The "Trev's Big Day" Edition

Trevor Lawrence had his best performance as a pro, putting together one of the best days a QB has ever had in the NFL.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Each time for Clipson Sports Talk with Lawton Swan.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Finally, Clemson Sports Talk has come back two drive time.
Hell everybody and Swan back in the saddle once again.
It is the show that shakes the south Land. Clemson
Sports Talk for you each and every afternoon. You should
make your way around the great state of South Carolina

(01:03):
and beyond listening to us on incredible radio stations like
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world on the iHeartRadio application download today it is free.
The website, but the dot com on the dog gonet
that's Clemson Sports Talk dot Com and the course the
show that Shakespeare Southland, brought to you in part by

(01:23):
our good friends over at mets Plumb Man Metz Plumb
and dot com. Two two six seven one o eight
that's too too, six seven one zero eight. All right
out of the gates. On a Monday, William Qualkabush and
our number two Clemson Tigerman's basketball team bouncing back from
dropping a twenty two point lead to BYU and falling

(01:48):
up in New York City. They bounce back and top
Mercer seventy sixty three. But it wasn't easy. Maybe a
little bit of a hangover from that loss in the
way they lost up in New York City against BYU
at the Jimmy V Classics. Speaking of New York City,
the Heisman Trophy was awarded this weekend, and as I expected,

(02:14):
it went to Fernando Mendoza. I know that a lot
of people thought that Diego Pavia was going to win it.
We could certainly get into that here in the program
today or on the program today, because Diego Pavia after
the fact probably proved that he wasn't worth being the
Heisman Trophy candidate, or should I say that he wasn't

(02:37):
the Hean Trophy winner. Anyhow, we'll get into all of that,
plus an elite weekend of professional football from one William
Trevor Lawrence, who we big trev the Giant Killer, putting

(02:59):
in work this weekend. Just a spectacular performance in the
Jaguars convincing victory this weekend as they knocked off the
New York Jets forty eight to twenty. And speaking of
the Jaguars, We've looked at some of the playoff scenarios

(03:23):
and I gotta tell you, I'm feeling really good about
what they've got going on. The rest of the way,
especially given the fact now look, going to the Broncos
this weekend. We'll talk about this morning a little bit.
That's gonna be tough. But the Colts now with Philip
Rivers at quarterback, I mean, come on, And then the Titans.

(03:47):
I mean, your final two games are against I would
think two of the most likely victory victories you will have,
and this game at the Broncos is by no means
again you can't win given the way they've played now
with a five game winning streak, although the Broncos are
the number one team in the NFL and taking a

(04:09):
look at the matchup predictor, it predicts that the Broncos
will win this fifty seven point three percent of the
time to Jacksonville's forty two point four percent.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
So we'll see more.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
About that as the weekend or the week moves forward.
And of course, in the college football world, this past weekend,
we did have a couple of bowl games, one of
them most notably taking Part or take taking good gracious
want English, it's easy speak it. One of those a

(04:47):
team from South Carolina se State taking part in against
Prairie View A and M. That was the Cricket Celebration
Bowl over in Atlanta. As that game went to four
or overtimes meeting, it was decided by the two point
plays after both teams initially made field goals in the

(05:08):
first overtime and then were unsuccessful up until the fourth
overtime when Ryan Stubblefield found Tyler Smith for a two
point conversion, giving se State a forty thirty eight victory
over Prairie View, and the Bulldogs finished the season ten
to three with a win in the Cricket Celebration Bowl.

(05:28):
This past weekend, we also had the Bucked Up Remember
I thought it was the Buckle Up Bowl.

Speaker 3 (05:35):
The Bucked Up Bowl.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Between Washington and Boise State, and the Huskies beat Boise
State thirty eight to ten in that ball game never
really closed. As a matter of fact, it was thirty
eight to three in the fourth quarter with ten forty
six remaining. Tomorrow at nine pm, we get our next

(05:57):
bowl game in the is Fours Salute to Veterans Bowl
between Troy and Jacksonville State nine pm on ESPN from Montgomery, Alabama.
We also have a couple of bowl games coming up
on Wednesday, with the Staff DNA Cure Bowl between Old
Dominion and South Florida and the sixty eight Ventures Bowl
between Louisiana and Delaware. So that's what you've got on

(06:22):
the bowl slate docket coming up over the next couple
of days. And then of course Army Navy took place
this past weekend, and you know that's a timeless classic.
I saw that South Carolina head coach Shane Beemer and

(06:42):
his son Hunter both attended that ballgame. He put it
out on social media, a seventeen to sixteen victory by
Navy come from behind win as Army led that game
thirteen to seven at the half. Army would extend their

(07:03):
lead to sixteen to seven off of a forty eight
yard Dawson Jones field goal with nine thirty nine left
in the third quarter, but it would be Navy who
would strike with ten points over the final eighteen minutes
of action, kicking a field goal with two point fifty
nine left in the third quarter from twenty one yards

(07:25):
out after a thirteen play seventy two yard drive to
make it sixteen to ten, and then from Eli Henrich
an eight yard pass to Blake Horvath off a nine
play fifty yard scoring drive with six thirty seven remaining
to take a seventeen sixteen lead, and the seventeen to

(07:47):
sixteen victory for the Midshipman over the Black Knights in
a classic for the Commander in Chiefs Trophy there as
those two teams faced off. The Midshipman finished the year
ten and two and eight and one in the American Conference.

(08:09):
So that's sort of a look around the country this weekend.
But back to Clemson basketball. We'll hear a little bit
from Brad Brown. Now after I kind of pontificated a
little bit on this, because Clemson trailed this game at
one point by nine thirty seven to twenty eight with

(08:30):
two h seven left in the first half. That was
off of the heels of jumping out to an early
twelve to eight lead. But for whatever reason, you know,
the Tigers just kind of went through a little bit
of a cold spell and Mercer played very well and

(08:53):
really I think frustrated Clemson. I know the fans got frustrated.
But then in the second half, the Tigers just kind
of continued to lean in on being a little bit
more talented. I think they started to kind of come
into their own. One of the things we've talked about
with this group is balance scoring, and you saw it
in this ballgame. Dylan Hunter led the team with fifteen

(09:16):
points on four of seven shooting. Nick Davidson scores twelve points.
Good to see Nick Davidson really becoming a little bit
more involved. He was five of six from the floor.
You also got ten points from Justin Porter and Zach Foster.
You know, Porter's a veteran transferred in. Foster's a freshman

(09:39):
fellow and an elite, elite ballplayer, you know, one of
seven from beyond the arc. And I know that's not
what he wanted. The kid can't shoot the ball, though,
trust me, there is going to be a day where
that kid is going to put up big numbers for Clemson.
I am almost certain of it. But he had two
dunks in this game that if you were watching, you

(10:01):
just went, man, that's that that that looks different.

Speaker 1 (10:04):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (10:05):
And I was talking to a buddy yesterday about Zach Foster,
and I think he's definitely going to be an NBA
player from from Clemson, and I think he'll be a
guy that will get, you know, if he continues to
grow from where he is now over the next couple
of years. I think he'll be a guy that plays,
you know, some minutes in the NBA and maybe even

(10:27):
makes a little bit of a name for himself. And
you know, if we really think about, like who's made
a name for himself in the NBA in terms of
being elite out of Clemson, I mean, you got to
go back to Dale Davison and Elton Campbell and Horace
Grant and and maybe a Searon Wright. But you've never
really had a guard. He never really had a guy

(10:49):
that was entrusted to maybe take over a game. I
don't know if he's going to be that type of
player in the NBA, but he'll be a guy that
will get some buckets in the league at some point
along the way. But he can be a guy I
think during his career at Clemson, they could take over
a game. I don't think it'll be necessarily this year.
There might be a moment or a game where sporadically

(11:11):
he gives you that. But man, watching this kid play
so much fun, I hate you as one for seven
from beyond the Arc, sometimes you can fall in love
with the three. I'm sure the coaching staff will talk
to him about that, but he doesn't have a bad
stroke from distance. He really doesn't. And then you got
nine points as well from R. J. Godfrey, meaning you

(11:31):
nearly had five guys in double figures in terms of scoring.
The Tiger's very balanced also on the rebounding side of things.
And it's I think nice that you've seen a situation
where Jake Walleen and Carter Welling and even Ace Buckner,
you know, those three guys who you've counted on from
time to time this year to kind of leave the
team in scoring. They combine to score just nine points

(11:54):
in the game. Waileeen with five, Buckner with none, and
Carter Welling with just four point points. Now, Butner didn't
play all that long, just five minutes in the contest.
But I think one of the things that Brad Brownell
really likes about this group is the competitive balance that
they have. I know, it's something that I really like

(12:14):
about this group. Anyhow, for Brad Brownell, it was a
big day as he won his three hundredth game as
Clemson's head coach. Here he is following the Tigers victory
on Saturday.

Speaker 4 (12:29):
Obviously, hard fought win. Proud of my team.

Speaker 1 (12:32):
This was.

Speaker 5 (12:34):
Probably bad scheduling in all honesty playing a good team
this close to getting back before from BYU game in Madison,
Square Gardner two AM and finals week and Tiger Wonderland
and South Carolina coming up, and it was a lot
And I thought the first ten minutes we just looked
slow and we didn't really I think our starters maybe

(12:57):
had to lead.

