The "Handcuffed" Edition

Clemson falls to 3-4 on the year, but Christopher Vizzina didn't disappoint, throwing for 317 yards and 3 TDs in his first career start.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Each time for Clempson Sports Talk with Lawton Schwan. Now

(00:42):
finally Clemson's Sports Talk has come back. Two drive time.
Hell everybody, Lawton Swan back in the saddle once again.
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(01:04):
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(01:24):
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Speaker 2 (01:38):
Man.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Gotta tell you what the weekend, ugh, I had a
lot of traveling to do. Did the trek up to
Virginia for soccer and back. Two weeks off of a
trek to Tennessee for soccer and back, Clemson fall to SMU.

(02:01):
I did stick around and watch that one before we
went on the trek. Thirty five twenty four of the
final score SMU Underrett Lashley still undefeated all time in
the Atlantic Coast Conference. Christopher of vezena shockingly good. I

(02:22):
think so much so that I think the outcome was
incredibly disappointing. More on that in a minute. Speaking of
incredibly disappointing Florida State Seminole fans, yikes. I mean, I

(02:42):
know it's been rough for Clemson, and given sort of
where Clemson started the year right to Falter, the way
they have is absolutely disappointing. But Clemson's projection was merely preseason.

(03:04):
Florida State got bumped up after really a convincing and
dominating thirty one to seventeen win over Alabama, an Alabama
team that has proven to be maybe the second best
team in the country at this point after the Miami Hurricanes.
Of course, fell this weekend as well on Friday Night

(03:28):
against Louisville, but the Florida State Seminoles have now lost
four consecutive games, losing to Virginia, Miami, pitt and Stanford
on the final play of the game. This past weekend
getting stuffed at the goal line twenty to thirteen. That
play had to be reviewed as Gavin Saltchuk was tackled

(03:53):
just short of the goal line on an untimed down.
As the Cardinals, or excuse me, the Cardinal hang on
and win a hand Florida State their ninth straight conference loss,
the Seminoles three and four and zero to four in
the Atlantic Coast Conference. Just bizarro world. After the way

(04:15):
the season started for Florida State, I mean, just bizarre
to beat Alabama the way they did. Immediately everybody thought, well,
they're back. It was last season was just a one off.
And now you look at what the Crimson Tide have
quickly become in the world of college football, ripping off

(04:38):
six consecutive victories, including a thirty seven to twenty victory
against Tennessee this past weekend, Alabama became the first team,
I believe, in the history of college football to defeat
four consecutive ranked teams without a bye week in the mix.
If I remember hearing that stack correctly this weekend, I
may have missed. I may have missed smoke on that,

(05:01):
but I think that's the stat I heard.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Six and one.

Speaker 1 (05:06):
Overall are the Crimson Todd undefeated in the Southeastern Conference
and playing really good football. And that's unfortunate for our
fine feathered friends, the South Carolina Gamecock faithful who peek
over the fence and hang out with this yere on
the program each and every week, so.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
You could continue to peek over the fence at the
best radio.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Showing the naked because those Alabama Crimson Todd are gonna
bring a big wave of red into Williams Brice Stadium
three point thirty on ABC this weekend. And as bad
as it was this weekend for Clemson, it was actually

(05:47):
worse for South Carolina as Brent Vintables and the Oklahoma
Sooners roll into Williams Brice and just flat out dominate
twenty six to seven the final score. I mean, we've
talked to out this South Carolina team in their schedule.
I didn't buy in that they were going to make
it to a bowl this season. And the way it

(06:10):
sits right now with Alabama forthcoming, Ole Miss Forthcoming, and
Texas A and M on the docket, two of the
top four teams in America with Alabama and A and M,
and three of the top eight when you include Old
Miss regardless of what I mean. Clemson is quickly becoming

(06:31):
South Carolina's bowl game honestly, and not the right to
get to a bowl game, just the last game that
they'll play in with an opportunity to maybe win against
a power four team. I mean, let's just face the facts, man,

(06:51):
Clemson has not been great. The Tigers are easily easily
one of the easiest games South Carolina will have this season.
I don't deny that fact at all, as a matter
of fact, on the game Cock schedules, on the game
Cock schedule right now. The only team that I feel

(07:14):
like I could say, yes, Clemson is better than that
are power for teams. The only team I could say
for sure I think is Virginia Tech. And if I
had to watch that game, I don't know how I
would feel about it giving you a project projection on

(07:36):
it before foot met ball at this point with the
way Clempson is played, and we'll get back to the
Tigers in just a little bit, but a major shakeup
with Miami losing. You know, we talked about what needed
to happen this past week for Clemson to maybe find
their way to the ACC Championship because it was going

(07:57):
to take a lot of new ring. It was gonna
take a lot of good things happening in Clemson's favor.
But the one thing that I said that no doubt
about it had to happen. That was that Clemson. That

(08:18):
Clemson had to handle their business. And if the Tigers
had handled their business this weekend against SMU, you probably
would feel a little bit better about their positioning in
the Atlantic Coast Conference. But because they didn't handle their business,

(08:43):
you now sit in a position where it's it's done
though for the ACC I or the the ACC Championship game.
I don't care how you slice it up. At this point,
you can't you can't connect there. There aren't enough dots
to connect, let's put it that way. So that was

(09:05):
a smidgeon of a dream a week ago. With some
good fortune, that is a nightmare scenario as what is
unfolded now drops to Clemson Tigers to two and three
in the ACC. But with Miami losing, with the fact

(09:26):
that you played or have games coming up against Louisville
and Duke, I mean, this weekend went pretty well for Clemson.
The Virginia Georgia Tech thing is really the flying the
ointment you would have beaten SMU in that scenario. I mean,
there would have been some positive steps made this weekend
had Clemson found a way to win instead.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
Now all done.

Speaker 1 (09:51):
Three and four Clemson, three and four South Carolina, the
two teams that had aspirations of a college football playoff
visit combined to be six and eight. Six and eight
just seven games into the season, just passed the midway
point for both programs. For Clemson, we'll get into this

(10:14):
game now. It was a lot to digest. First and foremost,
let's talk about it. At least the good Christophervezena looked
really good twenty nine of forty two, three hundred and

(10:35):
seventeen yards passing three touchdowns, no interceptions.

Speaker 2 (10:43):
With Zena.

Speaker 1 (10:45):
Looked more poised in the pocket in my opinion, throughout
that game than k Clubncass the entire season. He looked comfortable.
And I know there's there are questions about his arm
strength and how much zip he puts on the ball, y'all.

(11:08):
He looked comfortable at quarterback for Clemson, and I know
that the first drives of the game. I tweeted this
out during the game, like, don't go look at the
drive chart punt, fumble, punt, punt punt. I mean, that's
an atrocious first quarter punt fumble, punt, punt punt, and

(11:33):
several of those were three and out situations. But I
don't think those are really Christopher of Zina's fault. Personally,
I thought a lot of it was to play calling.
I thought a ton of it was Garrett Riley early
in the game being afraid to really release Christopher of Azena,

(11:57):
and once they finally did, when the Tigers trail, so
what ten nothing? I think at the time, you saw
Zena get more comfortable, Clemson cutting back to ten seven
off that thirty two yard touchdown pass from Zena to TJ. Moore,
their first connection of the day. Then SMU gets a

(12:18):
couple of field goals to extend out the sixteen to seven.
You feel like man, big trouble at the half. But
the Tigers come out in the second half and Vezena
hits TJ. Moore with a sixty two yard touchdown. Now
at sixteen to fourteen, you're right back in it. You
go four play, seventy four yards, one twenty three up
the clock. You feel like you're in this game, and

(12:41):
and I understand if you would want to say, well,
with the offense getting off the field as quickly as
they did, the defense was probably tired when they gave
up a counter four place seventy five yard min at
nineteen drive to extend SMUs lead out to twenty three fourteen.

(13:01):
Like that was kind of the moment where you felt like, man,
this is not gonna go Clemson's way. Clemson just pieced
together their best and quickest drive. Obviously the big sixty
two yard touchdown, and the man, what a reception by
TJ Moore with the just clutching the ball, just grabbing
it like a snow cone, and the defense can't get

(13:26):
off the field. The defense well, that's not even the
right way to put it. The defense just gets gashed
and allows SMU to, you know, steal control of the
game back. I can only imagine what death Valley would

(13:46):
have sounded like had Clemson's defense instead gotten SMU off
the field in a minute and change and giving Christopher
as end of the ball down by two with seven
twenty nine left in the third quarter. I mean, I
think that place would have been ready to come unglued.

(14:07):
They would have been ready to come unglued. But instead,
the defense just gets destroyed on four consecutive plays, and
instead of seizing some momentum, you relinquish it. Kevin Jennings

(14:33):
hits a pass to ya mere Knight or a ten
yard game, then Chris Johnson rushes the ball thirty yards,
knocked out of bounds at the Clemson thirty five yard line.

