swan, Clemson Sportstock on a Friday, Will
Van de Voort from The Clemson Insider joining us here
on the show today. Will, we were talking about clemson
situation on the offensive line. You were giving us some

(27:40):
of your thoughts on the matchup against against Furman this weekend.
Is as Clemson gets ready for that game against South
Carolina next weekend. But what do you think is you know,
super significant if you will for Clemson.

Speaker 3 (27:53):
One thing you don't want to happen is anybody else
get hurt right now, they just really can't afford it.
And so and if you remember last week, they were
running the football well, especially the last two weeks they've
run well to the web side. And then walker Park's
on that forty six yard run we talked about earlier
with Adam Randall. Walker Parks was the lead block on
that and got the good block that sprung Randall down
the sideline. So those are big losses. I don't know

(28:14):
if Clinton doesn't digress on the offensive line, and that's
what's gonna stink when they played South Carolina. It's good
that they get this game this week to kind of
get everybody kind of where they need to be, maybe
get some confidence, and maybe you get a guy out
there and a young guy such as Blancher that you
don't really know much about, see.

Speaker 5 (28:30):
How he does.

Speaker 3 (28:31):
Maybe he goes out there and performs well and he
answered some questions for you that she didn't know. But
next week they got a block a pretty darn good
defensive end at Delon Stewart. South Carolina's defensive front is
no joke. They're a good defensive line and they'll challenge
Climpson next week. And so that offensive line, man, it
is a big, big question mark they have. What sucked

(28:52):
about this those two injuries is they had gotten so
much better the last couple of weeks and they actually
started looking like the offensive we thought they were gonna
be all season. And now they have to they take
literally take two steps back after losing both those guys
for the season.

Speaker 2 (29:08):
Oh man, Yeah, look, there's no doubt. And the bringing
Jacob's injury. For those people that haven't really seen it,
it's not a there's not a great video of it,
but what you can see clemses in the victory formation
they take the final snap. He's a he's a freshman,
he's a young guy. He's excited for the road win.
You know that game we talked about Will how weird
it was. And then he sort of just it doesn't

(29:30):
really jump up straight to celebrate, but just kind of
jumps to like go down and kind of fist bump
his excitement, and at that point, I guess just tweaks
his ankle or rolls it over or something. And I mean, man,
what a loss, because he was really coming on.

Speaker 3 (29:46):
He was, and you know, maybe if this is earlier
the season, he's probably gonna miss two or three games
to be back. But there's only one more game left
and then, you know, and so you know he's gonna
be out for the season, and you know, you know,
I don't know if they want to rush him back
for a bowl game or not. Maybe just make sure
they get that thing taken care of. So that's probably

(30:06):
the approach they're having with it. But yeah, just a
freakish thing, man, that happens. It's been the story of
this season, to be honest with you, Just weird things
have happened. All year long, and things that we didn't
think were going to happen happen, and things that we
thought would happen never happened, right, and weird things like
this did happen, and it was just, you know, just
add on to what this season has been. You know,

(30:27):
Davilis Swinging says the toughest season he's ever had is
twenty ten. I have to disagree. I think this has
probably been the toughest season because expectations in twenty ten
weren't that high.

Speaker 2 (30:37):
That's a good point.

Speaker 3 (30:38):
Expectations this season were high, and the weird stuff that's
happened with this team and how they've underperformed at times,
and then just something like this happens, it's been a
I'm sure they're ready for this season just to be over.

Speaker 2 (30:51):
You know, it's funny that you say that. I don't
think I brought that up this week at all until today.
But when you know, when the ball gets snapped back
and skips up, you know, when Philip Lorenzo skips that
ball back to Jack Smith and it looks like you're
gonna lose that game like that, I in that moment

(31:13):
for the first time this season, covering the team. I
really thought, well, this is just kind of proof to
me that maybe this team isn't as bad as they've been.
They're just a snake bit ball club. And that's what
that moment did for me. It sort of gave me
some levity or I guess that might be the right word,
in the realization that, you know what, this just wasn't

(31:34):
gonna be their year. They can't do anything to get
out of their own way, regardless of opponent, and fortunately
they get to win. But in that moment, I think
a lot of people felt like I did. They were
just kind of like, well, that's what this season's been,
and I felt like, maybe this program's not down in
the dumps the way a lot of fans maybe feel

(31:54):
it is. Right now.

Speaker 3 (31:55):
I actually wrote my lead pretty much just what you
just said, that this is this is the This is
what an average football team looks like, right, This is
this is a team they do things like this that's
happened to them now, whether it's their snake bit, which
some of it, I agree, because you look at the
loss to Georgia Tech, well you got a kicker who

(32:16):
pulled everything right like a bad golfer does, such as myself,
pulled everything right, and all of a sudden, the kick
just turns left and goes right down and goes into
the goal right, and they win the game. I mean
all three kicks he kicked took you know what I'm saying.
And it looked like there was wind blowing that day.
I was there and there was no wind, and so
what's it like? That was what was causing it to

(32:38):
pull in, and he was like trying to hook it
so it would drive up in the wind and go No.
It just like weird stuff happened like that, you know.
You know the the kicker at SMU, he ain't made
field goes all year long, and he blasted him from
fifty one and fifty right. That was That was like
when we got the Lou Broser Award winner here. I mean,
what's going on here? You know, it's like these kind

(33:00):
of things. And then the Duke game where you know,
they lose this game on the game they should have won.
That was over. They were gonna take a knee and
the official decides, you know what, I'm gonna throw a
flag here. The back judge does. It's not my player,
my call, but you know what, I'm gonna call it
and so you know and you know it just and
then they mark the ball wrong. Everything that happened on
that sequence of that play was just crazy. And and

(33:22):
they lose by a point. And then the other day,
like the kicker for Louisville was the exact opposer of
the s and you he ain't missed all year. I
mean he's fifteen to seventeen and he missed two and
a plus an extra point. And then they bring in
the backup kicker who's their long distance kicker, and he
had missed from fifty plus all year and he missed
it bad from forty six. So it's like weird game,

(33:45):
just and just a weird outcome. And so yeah, Clinton
was snake bit lost the season and it looked like
that was happening again. Olsin Pat Henry on third down
right there, they're gonna run out the clock, win the game.
The balls in his hands. I'm telling you it's a
first down. Some people are like, oh, what was wrong
with the playgrod No, if he executes, that's the first down,
and nobody's talking about the play call. They're probably talking

(34:06):
about what a great play call right there? You know,
what's a gut what a gutsy called or throw the
ball on third down and you know and catch the
Louisville loft guard. And they did. He just didn't catch it.
He would have been a first down. He would have
ran probably for ten to fifteen yards in the first down.
And uh, but that was That's what this happened all
year to this team. Things like that, when they look

(34:28):
like they got the game one and they're gonna they're gonna,
you know, do what they need to do. Things like
that happened the Duke game. Remember, looks like they're gonna
run out the clock and you know, go on that
four minute offense and be able to run the clock
out and maybe score an extra point, an extra field
goal or something to kind of put the game out
of reach for Duke. To what happened though they didn't
They they caught a couple of breaks the last couple
of weeks and maybe the wormest turning. Uh, you know,

(34:51):
they're locking for Clemson as they hit down the stretcher
of these last.