Speaker 4 (12:58):
I can't remember.

Speaker 5 (13:00):
We we just looked heavy legged. And that's no disrespect
to Mercer. I think Mercer's really good, really well coached.
They run good action, They spread you. They've got personnel
that can shoot threes. They've got a point guard that
can get in the lane and score. They've got and
also throw incredible passes out of the pick and roll.
They got big guys that can score one on one

(13:21):
and with their back to the basket. They run good action,
and obviously they were really ready to play.

Speaker 4 (13:27):
You know.

Speaker 5 (13:27):
I think they'd had a week to kind of get
prepared and they came in here to win the game.
And you know, defensively, I thought our guys showed a
lot of grit in the second half. First half, we
did not defend very well. A couple of small adjustments
and then our guys just just gutted it out and
played a little bit better, a little bit harder, probably

(13:48):
got a little bit more used to their pace and
just what they were doing.

Speaker 4 (13:53):
And then offensively, we just you know, we just kind
of hung in.

Speaker 5 (13:56):
There wasn't a pretty game for us in terms of
sharing the ball and a bunch of assists or anything
like that, but we had some guys step up make
some plays. R J and Dylan and Nick Davidson. I
thought we're all fantastic. I thought, you know, their will
to win was outstanding and really kind of carried our team.

Speaker 4 (14:13):
So, uh, good heart fought win. Proud of my guys.

Speaker 2 (14:17):
Brad Brown they alway was asked if he would sort
of qualify this as, you know, what do you call
a trap game for Clemson?

Speaker 5 (14:23):
Oh yeah, you knew coming as a coach, these are hard,
like it's hard to get your guys, you know, really ready,
and our guys were fine, Like we weren't not ready
to play. I don't think that, you know, I think
that's an easy excuse. I think we were ready to play.
We practiced well yesterday. I just thought we looked a
little tired, a little slow, like it was. I told

(14:44):
our guys after we ran up and down the court twice.
I was like, man, we're going to have to We're
definitely going five and five here and uh and we're
going to see what we got and uh, guys were
breathing heavy and uh RJ was was dying and.

Speaker 4 (14:58):
Uh, you know, we got a watch all that. A
little bit.

Speaker 5 (15:01):
Just it's been a lot, and I think sometimes the
emotional drain of it all, you know, obviously the way
we lost and just how much we put into to that,
and then all the things we've done between then and
the guys have had to deal with with Finals and
Tiger Wonderland, and you know, just your battery is on,

(15:22):
and sometimes when your battery is on like that, it's
you know, it can wear down. And I just think
that's what kind of happened to us a little bit,
and thankfully we were tough minded enough to be able
to fix it and beat a good team, well coached team.

Speaker 4 (15:35):
A lot of respect for those guys.

Speaker 2 (15:37):
Brad Boro, and that was also asked about the fact
that he did win his three hundredth game at Clipson,
joining a rather exclusive club of coaches in the Atlantic
Coast Conference to win three hundred or more games at
a single institution.

Speaker 6 (15:53):
More.

Speaker 5 (15:53):
I'm just I'm grateful to been to coach here as
long as I have, for all the great players that
I've gotten, the coach and staff and have helped me
in our journey. This is you know that you've got
so many good people that you've leaned on to help
you through all of these years. And so I'm thankful
for all of that, and and you know, hope to

(16:15):
get three hundred and one.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
On Tuesday, Brown Oil was ask how a game like
that one against Mercer can help prepare them for their
matchup against South Carolina tomorrow.

Speaker 5 (16:23):
Well, yeah, I mean all these games, we've played a
lot of hard games. We've played a lot of games
that have come down to the end, and I'm sure
South Carolina will be the same. Our games are almost
always really close, and their possession games and grinders and
you got to really execute. And this was one of

(16:43):
those games and we knew it. I mean, they're one
ten or one twelve or whatever they are in the
net and there's a bunch of high majors right next
to them. I Mean, these these guys have guys that
can play high major basketball, and they're very well coached, and.

Speaker 4 (16:57):
Their pieces really fit well.

Speaker 5 (16:59):
I like the way their team fits with shooters outside
of with a pick and roll point guard and a
big guy that can roll and catch and score. And
then defensively they compete. Williams is really a good defender.
He's competitive fighter, and you know, and I thought they
were really ready to play, and they defended as well
and made it hard on us, and you know, but

(17:22):
we had a lot of respect for him coming into
the game, and probably even more now that we've played them.

Speaker 6 (17:27):
So there you go.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
That's Brad Bradell again. Clemson in South Carolina tomorrow from
Little John Coliseum of that game at seven o'clock called
ESPN two. The Tigers enter this matchup with a pretty
impressive eight and three record. I mean, given the losses
to Georgetown, number twelve Alabama and number ten BYU, nothing

(17:49):
to really scoff at how you lost it probably the
thing that you would be most concerned with. And then
South Carolina also enters with a seven and three mark.
The game Cocks with a five point loss to Butler,
a two point loss to Northwestern, and just a three
point loss to Virginia Tech in the acc SEC Challenge.
So should be a good game. Looking at the way

(18:13):
ESPN shapes it up, though they got the Tigers winning
eighty six point two percent of the time at home
against South Carolina. So that's what it looks like. The
game Cocks averaging eighty point one points per game, shooting
forty six percent from the floor, Clypson averaging just over
eighty at eighty one point eight shooting sixty six point

(18:37):
four percent from the floor. The game Cocks are led
by Michi Johnson. Clemson led and scoring by R. J. Godfrey,
who's averaging eleven point nine points per game. One thing,
I guess a little lack of professionalism, but wanted to
be funny for a minute. I meant to comment on

(18:58):
how Brad brown they all sounded like Arth Vader. I
don't know what's up with the microphone where they've got
it situated or whatever, But when Brad Brownell would breathe
in you got a nice little I mean, I can't
even I can't even simulate it.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
I left it end. I heard how obnoxiously loud it was,
and I was like.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
Okay, those mics might might need to we might need
to dial those down a little bit. On Uh, I
guess what we call the gate. The noise gate might
need to be adjusted. That's a little tip from your
old uncle swanee the audio file, if you will, but
from the archives of the video file and how we

(19:40):
consume media.

Speaker 3 (19:42):
Is there a new a new.

Speaker 2 (19:45):
Sports package on the horizon for fans like you and me.
I'll tell you about that when we get back, as
it sounds like YouTube TV's got a little something something
up their sleeve. Stay with us right here on the
show that Shakes the south Land, Clemson Sports, Salo and Swine.
Back with you on a Monday afternoon again. Programming note,

(20:06):
we will have shows all this week, and then we'll
be with you the next two Fridays, meaning we'll be
with you the twenty sixth, the day before Clemson's bowl
game against Penn State, the Penn Stripe Bowl, and then
we'll be back the day after all the major college
football playoff games on January the second, and then because

(20:28):
that's a Friday, and then we'll come back the full
I guess that's technically the first full week of January.
Full throttle, all right, three four or five zero zero
eighty six. That is the text line and the phone
line again, so you can be a part of the
program anytime, any place, anywhere, a whole lot to get
to here on a Monday afternoon, even off of the

(20:51):
heels of Clemson not having a football game this past weekend.
But one thing I did want to send your way,
and I don't know much about it, but as a
consumer of college football and college sports, I think this
is significant and a consumer pro sports too because, as

(21:12):
I mentioned out the gates, what a day yesterday watching
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars. But there was some
news on the front of YouTube TV. Remember there was
the whole hubbub not all that long ago with YouTube
TV and ESPN. Well, YouTube TV is going to offer

(21:37):
and this might be this might be the gym, this,
this could be the thing. Depending on the pricing. YouTube
TV is going to offer a new sports only plan,
a sports only plan that will be cheaper than its
current eighty two dollars per month offer. So that would

(22:01):
mean if you don't watch a bunch of the channels
that YouTube this is right in the wheelhouse of what
I said. You'll recalled during that whole dispute, I said,
why can't there just be a package for sports fans?
You don't want to watch old school MTV music videos.
You don't care about what's going on on a multitude

(22:25):
of news networks. You just want your college sports, you
want your pro sports. Well, that news came out, I
think it was last week that YouTube tv will offer
a sports only package at a cheaper rate. This news

(22:46):
coming from the Athletic and although they have not, as
I mentioned, come up with pricing, they are working towards
a concept that will allow individuals to have access to
all major broadcast networks as well as sports specific channels

(23:11):
such as FS one, NBC Sports Network, all of Disney's
ESPN family, all of Fox's channels. Plus you'll be able
to add your NFL Sunday ticket package as well as
Red Zone. So this could essentially become the television home

(23:37):
for the sport fan among us. And for me, I mean,
this is this is perfect. Now, if it's let's say
it's seventy two dollars, right, ten dollars less than what
you get for everything, well, I'm not interested in that.