(14:54):
Then they have an incomplete pass and then a thirty
five yard rush for thirty or excuse me, then a
thirty five yard scoring rush. Two rushes on that drive
for thirty or more yards, not DP ball, not some
fortune freaking gash, and you out running what appeared at

(15:21):
times would be the slowest secondary in the history of
college football. I mean, there were moments in that game
where I'm looking at it going it's hard to believe
that these guys and in fairness, in fairness to run
in handifan who had a big penalty late technically wasn't
recruited to play defense, right I mean, what does that

(15:42):
say about the job that's being done recruiting safeties at
Clemson right now? What does that say that your best
running back is a former wide receiver about your running backs?
Coach CJ. Spiller like to me, there are people on

(16:08):
this staff. And again I didn't want to travel down
this path just yet, but to me, there are people
on this staff that recruiting wise, either A have missed
in evaluation.

Speaker 2 (16:25):
Or B have missed.

Speaker 1 (16:29):
With the growth aspect of the player right developing these players.
Dabo Sweeney talks all the time about how this is
a developmental game. I mean, I watch the safeties and

(16:52):
they don't look developed under Mickey Kahn and and so
I I would say at this point, con and Spiller
are two names that I would throw out there as
guys whose position groups haven't developed. Now, there is a
lot of people watching that game that watch the offensive

(17:13):
line struggling. People want to blame Matt.

Speaker 2 (17:15):
Luke, but.

Speaker 1 (17:16):
I'm gonna be honest. I struggle to blame Matt Luke.
I mean, Thomas Austin was the guy that recruited most
of these guys that are on that Clemson Tiger roster
right now that are playing the significant minutes. And because
of that, I tend to give Matt Luke a little

(17:38):
more credit for some of what we see at Georgia.
So I'm okay with the Matt Luke thing. I'm okay
with that. But CJ. Spiller right now and I think
Mickey Kahn are the two staff members that I would
be most concerned about. And we knew this coming into

(17:58):
the season about CJ. Spiller, I mean we knew it.
I mean I called it his money year, wrote an
article about it and said that I think if it
doesn't work out for the running backs this year, Speller
will probably be promoted to a job outside of coaching
and they'll bring in a veteran running back coach. I

(18:22):
just don't see how that's not possible. I'll say this, CJ.
Spiller obviously one of the greatest running backs in clubs
of history, maybe the greatest. And some of you will say,
well did you watch Travis Etn? And other people will
counter with think about what Etn had around him versus
what Spiller had around him and USA a fair point.
But just because you are a great running back doesn't

(18:43):
make you a great running backs coach, nor does it
make you a great recruiter. Makes you a great story.
You know, to have you on the team and people
know what you did. That's been twenty years ago. And
then Garrett Riley, boy, I thought that hire was gonna

(19:08):
work out but it almost felt like he didn't know
that Christopher Vezina could run the offense the way Bazina
could run it, Because if you had run the offense
in the first half the way you ran it the
rest of the game after you were down, Bazina might
have thrown for four hundred yards. And I'll go back.
I know we're coming up on a break. I'll go

(19:29):
back to what I said out of the gates. Christopher
Vezina was more confident and look more poised in the
pocket than Caid Klubnik has on any single snap this season.
Legitimately poised in the pocket. I thought you looked great.

(19:52):
You can't blame him at all. Right, quick break, we'll
come back. We'll hear what Dabosween you had to say.
After Clemson is thirty five to twenty four loss. To
ask him you on Saturday, I had been rolling along
with you on a Monday afternoon the show. The shakespare
south Land again, Clemson disappointing three and four this season,
South Carolina in the same boat. Both teams had projections
of grandeur with the College Football Playoff, and certainly Clemson

(20:16):
was seen as one of the top teams in the
country coming into the season. By most people's accounts, I mean,
very very few people projected this. I tried to temper
the expectations all off season because I thought it was
I thought it was crazy, like.

Speaker 2 (20:31):
You gotta admit.

Speaker 1 (20:33):
While I may have by the end said well, guess
I guess this is right, the thing I kept saying is,
how was kay Klubnick projected to be a number one pick.
He's not better than Trevor Lawrence, He's not better than
Deshaun Watson. How is he projected to be a number
one pick? And we see, I mean that was that

(20:54):
was off by a mile. Kay Clubnick could have five
more years in college, he wouldn't be the number one pick.
And this weekend, I'm telling you, with the way Christopher
Vezina played, he makes an interesting case in my opinion,
for getting not only more stabs, but maybe getting a
chance to start. I mean, did Zina do anything in
that game that you felt like, well, that's his fault,

(21:15):
That's Zina's fault that Clemson was not successful on that play? Okay, one,
he skipped a pass to I think it was Olsen
pat Henry. He stood in the pocket, got a little
antsy and dumped one at defeat. Other than that, man,
I thought he played really well. And I'll have to
go back and watch the game again to see if
I miss something, but he was really good, and he

(21:38):
even called himself after the game average. He called himself average.
His If that's average, CV, I want to see great.
Twenty nine to forty two, three seventeen three touchdowns, no interceptions,
nearly seventy percent completion percentage in a one point fifty
six rating, which Tim Bray pointed out on the radio,
is only a single point less than I think Deshaun

(22:05):
Watson's career QBR at Clemson, which was like one p
fifty seven. Yeah, that was average. Christopher Zena was really,
really good. I'd like to see him be more adept
in the run game. Heck, for that matter, i'd like
to see the entire Clemson offense be more adept in
the run game. But the offensive line was getting obliterated.

(22:27):
The offensive line. There was one play in the game.
I can't remember what happened, but I remember vividly that
Steve Dazio was talking about the offensive line and the
issues that they were having. And look, don't get me wrong,
I like Ryan Lnthicomb. Okay, but there's Ryan Lnthumb looking
like a turtle that got flipped over in the middle
of the road, I mean.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
On his back.

Speaker 1 (22:49):
As they're talking about the offensive line issues that Clemson
was having. Blake Miller had a play third fourth quarter
somewhere in there where a blitcher comes off the edge
and I'm not even sure he got a hand on
him before he was passed.

Speaker 2 (23:06):
He might have paddied him on the back. Like great play,
big guy.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
Anyway, it was rough, The oppensive line was rough, but
Bazena was not a problem at all at all. Here's
Dabosweeny following Saturday's thirty five twenty four lost a SMU.

Speaker 4 (23:22):
Congratulations to Ritt and the SMU.

Speaker 3 (23:25):
I thought they outplayed.

Speaker 4 (23:26):
Us, They earned it, deserved to win the game. They
made some big plays when they needed to have them
for our team. The one the one positive, I thought
they competed the butts off to the end. Really appreciate
that they fought, never quit down a few guys, but
we had We had enough to compete to go win
the game, and we just didn't get it done. But
we had opportunities. First of all, I thought CV got
better and better as the game went and passed efficiency

(23:49):
at one fifty six, I mean just three hundred something
yards and three touchdowns, no interceptions. Had a big drive
there at the end, which was really gritty on his part.
I was really proud to see that he's really not
played any game on the line, meaningful type of plays.
You know, he red shirt his first year and then
last year we had a lot of close games, just
didn't get a lot of opportunity and hadn't had much

(24:11):
this year, so in a meaningful situation, So that was
a positive. I thought he got better. I thought he
hung in there and competed his butt off best.

Speaker 1 (24:19):
Dablos Sweeney's entry the introductory portion of his press conference,
not the full thing, though. He begins to talk about
the issues that Climpson had and why the game went
kind of the way it did. Here he is jumping
into the things that didn't go well and the lack
of support. I mean, we knew everybody was gonna have
to rally around Christopher Zena for Clemson to win this game.

(24:42):
But Zena did his part. Where were the guys that
were rallying? I'll give TJ. Moore credit five receptions one
hundred and twenty four to two touchdowns. I'll give Tristan
Smith credit three receptions fifty one yards and lossing two
guys for a touchdown. I mean, but where is everybody else?
Here's Dablos Sweeney talking about a running game.

Speaker 4 (25:01):
We didn't help him. We had zero run game. It
was incredibly disappointing, really disappointing, uh, because we needed to
help him with that, and we gave up some sacks
that we hadn't been given up. So I think you
got to give them some credit on that, but we
just didn't.

Speaker 2 (25:18):
We didn't. We didn't help him in the run game.