Speaker 2 (34:54):
Two games, one can hope routes it might be a
long day in WILLIAMS. Brice Stadium in two Saturdays. Will
Buddy take care of my man a man, I'll talk
quick breaking final segment of our one. Right after this
final segment of Hour number one, coming up an hour
to Tommy Bowden joins us, don't forget about our friends
at Alumni Hall right there on the corner of campus
on College Avenue in downtown Clemson. It's Alumni Hall for

(35:16):
all your officially licensed Clemson merchandise has t shirts, Tailgate gear,
Moore go check them out today right downtown when you're
in Clemson, right there across from Bowman Field, or online
at Alumni Hall dot com. It's Alumni Hall where Tiger
fans shop. All right yesterday speaking of Alumni Hall, just

(35:40):
across the street as Riggs Field, Historic riggs Field, home
of your Clemson Tigers. Well it was not historic last night,
as the season concludes in a one to oh defeat
to Western Michigan in Round one of the NCAA Tournament.
That means the Broncos advance to take on the Paladins

(36:02):
on Sunday. Clemson, there's no other way to describe it
than a incredibly disappointing season. Clemson finished just eight six
and three. They were one of the top teams in
the country coming in and it just never, never, never clicked.
Ransford John was awarded the first opportunity to net a

(36:24):
goal for the Tigers after a free kick on a
foul by the Broncos. The shots sailed high, keeping the
game Neil Neil. The Tigers would outshoot the Broncos in
the game eighteen to six, but theyre goalkeeper. I can't
remember the kids name. I want to say, like Luxford
or something like that. He just played so good and

(36:46):
in the twentieth minute they took a one to zero
lead and Clemson threatened several opportunities, balls going right across
the face of the net and Clemson just couldn't sit
it in. Guy couldn't get a foot on it to
send it home. And so the Tigers season ends and

(37:09):
Clemson will have to wait another year to see if
they can get back to the top of college soccer. Also,
sticking with Clemson sports, remember the Clemson women's soccer program.
Because of a delay yesterday, they will face Vanderbilt this

(37:32):
evening in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That
is an eight o'clock start. You can watch that game
on ESPN Plus Clemson and Vandy eight o'clock from Nashville, Tennessee.
The women's team is eight five and five four four
and two in the ACC and this is the number

(37:54):
one seed in the tournament Vanderbilt that they are facing,
so big matchup for them. And then also tonight, the
Clemson men's basketball team will face off against West Virginia.
They're playing down in Charleston at TD Arena. You can
catch that game on ESPNU this afternoon. Tip off for

(38:18):
that contest to set for six thirty PM, so just
about thirty minutes after we go off the air. The
Tigers will play again against either Georgia or Xavier on
Sunday down in Charleston. This is the twenty twenty five
Shriners Children's College excuse me, Charleston Classic that's going to

(38:43):
be played or that is being played this weekend. So
again it'll be Clemson in West Virginia at six thirty
this evening. So if you're a Tiger fan that feels
like traveling and you live in Charleston, you can watch
that game between Clemson and West Virginia this afternoon, drive
up to Tiger Town for Clemson and Firman tomorrow, make
your way back home, and then catch the final game

(39:06):
on Sunday there in Charleston, the final game of the
two thousand and five Shriners Children's Charleston Classic. That game
time on Sundays to be determined because it obviously depends
on what happens in these opening this opening round game.
And then next Wednesday, I think that's no, no, no, next

(39:29):
Wednesdays and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, two wednesdays from now, Clemson
and Alabama will face off. The Tigers will go on
the road to Tuscaloosa as a part of the twenty
twenty five acc SEC Challenge. And remember a couple of
years ago, a couple of years ago, these two teams

(39:55):
matched up in the NCAA Tournament and it's really really
hasn't been your mama's Alabama team. I mean, they're ranked
number eleven in the country right now. A couple more weeks,
who knows, maybe the Crimson tide continue to rise. This
could be a top ten Alabama squad that Clemson faces

(40:18):
off with there in Tuscaloosa. And finally, Tim Bray shot
me a text message yesterday after we went off the air.
You know, we were talking about Dabo Sweeney and you
know the way he does things and Tim Bray sent
me a video of some comments that were made by

(40:40):
Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo, and Tim said,
does this sound familiar?

Speaker 4 (40:49):
I don't give up on the people I got, And
that's that's what you call development, and that's what you
call working with players, and you stick with them and
they stick with you. Jeremy Fierris is a good example,
just like Mattein, you know, thevery a couple of rough years,
because that's what happens as you're trying to make a

(41:11):
boy a man and make a good player a great player.
But tonight it was fun to see some of that
come to fluition. So you know, everybody does it a
different way. But I'm saddened that it's become a transactional
society as far as football and basketball. But I'll I'm

(41:34):
just going to keep hanging in there until it doesn't work,
and I'll st don't get a transfer here and there.
I just don't want to get rid of guys that
have put in a lot of time and put in
a lot of effort. Their loyalty to me has got
to be my loyalty to them, and loyalty still freaking matters.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
Oh big words from Izzo sounds just like dabos. Raise right,
all right, quick ray, We'll come back. Tommy Bowden joins
the program here on a Friday afternoon. Keep it locked
though Fox Sports Radio fourteen hundred in the Midlands, and
of course you could listen to the Show that Shakes
the south Land anywhere in the world on the iHeartRadio application.
Stay with us for more Clemson sports Talk.

Speaker 1 (42:19):
It's time for Clipson Sports Talk with Lawton Swand.