(23:59):
It's probably worth the ten dollars to have some of
those other channels every once in a while. But if
they get this thing into the thirty five dollars a
month range, and I could say about fifty dollars a month.
You know what, you're probably looking at somebody that's signing

(24:21):
up for that package. So again, who knows what it
all looks like or what the pricing is. I'm imagining,
you know, I would imagine behind closed doors, as executives
sit down and try to figure this thing out, what
they attempt to do is put it at a range

(24:42):
in which people will still want to stay at the
eighty two, right. They want to give kind of an
entry level rate for subscribers that will say, oh, I'll
save a couple of bucks and not get the eighty two.
But then those of us already own the eighty two
dollars point and we'll say, well, it's really not worth
it to downgrade. I'm guessing that's their plan. I don't

(25:06):
know what that number is. Is it sixty two, is
it forty two? I can tell you. If it's thirty five,
I'm probably switching. But it looks like it's a new
idea new concept from YouTube TV, a sports only package.
And you've kind of seen some of this in the past,

(25:27):
not the nerd out here, but you.

Speaker 3 (25:29):
Know Sling TV when Sling TV came along.

Speaker 2 (25:38):
They had a blue plan and I think an Orange plan,
and one of those two plans would not have and
they actually, I'm looking now, I just pulled their website
up as we're talking. They still have the orange and
blue plan. Let me see what the difference is. So

(25:58):
Sling Orange it has ESPN, CNN, TNT. I'm just trying
to look at some of the big brand's history, and
Sling Blue does not have ESPN. It does have CNN
and Fox and history channels, so it looks very similar.
Only Blue, apparently, it looks like, does not have those

(26:23):
sports channels that you're accustomed to getting.

Speaker 3 (26:26):
And this is.

Speaker 2 (26:27):
Gonna be, I would assume based off of the release
on this new YouTube TV, it's gonna be even more
streamlined than these. It's not gonna have Comedy Central, it's
not gonna have Discovery. I mean, it's gonna be for
sports fans. And maybe if they do that, maybe they
can get it down to like thirty five dollars. If
it's just the sports, it'll be it'll be worth taking

(26:49):
a gander at. I can tell you that at the
right price for a lot of you, because how many
of you really I mean with all the other platforms
with Netflix and Prime Video and all the other stuff
that people have, mean, do you really need all the channels?
Most of you just have the television package right now

(27:10):
for sports. So if you could get something that is
just sports, then you probably dive into it.

Speaker 3 (27:19):
In a blink a.

Speaker 2 (27:20):
Zero three four five zero zero eighty six text line
phone line. I mentioned Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etn and
their big day with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Will update you
on what happened down in Florida for them yesterday. Right
after this Clemson Sports Salon and Swan on a Monday afternoon, again,
I mentioned the big day before the break for Trevor

(27:44):
Lawrence and Travis Etn. I mean, honestly, both former Tigers
with a big day for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who continue
to lead their division, this time off of a convincing
victory over the New York Jets on Sunday forty eight
to twenty the final score, but the Tigers touched up

(28:08):
the Jets throughout that ballgame. Trevor Lawrence with a huge day.
Lawrence was twenty of thirty two for three hundred and
thirty three yards passing with five touchdowns, no interceptions, and
took no sacks a quarterback rating of one thirty six
point seven. Lawrence also carried the ball five times for

(28:28):
fifty one yards and a touchdown. Meeting on the day,
Lawrence accounted for six touchdowns in addition to that, Travis TN,
who carried the ball twelve times for thirty two yards,
also caught the ball three times from from Trevor, and
Travis scored on all three receptions, including a forty five

(28:50):
yard long. So three receptions seventy three yards for Travis
etn And to make that even more impressive, the Jaguars
PR team put out a stat late in the game

(29:11):
that said this, Trevor Lawrence is the third player in
NFL history with at least two hundred and fifty passing yards.
He was at two eighty five at the time. Four
touchdowns passing he had four at that moment. Fifty rushing
yards He was at fifty one and one rushing touchdown
in a single game, joining Trent Green and Michael Vick.

(29:35):
Just two other players in the NFL had the stat
line that Trevor Lawrence had yesterday. Now, you might say,
but Swanny didn't you say he had a fifth touchdown?
And that would be correct. Trevor Lawrence became the first
player in the history of the NFL with five plus touchdowns,

(29:58):
one plus rushing touch down, and fifty plus yards rushing
in a single game, according to the NFL. I mean,
what a day. And I'm sure the three hundred and
thirty yards you know, is also in the mix of
that number. So the Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence playing incredibly
well right now. We haven't heard from Travis Etn in

(30:21):
a while obviously, well I mean, I mean we've heard
from him like at the NFL level, but here on
this show, we haven't heard from Travis Etn in a while.
But Etn in his post game was asked about Trevor
Lawrence and Lawrence's play. Here's what the former college teammate

(30:42):
and current NFL teammate had to say about Big trev
the Giant Killer.

Speaker 6 (30:46):
Nah, not at all.

Speaker 7 (30:47):
I don't think I ever seen trev like this, you know,
And I feel like we want we want to Nazonal
Championship together, and I feel like he's just out there.
He's on fire man, like you've seen it. He rolled
out again, and he just kind of stopps and just
parks down there somewhere. You know, he launched it and
Parking made a great catch. So man, I'm just great
for that. I'm on his team and the group that

(31:08):
I seen through him. From him, man, just unbelievab when
it forces everybody else step over that game as well.

Speaker 2 (31:14):
And I love that because I've had so much hope
that Trevor Lawrence was gonna pan out at the NFL level.
First off, he's just such a good dude, and I
really the moment I saw him throw football at the
high school level, I knew he was going to be
a quarterback at the NFL level. And I don't know

(31:38):
what this postseason's gonna shape up like and what it's
gonna look like. I know yesterday with their lost Kansas
City was eliminated. So you've gotten rid of a huge
hurdle in the AFC with Kansas City not making it,
because you just get the feeling that the Chiefs in

(32:00):
the postseason would somehow find a way and they've been
eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since twenty fourteen.
But taking a look at the standings right now for
Jacksonville in the AFC South again. They are ten and four,
and I've gone through some of the playoff you know,

(32:23):
simulator things or whatever. They've got a five game winning
streak right now, and certainly big games remaining. Houston's right
on their tail. As hot as the Jaguars have been,
the Houston Texans have actually been hotter. They're on a
They've got a six game winning streak that they're riding

(32:45):
right now. They are up to nine and five after
starting the season three and five. They beat the Cardinals
yesterday forty to twenty. But we've just got what I
think three more weekends of football remaining in the regular season.
Next week, the Jaguars go on the road to the

(33:09):
best team in the NFL at least record wise. They'll
play at the Broncos, then they're at the Colts and
versus the Titans. So a real good chance here if
the Jaguars could finish two to one to really position
themselves well for the postseason. And to think that they're

(33:33):
doing this without the number two pick in the NFL draft,
which was Travis Hunter, who's been out injured. And he's
a versatile two way player offensively and defensively, and I
don't know if he can do that for his whole
career or how long he will feel compelled to play

(33:54):
both ways. But for now, the Jaguars, even minus number
two pick in the NFL Draft, making a heck of
a run this season. And what a great pick up
for them when they got Jacobi Myers in a trade
earlier this season. I mean, that's that's been a big one.

(34:15):
He was playing with Las Vegas and gets traded to
the Jaguars and since then has been really a comfort zone,
I think for Trevor Lawrence and has given them a
crafty wide receiver that I think Trevor Lawrence is really
beginning to trust. I'll all kind of li liken it
to maybe how you might feel about having a guy

(34:37):
like Hunter Renfro. You just have this player with great hands,
great route running ability, and finds a way to get open.
And I think that's increased Trevor's confidence, which has helped
everybody on this team offensively, because Trevor's a much more
confident quarterback at this point in the season. And again,
big big game this weekend at in power Field at

(34:58):
Milehause Stadium as they take on on the Denver Broncos.
All right, quick break, We'll come back and put a
bow on our number one.

Speaker 3 (35:06):
Keep it locked. Final segment, Hour number one.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
Clemson Sports saw the show that Shakespeare South Lane getting
you geared up? Or the Tigers in Penn State facing
off December twenty seventh, New York City, Now York City
is the Tigers and the Nitney Lions face off for
the first time since the Citrus Bowl. What a matchup

(35:33):
that was. I don't know if I don't know how
many of you went to that game, but that was
in the midst of a streak of bowl victories for
Clemson over Penn State, over Oklahoma, and I can remember
you felt like you were just on the cusp. Clemson

(35:55):
finished that year nine to two, ranked in the top fifteen.
Head coach Danny Ford's team squashed Penn State. Rodney Williams
was the MVP the nineteen eighty eight Citrus Bowl, thirty
five to ten the final score. Clempson would go back
down to the Citrus Bowl in nineteen eighty nine and

(36:18):
win a hard fought thirteen to six game against Oklahoma.
What I remember about that Oklahoma game was the fact
that Oklahoma quarterback, or let me rephrase that, Oklahoma's quarterback
Jamil Holloway had a pass towards the end zone right

(36:39):
at the end to potentially.

Speaker 3 (36:42):
Tie the game.

Speaker 2 (36:44):
The fourth quarter began with Clemson and Oklahoma knotted up
at six apiece. The Tigers broke the deadlock when MVP
of the game Terry Allen found the end zone on
a four yard touchdown run. That was the only touchdown
of the game. And could sayative bowl victories at the
Cisters Bowl for Clemson in those two seasons, and then

(37:10):
I think the following year was the eighty nine matchup
against West Virginia and the Gator Bowl. That was Danny
Ford's final game as the head coach at Clemson, wrapping
up his twelfth season as the Clemson Tigers head man.