Speaker 4 (25:20):
And again, but but I thought he competed his butt off.
First half, just the short yard. His misses was the
story of the game. Uh, just critical missed opportunities there,
and then we had a drop on third and one.
But second half, offensively, I thought we were better and
got got a little got some things going, got the

(25:40):
score there, really good execution on the hard count and
getting a kind of a free play and throwing it
up to Tristan and we put the ball where he
needed to put it, and we talked about that's where
we were going to go with it. And give him
a chance. I mean kind of like a last play,
game of the game situation. Uh, so good to see
him execute that. You know, we couldn't get the ball back,
you know, when we needed it. I thought defensive the

(26:01):
first half, I really played pretty dang good. Uh the
seventy yard touchdown just cover three, just cover three, I
mean not again sip for that and we just we
just just come out of coverage. We got no middle
safety and so it's really frustrating. So that was the
seventy yard touchdown. But I thought they really did a

(26:24):
heck of a job of holding them down in the
first half, and we hd them in some field goals
and man oh man, you know, they were not very
good in the field goal coming in the game. I
think they were maybe one hundred and thirty second in
the country. And and theod like Lou Groze out there.
I mean there's three kicks were bombs and but but
we But defensively, I thought they did a good job

(26:45):
of hanging in there and giving us a chance because
we were kind of in our own way offensively and
didn't didn't play like we needed to in the first half.
But the second half just very disappointing again.

Speaker 1 (26:56):
That's some movinging comments from Dabo Sweeney following clemsones thirty
five twenty four loss to SMU in Death Valley on Saturday.
We'll come back. We'll hear a little bit more from
coach Sweeney. Plus our number two of course, William Kuwalkin
Bush will join the program again. Christopher Vezina twenty nine
to forty two, three seventeen with three touchdowns. That's about
as good a backup performance. That might be the greatest

(27:19):
backup performance where a guy had to go start. Well,
I'd have to go look at the numbers on that
Russell Athletic Bowl with Cole Stout but Man twenty nine
forty two three seventeen and three who sharp by Vixena.
Stay with us, Welcome back to Clemson Sports Talk on
a Monday, the show The shakespare south Land. Hey, don't

(27:40):
forget to check out our friends in Alumni Hall right
there downtown Clemson, just a stones throw away from historic
Riggs Field. You can literally see it. You can see
historic Riggs Field from Alumni Hall.

Speaker 2 (27:52):
Head in there. Hat Wall.

Speaker 1 (27:54):
I saw him post on some of the hat wall
on social media this weekend. This sweet Nike dry Fit
polo that you know I love, and don't forget to
ask them about their Alumni Hall rewards program or check
them out online in alumni Hall dot com. It's Alumni
Hall where Tiger fans shop, all right, So I had
to look Christopher Vizena versus Cole Stout. The numbers were

(28:18):
eerily similar. Now, Clympson won forty to six that day.
Colestout was twenty six of thirty six with three touchdowns
for three hundred and nineteen yards. Bazena was twenty nine
to forty two for three seventeen and three so just

(28:39):
two yards difference, same amount of touchdowns. I mean, it's
a heck of a performance by Christopher Vizina. Let me see,
did Cole Stout throw pick that game? Got to go
to the full box score to see no interceptions? No interceptions?

Speaker 2 (28:59):
I mean.

Speaker 1 (29:01):
Crazy how similar those stats were. Nonetheless, wasn't enough to
get a win because a lot of the pieces around
him let them down. You heard Dabbo talking about the
bust with the cover three. Just a lot of a
lot like some places where guys are trying to make
some plays, like Christian Bentencore trying to make a play man.
You hate fault the guy who's trying to make a

(29:22):
play that ends up turning into a third and one.
That third and one ends up with a pass out
to Tyler Brown. There was another player, I think, a
tight end. I can't remember if it was Olsen, Pat
Henry or betten Gore. Somebody was open sap. I can't remember.
I'd have to go watch it again. And Tyler Brown
drops the ball, gets hit from behind me.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
It's a big hit.

Speaker 1 (29:44):
He'll tell you he should have called it. But that
leads to a fourth and one. Late in the first half,
Climpson deeper their run territory, still in the game. Instead
of punting, they go industrial fridge package, and somehow that
play gets run wide and stuff.

Speaker 2 (30:00):
You know.

Speaker 1 (30:01):
I think it's one thing to run that at the
goal line on third and one, fourth and one, you know,
a tight ball game if you want to, But I
don't think it's wise to run it to the outside.
And the other thing, I don't think it's wise to
run it deep in your own territory or deep enough
that you give up three points, which Clemson did. And
kudos to Simus Kicker. He'd been bad all season and then,

(30:26):
as somebody tweeted, Dan turns into lou Groza, he goes,
what fifty one, forty eight, forty nine or something like
that with his kicks. I mean, it's just like that's
the moment. I mean, when that dude's knocking those through,
You're going, well, we can't win for losing with that.
One can't win for losing with something like that.

Speaker 2 (30:47):
Anyway.

Speaker 1 (30:48):
Here's some more from Dabo Sweeney following Clemson's fourth loss
of the regular season.

Speaker 4 (30:56):
You know, too many big plays, the big play. I
thought we gave up too much on at times to
the big play on the option.

Speaker 2 (31:02):
We didn't leverage the.

Speaker 4 (31:03):
Ball, the big play on the tight end cross, which
is you know, the quarterback, that's what he can heat,
buys time, buys time, and he hits the tight end
on the touchdown. And then we just have a busted
coverage on man coverage. You know, I got him, You
got him. So we're not on the same page there.
You know, again, with all everything going on, we got
four timeouts left, and it's a five point game with

(31:24):
six forty four to play, and we just need we
need to stop. And when we needed to stop, we
couldn't get it and listen, you got to give new
credit and give them credit. Their kids made the plays,
their quarterback made the plays, their receivers made to play,
they made the calls.

Speaker 2 (31:37):
And we didn't.

Speaker 4 (31:39):
That's why you get beat. So we had every opportunity.
They go thirteen plays, seventy five yards, you get a
big penalty on fourth down when we get a stop.
So we didn't deserve to win the game. It's as
simple as that.

Speaker 1 (31:51):
That's Dabosweeney talking about Clemson not deserving to win that game.
You know, another bright spot other than Bozena was Jackson Smith.
It really is Jackson Smith, Clemson punter. Do give this guy.
Put some respect on this dude's name because people are
wondering about him all off season average forty one point

(32:12):
nine on seven punts, two of them inside the twenty.
I mean, he's been really good. Here's Sweeney talking about
special teams play.

Speaker 4 (32:19):
But there's I thought another positive as our special teams
jack Smith continues to really do a heck of a job.
Our coverage has been really good. You know, we made
the field goal again, gave herself a chance. I mean,
there was a lot of opportunity in the game, but
at the end of the day, just another really disappointing
day here at home. So you know, we got to
pick herself up and keep going. It's all gonna do.

(32:40):
There ain't no quit in this bunch. That's one thing
I'll say about this team. It hurts, but there's no quit.
We're gonna fight our butts off to the end and
then we'll count them all up and then we'll you know,
it's a season, and right now it's not been anywhere
near the season that we want. I mean, personally, I
feel like I'm kind of living twenty ten all over again.
That's what I feel like. We just can't seem to

(33:01):
quite put it together and get out of our way.
It's football.

Speaker 2 (33:06):
So there you go.

Speaker 1 (33:06):
Some of the opening comments from Dabo Swingy, Well we
can get some more of that d you know, some
of the Q and A. But yeah, just a frustrating performance.
And look, there's a lot to be critical about. I
think there is. And I said this last week, and
I think this is true. When you're in the midst

(33:28):
of the run that Clemson went on, you don't recognize
that it's happening, like you appreciate it. You probably don't
relish it and you start to think it's never going
to end, and a lot of you felt that way.
I certainly felt that way, Like that run is never
going that run is never going to end. Clemson is
going to continue to dominate the ACC for the foreseeable future.

(33:51):
And this is just kind of a regression back to
the meme. I mean, Clemson is an average program right now.
I don't know that they're average talent wise, but they're
definitely average effort wise. I mean, I still think a
lot of this is effort. Now again, I think development

(34:11):
is a big deal, and that's I think is on
the staff for sure. I mentioned a couple of names
earlier that I would be pretty concerned about whether or
not they're going to be back next year.

Speaker 2 (34:24):
And that's just my opinion.

Speaker 1 (34:27):
Just kind of watching the safeties and running backs, I'm like, man,
this is not great. Where's the development? Like, I know
there have been people that have been critical of Mike Reid,
but can you tell me that Avion Terrell hasn't done
a good job. I mean, Avion's done a really good
job in my opinion. I mean he's not been perfect
by any means, but there's a lot of other stuff

(34:48):
going on around him that I think affects his play.
And then Ashton Hampton this week had a couple of
the biggest hits in the game, nearly nearly a game
changing play. I mean, I know they're not perfect either,
but man, the safeties and the linebackers look so slow.
Quick brand will put a Bowl one hour one on
a Monday right after this final savent of Hour one

(35:10):
coming up, William quwalkin Bush again. Dabo Sweeney meeting with
the media after Clemson's game. You know, scary moment that
ballgame was Brian Westco and his injury. We'll hear more
from Dabo Sweeney today. He's got a press conference coming
up later with the media, and then obviously he's got
his coaches show as well. But I know Brian Westco

(35:32):
has been posting some on social media with a neck
injury though. And this is something you know, Clemson fans
recalled back when Justin Ross had his issue with that
congenital neck deal and the Mike Williams deal was the
thing I thought about first and foremost. Remember might get
that goalpost? What was that back in like twenty oh man?