Speaker 2 (43:00):
It is our number two. That's drive time right here
on the show that Shakes the South Lantic Clemson Sports
Talk Loud and Swan hang out with you on a Friday.
Tommy Ballden, former Climbs the Tiger Head Coach, joined us
momentarily and of course our number two brought you in
part by our good friends at mets Plumb and mets
Plumb and dot Com two two six seven eight that's

(43:21):
Mets Plumbing two two six seven to one zero eight
call them today. All right. Tommy Balden joins us the
former clemps is Tiger Head Coach. Coach Bowden. Hope you're
doing well and thanks for being a part of the show.
As always, they have you know, getting close to the end.

Speaker 6 (43:37):
And uh, this is a good week of football, but
it won't be anything like next week. List rob will
be weekend, but they'll there'll be some things that will
catch our attention this week.

Speaker 5 (43:46):
Well.

Speaker 2 (43:47):
And and I had it on the Dockett here to
ask you this about senior Day. That's an important moment
for players and coaches. And you know, the journey that
these guys go on in this day and age maybe
a little bit different with the ability to move around
from school to school, but there are still there are
still institutions like Clemson where the focus is on those

(44:09):
guys graduation. Dabosweeney talked about that earlier this week, and
we could certainly go there. But what is this day
like for the players and what is it like for
the coaches? And how emotional are these days?

Speaker 6 (44:21):
And I think it's most instrumental for the parents. You know,
they see in these something they have worked, you know,
twenty one years for to put their son in a
position to get a college education. And a lot of
these families, as single parent homes sometimes socioeconomically in the
South might not have the resources where veryed members of
their very few members of their family could go get

(44:41):
a post high school education. So it's a real proud
moment for a lot of these people. But I think
the parents get so much more.

Speaker 5 (44:50):
Out of it.

Speaker 6 (44:51):
This law would do. We talk so much about transfer
portal and NIO and all that, but mostly transfer a portal,
and the ripple effects of a transfer portal would be
the lack of the importance of a day like this
like it used to be, but regards whether they're in
the transfer portal or not. Still very I making emotional

(45:12):
day for the parents more so than the player, I think,
or even the university.

Speaker 2 (45:18):
Again, Tommy Ballen with us here on the program. The
other thing is it will be Military Appreciation Day, so
Death Valley should be beautiful on Saturday with all the
Clemson fans wearing all purple. They're playing against Firman. The
Furman fans will be wearing all purple. They've been doing
Military Appreciation Day since the early nineties. John Siketta had
a big, you know, big role in bringing that in

(45:39):
and really growing it. What did you think about that
part of the experience of being the head coach at Clemson,
just the recognition of, you know, what those military members
did so many years ago. And the ones that still
certainly fight for our country. But more specifically, I think
Clemson's big emphasis comes from being a military school and

(46:01):
the number of guys that went and fought in World
War Two. And obviously it's Memorial Stadium for a reason.

Speaker 3 (46:08):
You know.

Speaker 6 (46:09):
And he I don't have the immediate family that was
in the military, but for some reason another my father
really gravitated towards military people, and so did I. I
don't know why, And I think sometimes that helps you
appreciate more what they did. You know, coaches families go

(46:29):
through a lot of sacrifices because their husband is away
all the time and the wife pretty much got to
do it on our own, and military families are the
same way.

Speaker 5 (46:38):
You know.

Speaker 6 (46:39):
It's not so much the sacrifice that the that the
that the soldier himself gave, but it's with the scicrifice
of the family. And you don't appreciate that till you
get older. But I think because it made the way
I was brought up, it just had a deeper appreciation
for the military than than maybe somebody that that wasn't
brought up. Broke was brought up that way. Like I said,

(47:01):
I was not in the military, nobody the immediate family
was in the military, but for some reason not a
ball up in a family environment that had a deep
appreciation for it, and the schools like Clempson that have
a military background, it's really really a special day, especially
when you add the twodies you talk about parents weekend,
along with the military history of the university.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
Well, and the other thing too, the players that you
have who's maybe had family members in the military. For example,
this upcoming game, you've got TJ. Parker who's gonna wear
number sixty three in honor of his father who was
in the military. And I believe his dad is still alive,
but his dad wore number sixty three in high school

(47:43):
as a football player. So he's going to honor his
dad by wearing his dad's old high school number in
this game against Firmace. So that'll be another cool moment.
And certainly throughout your tenure, I'm sure that there were
students who had family members who were service members and
what this day means to them as well.

Speaker 6 (48:00):
Yeah, it's another I'm glad you bring that up, because
there's another It's another example of the ripple effects of
a day like this. You just think from the from
the look at it from the thirty thousand, thirty thousand
feet that say Memorial Day or it's it's a it's
recognized the Veterans Memorial Stadium and and all that. But

(48:22):
the ripple effect of the families and like you said,
the players that had family members in the military, they're
but no telling how many friends and family are going
to be in the stands that when that sun goes
down on the field and gets recognized as a senior
and and and he has a parent that served in

(48:42):
the military. There's so many people that stands that the
ripple effects is just you don't really see that from
from thirty thousand feet above. But when you get right
down into the meta of it, those are special moments
for a lot, a lot more people than you would think.

Speaker 2 (49:00):
Former Clemson Tiger head coach Tommy Balden with this year
on a Friday, as he always is, coach, let's talk
about what we saw this past week with both of
these teams in the Palmetto State. Because it was the
perfect storm. Clemson wins by one, South Carolina loses by one.
The two games were in odd contrast of one another.
Let's start with Clemson one of the strangest games I

(49:21):
think I've ever seen where it was. It almost felt
like a game of hot potato, like everybody was trying
to give it away, like no, no, no, I insist
you win, you win. So bizarre, Well.

Speaker 6 (49:35):
You know, I was thinking the same thing as you
were talking about it. Louisville kept getting those personal fouls
over and over. No, hey, Clemson, take it, you take
You were trying to give it you Clemson says, no, no,
we're gonna drop a pass. We're gonna make the mistake here.

Speaker 3 (49:49):
No you take it. No, you take it.

Speaker 6 (49:51):
And that's exactly the way I felt the way that
game went, nobody really had control of it. It seems
like most of a lot of the momentum changes were
made by not so much great Blaze, but by mistakes
of the other team. It's just a very and I
think both coaches kind of commented on that and the
press conferences after the game. But I think you're now

(50:13):
right here, hit the nail on the head. Hey, you
taking I don't want you have it. You can have
the game. And that's a I'm sure impression a lot
of people got.