(37:31):
And what's interesting about that is that you just finished
a ten and two year and we're five and two
in the Atlantic Coast Conference, finished number eleven in the country,
and made the coaching change. And that's why I think
so many people did not like kN Hatfield. It wasn't

(37:53):
about kN Hatfield being a bad coach. As a matter
of fact, his first year, kN Hatfield and the Tigers
went ten to two.

Speaker 3 (38:00):
I'm a little too young.

Speaker 2 (38:01):
I was only like twelve thirteen to really remember it,
but I do know after danny Ford left the Tigers
were fairly set, fairly successful. I mean, in Ken Haffield's
first two seasons, the Tigers were nineteen four and one.

(38:21):
His second year they went nine to and one. They
did lose, however, to Cal in the Citrus Bowl thirty
seven to thirteen. But you know, if you win that game,
and obviously you didn't, but if you win that game,
that's a one loss season. Falling at Georgia they had

(38:44):
a tie, they would have been what ten to one
and one. Now, that five and six season in nineteen
ninety two, that was the one though that really caught
the ire of the Clemson Tiger fans. But a ton
of close losses that year. I mean, you get beat
twenty four to twenty by Florida State, twenty to sixteen

(39:05):
by Georgia Tech, so back to back four point losses.
You did have a fourteen point loss in the Textile
Bowl against n C State twenty to six. You get
beat by three against Wake Forest eighteen to fifteen. Now
back then and even now, losing to Wake Forest is inexcusable.
But then you get your doors blown off at Maryland

(39:26):
fifty three to twenty three, Thank the Lord, I don't
remember that game. And then South Carolina beats you twenty
four thirteen.

Speaker 3 (39:36):
I believe.

Speaker 2 (39:38):
Gamecock fans would know better, but I believe that would
be the Steve Tannehill signature middle of the stadium. I
think that's the case.

Speaker 6 (39:52):
And then.

Speaker 2 (39:54):
The following season the Tigers would go nine to three,
but they would move on on from ken Hatfield to
Tommy West. And so really outside of that five and
six season, and ken Hatfield was nine and three, nine
two and one in ten and two during his four
years at Clemson, and most people would say those.

Speaker 3 (40:17):
Years were bad. How skewed? How skewed are the results.

Speaker 2 (40:23):
What those people didn't know is that they would hire
Tommy West and then you would deal with this. This
is when I was in college. You go five and six,
eight and four, seven and five, seven and five, three
and eight fired, and then our Friday guest, Tommy Bowden
takes over, and then of course the keys eventually get

(40:45):
handed to Dabosweeney. And now the run of success that
CLEMPS has been on, I mean by comparison. The only
coach in recent memory that's really been close it turns
of consistency is ken Hatfield, and then prior to ken Hatfield,

(41:07):
it would be Danny Ford.

Speaker 3 (41:10):
Like what.

Speaker 2 (41:12):
Tommy West drove into the ground and Tommy Balden tried
to revive. Obviously, Dabo Sweeney took it up to a
whole nother level. But to find you know, consistently winning
nine games a year, goeat to go back to ken Hatfield.

(41:34):
Then you go back to Danny Ford. And Hatfield only
got four years. And the toughest part of that is
the fact that he was the guy following the guy.
Think about it like this, if Clemson had hired instead
Tommy West before Ken Hatfield, and Tommy West had done
what he did in his first four years instead of

(41:55):
what ken Hatfield did, and then you hired kN Hatfield
and Hatfield came in and went nine and two or
excuse me, ten and two, nine two and one, five
and six and nine and three or whatever you go. Man,
this guy turned things around for us. But because he
came after Danny Ford.

Speaker 3 (42:12):
Eh, you never want.

Speaker 2 (42:13):
To be the guy following the guy, and you certainly
don't want to be the guy that follows Dabo Swingey
rest assured. All right, William qualkingmuch joints us around the band.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
Keep it locked.

Speaker 1 (42:23):
It's time for Clipson Sports Talk with Luwton Swan Swanny.

Speaker 3 (43:04):
It is our number two.

Speaker 2 (43:08):
That's drivetime right here on the show, The shakesacet Alhan,
Clemson's Sports talt Low and Swan hanging out with you
on a Monday afternoon. And it wasn't a talking Tuesday,
it was a talking Monday. Up in Tigertown today is
Clemson gets ready for their matchup against Penn State. We
won't hear from players and coaches tomorrow. We will get
some more content out of Tigertown for you on Wednesday

(43:33):
as the Tigers do get ready for this matchup on
December the twenty seventh and the Bad Boy Mower's Penstrike Bowl.
We're going to push back William Qualkin Bush till later
in the week and we're gonna replace him in this
hour with Faxon Childress.

Speaker 8 (43:51):
Now.

Speaker 2 (43:51):
Faxon is actually over at Clemson to being able to
watch some of practice today, so we will talk with
him about that when he comes on the program. Plus
get his thoughts on this matchup for Clemson and the
Clemson basketball team again the show The Shasta south Lande
brought to you in part by our good friends over

(44:11):
at Mets Plumb Man Mets Plumb dot com. Two six
seven one eight. That's two two six seven to one
zero eight all right. Over the weekend, Clemson lost one
of the most impactful, i would say, individuals in program

(44:33):
history as George Bennett passed away. George Bennett was the
executive director of IPTA. He was the former executive director
of ip DA. He was ninety two years old. Regarded
as one of Clempson's greatest ambassadors, Bennett left a legacy

(44:53):
with the two dollars bills, shooting the cannon.

Speaker 9 (44:59):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (44:59):
Those things all sort of circle back to George Bennett,
who was a Columbia native and was the freshman class
president in nineteen fifty one. He was also a varsity
cheerleader for three years, including nineteen fifty three and fifty
four when Clemson joined the ACC. Clemson University Athletic at

(45:25):
Deor Graham Neft said the statement quote no one epitomized
a Clemson man more than George Bennett personally. George has
been a good friend, mentor, and supporter since I arrived
at Clemson twelve years ago. His fingerprints have been all
over Clemson and Clemson athletics for decades, and he will
be forever remembered. As a student, Bennett persuaded his father

(45:52):
to buy a small cannon that will be fired after
the Clemson Tigers scored a touchdown. His father had seen
it done at an Army football game, and after his
father told George of the Army tradition, he said to them,
that's a great idea. Why you buy us a cannon?
And so that tradition celebrated there its seventieth anniversary this

(46:13):
past season. Bennett was on the field when the cannon
was fired as the team ran down the hill this year.
After graduating in nineteen fifty five, Bennett served two years
in the US Army, and in fifty seven he started
a nine year career with the Esso Corporation. He returned
to Clemson in nineteen sixty seven as the first alumni
field representative in the history of the Clemson Alumni Association.

(46:36):
Four years later, he moved into the athletic department as
an assistant athletic director. In that capacity, he became involved
in fundraising and in nineteen seventy seven he became executive
director of IPTAY, and over the next two years, IPTAY
exceeded the two point three million dollar market in fundraising
for student athlete scholarships for the first time, and IPTA

(46:57):
members grew from nine thousand, one hundred over fifteen thousand.
During his first year as executive secretary of IPTA, he
developed the idea to have Clemson fans use two dollars
bills when they traveled to the nineteen seventy seven game
in Atlanta. Georgia Tech wanted to end the series with
Clemson to play a lesser opponent, but using two dollars
bills was a way to demonstrate the economic impact Atlanta

(47:20):
would miss if Georgia Tech did not play Clemson. In
nineteen seventy nine, then it was named the Associate athletic
director of Financial Development at Vanderbilt University. Just five years later,
he was named the national Fundraiser of the Year, and
in nineteen eighty six, he returned to South Carolina as
the athletic director at Furman. Two years later, Furman won

(47:40):
the Division One Double A football national championship that's still
the only football national titlean in school history. Bennett returned
to Nashville, Tennessee in eighty nine as the vice president
for Development at Baptist Hospital. He remained in that position
until ninety three, when he returned to Clemson as executive
director of IPTAY, and he remained in that position until

(48:01):
he retired in June of two thousand and four. And
that's where I really remember George Bennett, because that's when
I was in school at Clemson and he was out
and about and you saw him quite a bit. His son,
I believe, did some camera work at the time. His
son Jeff, did some camera work at Clemson basketball and
maybe even other Clemson events. Bennett won many awards over

(48:24):
his career, and he was inducted into the Clemson Athletic
Hall of Fame in nineteen eighty six and received the
Clemson Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in nineteen ninety nine.
In two thousand and one, he received the Order of
the Palmetto, which is South Carolina's highest civilian honor, and
in twenty twenty four, he was recognized with the prestigious
Bobby Richardson Sportsmanship Award by the South Carolina Athletic Hall

(48:46):
of fame. He and his wife Nancy were married for
sixty five years. That's George Bennett who epitomized again what
it meant to be a Clemson man. Passing away over
the weekend, and speaking of George Bennett, Dabo Sweeney started
his opening statement today with the media talking about George.

Speaker 10 (49:07):
Well, first of all, I want to open it up
just just you know, remember George Bennett man twenty three
years here at Clemson.

Speaker 6 (49:17):
You talk about a guy that you know, I mean,
he's one.