Speaker 2 (35:53):
What year was that? Twenty fifteen?

Speaker 1 (35:56):
Right, that was before the National championship season, if my
memory serves me directly.

Speaker 2 (36:01):
And.

Speaker 1 (36:04):
You know, look, this kid, Bryant Westco has been the
best wide receiver for this team all season. Sophomore out
of Midlothian, Texas five hundred and what thirty seven yards.
I think we put in our story about him being injured,
thirty one receptions, six touchdowns. I really had a unique

(36:26):
connection with kay Klubnick, and so I don't know how
long he'll be out. We might find a little bit
more out about that later today. I didn't see anything
come out on it today from Clemson. It's possible something did.
I'll try to look during the break, but anyway, you know,

(36:46):
just caution, I think anytime you're dealing with the neck issue.
And you know, my wife she broke her neck at
one point and so she saw that, and when she
broke her neck, it was similar like fell on top
of her head, kind of like Bryan Westco did in
that moment, and so she was like immediately like ooh,
that didn't look good.

Speaker 2 (37:07):
No, it didn't.

Speaker 1 (37:08):
And you know, I would imagine they will exercise a
lot of caution with that for sure, especially where the
year is right and it's not to say that, oh,
we'd be more willing to put somebody on the line
if we were seven to oh, but let's be let's
be frank, like, the kid's going to be more likely
to want to put himself out there if you're seven
to oh, you're three and four. I know he wants

(37:31):
to win games, but health is number one. So we'll
see how that all shakes up or shakes out. And
then with Kade, like I thought, you know, I tweeted
that picture of Banks McFadden last week with you're playing
with a splint on. Then people were like, hey, Deshaun

(37:55):
Watson played South Carolina like with bubble gum and band aids,
taping up his jacked up a cl knee get out
there Cade Club Nick, and the way Cabe was taped up,
you know, you look at it and watch him throw
first and foremost did not look comfortable. The tape job

(38:16):
was huge, really high up on his ankle, and I
think Larry Williams from Tiger illustraight may have asked, you know,
what's in a high ankle sprain, and Dabo Sweeney's response
was just that, you know, it wasn't something that would
need surgery, So I think they do, don't They do,

(38:37):
like that tightrope surgery or something on those sometimes if
they if they need something, but if it's not of
the surgery variety, I don't know what the timetable is. Fortunately,
Clemson's got a buye week. That's not fortunately for me.
You you like to go into buy weeks off of victories,
you know, that's always more fun to have a week

(38:59):
to kind of be excited about what you just saw. Instead,
now you got basically a week of just uugh and
you don't even get to get out in the field
to do anything next weekend, which means another week of ugh.
Anyway for Clemson. You know, obviously those two injuries are

(39:19):
a couple that you certainly want to monitor. But I
really liked what we saw, really like what we saw
from Christopher Vesena.

Speaker 2 (39:35):
I mean, I have no qualms with it at all.

Speaker 1 (39:37):
And kind of going back to something I said earlier,
you know, I think you also have to ask the
question because you made a coordinator change on the defensive
side of the ball a year ago and he didn't
bring in any of his staffers from Penn State, and

(40:00):
now James Franklin has been fired. Like to me, it
would make perfect sense if there were guys at Penn
State that that Tom Allen felt were better coaches for
position groups than some of the guys on that defensive

(40:21):
side of the ball. I mean, I mentioned Mickey conn earlier,
but I think Nick Eason, like if you compare those
defensive tackles to the defensive tackles under Todd Bates when
he left, I mean, has that position group shown up
the way it did when Bates was here.

Speaker 2 (40:39):
No.

Speaker 1 (40:41):
Now, there are some people that are certainly upset about
Chris Rump and the defensive ends, and I agree TJ.
Parker hasn't been the player that everybody thought he could be.
I think you do see though, Jaime Lawson coming on,
I don't think that Rump has been there long enough

(41:02):
to justify making a move there. But if there are
players at Penn State that would come and potentially supplant
some position guys at Clemson, and you could get coaches
that would come along with them, feels like a win

(41:23):
win in this transfer portal. Nil era that Clemson hasn't
really been willing to what play too well. I don't
know the best way to put that. My nephew said
something interesting to me over the weekend, and we could
certainly talk about that, and now Hour number two may
even ask William Qualkinbush about it. But you know, with
like the job openings at Florida and Penn State and everywhere,

(41:46):
people talk about, oh, who's gonna go, and and you know,
people always bring up Dabo Sweeny for one reason or another.
But my nephew said, you know what, Dabo Sweeney hasn't
proven himself in this NIL era to be a coach
that you would want to come to your school. Like
not saying that he's not a coach that Clemson wants,

(42:06):
but what has he done at Clemson in the NIL
era that school X, Y or Z would look at
him and go, yep, I think he can win in
this era. That is a valid point, a very valid point.
All right, William quagging Bush around the band, keep it locked.
It's time for Clempson Sports Talk with Lawton Schwann. It

(43:06):
is our number two. That's drivetime right here on the show.
The Shakespare Southland Clemson Sports Salt Loon swining it out
with you on a Monday afternoon, William qualking Bush set
to join the program momentarily, and of course the show
The Shakesare South Lane, brought you in part by our
good friends over at METS Plumbing mets plumber dot com.

(43:28):
Two two six seven one o eight. That's METS Plumbing.
Give him a call today, two two six seven to
one zero eight. All right, our number two out of
the gates, williamqualking Bush with a qualt Welcome in, buddy.

Speaker 2 (43:38):
How is your weekend? My man?

Speaker 3 (43:41):
I swinning? It was fine. It was fine. Uh tough Saturday,
it was tough. Sonday, it was good enough. Fnay was good?
Does count on the weekend? How about your weekend?

Speaker 2 (43:51):
It was good.

Speaker 1 (43:52):
I hit four states yesterday because my son had soccer
in an obscure part of western Virginia.

Speaker 2 (44:00):
That carried me.

Speaker 1 (44:02):
I went through North Carolina to get there and came
home from Virginia through Tennessee and North Carolina. So I
pulled the rare four state feet here in the state
of South Carolina.

Speaker 3 (44:14):
That's good. That's always fun to do in a in
a there and back day trip. It's always fine when
when the map takes you, when the map takes you roundabout.

Speaker 1 (44:24):
Ways, man, Well save some time. I'll say that much.
So we'll see anyway, I'll tell you what, Tiger football
fans have a little more time on their hands on
the weekends, those you know fellas, you can get out
and do your honeydew list, because tuning in and watching
has been pretty tough. Q. But you said something and

(44:45):
I mentioned this to you off the air, actually used
it in the article that I wrote about Christopher of
Vezina this weekend. Uh, you said, quote, there were things
about Christopher Zina that you still want to see more of.
But he did a ton of really good things today.
He didn't lose you the football game today, and in fact,
he was one of the reasons you had a chance

(45:05):
to win. Your thoughts first and foremost on Vizena and
the job that he did, well, let me.