Speaker 2 (50:21):
It's like when Batman was running around with that bomb
in the nineteen sixty three version, you know the old movie.
I guess where he goes to throw it over the
you know, the edge, and oh, there's a lady pushing
the baby stroller. Oh no, he's got to go somewhere
else to try to get rid of it. Oh all right, Well,
let me ask you this. I talked earlier about Adam Randall,

(50:43):
and you know, you kind of see him emerging it
running back for Clemson, And what I really thought of,
and I kind of felt bad about it, was the
potential that he was just misevaluated because he played wide
receiver in high school and what he might have been,
coach if somebody had noticed sooner that he could be
a running back, because he really looks the part, and

(51:05):
I can't fathom what he would look like if he
had been doing this for four years.

Speaker 6 (51:10):
Yeah, you know, sometimes a guy will and sometimes you know,
it looks like from the outside, well guys, you know,
the staff really really did a poor job evaluate his talent.
But a lot of times the light doesn't come on
on a player until maybe his third year, maybe his
second year, maybe his fourth year, where everything just really
comes together, not only physically but mentally he's had the

(51:33):
physical physical talents, but mentally they're just they're not connecting
for some reason. So I think sometimes he could be
a mis evaluation by coaches, and sometimes it's just a
player finally realizing, Hey, I'm pretty talented, gud I really
need to crank it up. So I don't know exactly

(51:53):
the reason is, I didn't really see in practice, wasn't
involved within any kind of meetings or or spring ball
or anything like that. But boy, he's really really lit
up at a good time, and uh, it's not too
late for a guy like that. The rise to the
surfaces and helped Clemson down the stretch.

Speaker 2 (52:09):
Now, as far as your time at Clemson, did you
ever have a player that made I would call this
a significant shift going from wide receiver to running back.
I mean it's not going from running back to defensive back,
But I mean, did you ever have a guy that
made a shift where it really worked and panned out
for him?

Speaker 6 (52:31):
You know, the only only ones I had weren't weren't
probably as significant, and and they happened probably a little
bit earlier. The chance he stuck you he signed him.
He wanted to play quarterback. He had quarterback on his mind,
his player player of the Year in the State of Georgia,
and he was going to play quarterback and he was.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
He was.

Speaker 6 (52:51):
He did it his spring and maybe the first year
and a half, and he wasn't gonna move for nothing.
When he finally did, you know, he ended up having
a great cred I think, you know, got drafted the NFL.
The other guy who has been a gamed Dwayne Coleman,
a running back that we had that move over to
the defensive back. Maybe here's third or fourth year and
was really a good player. So uh, but I don't

(53:13):
think they were as significant as what we just witnessed.
Here comes this this pass, you know with this other guy,
those would be the only two two that that I
can remember. But when you go from you know, wide
receiver running back, that's not a normal, normal switch us
a wide receiver, defensive back, quarterback to wide receiver, quarterback

(53:34):
to safety, you know something full back to linebacker. But
the quarterback a running back, and that's that's not a
that's not a typical move because receivers like green space.
They went out there in the green space where they
can breathe and get there and made people miss and
and not really get hit real real hat because you
can you can see them coming. You go inside between

(53:56):
tackle to tackle as a as a wide receiver, and
you how to get your yards. That takes a special
amount of courage and running vision. That's kind of not
unique to wide receivers.

Speaker 2 (54:08):
Man, he really does look to part Adam Randall again
transitioning to running back this season in Clempson. He'll be
one of those honored tomorrow as the Tigers not only
honor the military with military appreciation, David also senior day
there in Death Valley. Tommy Bowden with us here on
the program. All right, coach, on the flip side, let's
talk about the meltdown in college station for South Carolina.

(54:30):
You know, it doesn't matter whether you're playing college football,
whether you're playing church league basketball. When you get up
big in sports, something happens. It's a psychological thing. You
can't for whatever reason, you generally can't stop it. But
you come out and you just take a breath, and
the other team comes out to fight, and then the

(54:52):
next thing you know, coach, you're in a battle. I
don't know why or how it happens, but it happens.
A lot in boy, Sha Beamer and the game Cocks
are still licking their wounds after that lost the number
three ranked Texas A and M after being up twenty
seven points at halftime.

Speaker 6 (55:10):
You know, it's hard. It's hard to lose anyway, because
especially when you're a head coach and you know, and
you're responsible for everything going on. But man, when you
lose one like that, it really really hurts. And plus
what compounds, unfortunately for a guy like Shane, is that
there's some a lot of doubt and the decision right
now by his fan base before that game, and then

(55:33):
after game. After that game, it just multiplied. But even
as a coach, you know, I'm sure South kinda goes
there at halftime. Their staff, they know how talented A
and M is, they know the skill they've got, they
know the quarterbacks extremely deadly, and in the back of
their mind they're trying to convince their players and A
it's not over. But the players see thirty thirty three,

(55:56):
and then I think I saw Sheen Biember coming off
phil halftime, you know, kind of uh getting his crowd up,
you know, and getting them cheering and stuff like that.
He's coming off. But man, it's those those really hurt
your program. And I think we've talked about ripple facts.
I think they have ripple effects that are a lot
more long lasting than than just a couple of days

(56:18):
after the game. It's gonna be interesting to see how
they respond this week.

Speaker 2 (56:21):
Yeah, I would imagine he will be on one of,
if not the hottest seats in the country coming into
next season. That's Shane Beemer again. Joining us here on
the program is Tommy Bowden on a Friday afternoon is
speaking of Beemer. Uh, you know Shane's father, frank his
old school, makes the move. They they're gonna bring in
James Franklin. Seems like another great fit for the Atlantic

(56:43):
Coast Conference and the good opportunity for a guy in
Franklin who had been an assistant coach at Maryland, so
we'll certainly know that region. Obviously, he recruited that region
as well at Penn State. And I think it's a
big win for the Atlantic Coast Conference to add James
Franklin into the coaching mix because there's some really good

(57:03):
coaches in this league right now.

Speaker 6 (57:06):
Well there really is now just being on that end,
you know, during during this negotiation and a lot of
really good jobs open. I think I think James probably
healthed out. He was trying to hold out as long
as he can. He good for an Auburn or LSU
or Florida, And I know this Virginia Tech was putting
the pressure on it. I'm sure his agent was on

(57:27):
the phone all those cools. Yeah, being in that position before,
I can really see the behind the wheels moving. But
I think Virginia Tech got a great They couldn't have
gotten anything better. I think to sit their program. He's
got familiarity with the with the area, with the conference,
he's got a proven track record.