Speaker 10 (49:22):
Of the all time, all time, all time great Clemson people,
just truly left it. You talk about true and even
leaving your mark on a place and leaving a legacy
and leaving a place better, and George Bennett epitomizes all
those things. And I'm just thankful that I got a
chance to know him and be around him in many,

(49:42):
many different you know, venues and environments and you know,
from the two dollar bill of the cannon to you know,
all the things that he meant to ip.

Speaker 6 (49:52):
Tay and just again this entire university. I'm just.

Speaker 10 (49:56):
Thankful that I had a chance to know him, and
I'm thankful for his impact and just prayers with his family.
I know, this has been a day that they've known
was coming, and I'm thankful that he's at home with
the Good Lord.

Speaker 6 (50:10):
So you know, special, special man, special man. I want
to remember him.

Speaker 2 (50:16):
That's Dabosweeney talking about George Bennett. Sweeney also focused on
the fact that this was a big week for the
Clemson Tigers, not because of being on the grid iron
and getting ready for this matchup with Penn State, but
because of graduation, and of course, dabos Sweeney epitomizes from
the standpoint of what it still means for student athletes

(50:38):
to be a thing.

Speaker 10 (50:39):
The second thing is this is a big week from
a graduation standpoint, and we have a lot of guys
that will be equipping themselves with their degrees as they
get ready to move on to the next chapter of life.
We've got twenty four graduates this week, so that'll be
happening on Thursday. Twenty four guys that are graduating. Seven

(51:01):
are going to have master's degrees, and in total on
this team one thirty, we're gonna have thirty seven graduates,
you know, from this year's team.

Speaker 6 (51:10):
So I'm just really proud of that.

Speaker 2 (51:14):
Daboswiney also talked about the attrition that clymps has got,
whether that's guys that have gone into the portal, guys
who have announced they are going to go pro. And
he does give us some updates on some of those
guys who have thrown their names into the hat for
the NFL and whether or not they'll be a part
of the Bowl game, and then other guys who are
transferring out or injured, and the breadth and depth of

(51:37):
how many guys are out is pretty significant for sure.

Speaker 10 (51:40):
And then Hey, excited about our opportunity as we get going.
I know you guys are gonnat to come out to practic
a little bit today, and you know, most most of
y'all know who's out and.

Speaker 6 (51:48):
All that type of stuff. But we got a big challenge.

Speaker 10 (51:52):
But I'm excited about the challenge because we've got a
lot of guys out for whatever reason. I think we're
at twenty six total scholarship guys that are unavailable for
whatever reason.

Speaker 6 (52:02):
Most of those are injuries surgery.

Speaker 10 (52:04):
Seventeen of those guys are due to injuries surgery. A
bunch of them have been out for a while, but
we've had a couple others that got hurt in the
South Carolina game and are out as a result.

Speaker 6 (52:18):
So, but twenty six scholarship players.

Speaker 10 (52:21):
That puts a strain on everybody again, seventeen due to injury,
five of them transfers.

Speaker 6 (52:26):
Obviously Shelton left earlier in the season, but you know.

Speaker 10 (52:28):
Shelton and d and Jamal and Khalil and Keith Adams
have all decided to move on and didn't want to
finish the game.

Speaker 6 (52:35):
They just wanted to move on and transfer portal.

Speaker 10 (52:37):
So we wish them well and appreciate their contribution to
here as they move forward. And then we've had, you know,
four pro guys opt out and av Peter TJ and
k Park. But you know, so a lot of guys,
you know, from an injury standpoint, and again most of
them due to that, I think on offense, we're down
twelve scholarship guys and fourteen scholarship guys on defense. UH,

(53:00):
seven starters on the offense in Jacob's in Elijah and Parks.
Saddler is having to have surgery on his shoulder. He
barely made it through the South Carolina game. Olson, Pat
Henry Westco and Antonio. Uh, those guys are all out
due to injury and UH you know, just some things

(53:21):
that they're dealing with. And then other guys offensively Easton
where Jarvis Green, Jay Haynes, Streko and Keith Adams. You
all know about those guys. And uh, you know, all
those guys are injuries.

Speaker 6 (53:32):
Except for Keith.

Speaker 10 (53:34):
And then defensively fourteen scholarship guys, seven starters jo Heem
Wade wood As had to have surgery Wednesday morning, uh,
from from his injury in the South Carolina game. Really unfortunate.
They're t J peter a v kpe all or not playing.
Khalil uh is transferring. So and then you know again indeed,

(53:56):
Jamal Shelton, Armond Logan, Anderson, Maury and Kai you know
those are all guys. Most of those guys have been out,
so a lot of guys unavailable. That's a big long list.
But guess what, nobody cares. It's next man up. And
I'm excited to see these guys step up and go play.
And man, I'm fired up.

Speaker 2 (54:16):
So here Goo Dabo says, hey, look, we got all
these guys out, but nobody cares. Next man up. I
like the attitude. I mean, that's the way you know,
I think it should be. And you've got these expanded
rosters now, so I mean, you lose those guys, but
you're still well above what you used to be at
in terms of the scholarship limit, the number of players.
You did lose some key people though, that's for sure.

(54:39):
Here'sdabosweeney talking a little bit more about the preparation for
this matchup against Penn State.

Speaker 10 (54:44):
We've had good preparations so far. We started this past Thursday,
as far as back on the field and all that stuff.
The guys had the South Carolina game. I think that
might be the last time I talked to y'all. I
think had last week of classes and they had final
this past week. We started back practice Thursday and we've
been going ever since. So we've we've worked every day

(55:06):
and then today is a big day for us. It's
a big week. So we'll go all the way through
Thursday this week and then we'll let them have a
couple of days. We'll bring them back in here Sunday
night and kind of have our Monday practice, if you will,
and then we'll travel first thing Monday morning, so a
lot of a lot of moving parts there from a

(55:28):
travel standpoint, and then we'll have a normal week. We'll
get up there, get situated, we'll have our Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday prep there in New York, and man, I'm really
again excited about the opportunity. I think it's a unique
opportunity to first of all, have Christmas in New York.
We have so many people on our team that have

(55:48):
never been to New York, players and staff.

Speaker 6 (55:52):
So you know, those of you who've been there, you
know you probably remember the first time you went there.

Speaker 10 (55:57):
It's a unique experience anytime you go.

Speaker 6 (56:00):
But I think to go like we're going.

Speaker 10 (56:03):
And to be there for Christmas, we'll be I think
an experience that everybody will remember for a long long time.
And then the fact that we're getting a chance to
play in Yankee Stadium against Penn State. There's nine teams
in college football history that have won nine hundred plus games,
and so we've played most of them, and here's another

(56:23):
opportunity just in my past seventeen years. So excited about
playing a great program and look forward to seeing our
guys compete with everything they have.

Speaker 2 (56:35):
That's a little bit from Dabo Sweeney earlier today up
in Tiger Town. He was also asked about whether or
not will help will be available for the Bowl game,
and Sweeney was quick to say that, hey, look if
I didn't mention their name, they're all here. Sweeney was
asked though, about one guy in particular that left, Khalil Barnes,
and whether or not Barnes was a player that he
didn't want to see leave through the portal.

Speaker 10 (56:58):
I mean, listen, you're gonna always have transfers in today's world.

Speaker 6 (57:01):
That's not that's just that's just I don't know if
there'll be a team without one. Uh.

Speaker 10 (57:06):
And it's just you just you're always gonna have somebody.
The way the system is set up now, it just
it just is what it is. We'll always have some. Uh,
We'll probably always have the fewest or near the fewest.
That probably will always be the case. And and then
rarely have we ever lost a starter.

Speaker 6 (57:24):
That's a very rare thing.

Speaker 10 (57:26):
And even honestly, most of the guys that transferm here
usually have a degree, and you know, so that's kind
of just our norm. But we've had we haven't had many,
but we've had a couple of starters that have that
have left over the years, but not many.

Speaker 6 (57:40):
And again, we'll always have some. But we'll probably always
be near the fewest.

Speaker 2 (57:47):
Daboswini was also asked to kind of give some details about,
you know, how the the retention process goes about, like
you know, before the bowl finding out about the player,
like after the bowl game, how does that work.

Speaker 6 (57:58):
How you'll.

Speaker 10 (58:00):
Work on retention year You're way behind. Retention is year round.
It's just how you do everything. It's culture.

Speaker 6 (58:06):
It's just it's every day.

Speaker 10 (58:07):
It's relationships, it's having dinner at the beastro.

Speaker 6 (58:12):
I mean, it's talking to somebody in the hall.

Speaker 10 (58:15):
I mean, it's practice fields, and it's it never stops.
Retention never stops. And then again, you know, you can
do everything right, but sometimes kids just they want something different.

Speaker 6 (58:25):
Most of the kids that have moved on.

Speaker 10 (58:27):
From here again, i mean very few starters have left here,
but most of the even those, they just want a
different experience or wanted you know. And but most of them,
most of them have been guys that just want to
go play, you know, they just want a different role.

Speaker 6 (58:44):
And that's just the way it is in college football.

Speaker 10 (58:46):
And but retention to me, starts from the day you
recruit them. It's not a there's not a okay, let's
sit down in November and let's try to retain everybody
doesn't work like that, you way you way by if
you if that's if that's your strategy, And maybe that
is for some places because the roster's turn over every year.