Speaker 3 (45:15):
Say this, I think it was a mixed bag. And
you know, there there were some things that he didn't
give you. He did not give you particularly good pocket
awareness when things didn't go well, and that was that
was a bunch. He It feels like a guy that
should be better in the run game. And I know

(45:35):
the line didn't help him, but you know, there were
a couple of times where I would have liked to
see a little more of a like sticking nose in
in the run game kind of a deal, especially given
that you're a backup quarterback with two guys behind you
that are ready to play. That's what we were told
that Hero was ready to play, Denson was ready to play.
They could have gone. So there's that. I actually think
he's an improvement on Cake Club Nick when it comes

(45:57):
to making quick, decisive reads and accurate throws in the
horizontal game. I thought that was one thing that stuck
out from the very beginning of the game is that,
oh wow, it's interesting when the ball gets where it's
supposed to be on time and on target, how much
better the blocking looks on these plays. And they didn't
have like fifty yard runs out of them, but those
were pretty good chunk some plays that you know, Clemson

(46:20):
the times this year has really struggled to get consistent
production out of their horizontal game, which is put a
little more pressure on a traditional run game, and and
so that that kind of goes back and forth. And
you know what, when they actually let Zina throw the
deep ball, he was very accurate. I mean, I can't
think off the top of my head of anything of
any balls that he missed badly. Westco had the one

(46:42):
job where he's looking into the sun there, which boy,
that's you wish that he would have had West Coast
services throughout the game and maybe things would have been
a little different. But right, you know, on the other hand,
like I said, he took a couple of sacks that
you can't take. There were too many checkdowns, Like there
were points in the game where you just you have
to try to fit a ball on a tight window
because like we're racing the clock here and we gotta

(47:05):
have something. And so you know, there were lots of
moments where you're like, you know, this guy's a backup.
But here's my big takeaway, and it does go back
to that quote, like I saw, the one thing that
we would know for certain no matter what happened on Saturdays,
the one thing that we would know for certain is
whether clinchon twenty twenty six quarterback was on the roster
or not. And I don't know that we know that
because I think Zina played well enough that, you know what,

(47:28):
I'd like to have an underlook at him and I
think he actually I said this thing on my show,
I think he made a lot of money on to
play in somebody else's program next year, because what I
saw is the football team that was so deficient around
the quarterback that Zina, you need a miracle worker a quarterback.
You need Deshaun Wasson or Trevor Lawrence a quarterback, or
you're not winning Elite championship. Forget the next day. You're

(47:50):
not winning Elite championship with this roster next year given
what they're losing. Uh, if you don't have significant upgrades,
and I'm talking across the board, there is now one
championship caliber position group on this team right now, what
do you even build next year's roster on. You're building
on the promise of guys that are part of underwhelming
or underperforming position groups. That's just what it is, especially

(48:13):
given that your best skill player on offense, Bryant westco
I mean, he's looking like he stirned down a very
serious injury, you know word Chase scenario. He may never
sit up at Clemson again. I mean, he hate to
think that way, but that's kind of where we're at.
I mean, I would love to think that Clinton has
the kind of roster that if your quarterback goes for
three seventeen and three dozanowns and O picks, they you

(48:35):
just win the game. But the lack of complimentary football
was again glaring. And what ended up happening because the
defense could not get critical stops and because they couldn't
run the ball at all, is that a game where
you had to have everybody else take pressure off the quarterback.
What end up happening is you put the entire game
on the quarterback shoulders, which is unfair to do to Bazinia.

(48:55):
And I'll say one more thing about Bazina here because
I think want to talk about the most of the game.
But I think it's fast that he did throw over
three hundred yards, but he was about seven a half
years per attempt, which is that's I mean, that's good.
Kate Klemenc's average this year seven a half yards per attempt.
So other than avoiding interceptions, he basically gave you, in
terms of production, exactly what Kate Clemenck has given you

(49:16):
on an average basis this year. So, I mean, I
think that's a bit of a diamond on club. It
gets a bit of a credit to Masina, but it
just underscores the point that the level of quarterback play
that Clinton has been getting is not good enough to
win against any quality of team whatsoever other than trowing
North Caroline of Boston College. Would I mean, significantly better
around that quarterback.

Speaker 2 (49:37):
So I do want to shift gears a little bit.

Speaker 1 (49:39):
But I want to say one more thing about Zena
and you may have kind of said it, but not
in maybe so many words. Well, I felt more comfortable
with him at quarterback. I thought he looked more poised
in the pocket than kay club Nick. You kind of
mentioned the check downs and things of that nature, but
I felt like, looking back at the game and the
game plan, I feel like if they had taken the

(50:00):
handcuffs off of him through the first few drives, Clemson
might have actually won that game.

Speaker 2 (50:04):
They might have had a better start than what was.

Speaker 1 (50:06):
It, punt fumble, punt, punt punt or whatever the turn
the wrong downs. I can't remember what the drive scenario
was right at the top of my head, but you
know what I mean, Like, the first five possessions were terrible.

Speaker 3 (50:18):
Yeah, I agree with you on that. I mean, it's
such that they didn't turn the DNA loose in the
fourth quarter and then in the first quarter of the game.
So they got behind in the game, right. Yeah, that's
my thing, man, I listen, I am all four. You
gotta you gotta play with the ander Dell right, and
then you can't change it right in the game seven
if you can't change what you've got in your hands.

(50:40):
But I thought it was quite telling that Clinton lines
up with third and a half yard ago on it
what third series of the game, and it gets stoned
because you're running back. It was a wide receiver. Uh
doesn't get in the right hole. If he goes in
the right hole, it's like one or two yards. You're
not writing home about it. But it's a new set
of downs right and day drows to bounce it outside.

(51:01):
He runs directly the two defenders and you end up
hunting with a half yard to go. The next play
of the seventy yard touchdown, then you get it back,
you have a yard and a half to go. You
don't get that, you plunt again. I'm thinking this is
a game where you have to be able to run
the ball. I know SMU is terrible and pass defense,
and they're very good at run defense. That has gone
across the board against everybody but dog gaune it man

(51:25):
you cannot put this game on your quarterback, and it
seemed like, well, we can't run the ball today and
we don't trust our quarterback. So after about five series,
You're right, after about five series, I'm thinking, how are
they supposed to move it? If they don't trust the
pass game and they don't touch the run game, how
do you get off the ball? Look at the quarterback,
chuck it a little bit. Do you use the oars

(51:46):
all the passing game to get Stuf open and I'll
get care of the valley credit. I thought he did
that pretty well. But as you said, I don't know
what they were trying to establish at the front of
the game. They couldn't run the ball, but you couldn't
trust your offensive line to get a half the yard.
That's pretty like the Dabo the Senus punting out there twice.
I know it's in your own territory, and I know
you can say, like the risk reward there, you can

(52:07):
play that. I understand that, except for you just felt
like this game plan was gonna have to be based,
especially early on trying to figure out how to get
game get yards on the ground, and they just they
were not able to do it at all and the coaches.

Speaker 1 (52:21):
That no commentator to be able to do it on
Twitter at Qualt Talk, and I can only imagine each
and every day from noon until three o'clock there's some
great ransom Quawk puts out on social media where he's
standing up. I can almost feel him wanting to stand
up while driving the car there talking about the first
quarter game plan for Clemson. All right, so where do

(52:43):
we go from here at the quarterback spot? I mean,
do you think that once Kate Klebnikt is back and
healthy there will be more opportunity for Vizina based off
of what he did just in terms of preparing yourself
potentially for the future if you choose not to go
to the portal at the quarterback spot next season.

Speaker 3 (53:03):
No, I don't because there's nothing in this program that
makes me think that they will. I don't think they
believe that Christopher Zina is as good or better than
Kate Clubnick. And so I don't think Zina is gonna
gonna play a lot. Now we'll say this. I think
he's gonna play some because I think they have to
play him some. Uh, they have to know what they have.
But here's the other thing. Too, like he played a

(53:24):
good bit and mop up duty and is North Caroline
and offt of college show me where the mop up
duty is Swanny. I mean, if you're in a if
you're a Clints fan right now, you might say, well,
he might play at Louisville. We're down twenty four with
five minutes left. You know, you might be thinking this
is gonna be mop up dude wrong in these games,
or Posina might get in. I just don't know that
there's gonna be spots for him if they really think
the clubic gives them the best chance to win. And

(53:45):
I'll say, like I did, I thought there were some
things he did better than clubic. I thought there was
some things he did worse than clubic. Bottom line, that
you got about from your quarterback position, what you've been
getting from your starter minus turnovers. And the one thing
that I that I worry about, and the one thing
that I look at for quarterback, especially backup quarterbacks, is

(54:07):
can you feel a blitch you didn't expect? Can you
feel a glitch you didn't expect? Christopher Zina is gonna
get destroyed if he doesn't start feeling glitches he doesn't expect. Uh,
that's what happened in the fumble. It happened another time
where he absolutely got drilled. Uh So I worry about that,
Like those are those are moments where you're like, Okay,
that is a backup quarterback. That's what a backup quarterback

(54:29):
looks like. Right there. That is not a guy that
looks like he should be starting. So I'm all torn.
I think they're gonna get about that type of play
from their quarterback, whether it's Club in Christanzina. I kind
of just think that's what the offense gives you.

Speaker 1 (54:42):
Willim Qualking Bush is on Twitter at Qualt Talk every
day noon until three o'clock. Out of the Bounds with
Quak can be in one of five to five the
roar in the Upstate and and certainly Vezina was a
bright spot qual the offensive line. You know a lot
of people have have hit me up on social media
and texted the show, and you probably get the same
thing on your show. You're like, hey, we gotta get
rid of Matt Luke. We gotta get rid of Matt

(55:02):
and Luke. But the majority of those guys were not
recruited by Matt Luke. I mean, what's the disconnect here?
On the offensive line. And do you feel as I do,
that Matt Luke's a really good offensive line coach. You
look at some of the recruits he's already brought in,
like Braiden Jacobs, and what he might could be. What

(55:23):
do you think the situation is there on the offensive line,
because it just looks a lot disjointed right now.