Speaker 5 (57:45):
He's a really really.

Speaker 6 (57:47):
Exchanged text with him this week as soon as he
got the job, and guys, he takes me back within
an hour. He seems to be really excited about the job.
And there they are very fortunate to get him because
he's a good recruiter. He's great for the university. He's
a great spokesman and ambassador for the university. Is also
a good football coach.

Speaker 2 (58:06):
You know, I saw something the other day and I
don't know if this is accurate or not, but you know,
Brent Pride was with James Franklin at Vandy and at
Penn State, and somebody said that there was the potential
that he could be the defensive coordinator. Now, would would
anybody really do that? Would a coach do that?

Speaker 6 (58:28):
I don't know if that would happen or not, you know,
in it might, but I don't see that happen, you know,
I don't. Now, Lorton, you might can tell me. Have
you ever known of that's happened. I can't remember a
time that it's ever happened.

Speaker 2 (58:44):
I've not, off not off the top of my head.
I thought the way James Franklin handled the press conference
and praising Brent Pride was certainly, you know, the right
thing to do. But then I started to see when
they're talking about the coordinators that Brent Prize's name was
one that was being mentioned. And I was like, yeah,
I don't know it, you know, unless a guy got
sick and went away and then came back or something

(59:06):
like that. But no, I've never seen anything like that
that I'm aware of.

Speaker 6 (59:09):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don't think that would happen, And
I'm sure Brent would do a good job, but I
think there's just there's something about the chemistry of that
situation professionally that wouldn't too soon.

Speaker 2 (59:22):
Yeah, too soon. I mean like rich Rod Right atturning
as a head coach twenty years later is a little
bit different.

Speaker 6 (59:28):
Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, definitely different. Plus he's not it's
not like you know, well, another close example is Bobby
Petrino coming back with Sam Pittman, coming back from a
head coach to a coordinator and then getting elevated to
interim head coach, and I don't think he's being considered for.

Speaker 5 (59:45):
The head job.

Speaker 6 (59:46):
That'd be the closest one that I could remember. A
head coach came back to that school as a coordinator
and that was then they made him interim. But I
don't think that'll there'll be much success. TiO to that.

Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
Tommy Bowden with us here and yeah, I think another
situation out there with Arkansas I saw is that they're
actually going to have co head coaches this week. That
I forget who's the other assistant coach they're elevating, But
I did read through that a couple of days ago,
so we'll see. You know, right now, it's a crazy
time and there's a lot of great jobs open if
you had to take one, how about that coach. If

(01:00:23):
you had to take one of these jobs, which one
would you take?

Speaker 6 (01:00:27):
Yeah, the LSU is such a great job, being familiar
with it when I was at Tulane and just seeing
how what a stronghold that LSU had on that whole state.
It's got great players and you and Lawton. You can't
go into a town anywhere in the state Louisiana in
the superintendent was LSU person, or the principal as an

(01:00:49):
LSU person, or the math teacher when that player had
to have a seat, was the LSU person, Or the
banker in town or the lawyer entire town that hired
the prospects mother to help around the office wasn't an
LSU graduate. They're all locked in. They're all locked in LSU.
That is a great job. Florida though, Yeah, I think

(01:01:10):
thirteen million people in the state of Florida. It's the
state university. You know, the University of Florida. You know,
Florida State and Miami longer. All the bankers, the lawyers,
all the influential people in all the major season in Florida,
most of them went to the University of Florida. So
that's got advantages too. But you can't beat hard a

(01:01:31):
one school state. Yeah, LSU, that'd be hard to turn down.

Speaker 2 (01:01:37):
Yep, that's the one I would also select. And again,
you know, if I'm Lane Kiffin, though I don't know
that that's the one i'd select. Now, I just stay
where I am. You got a good thing going. But
we'll see what We'll see what coach Kiffen does. That's
coach Tommy Balden hanging out with this year on Friday. Coach, Hey,
good weekend, take care of coach. There you have it,

(01:01:57):
Tommy Bowden hanging out with this year on a Friday afternoon.
All right, Look, I'm gonna close the show, yes, in
just a little bit right before the end of things
here on the program. But I'm gonna run some tape
from earlier in the week because the just trying to
rest a vocal courts still as much as I can.
So stay with us. We'll come back with our conversation

(01:02:17):
with Chad Morris. Stay with us, Lawton Swan, Clemson's sports
sawt back with you on a Friday afternoon. One of
the most discussed and talked about and requested segments on
this show every week has been our time with former
Clemson Tiger offensive coordinator Chad Morris. We're gonna give you
a couple of segments of that, then I'll come back
and get my prediction on permanent Clemson. Here we are

(01:02:38):
talking with coach Morris earlier this week Clempson Sports Talk
on a Wednesday afternoon the show The Chasas south Land
Chad Morris, former Clemson Tiger offensive coordinator, former head coach
at Arkansas, and SMU joins us as he always done.
Off the heels of Virginia, moving to nine and two
on the season with a convincing thirty four or seventeen

(01:03:01):
victory on the road at Duke this past weekend. The
Cavaliers are on a bye week before facing in state
rival Virginia Tech. They'll host that game against the Hokies
and with a victory, Oddly, they can't assure themselves of
a birth in the a SEC Championship because of some
tiebreaker scenarios. But nonetheless, coach Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers

(01:03:24):
have put themselves in a pretty good spot here late
in the season.

Speaker 5 (01:03:28):
Yeah, you know, it's uh.

Speaker 7 (01:03:29):
First of all, if you would have if you, if
you'd have told me and August that we would be sitting.

Speaker 5 (01:03:35):
Here going into week twelve nine.

Speaker 7 (01:03:38):
And two, I would have I would probably called you crazy,
but you know the way things happen, and he gets
why you play the games and.

Speaker 5 (01:03:49):
Just how that group.

Speaker 7 (01:03:50):
Has came together and and to have the magical year
that they've had, and.

Speaker 5 (01:03:54):
You know, it's it would it would be a crazy
time if that does happen.

Speaker 7 (01:03:59):
I know that's ability, it's it's you know, it's probably
not gonna happen that way. I would imagine if they
can take care of business and be Virginia Tech, I
think everything's gonna work itself out and and man, what
a great, great time it'll be in Charlotte if we
can make things happen.