Speaker 6 (59:06):
I don't know. I just know for us it's it's
a year round thing. You know.

Speaker 10 (59:11):
His pretention, you have to coaching your roster, teach your roster,
retain your roster every day.

Speaker 4 (59:20):
I think.

Speaker 2 (59:22):
So that's Debos when he's talking about retention and and
I don't know, I mean, Dabo was when he's not
normally uh short on things, but you know, he he
really didn't dive too much into some of the uh
the conversations that are the questions he was asking about,

(59:42):
like the plane at quarterback. He just trying to win.
We're just trying to win a game, you know, we're
just trying to win an eighth game. He was asked though,
about his son Drew Sweeney, getting an opportunity to be
on the staff at Samford. Here's what Debos Sweeny had
to say about that, this is your son, Drew.

Speaker 6 (01:00:03):
I can't speak on him.

Speaker 10 (01:00:04):
Yeah, what's that?

Speaker 6 (01:00:09):
He's good, he's good.

Speaker 10 (01:00:10):
Yeah, I'm excited for Drew and uh, you know, just
just gonna be a great next step for him, you know,
getting pretty COVID. His his first job to go run
the room is in Birmingham, and he's got you know,
my mom's there, my in laws are there. Uh, because
you don't ever know, you have no idea where your

(01:00:30):
first like job to go run it is gonna be.

Speaker 6 (01:00:33):
Uh.

Speaker 10 (01:00:34):
So excited for him and and m c and uh man,
he's so prepared.

Speaker 6 (01:00:38):
He's a stud.

Speaker 10 (01:00:39):
I know he's my son, but he's he's a stud.
Uh He's he's gonna be really really good.

Speaker 3 (01:00:44):
So you go.

Speaker 2 (01:00:44):
That's Dablos Sweeney talking about his son gigging an opportunity
to coach and getting a job at Sanford of some
of the clymps of staff is heading over that way.
Wanted to get some audio in from Davosweeny talking about
former South Carolina hit former South Carolina quarterback Steve Tannehill

(01:01:07):
passing away earlier today after a battle with cancer.

Speaker 3 (01:01:12):
At the age of fifty two.

Speaker 2 (01:01:13):
That news did come out a little bit earlier, and
I kind of mentioned tanny Hill earlier in the show
as well, talking about that Clemson Carolina matchup back in
the day. But looking at the time, I don't think
I'm going to be able to get that in because
Dabosweeny did talk a good bit about him, and we
got facts and Childress coming up in our number two.
So what we'll do is we'll roll those comments in

(01:01:38):
that story because Dabosweeny actually told a story about Steve
Tannehill on a recruiting visit during dabos Sweeney's senior year
at Alabama, and I want to make sure that we
do get that in for our gamecock friends peeking over
the fence and hanging out with us. I know Steve
Tannehill for many many years, certainly was considered and probably

(01:01:59):
still considered one of the big villains for Clemson fans,
and certainly one of the big champions for South Carolina fans.
And tragically he died after a long illness with cancer.
And that news came out a little bit earlier today.
All right, we'll be right back faxon Childress joins us
on the flip side. Keep it a lot right here
on Fox Sports Radio fourteen hundred, rocking and rolling back

(01:02:20):
with you on a Monday afternoon when Quaking Bush couldn't
make it, but we go to the bullpen.

Speaker 3 (01:02:26):
Faxon Childress joins us.

Speaker 2 (01:02:28):
He's on Twitter at Faxon p XP go follow him
every day in the Upstate from nine until noon, one
oh five to five to roar, faxing my man, my
basketball guru, what's going on, buddy?

Speaker 3 (01:02:40):
How are you?

Speaker 8 (01:02:40):
What's going on?

Speaker 6 (01:02:41):
Brother?

Speaker 8 (01:02:41):
Excited to be here and anytime that I.

Speaker 9 (01:02:43):
Can be the closer for williamqwalkin Bush, I got you, man,
that's a that's some high praise.

Speaker 3 (01:02:47):
That's the big time on Look. Look, I just I
want to start with basketball.

Speaker 2 (01:02:52):
And I do appreciate you working this into your schedule
because I know you're such a hoopshead man. I know
you love that sport. That's the sport I grew up playing,
tried to walk on at Clemson during my time. There
was constantly north floor at Little John Coliseum hanging out
with guys like Greg Buckner and all of the individuals
that were there during that time.

Speaker 3 (01:03:10):
And I just look at.

Speaker 2 (01:03:12):
This group, man, and it's as exciting a group as
I've seen on the court at Clemson in a while.
And what's crazy about it to me, Faxon is it's
this conglomeration of individuals from all over the country, all
kind of pieced together in a year where typically these
things don't work. This team, I know, I know what
happened up at Madison Square Garden, I know what happened

(01:03:33):
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. But this team seems like they've got
something and I just love what I'm seeing from so far.

Speaker 9 (01:03:40):
Yeah, there definitely is something to be said about at Lawton,
and I think what.

Speaker 8 (01:03:43):
You're currently striving for is forty.

Speaker 9 (01:03:46):
Minutes of complete basketball against upper echelon competition. But I
think the bits and pieces that have been showcased are
really exciting for what the future could hold. I mean
the second half, you really took it to Alabama for
the first eight minutes and you.

Speaker 8 (01:03:59):
Were able to tread water.

Speaker 9 (01:04:00):
You had a lead with under three minutes left in
that game, after trailing by fifteen at halftime to what
I believe to be a top ten team in the country,
and against BYU, you obviously led by twenty one points
after a half of play, and yeah, you know, things
did fall apart to a certain extent.

Speaker 8 (01:04:13):
Some of that's just as simple as shooting variants.

Speaker 9 (01:04:16):
Some of that is BYU has a lottery pick and
a really really good team and nucleus of players with
a very expensive, multi million dollar payroll. So I think
there's a lot to be excited about in relation to
this year's team.

Speaker 8 (01:04:29):
And it goes without saying that it's a big one.

Speaker 9 (01:04:30):
On Tuesday, it's out a Little John Coliseum. Tigers are
gonna need the fan base to come out roaring and
Little John on Christmas break for the students that they
want to win a rivalry match up against the ncc
FO in South Carolina.

Speaker 3 (01:04:41):
Yeah, no question.

Speaker 2 (01:04:42):
In that Mercer game kind of sandwiched between the run
in New York and then back in the South Carolina game,
and Brad brown Nell was ask about that fact, and.

Speaker 3 (01:04:50):
You know, I've put it off.

Speaker 2 (01:04:51):
I know Brad brown El said he thought that the
team sort of had some dead legs, but I thought
Mercer just played really good in the first half. To
be honest with you, when I think was still impressive
to me about Clemson is you still get contributions from
so many players. I think maybe that might be the
thing that hurts them in the long run. Like I
don't know who the go to score is right now,

(01:05:11):
but I do love the balance that you see from
them offensively, and I think that's the reason you saw
them come from behind and knockoff Mercer at home.

Speaker 8 (01:05:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (01:05:19):
I agree, And you know, well, the Mercer game was
just kind of a weird scheduling thing. If you want
me to be honest with you, I think Clempson was
kind of due for a letdown spot after playing pretty
well against back to back top ten teams finals week.
I kind of sandwish in between that and some big
emotional games in Madison Square Garden and then a rivalry matchup.

Speaker 8 (01:05:36):
But to your point about the depths.

Speaker 9 (01:05:38):
That has been showcased so far this season, I think
it's gonna be a question of is there baby fat
to trim out of the rotation, slash.

Speaker 8 (01:05:45):
Who is the odd man out?

Speaker 9 (01:05:46):
And a lot of a couple of games that's been
Ace Buckner, who was really struggled to shoot from long range.

Speaker 8 (01:05:50):
But I think Clemson's still looking.

Speaker 9 (01:05:51):
To formulate an identity in relation to who is your
go to guy and who is your best player, And
right now I think those two answers are different. I
think you want the go to guy to be Zach Foster,
but he's still a little bit green and he's been
struggling to knock down shots from three point range and
working through some freshman mistakes, which is to be anticipated
against top ten type competition as an eighteen year old

(01:06:12):
coming in and coming off the bench. But I think
the best player on this team thus far has been RJ. Godfrey,
and that seems pretty irrefutable to me. I mean, he's
been unbelievably efficient, he's been an elite free throw shooter
when asked, and he's also rebounding the ball at a
really high rate on both ends of.

Speaker 8 (01:06:26):
The floor right now. So I think there's still a
lot of.

Speaker 9 (01:06:29):
Growth that this Clemson team can make throughout the course
of the season. And I think that that's something that's
got to be really exciting for Clemson fans to continue
to watch. Is you've seen this team go toe to
toe with upper echelon competition. You've seen this team have
glimpses of what could be greatness, and you haven't really
even seen what the full potential is yet. And that's
without your go to guy or really having a definitive
best player.

Speaker 8 (01:06:49):
So I think this guy's the limit for this group.
I think it has a chance to be another special year.

Speaker 9 (01:06:53):
I told you preseason when we were talking about this
team that I thought that this team would be pretty
comfortably in the NCAA tournament. I don't see anything to
indicate to the contrary thus far. But it's about stacking
days and getting one percent better and continuing to kind
of grow into the identity of what this group needs
to become again.