Speaker 3 (55:29):
Well, I think if you bring in guys to have
coached elsewhere and they only have problems in your program,
then it's not about them. It might be about the
way they mess with the staff, it might be a
bunch of other things. But I think fire Matt Luke
would be silly. Matt Luke is bringing in the best
offensive line recruiting class that I believe Clinton has ever had,

(55:50):
coming in here with six bodies, all of which are
I think five of which are more cour stars are better.
I mean, right, this is a really class a lineman
and here, like Clinton's line is veteran, but these are
not guys that he chose. And you gotta remember on Saturday,
he's missing a lot of determined who's a great young
lineman that I think is incredibly valuable both now and
in the future. He's missing Tristan League, Walker Parks is there.

(56:14):
He banged up Harris sul goes out in the game.
So you just, I mean deposite. You got seven starters,
but you but you didn't have two of those guys
that are started caliber to start the game, and then
two of them got dean during the game. Now, I
like what i'm seeing again from Bronan O'Connell. But there's
not consistency with this group, but their caudas to be

(56:34):
not consen seeing just a personnel in this group like this,
this group they don't we don't know how they played
again because they never played together. It's a different group
al lignemen available every week, it seems like, to start
the game. So yeah, I'm not putting any of this
on Matt Luke, and I don't think anybody's doing a
particularly good job. But I think a lot of the
issues is the line, like you said, are personnel related

(56:54):
or something the scheme related. It could be a you know,
it could be an offensive system issue where you've got
lineman who don't fit the plays that you're trying to run. Again,
I don't think that's a Matt Luke issue. I think
that's a uh, you know that's a that's a schematic issue,
and then you know, I think it's better question, are
clenches players conditioned well to play? I like Joey Batson personally,

(57:18):
there's been some brain drain on that street in the
conditioning staff. He's that are issues. That's the reason he's
sort of retiring at the end of the year. Like, uh,
I think that is an issue for this team because
they you got guys that are hurt, that aren't mounted back,
You've got guys with lingering injuries and things like that.
I just feel like some of that and some of
the physical mental toughness stuff is just not getting across

(57:38):
during the stream and conditioning, and so I don't think
that that is like a pervasive program thing like over
the course of a lot of years. But I think
that is a particular issue with this team. And I
just think this is not a very tough team physically
or mentally. And those are things that you fix. At January,
you ask me, what do you go from here? At quarterback?
What do you go from here? As a program? A
lot of this stuff is baked into the cake, Like,

(57:58):
I don't know how you fix them. I don't wan
physical toms of a team with five games left. In fact,
I don't think you do. I think you hope that
it's not necessary that they exhibit those things that they.

Speaker 1 (58:06):
Just went on town alone William Qualkinbush again with us
on a Monday, and that'll leave us, I guess, just
a few more minutes to turn to the defensive side
of the ball, because when you bring in Tom Allen,
you certainly expect that things are going to improve, and
there have been moments, but in this game, just when
you needed a play, you know defensively, you couldn't get one.

(58:28):
You let them gash your four plays for seventy five
yards in the score. Then you let them kind of
close the game out with a thirteen play drive. Several mistakes.
When when you bring in new coaches and swing, you
did this on the offensive side of the ball as well.
There was no other change in that staff. I mean
it's been the same guys. I mean, what are your
thoughts on where this team is defensively and do you

(58:49):
expect that we're going to see changes on that side
of the ball as well?

Speaker 3 (58:53):
Oh? Yeah, absolutely. I mean you'd have to be crazy
to watch this scroup and not think that you're going
to see stuff. I mean, I don't let me ask
you this. I mean, I'm not even talking about comparing
the brin Vinnible's best defense. I'm talking about compared to
some of the defenses that had that had leaky holes.
Like where those those the leaky defenses a game changers,

(59:16):
like guys who played like first round draft picks didn't
just look like it on the hook. Uh, I'm looking
at you know, three million dollars, two and a half
million dollars of defensive linemen that hadn't made one game
change in play. Yet we're seven games in. Man T K.
Parker has one. Excuse me, Peter Woods has one sack

(59:38):
and one attack of the loss. I'm sorry. That is
that is not good enough. Like Stefiling Green could do
that the Monday, Kate Parkin do that, Heavin Boxoler could
do that. I don't care how many double teams you have.
Christian Wilkins got double team too, the X Lawrence got
double team two. The guys beside him are making plays
and Peter Woods has made no game change plays all year.
DJ Parker seven attackers for loss, that's great, and tag

(01:00:00):
of loll Saturday, that's great, there's too many plays where
he's just the daylight na dollar short. The money is,
they're they're not making their money. I mean guys are
and there are times where guys are playing too hard.
I said this a couple of weeks ago. People keep
talking about effort. Well, sometimes you got guys who are
racing way too hard into the wrong spot. That's you
can't you know, it's not a physical effort, that's that's

(01:00:22):
mental focus, which I would say it's mental effort, but
it's not like not like guys aren't playing hard, you know,
they're just not violent at the point of attack. And
then that that exposes the cause of defensive line is
not violent at the point of attack because Tom and
Allen can't figure out how to get pressured with some
underperforming defensive linemen and linebackers, how to get pressure that

(01:00:43):
it exposes all the defidencies in the back end, some
of which we knew were there in the beginning with
I gotta say, man, the lack of athleticism that safety
is jarring. Yeah, and the fact that Hannafin and Ricardo
Jones have to keep playing safety because Khalil Barnes has
to keep playing in the box, the call, the issues
there like that is just not okay. It is not

(01:01:05):
okay that Ricardo Jones and Ron Hannaton are like unsitable.
You know, during games, you just have a bunch of
I mean, listen, this is not me talking. This is
me reading the watching the players who are playing in
the game, and then looking at the snap counts and going,
nobody else can play safety with these bus and these issues.

(01:01:28):
And what that means is you have people trying to
make up and do one and a half jobs. Adian
toreno bus on the third and ten. You can't do that.
You have to be tougher than that. But it's likely
because he doesn't trust other people out there, Corny and
Gibson's out there behind him. A guy's played like twelve
stats in his career and he's out there on third
and ten. I mean, and look, Gibson did what he's

(01:01:48):
supposed to do. Trell didn't, so Drell should have trusted him.
But you have those issues all across the defense that
it's clear they don't trust each other.

Speaker 1 (01:01:56):
Welalk, I'll tell you what. Let me cut you off
right there. We got a break coming up in the
out thirty seconds and I want to get to more
of what William Qualkin Bush has to say here Again,
he's on Twitter at qualt Talk every day noon until
three o'clock. Out of bounds, Will qualk Ing be in
on one in five to five the row in the Upstate.
All right, we'll come back. We'll hear more about Qualk's
thoughts on trust on the defensive side of the ball

(01:02:18):
in Tigertown when we return. Keep it a lot right
here on Fox Sports Radio fourteen hundred. Back at it
on a Monday, Clemson Sports Talt William Qualkin Bush on
the guest line. Qualk You're talking about the defense and
trust and the bust that Clempson had in the secondary
and how there's really maybe a lot of things going
on with that defense, just in terms of guys trusting

(01:02:38):
their teammates. Give us a couple of examples of what
you might be talking about.

Speaker 3 (01:02:43):
They're charging into the wrong gap because they don't trust
the guy who's gap it is to make the play.
It's not a lack of effort. Sometimes it is, which
is true of every team, but generally speaking, it's a
lack of mental focus and a lack of trust and
it's a lack of development and personnel. I think they
have personal issues linebacker. They have personal issues at safety,
for sure. I think they have personal issues at corner.

(01:03:05):
On the offense, they have personal issues. Are running back
an offensive line, it's just all over the place. And quarterback,
you have either acquisition issues, evaluation issues, or developing issues,
and all three of those ultimately rest on position coaches
and the head coach. And when you have them that
are that pervasive that when you ask me how they're
gonna be changes, I would say yeah, because the output
from the position groups is not good enough, and particularly

(01:03:28):
given the internal thoughts about these players, it's not nearly
close to the standard that they felt would be met
this year.

Speaker 1 (01:03:36):
Final couple of things with William Qualkin busch Quat. Let's
turn to the broader picture of college football coaches buyouts,
the amount of money that's involved. Obviously, a week ago,
Penn State makes a change. Yesterday the news comes out
Billy Napier fired at Florida. We can certainly talk about

(01:03:57):
those changes, but I'm just wondering, where is the point
that we finally sort of, I don't know, protect the
interest of the universities and the money that goes into
paying these coaches.

Speaker 2 (01:04:11):
And not only that, I'm starting to think that coaches.

Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
Might want to look at a little different contract scenario
where wherein they get paid less but get guaranteed years, right,
because in this situation that we're currently in, it just
seems like it's not sustainable for coaches to try to
build programs given the nature of NIL and the transfer
of portal, etc.