Speaker 4 (01:04:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:04:17):
In this past weekend, a convincing victory thirty four seventeen
on the road at Duke. It's a Duke team that
came into Death Valley and one with a two point
conversion late against Clemson, and we were talking off the air.
We knew Chandler had been banged up. We didn't know
when we last talked, you know, what his situation would
look like. But you said that he wasn't sure he
was going to play until Friday.

Speaker 7 (01:04:40):
Yeah, So he was undergoing testing all week long and
got a little bit of practice reps on Wednesday and
not much, and then Thursday got a little bit more
just to see how he was feeling. And then finally
got cleared a Friday morning and that he was cleared

(01:05:01):
to play, passed all protocols and and so when he
texted me Friday morning, of course Tony had reached out
to and shared that with me how he had he
had he had passed everything and cleared to play. And
Chandler had just said, okay that it's it's on now.

Speaker 5 (01:05:20):
I'm I'm let's let's go. And so I knew he
had a certain look.

Speaker 7 (01:05:24):
About him and and uh he would just get they
would getting cleared, and and he did. He played extremely well,
and he was so good for them to.

Speaker 5 (01:05:32):
Get on track and go up there and win at Duke.
That's uh, that was a big win for him. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:05:38):
Twenty three of thirty five, two touchdowns, two interceptions, but
three hundred and sixteen yards passing in the game, a
thirty four to seventeen victory. As I mentioned, And again
it's not all about Chandler Wey. And they got a
bunch of guys that are playing really really good right now,
and it does kind of feel like a team that
has grown in confidence throughout the season. I'm sure you've
seen that. Oh what does Chandler say about the group

(01:06:00):
of guys that he's working alongside there in uh in Charlottesville.

Speaker 7 (01:06:06):
Well, you know, first of all, he's having he's as
close to this group of teammates as he is has
he' been anywhere.

Speaker 5 (01:06:14):
He's ever been.

Speaker 3 (01:06:14):
And and it's really.

Speaker 7 (01:06:16):
Unique because you've got guys from all over the Northeast,
all over.

Speaker 5 (01:06:20):
The country.

Speaker 7 (01:06:22):
That are in Virginia and Channler's away from you know,
even remotely from.

Speaker 5 (01:06:28):
Where his home is, right and.

Speaker 7 (01:06:30):
For him to say, for him to say that, it's
just remarkable and that's been uh just just you know,
they're to run the football.

Speaker 5 (01:06:41):
It's really helped as much as anything.

Speaker 2 (01:06:45):
Oh yeah, look, there's no question about that. I mean,
Jamar Taylor with what eighteen carries one hundred and thirty
three yards, two touchdowns. I mean, if you're getting seven
point four yards of carry, uh, you're having a pretty
good day offensively, because I would imagine, you know, when
you're an offensive court ordinator, if you're getting runs at
a clip like that, you feel really good about your

(01:07:05):
play action and the opportunity to take some shots.

Speaker 7 (01:07:09):
When when you can run the football, it opened up
the passing.

Speaker 5 (01:07:12):
Game and vice versa.

Speaker 7 (01:07:15):
And then when the passing game gets going to our
run games rolling and so when they're in their element
and having worked with them follow year long, and how
efficient and effective they are on third down.

Speaker 8 (01:07:29):
And as I was sharing with Dez, the offensive coordinator
after the game, I said, I knew when we started
converting third and six, third and sevens and it was
whether Chandler was escaping the pocket and throwing on the
run or running it and picking up those third downs.

Speaker 5 (01:07:47):
I knew then that we were going to be here.
We were gonna be a hard out today. And sure
enough that was it.

Speaker 6 (01:07:53):
They were.

Speaker 5 (01:07:53):
They were They've been so good on third down this year.

Speaker 2 (01:07:57):
Again, Chad Morris hanging out with us here on the program.
The Cavaliers on a bye week. They'll face Virginia Tech
to wrap up the regular season next weekend. I will
ask you, James Franklin, it was named earlier this week
or over the weekend that he was going to be
the head coach at Virginia Tech. What do you think
about the move there for coach Franklin. I mean, it
seems like a pretty natural fit. I know he spent

(01:08:18):
some years at Maryland. It may have been a situation
where they were kind of waiting to see what the
decision would be on Mike Loxley as the head coach
for the Terrapins. But what do you think of James Franklin,
even though and technically I guess I'll never be on
the other side from Chandler in the rivalry, But what
do you think of this move for him from Penn
State now down to Virginia Tech.

Speaker 7 (01:08:40):
Well, you know, obviously, if Channel gets another year back,
he'll be on that rival pretty next year with him.

Speaker 5 (01:08:45):
But I think it's a great hire.

Speaker 6 (01:08:47):
I do.

Speaker 7 (01:08:47):
I've known James, having coached against him when he was
at Vanderbilt, and you know, just just knowing him and
you know his personality.

Speaker 5 (01:09:01):
I think it's a great fit. I really do.

Speaker 7 (01:09:03):
I think his recruiting footprint will be will be uh,
we'll be tremendous for Virginia Tech. And when you probably
go back and look at the success of Virginia Tech
in the past, they probably have done a great job
of recruiting that DMV area and that's where his footprint is.

Speaker 5 (01:09:20):
And I do I think it's a great hire.

Speaker 7 (01:09:24):
You know, I think James' personality since what Virginia Tech
is about, and yeah, I think he'll have he'll have
great success there.

Speaker 2 (01:09:33):
All right, Well a quick break. We'll come back with
another segment from our conversation with coach Morris earlier in
the week right here on Fox Sports Radio fourteen hundred
as Clemson gets you geared up for their matchup against
Firm and tomorrow. That's a four point thirty kickoff in
Death Valley. You can watch it on the c W.
All right, stay with us, Lawton Swan Clempson's Sports Talk

(01:09:53):
of Friday, and our friends in the Lovenate Hall invite
you to stop by when you're up there in Clempson
this weekend. Check out those sweet Nike drive Fit Polos
that you know I love so much, and again their
hat wall is impeccable. I got a big head, believe me,
I'm a I'm a fitted hat guy and it's hard
to find the size that I wear. I got a
big nogging, a lot of brains, A lot of brains,

(01:10:14):
you might say, go check them out Alumni Hall Clemson,
his student's faculty in military get ten percent off on
shopping in store and Alumni Hall where Tiger fans shop.
All right, we were listening to some of our conversation
with Chad Morris from earlier this week, just trying to
rest the vocal cords a little bit. Final segment coming up,
our prediction and other games to watch this weekend when

(01:10:34):
we get back. But first we step back into our
conversation with Chad Morris. You said something to the minute ago.
I did not realize talk to talk to us, walk
us through Chandler could potentially have another year of eligibility.