Speaker 2 (01:07:08):
Facts and childrens hanging out with us here on the
program on a Monday, And where I felt like we
saw that fact that Clemson needs that kind of go
to guy was in the second half when when BYU
is making their run, like it feels like the old
Clemson team, right. You could have looked at Chase Hunter
and gotten a bucket, But there was nobody out there

(01:07:30):
that I felt like really wanted to be that guy.
And and sometimes you have a situation where nobody wants
to be that guy, right, And and that's tough. And
I'm hopeful that you're right about Zach Foster that he
can become that guy. But if you had to count
on somebody right now, who is that.

Speaker 8 (01:07:49):
Guy, I think it's probably Zach. Like if you just
wanted to be completely honest with you, like, I think
it has to be Zach like I like.

Speaker 9 (01:07:55):
When I look at Dylan Hunter, I see a player
that's been uber efficient this year, but he's not looking
for his shot. And I think that much is kind
of evident when you watch him play right. He's picking
his spots really well, but he's never a guy that's
been asked to score at a high rate, even dating
back to his team USA and his eybl days. Dylan's
a true point guard. He's a facilitator. He wants to
make sure that everybody's organized it in the right spots,

(01:08:18):
and he wants to pass and kind of funnel his
way through the offense and get good shots. I look
at Justin Porter and I think he has the skill
set and the scoring ability to be a go to guy,
but at a little bit lower of a level like
last year against Middle Tennessee and against supper echelon competition,
you've got some pretty big time defensive concerns. Like against Alabama,
for example, Justin Porter started the second Zach Foster started

(01:08:40):
the second half in place of Justin.

Speaker 8 (01:08:41):
Porter, and you went on a massive run.

Speaker 9 (01:08:43):
A large part of that was because your defense improved
with having Porter off the court. So I don't know
if your go to guy can be six to one
in a P four league if you have championship aspirations,
and then you look on the wing. Jhileen's really just
like a souped up role player. Davidson hasn't been uber
aggressive on the interior so far this season, and then
Godfrey again, he's not a score first player.

Speaker 8 (01:09:03):
He's super efficient, but he's not a guy that's looking
to go get a bucket.

Speaker 9 (01:09:07):
So I think it's Zach and that's just gonna come
with growing pains as a freshman. He needs to shot
make at a higher level than he's currently shot making at.
But I think we all can see what the upside
looks like as far as what his athletic profile is,
the way that he can maneuver in the ballscreen game
and create good shots for himself and others. And then
obviously it doesn't he hurt the case that he's jumping
from the free throw line like Michael Jordan's this past

(01:09:29):
time out in Little John Coliseum and throwing down some
crazy jams. I just think it's a scenario where you're
gonna have to work through some growing pains with Zach,
and that's kind of the reality of the situation.

Speaker 8 (01:09:38):
With the way I view it right now for these Tigers.

Speaker 2 (01:09:40):
Again, that's Faxson Childress with a quick break. We'll come
back with more from him on the flip side. We'll
talk a little Clempson football with Faxon. Go follow him
right now on Twitter at faxon p XP. Stay with
us the show. The shakesare south Land Clempson Sports Talk
on a Monday afternoon, Faxon Childress on the guest line,
hanging out with us today day Facts and we taught

(01:10:02):
Clemson hoops before the break. Big game against South Carolina
coming up tomorrow. But the last time you and I
taught Clempson in South Carolina had not yet played in football.
And now the Tigers win at twenty eight to fourteen,
they run the Palmetto State again. Quick takeaways before we
talk about this Bowl matchup with Penn State, Just quick
takeaways from what you saw in Columbia, because it played

(01:10:23):
out very strangely in my opinion, in that South Carolina
had the ball with ninety six yards to go and
they could have won the game, yet Clemson felt like
they controlled it throughout in coming away with a twenty
eight fourteen win.

Speaker 3 (01:10:35):
What were your thoughts?

Speaker 9 (01:10:38):
Yeah, really weird game, if you want to be honest
with you, just kind of a weird game. Weird game
to evaluate, weird game to kind of watch, even in
real time, because you know, obviously with like a little
bit of Clemson rooting interests, Admittedly, I'd never really felt
concerned about Clemson's chances in the game, even when Leonoris
had the ball and they had to go ninety six yards.
And I think a large part of that was because

(01:10:59):
Clemson two touchdowns that they allowed, or really Clemson's fault,
and outside of that, South Carolina is awesense didn't necessarily
consistently moved the ball at a high rate. It was
really just two big time plays on coverage busts that,
unfortunately for Clemson, just came on the other end of
Clempson actually scoring. So it made the game feel a
lot closer and more competitive than I believe it actually was.

(01:11:20):
And I thought the Tiger's controlled from start to finish,
and I think the coaching staff deserves a lot of credit.
I think that was their best game plan of the
season in.

Speaker 3 (01:11:27):
Totality, Yeah, it was. It was a weird one.

Speaker 2 (01:11:30):
And of course, for South Carolina obviously no bowl game.
The game Cocks having to listen to Tiger fans talk
about their bowl matchup and it's against Penn State. At
the beginning of the year, if we say Clempson and
Penn State were playing, you and I are probably thinking
they're in the college football playoff at some point. How
do you think these two programs and obviously Penn State's
in a much different situation making the change at the

(01:11:52):
head coaching position with James Franklin being fired earlier this year,
back in October, But how do you think these two
teams sort of embraced this opportunity and Yankee Stadium.

Speaker 9 (01:12:02):
I think it's going to be intriguing to evaluate that
lawt and like what's the buy in level? I think
that has to be asked for every program in twenty
twenty five collegiate athletics and relating to a bowl.

Speaker 8 (01:12:11):
Game that's not a college football playoff game.

Speaker 9 (01:12:14):
But you know, I think Compson's gonna be ready to go,
and I think some of these opt outs and injuries
are going to pave the way for some underclassmen to
potentially make an impact and put themselves on tape as
players to monitor going forward. So I'm excited for the
opportunity for both schools. Obviously, it's been disappointing for both
schools what the results have looked like this season, but
that doesn't take away from the fact that you still

(01:12:34):
have a lot to play for, especially for some of
these younger underclassmen that are either looking to get stuff
on tape prior to a portal entry or are looking
to play their way into the rotation at the school
that they're currently at headed into next year.

Speaker 8 (01:12:45):
So I'm excited for it personally, and.

Speaker 9 (01:12:47):
I think that both schools are going to be pretty
fired up for a chance to just go compete.

Speaker 2 (01:12:51):
On Twitter at facts and p XP and again every
day from nine until noon on one oh five to
five to roar in the Upstate Facts on Sports. Go
listen to him every day. Get that roar app all right, Facts,
And let me ask you this, taking a look at
some of the guys that are transferring out of the
program Shelton Lewis, De Creighton, Jamal Anderson, Khalil Barnes, and

(01:13:13):
then Keith Adams. You know, four of those five guys
that are in the portal already are all from the
defensive side of the ball. Just some of your thoughts
on maybe that does that speak to the coaching staff?
Does that just speak to playing time? I mean, what
do you think is the biggest issue going on there?

Speaker 8 (01:13:30):
To be honest with you a.

Speaker 9 (01:13:31):
Lot, and like my general will kind of take away
in relation to the transfer portal in twenty twenty five
is you have to evaluate it on a player by
player basis. I wouldn't overthink anything about position groups or
is it offense or defense. I think, you know, for
every player it's a really really different situation.

Speaker 8 (01:13:47):
Like Khalil Barnes, for example.

Speaker 9 (01:13:49):
I think maybe he thinks he can do better than
Clemson slash. He wants a change of scenery to potentially
play his way onto NFL draft boards after having back
to back disappointing seasons after kind of I would deem
it King as a freshman. When you look at de Crayton,
I think that's more of a playing time thing. When
you look at Keith Adams Junior, I think that's a
playing time thing. Same to be said for Shelton Lewis,
who kind of got beat out at that nickel spot

(01:14:10):
a little bit earlier this year. And I also think
on the defensive side of the ball, for me, personally,
it's not super surprising to see transfers after year one
of the new coaching staff. Like sometimes you just don't
get what you anticipated when there's a new coach and
the reality tells us that none of these guys signed
up to play for Tom Allen, Right, that's not.

Speaker 8 (01:14:27):
The coach that recruited them. That's not the coach that
you know.

Speaker 9 (01:14:29):
They committed to playing Clemson at Clemson for. So you know,
it's just it could be a contrast in philosophy, it
could be a contrast in style, but I think ultimately.

Speaker 8 (01:14:39):
Like it's a player by player basis and evaluation or
relation to the transfer.

Speaker 9 (01:14:42):
Portal, and you probably shouldn't think about it too much
as far as is they're like a trend or something
along those lines.

Speaker 8 (01:14:47):
That's not really the way that I do it.

Speaker 2 (01:14:49):
And then we've got the several opt outs Avion Terrell,
Peter Woods, TJ. Parker, and Demante k part all because
they are announcing or they've announced that they are going
to the NFL. And then of course we did get
the announcement today officially that Antonio Williams was going to
the NFL. We had heard that and Williams also going
to be out of the ballgame because of an injury.

(01:15:10):
But I mean, for Clemson, how big of a loss
are those guys in particular, And how excited are you
to maybe see some of the younger guys get legitimate
snaps in some of these games.