Speaker 3 (01:04:34):
Well, to go along with that point, I mean, it's
an interesting spot we find ourselves in because the reason
Building Andrew gets fired in Florida is twofold, one because
he's not doing a great job, and two because they
believe they can do better. The reason James Franklin got
fired at penns Day is well, I have to say
three reasons. One they didn't really like him all that much.
Two he wasn't doing a great job this year, and

(01:04:55):
three day feel they can do better. The reason Minor
Velle is going to be fire on what they passed
that had enough times to find fifty four million dollars
is to read it's one because they're not not doing
a good enough job and two because they think they
can do better. The reality is Swani that Georgia Tech
is in the top ten, Vanderbilt is in the top ten,
Indiana is number two. If you're number two, are you

(01:05:19):
not in a better spot than the job that you
would potentially take. Here's the other thing. Two At Penn State,
you can have eleven like you can have seven, like
excellent years, really good years. Yeah, one terrible year, like
I say, with a personality like Franklin, and so the
law abraces, okay, but like they'll fire you. So why
if I'm Kertz signety, of course I'm gonna re up
with Indiana because they're not firing me. If I'm Clark

(01:05:42):
Lee Vanderbilt, they're not firing me. And if you've got
one of these jobs where they supported you with nil,
you feel like you can keep your coaches and people
are excited about the work you're doing. Why would you
leave to go to a place that if the money
people get upset, you're done at the first sign of trouble,
like Florida. I mean, one of the things that's something
Bill Avier is that they promised money to a kid

(01:06:02):
that they didn't have. Like, that's not necessarily Billy's fault.
That's the money people saying we're gonna find it, and
then they ain't come.

Speaker 2 (01:06:08):
Up with it.

Speaker 3 (01:06:08):
I'm blamed Billy for that, but this thing never got
off the ground. If i'm if I'm blame Kiffin, why'd
I leave all my Why got NIL figured out? I've
got my my collegive situation figured out. I can recruit
pretty well. I'm comfortable, and my family likes it there
while I leave. That's one of the things that I'm
interested to find out, is like Eli Drinkuz they literally

(01:06:29):
change the laws in Missouri to allow Missouri to recruit
using NIL, especially the in state town to keep them in.
You're gonna go to Florida where it might not be
all that, where they've got interim president, interim deans, all
these interim people. I don't know, man, I don't think
these jobs are as attractive, And I do think that
the expectations of fan bases have not changed with the

(01:06:52):
shifting stands of the sport. So it's a double whammie
for coaches. One, I got really good jobs, but the
people are fickle. They're not giving me any lead for like, hey,
you're not giving me more money than Bandy's given their
guy or Indiana given their guy or who at Minnesota,
given that guy or whatever the case may be in Missouri.
Uh So I can't win, but you're expecting me to

(01:07:13):
beat those teams on a regular basis. It's a really
tricky cycle. And I'm interesting to see if these programs
actually do upgrade from what they add.

Speaker 1 (01:07:20):
Yeah, and not to mention, like outside of the guys
that you named who are in the Southeastern Conference, why
would you want to go to that like slaughter house
of a schedule that you deal with in the SEC.
Like I'm not somebody that thinks that, oh, it's so
much greater than the ACC blah blah blah. But man,
when they added Texas and Oklahoma, every schedule has a

(01:07:42):
stretch in it now where you can just be brutalized.
South Carolina's in the midst of their brutalization and I'm
not sure it's gonna stop anytime soon. And I just
think what coach wants to take money to go to
these schools And people say, well, you want to get paid, right, Well,
I also want to win. I want to be successful.
It only be someware that I can win and be

(01:08:04):
successful and not be fired at the first time.

Speaker 2 (01:08:07):
We you know, or second time we stub our toe not.

Speaker 3 (01:08:09):
To one hundred percent, right, I mean you make the
examples South Carolina. I mean, I think Shane Biemer, there's
rumors of average as I really thought of Sam Bimber
wouldn't leave. But I gotta be honest, man, if I'm
if I'm a South Carolina This hurts to say because
I'm not a South Carolina fan and they probably shouldn't
listen to me at all. But if I'm a South
Carolina fan, understanding my history, I have gone to let
my head coach go four and eight. Sometimes even it's

(01:08:32):
his fault, like he made a horrible hundred offensive coordinator horrible.
They have been dreadful on the offensive line, like hysterically bad,
and they have a quarterback that takes sacks that are hilarious.
To the point this morning, they're almost They have almost
fifty more yards lost in sacks than the next worst team,
almost fifty. That is unbelievable. They've taken twenty six sacks,

(01:08:52):
but they average like almost it's like eight point seven
yards of side. I mean, it's it's ridiculous, absolutely dreadful.
That's not just on the offensive line. So even if
it's all Beamer's fault. You have to lie your coach
to go four and eight if they're trying to get
rid of you, or win four games and you go,
you know what, we can win eight or nine, but
we might win four sometimes because we don't have unlimited resources,
and we go have this tough schedule, then I might

(01:09:13):
get out because if fan bases don't understand that there
is more volatility and less consistency in the sport than
ever before. You got to allow yourself some leeway there
especial fort coaches had some success, and so I wonder
if Beamer might see what you're seeing and go peace out.
I'm gonna do this to the acc.

Speaker 1 (01:09:30):
There he is on Twitter at quartz. I'll follow him
and of course listen to him each and every day
from noon until three o'clock. Out of Bounds with Qualking
Bin on one in five to five the Roar and
the Upstate Qualt Buddy, thanks for your time.

Speaker 2 (01:09:39):
My man.

Speaker 3 (01:09:40):
Thanks wine. I's gonna be with you there.

Speaker 2 (01:09:42):
You go this way with Qualking Bush.

Speaker 1 (01:09:43):
When we come back, we'll run down some of the
big ball games from this past weekend. On a Monday afternoon,
keep a lot right here on Fox Portrayio fourteen hundred
and of course Clympson Sports Talks turned around the world
on the iHeartRadio app Lowton SWA. I'm back with you,
Clympses Sports Talk. So recap on the weekend, we really
haven't taken much of a look at that. We focused
a lot on Clemson, certainly obviously the disappointment thirty five

(01:10:06):
to twenty four, the loss to SMU and really dashing
just completely dashing Clemson's hopes for some sort of backdoor
entry into the ACC Championship game. But here's what went
down in the Atlantic Coast Conference this week. It all

(01:10:27):
started on Friday. I mentioned this earlier as Louisville Jeff
Brohm go on the road to Miami and take down
the second rank then second ranked Hurricanes twenty four to
twenty one. Carson Beck through four interceptions in the game,
actually I think five. One of them got called back.
I can't remember what the penalty was, but Carson Beck

(01:10:51):
just kind of had a, you know, pretty off night.
And give a little of a credit. I mean, they're
a really good team. Clemson saw them a year ago
come into Death Valley and dominate the Tigers, and Miami
stood up better than Clemson did a year ago. But
Jeff brom Me, because of what he's done at Louisville's

(01:11:11):
going to be a name. A lot of people are
thrown around for any of these vacancies. Then you had
Cal beat North Carolina on about the most North Carolina
under Bill Belichick ending you could imagine, probably only to
be outdone by the way Florida State lost out West
at Stanford. But North Carolina is heading towards the end zone.

(01:11:33):
Let me see if I can find the kid's name
who caught the little crossing pattern. Either way, he's heading
towards the end zone. He's almost at the goal line,
gets hit, fumbles and Cal ends up jumping on the ball,
and they went twenty one to eighteen. Obviously, Georgia Tech
and Duke had a pretty good matchup on Saturday. Georgia

(01:11:57):
Tech scored first though, on a ninety seven ninety eight
yard scoop and score. I mean, Duke is right there
the goal line, getting ready to go in and Mensa
fumbles the ball and it gets picked up and brought
all the way back for a touchdown. And Clemson fans

(01:12:18):
will tell you that lost to West Virginia in the
Orange Bowl wasn't strictly because of Andre Ellington's fumble they
got returned ninety nine yards for a score. But that's
a big turn of events. I mean, that's like a
fourteen point swing in a hurry. And so Duke, even
though MENSA was thirty to forty four for three hundred
and seventy three yards, couldn't quite overcome that play. And

(01:12:44):
in the end, Georgia Takeout scored the Blue Devils seventeen
to eight in the final quarter, as those teams were
tied at ten apiece entering the final quarter of play.
And for the Yellow Jackets, how about this seven to
zero for the first time in their first seven games,
for the first time since nineteen sixty six. Yeah, nineteen

(01:13:08):
sixty six. Then you had Florida state their loss. I mean,
Mike Norvel, the news came out today the Seminoles will
make a decision on his career at the end of
the season. As they lose their fourth consecutive game this
season as they go to zero to four in the ACC.