Speaker 7 (01:10:47):
Well, there's there's a chance, you know, there there's that
that year that he got injured, there's a obviously would
be a medical hardship and shaw.

Speaker 5 (01:10:55):
I know that there.

Speaker 7 (01:10:56):
You know, there's the potential that that could happen. Okay,
so we'll see, I mean, you know, we'll say there's
no nothing guaranteed.

Speaker 5 (01:11:02):
But the year he did get injured.

Speaker 7 (01:11:04):
In the first game of the year and then when
you know, didn't play, so I think he was very
limited on snaps all year long. I mean he's got
very little matter of fact, only playing two games, it
might have been ten or twelve snaps. So so you
never know. I mean I know that they'll well, you know,
we'll seek that and see what happens.

Speaker 2 (01:11:24):
Well, and I will say, I think in our lifetime,
the nc douale A, they've certainly gotten more lenient and
more I think understanding of players in their circumstances. I
don't know if that's been court cases that have sort
of driven that, but it wouldn't be outside the realm
of them. I guess to say, yeah, we'll give him

(01:11:46):
another year because they really have loosened up a little
bit on on some.

Speaker 3 (01:11:51):
Of that exactly.

Speaker 5 (01:11:52):
Yeah, and it's happened.

Speaker 7 (01:11:53):
I mean, you know, I go back to safety at Missouri,
isn't Jalen Catalan, Well, Jalen was.

Speaker 5 (01:12:01):
I recruited him to Arkansas and he is a very
similar situation.

Speaker 7 (01:12:07):
Was injured several got injured a couple of times to
his career, and they granted the NCAA granted him his
seventh year, which is this year.

Speaker 5 (01:12:15):
So he's playing his seventh year in Missouri. So it's
not out of the question.

Speaker 7 (01:12:19):
Obviously, every circumstance is a little bit different, but we'll see,
we'll see what happens and go from there and then
you know, and at least it would give him options
to see what see where he is from an NFL
draft grade, great standpoint or if he does get clear to.

Speaker 5 (01:12:33):
Come back and you know, you have options to look
at it again.

Speaker 2 (01:12:37):
You can follow coach Morse on Twitter at coach Chad
Morris as he hangs out with us every Wednesday, making
his way back from a speaking engagement at Texas A
and M More on the Aggies in just a minute,
But I want to talk about Clemson real quick with you, coach,
and their victory at Louisville. You know, I think the
old saying goes, I'd rather win ugly than lose pretty,

(01:12:59):
And I would say Clemson did a pretty good job
of winning ugly up in Louisville, but they'll take the
one point when uh nonetheless, did you get a chance
to watch any of that game and what were some
of your takeaways? I mean, I think there were certainly
moments where Clempson shot themselves in the foot down near
the goal line. I don't know what k Clepton was
thinking on the fourth down play. If you just got
confused trying to hand the ball back off to Peter

(01:13:22):
Woods a second time or what. But nonetheless, I mean,
somehow they came out of the Derby City with a win.

Speaker 7 (01:13:28):
You know, I watched, I watched every snap. I was
in the hotel room in Raleigh and h actually Paul
and I had went to dinner that night.

Speaker 5 (01:13:34):
We pulled it up on the phone, said it's.

Speaker 7 (01:13:36):
Something at dinner on our table, and so we were
watching every snap and uh, and yes, you know, you
take a win, it doesn't matter you You take a
win and you move on.

Speaker 5 (01:13:47):
So they got to w That was what they went
there for. That was the sole purpose to get that win.
That got it.

Speaker 7 (01:13:52):
But yeah, I do think that there was there was
some missed opportunities that maybe could have changed.

Speaker 5 (01:13:59):
To the outcome a little bit.

Speaker 6 (01:14:01):
What you wouldn't been held holding.

Speaker 7 (01:14:02):
Your breath at the end of the game like we were,
you know. But but again they found a way. And
you know, you you I think coach said it too,
you know you you hate it, you know that that
you know, for a for a kicker like the kid
at Louisville.

Speaker 5 (01:14:19):
And just just had just an off night.

Speaker 7 (01:14:22):
But you know, those things happened, and you know, we
were on the winning side of it, and you take
it and you move on.

Speaker 5 (01:14:28):
And we've been on the.

Speaker 7 (01:14:30):
Losing side of something like that too, But uh yeah,
I think, you know, definitely missed opportunities, lack of communication.

Speaker 5 (01:14:38):
Down in the goal line area. I was, I thought
the same thing.

Speaker 7 (01:14:41):
I know Coach Sweeney was extremely frustrated just looking at
his body language on the sidelines on that and don't
know really what happened there, but you know, those are
those are just things you just you can't have happened,
and you know, and I know, fortunately enough it didn't

(01:15:01):
cost him, but it could have cost him.

Speaker 2 (01:15:03):
Yeah, there's no question. And the other thing too that
I kind of really have liked the story that's come
out of this is Philip Florenzo, who nobody would know,
the long snapper who's been in the program for five years,
you know, skips that ball back that nearly cost Clemson
a ball game, and then he's concerned coach late that
he might not get put back in the game, and

(01:15:25):
Dabo Sweeney says he told him, no, you're gonna go
out there and you're gonna throw a dart and on
that next snap that he had on that other fourth
down when Clemson was punning again he did he snapped
a dart And you know, it's a small position. People
don't talk about it, but in the biggest moments, it
can play the most critical role. That long snapper.

Speaker 7 (01:15:47):
Well, I always said stuff like that, it doesn't matter
till it matters, and you know it's and that's exactly what.
You know, It didn't really matter, I mean, and then
all of a sudden it mattered.

Speaker 5 (01:15:58):
And so but it's so doesn't surprise me.

Speaker 7 (01:16:03):
What Cosey when he said, I mean, that's just who
he is. I mean, he get your butt back out there.
You know, you've been here long enough, you've made mistakes,
but hey, this is.

Speaker 5 (01:16:12):
We're gonna go back out there and do it again.