Speaker 9 (01:15:20):
I mean, for me personally, I'm very excited to see
the younger guys get snaps because I think you gain
more from having an evaluation chance for your coaching staff
to see what they've got against other live bodies that
aren't your own players in practice than you would from
potentially players playing for their last time for Clemson. And
I know there's the emotional factor, and obviously, in an
ideal world, all the seniors would be playing or all

(01:15:41):
the departing players would be playing, But I almost think
it's beneficial to Clemson going forward to figure out maybe
who they can trust on that defensive side of the
ball and what the roster needs to look like next year.

Speaker 8 (01:15:50):
On the defensive side of the ball.

Speaker 9 (01:15:52):
Offense is a completely different conversation because you know you're
replacing like eight starters at minimum regardless on.

Speaker 8 (01:15:58):
That side of the ball.

Speaker 9 (01:15:59):
But I think there's some guys have been buried on
the depth chart that really think they have a chance
to compete for starting roles next year on this defense.

Speaker 8 (01:16:04):
So you're gonna miss TJ because he's really good.

Speaker 9 (01:16:06):
You're gonna miss Peter because he's really good. Same to
be said about Tone, same to be said about all
these guys that are taking the next step and leaving
for the NFL Draft. But it does pave the way
for some of these young Cats to get after it
and compete. And I think there's a lot to be
said about that. And I know it didn't work out
for him here, But the thing I think about is
Shelton Lewis back in.

Speaker 8 (01:16:22):
The twenty twenty three Kentucky game, right.

Speaker 9 (01:16:24):
Worst player on the field in the first half, made
a ton of strides and growth in the second half
and ended up getting that game winning play towards the
end on the final drive for Kentucky.

Speaker 8 (01:16:32):
It felt like he grew up in that game.

Speaker 9 (01:16:34):
Somebody's gonna have that moment for Clemson, the Pinstripe Bull,
And I think for me personally, a guy I have
my eye on his Brandon Strozier. Potentially, I'm not over
the world about him as a player, but I think
the opportunity is there, and I think that he's a
guy that's gotten better throughout the course of the year
in a Clemson jersey, and he tackled very physically against
South Carolina, and he's a willing tackler, and he's to

(01:16:55):
be candidate guy that's gotten kind of picked on in coverage.
So I would anticipate for people to be thrown to
the opp is the side of Ashtonhampton and trying to
get at Strojier, and that's gonna be a sink or
swim type of moment for him.

Speaker 8 (01:17:05):
So maybe he has.

Speaker 9 (01:17:06):
A growth moment and maybe you start to see some
signs of development with him. And that's really what these
things are about in twenty twenty five, to me, is
coachable moments, development and evaluation for bowl games.

Speaker 2 (01:17:16):
There's no doubt about that. Again, Facts and childress us
with us here on the program. We're gonna hit a
quick break. I want to find out what he thought
about Notre Dame backing out of their bowl game. When
we get back, stay with us.

Speaker 4 (01:17:27):
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.
Lucky 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 (01:18:40):
Final segment of the show on a Monday Facts in Childress,
hanging out with us here and Faxon. I was talking
before the break with you, I mentioned the Notre Dame situation.
I think it's one of the more disappointing moments that
we've seen in college football in recent years, and there
have been plenty of disappointing moments with some of the
stuff that has gone on in the sport. When Florida
State was left out of the College Football Playoff and

(01:19:01):
they were undefeated, they still went and played in the
arnge Bawl and they got hammered. But hey, for all
that don't like about Mike Norvell, he got his team
down there and they played the bowl game. I was
stunned that Notre Dame turned down an opportunity to play
in the pop Tars Bowl against BYU, the other team
that was just on the outside of the College Football Playoff.

(01:19:22):
I think the ramifications for the bowl games in this
situation are very bad, and I really think that the
College Football Playoff Committee needs to do more to protect
the interest of their brethren in those bowl games that
aren't a part of the larger playoff. What do you
think about it?

Speaker 8 (01:19:39):
Yeah, it's an intriguing dynamic.

Speaker 9 (01:19:41):
Like, if you want my football take, I think it's
a travesty that Notre Daen didn't get into the playoffs.
But as far as bull ramifications go, like yeah, this sucks,
it continues kind of a downward slide with the devaluation
of bowl games in twenty twenty five college football and beyond,
and I mean in all honestly, lot and maybe I
just had a little bit different of a response than

(01:20:01):
most because I kind of expected it from Notre Dame
when I saw the decision, Like it was the realization
that Notre Dame wouldn't be in the college football playoff,
followed by the oh my gosh, they're going to act
out of the bowl game, aren't they?

Speaker 8 (01:20:12):
That was literally immediately where my mind went.

Speaker 9 (01:20:15):
So I think they got robbed, but again, like, it
is what it is, and at that point to opt
out and potentially take that opportunity away from a lot
of these seniors. And I know there was allegedly a
player vote and whatnot, but ultimately dudes walked off the
field for the last time not thinking it would be
their last time, and that would leave a sour taste
in my mouth. And I think that some of these
Notre Dame players that might have regretted in a reactionary fashion,

(01:20:38):
you know, within an hour after the decision, may regret
that now.

Speaker 8 (01:20:41):
And I also just think it sets a really poor.

Speaker 9 (01:20:44):
Standard going forward about, oh, if we don't get our
way with what the committee says, we're not.

Speaker 8 (01:20:48):
Going to play. And I don't like that element of
it at all.

Speaker 9 (01:20:51):
So yeah, I mean college football is a mess, and
this is just kind of another step in that here
with the postseason play and how bowl games have kind
of been devalued.

Speaker 2 (01:20:59):
Well in your facts and Notre Dame's been good, not
necessarily great, And I'm just shocked because they seem to
think that they don't need anybody else in the power
for and I would argue that without the power.

Speaker 3 (01:21:14):
For, they're were playing you know, they're playing nobody.

Speaker 9 (01:21:17):
Yeah, I mean, the schedule was weak, like undeniably, and
obviously Notre Dame, like has been known for having this
mentality towards joining a conference because they.

Speaker 8 (01:21:27):
Have this uber valuable TV contract and listen like, I
get it.

Speaker 9 (01:21:30):
I don't like Notre Dame just full transparency. I get
things from their perspective though, and I get I understand
why they don't think they need a league. But where
I think this showcases is that maybe there is benefit
to playing in a league. There is a benefit to
playing in a conference championship game with an automatic chance
to punch your ticket.

Speaker 8 (01:21:46):
And this ended up screwing them this year.

Speaker 9 (01:21:48):
So now they're in a position where I think they
have to play ball with somebody, and the question is who,
Because their athletic director in Bovaqua was publicly calling out
the ACC saying that they were mistreated. Now, if you
like Phillips is inclined to defend them a little bit more.
There's a lot of elements that play here from a
political standpoint, Lawton, But what I do think is that
Notre Dame needs to be more of a team player

(01:22:09):
if they want to be in consistent consideration for the
college football Playoff.

Speaker 8 (01:22:12):
And that much I know at minimum right.

Speaker 2 (01:22:14):
Now, no doubt, no doubt. Follow him again on Twitter
at FACX and PXP every day from nine until noon.
Facts on Sports on one oh five to five. There
are in the Upstate Facts and Man. Always appreciate you, Lawton.

Speaker 8 (01:22:26):
It was a pleasure glad I could pinch hit for
you for qualk here, Hey.

Speaker 3 (01:22:29):
Man, you were spectacular. They go Facts and Children's Man.

Speaker 2 (01:22:32):
That was awesome being able to catch up with him
and spending a little time talking about not only the
Clemson Tiger basketball team. We went a segment on basketball,
segment on football, and a segment on Notre Dame and
their decision to sit out the college football playoff. I

(01:22:54):
mean that again, is just one of the more disappointing
things in sports, no question about it. One thing to
keep your eye on that has become strange and new
is the transfer A portal with quarterbacks, and Nebraska quarterback

(01:23:17):
Dylan Rayola is planning to enter the portal that came
out DJ Lagway at Florida will enter the Transfer A
portal that one peaked the years of Clemson Tiger Faithful
Kate Klubnick I can't remember if we played this audio
from Dabos when you or not, but Dabos Swinge you know,

(01:23:38):
was asked about the quarterback situation. Kate's gonna play in
the bowl game. Kate is going to play that's the plan.
I mean, as long as he doesn't get injured, he's
going to go out there and play and give it
a run for the Tigers, and we'll see if they,
you know, maybe give some of the other guys some opportunity,

(01:23:58):
because at some point, you like, you gotta know, you
gotta know, like can Christopher Vezina get the job done?
And if you just keep giving the ball to k Klebnick,
you don't really know. And I can assure you that
when DJ Lagway's name went into the portal or you know,
came out as a guy that was going towards the portal,
Clemson fans were like, uh, yes, please, we'll take a

(01:24:20):
run with that guy. And really, I mean, for my money,
he probably looked better in that Clemson uniform as a
recruit than any quarterback that Clemson has had in that
uniform since Trevor and Deshaun Watson.

Speaker 3 (01:24:34):
But that's my thoughts on it.

Speaker 2 (01:24:35):
All Right, we gotta get out of here. We'll be
back tomorrow. So then it's always you'll take care now
and got tigers