(01:13:29):
They haven't won an ACC contest since twenty twenty three,
and quite frankly, after the way their season started. This
roller coaster is just nose diving, and outside of the
financial particulars, it's hard to believe that Mike Norvel is
going to be back in Tallahassee next season. One thing

(01:13:50):
these coaches could do, and by the way final scores
twenty to thirteen and the way it ended, Florida State
had an untimed down, untime down. They had a big
pass play late that got them down towards the goal line.
Then there was a pass interference in the end zone.
Florida State got an untimed down to try to tie

(01:14:11):
the ball game and got stuffed right at the line
of scrimmage. Excuse me, got stuff right at the goal
line and honestly, to me, a look I like a
touchdown but was ruled not and the call in the
field was upheld, and so the Seminals lose. One thing
I do wonder if these coaches could do this would
be pretty awesome. Would be Hey, let me just restructure

(01:14:35):
my deal. I'm overpaid, right, We're not having success. I
know you guys want to fire me, but a part
of it is how much I'm making. Let's restructure my deal,
keep my buyout, but let's let me make less and
let's utilize my money to enhance an il. Don't pay
me so much, let me be a cheaper employee.

Speaker 2 (01:14:57):
Now.

Speaker 1 (01:14:57):
I don't know how many coaches would be willing to
do that to keep their job big programs, but it
might be worth it. And final thing from the Atlantic
Coast Conference, And there was another game, but I do
want to get to this one because obviously we'll talk
with Chad Morris about it. Tony Elliott and the Virginia
Cavaliers are six and one. They beat Washington State twenty
two to twenty. But it was unconventional as Cam Robinson

(01:15:21):
and Hunter Osborne stuffed Kirby Vorhees in the end zone
for a game winning safety with just two minutes and
forty one seconds left. The game was tied at twenty
apiece and Virginia kicked off, and I think it was
Leyton Smithson, the kick returner for Washington State, caught the

(01:15:45):
football at the two yard line, but his teammate signaled
for a fair catch. And since his teammates signaled for
the fair catch even though he didn't catch the ball,
even though the ball wasn't going to him, that still
stopped to play at the two yard line. Now, I

(01:16:08):
don't know if that's what number nine for Washington State
meant to do. Looking back at it, it was almost
like he was indicating to his teammate to call for
the to call for the fair catch. But nonetheless, by rule,
the ball was placed at the two yard line. Virginia

(01:16:29):
batted down the first down attempt. This was with two
fifty five remaining. Then on second down there was a
false start that backed him up half the distance. Then
on the actual second down snap, it came out quick
and hit the quarterback in the chest. He about panicked
and had to throw the ball out towards the sideline,
so incomplete pass. So with two forty six left in

(01:16:49):
a tie ball game, the Cougars tried to just run
the ball out of the backfield to get a little room,
and Virginia swarmed them and got the safety and the win.
And it looked like in real time the ball carrier
was out of the end zone, but he fumbled and
lost the ball and it was you know, landed inside
the end zone, and so the ruling on the field

(01:17:11):
was upheld and Virginia got the win. So several games
in the ACC coming down literally to the line of scrimmage,
the goal line at the end of these games. For Virginia,
it was a positive. For North Carolina and for Florida
State a negative quick break. We'll come back, We'll put it,
We'll put a bow on the Monday edition of the show.

Speaker 5 (01:17:33):
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.

Speaker 2 (01:17:59):
We win Final seven on the Monday.

Speaker 1 (01:18:47):
Don't forget about our friends in Alumni Hall right there
on the corner of Campus of College Avenue of downtown Clemson.
It's Alumni Hall, just a stone throw away from historic
riggs Field Shop where I shop in Alumni Hall or
at alumnihaul dot com. Speaking of riggs Field, Clemson soccer
on Friday night, woo wee man, they got a hold
of Duke three to Nilo, just cruising and man, what

(01:19:10):
a fun win for them over a top ten team,
Not to mention what it did for the Tigers in
the Atlantic Coast Conference standings in soccer and what's crazy
about it is this Clemson Tiger team has been ranked
I think what is highest, number two in the country.
But somehow, even though they are currently unranked, they have

(01:19:30):
managed to navigate the toughest conference in America at four
to one and one and are sitting just what half
game behind Stanford maybe less. Stamford's won five games in
a row. Clemson will host UNC Wilmington tomorrow and then
head to Virginia for a matchup against the Cavaliers before

(01:19:51):
returning home with the regular season finale against Virginia Tech.
So it's almost postseason soccer time up in Tigertown. Dabosweeney
also had his media availability just a little bit ago.
We'll have more of that for you over on Clemson
Sports Sun dot com as that got underway during our
program and we'll make sure that we get that information

(01:20:13):
to you and obviously hoping that there'll be an update
on Brian Westco. Westco today posting on his Instagram account
a message to Clemson Tiger fans and just his supporters
about their thoughts and prayers. I put that out on
our social media account. He put it out via his
Instagram account. He said thank you to everyone sending your prayers.

(01:20:36):
I really appreciate everyone's help and support. It means the
world to me. So hopefully we'll get some sort of
positive news on Brian westco again, like I said earlier,
and like William Quawkinbush speculated, with this injury, potentially, you know,
being to the neck with the fact that this season

(01:20:57):
is pretty much a wash at this point.

Speaker 2 (01:21:01):
You know, if there's any indication.

Speaker 1 (01:21:05):
From the doctors that he doesn't need to play, this
kid's not gonna play now. If the indication comes back
from the doctors, oh all well and good, they still
might rest him. They still might rest him for a
weekend or two. You know, you got this week with
the buye. Do you play him next week? Maybe, but

(01:21:29):
you don't have to rush him back. You're not trying
to go undefeated. You can't qualify for the college football playoffs.
You can't even qualify for the a SEC Championship. There's
just no way. There's not enough anagling you could do.
I'll say this to my sister, Weita. She's probably listening. Weeda,
don't even break out the schedule and try to figure
out what chaos would have to happen there ain't enough

(01:21:53):
chaos in the world to fix what Ill's Clemson's football
team right now with their chances of getting anywhere close
to Charlotte at the end of the season. Heck, I'll
say this, The only way Clympson ends up close to
Charlotte at the end of the season is if they
end up in the Belt Bowl or the Duke's Mayo
Bowl or whatever bull's going on there in Charlotte nowadays.

(01:22:14):
How about that, That's the only way Clemson ends up
playing in Bank of America Stadium, Ericsson Stadium, whatever name
this stadium is now out there.

Speaker 2 (01:22:23):
I think it's Bank of America.

Speaker 1 (01:22:25):
Can we I mean, look, I don't want to get
on a soapbox, but for crying out loud, we need
to we need to fix this. The corporate sponsor thing,
JMA Wireless, that's still the Carrier Dome.

Speaker 2 (01:22:36):
It will be forever to me.

Speaker 1 (01:22:39):
The irony it was named the Carrier Dome and no
air conditioning, that's that. That is in and of itself hilarious.
But yeah, you know, the CLIPS is not playing really
for anything other than their own pride right now. So
for Bryant Westco. To me, there's no reason to rush
this guy back, even if the doctor's say, yeah, he's fine.

(01:23:01):
You know, if Clemson wants to be cautious, or if
he wants to be cautious, that's fine. I mean, you know,
him coming back if you were healthy, him coming back
if you were injured.

Speaker 2 (01:23:13):
It's just not worth.

Speaker 1 (01:23:14):
It, you know, giving all the stress and strain that
these guys deal with from the head neck area. Just
let this kid rest up. And I think the bigger
storyline for me over the next few weeks of this season,
regardless of Kate Clebnic's injury, is how do you utilize
these two quarterbacks. I mean, yes, you could let Kate

(01:23:35):
right off into the sunset and have his last hurrah
and be the guy. Or you can start splitting time
and really seeing if Christopher Vezina can be an elite quarterback.
I mean, you get a little you get a legit
chance to test it. There's no no concern about, well,
we might miss the playoff, well we we you know,

(01:23:56):
might not win the a SEC Championship. None of that matters.
Let's see what this kid's got in him. If you
want to split, give Caid Klubnik the first quarter in
Zina the second or give Cad two drives in Zina
two and split it up and just you know, go
with both guys the whole rest of the way. I'm
fine with it. I'm fine with it. And if it

(01:24:18):
turns out that Zina can't do the job and you
learn that through two or three games, then you stop.
You just give it to Cad and let him finish
it out, and then you let Vezina portal if he
wants or if he wants to stick around. But you say,
we're bringing somebody in. We got to bring in a
guy that can run this offense. No reason not to
push Mozina further at this point. All right, we'll be

(01:24:40):
back to talk about it more tomorrow. Till then it's
always I'll take care now and go Tigers.