Speaker 7 (01:16:14):
You know, I got full confidence in you, and and
he did, and credit to him.

Speaker 5 (01:16:20):
But uh yeah, you know.

Speaker 7 (01:16:23):
I think that you know, it was definitely made the
game a little bit more interesting than what it what
it needed to be right there at that end. But
but again, you know, you go through that if if
we're able to pick up a first down right there,
then that doesn't happen and we never we never get.

Speaker 5 (01:16:38):
To that point.

Speaker 7 (01:16:39):
But you know, we we couldn't pick up the first
we had to punt, and you knew that they were
gonna bring pressure and all that and so but plan
to see him respond and come back out of that,
and it was was so powerful because we again we
had to we had to punt and get it out
of there at the end of the game.

Speaker 2 (01:16:59):
All right, So there you go. That's Chad Morris again.
Full interview with him on Wednesday Afternoon with a quick
break on Wednesday Afternoons podcast Excuse Me with a quick ride,
will come back. I'll give you my prediction on Clemson
and Firman as the Tigers get ready to host the Paladins,
their oldest matchup ever. They faced off back in eighteen

(01:17:19):
ninety six in Clemson's first game. We'll give you the
scoop on how we think that will play out when
we return. Stay with us.

Speaker 9 (01:17:28):
What have you done for me lately? It's a fair question.
Just don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Don't forget history.
Looky for us at Clemson. The answer to the questions
what have you done for me lately? And what have
you done? Always are the same. We win.

Speaker 2 (01:18:41):
Final segment on a Friday afternoon Clemson and Firm and
tomorrow in Death Valley. We'll give you our prediction on that. Momentarily,
Clemson and West Virginia this evening in basketball down in Charleston.
That's a six thirty tip off on ESPN U and
the Clemson women's soccer team tonight on ESPN plus facing

(01:19:04):
the top team of the country in Vanderbilt. Would love
to see the Clemson women pull a major, major upset
there in the women's tournament. You know, a couple of
years ago the women got to what the final four,
and much like the men, they were lined up in
the bracket to have a shot at number one. Unfortunately,
the men yesterday, falling to Western Michigan, won nil in

(01:19:27):
their season concludes. But this weekend, obviously the weekend before
the major matchups most seasons, there's not a ton of
great to get after. You do have Florida State and
n C State, and I'm not labeling that as great,
but that's a game that takes place tonight at Carter Finley.

(01:19:49):
Florida State's favored by six and a half. There Number
one Ohio State tomorrow at noon versus Rutgers thirty two
and a half point favorites. Texas A and m versus Samford.
That game has no line on it. Oklahoma and Missouri
that should be a goin at noon as well. Out

(01:20:09):
in Norman, that's at eleven o'clock. Local kick Brent Divinnables
and the Boys off the heels of their victory at
Alabama hosting Missouri. The Sooners are six and a half
point favorites. Miami the number thirteen team in the country,
an interesting team to watch out of the ACC. At
Virginia Tech, they are eighteen and a half point favorites.

(01:20:32):
But Virginia Tech just named James Franklin their head coach,
and I'm not saying he's coaching, but maybe they'll be
a little more energy and buzz in Lane Stadium because
of that fact. You've also got Louisville at sm youw
at noon tomorrow. That's on ESPN two. SMU two and
a half point favorites against the Cardinals. Louisville just kind

(01:20:55):
of hoping to keep their Atlantic Coast Conference championship game
opportunity alive. They could finish with just one loss in
league play in their second season if they do win tomorrow,
but not a ton of other games throughout the day.
I mean, this is a good honeydo list day. Oregon
does host Southern cal that's a three thirty kickoff on CBS.

(01:21:17):
Out of the big ten former PAC twelve teams meeting,
you know, the top fifteen contest, and honestly, outside of that,
just not a whole bunch gonna jump off the page.
You might want to pay attention to number sixteen Georgia
Tech at seven o'clock hosting PITT a game that could

(01:21:38):
influence the ACC Championship for sure, and then you know
you'll probably tune in too, Like Florida and Tennessee at
seven thirty on ABC, you know something like that. They're
I mean they're sporadically, there are some contests, but there's
nothing that you're just gonna go. Man, that's can't miss TV.
You know, South Carolina and Coastal, no doubt about it.

(01:21:59):
Can't miss television. By the way, South Carolina and Coastal
play at four fifteen on the SEC network. Clemson and
Firman at four thirty, so dueling Games of Doom taking
place here in the state of South Carolina tomorrow. As
for this, this matchup, this game, you know, look, this

(01:22:25):
should be Clemson cruising. The Tigers have not played well
all season. They're favored by forty one and a half. Furman.
I would say similarly to Clemson has not played well
this season. They are four and four in the Southern

(01:22:45):
Conference and six and five overall, and I would just
assume that Clemson is going to be head and shoulders
better than Furman at the line of scrimmage on both
sides of the ball team speed. Defensively, there will be
a playmaker or two at Furman. I'm sure that will

(01:23:06):
have a moment. But all in all, this is a
big you know, this is your typical Clemson blowout victory.
What's the over unders at fifty five and a half,
which puts you in a game at about like forty
one fourteen ish. You know, somewhere at that number, do

(01:23:28):
you think Clemson gets more than that on the board.
I haven't seen enough to make me confident that the
Tigers do get more than that on the board, but
that's about where I'll put this game. So I'll take
Clemson to win it forty one fourteen. Certainly, you know,
for the fans and the tendance there the Furman fans
to be in Clemson with that stadium in all purple.

(01:23:49):
I mean, that's a pretty cool. It's it's not a
hay thumbs up firm and we're with you, right. Can
you do their cheer? Can I do their cheer on
the air? I don't know that you can. Can you
do it on the air. I'm sure they say it
all the time on their radio network. If you don't
know their cheer, well here it goes. No, I don't know.
I don't know if you can do it on the air.

(01:24:12):
But let's just say Furman University is gonna feel well
represented in Death Valley on Saturday with all that purple
that'll be in attendance for the Purple out as the
Tigers in the Paladins face off they used to be
non and remember as the purple Hurricanes, it'll look like
a purple hurricane hit in Death Valley to our Clipson
wins though forty one to fourteen. All right, we gotta
get out of here. We will be back next week,

(01:24:32):
odd week. We'll be on a couple of days off,
a couple of days, but we'll tell you about it
on Monday. Okay. Until then, as always, you'll take care
now and go Tigers