ACC Championship games T-Shirts Go on Sale

You might have already seen this but I think it is pretty funny stuff. What do you get when you take the worst football school from SC and put them up against the worst football school in the state of Georgia. The ACC Championship game.

FUNNY - Dabo Swinney Coaches Show 2009 / Carolina 34 Clemson 17

Funny stuff!  About 5mins long but worth watching....

Gamecocks BEAT Clemson 34-17

Above is the pic of the scoreboard LOHD took exiting Williams-Brice Stadium after watching Carolina beat Clemson rather easily despite the opening kickoff.

34-17 !  Let's say it again ... 34-17 !

Cheers to all the gamecocks out there!

Boxscore

5 keys to a Gamecocks WIN v Clemson Tigers

The South Carolina Gamecocks v Klempson Clemzen Klempzen Cow U Tiggers Clemson rivalry game is the longest uninterrupted rivalry series in the South, and the third longest uninterrupted rivalry series overall, having been played every year since 1909.  And today it is yet again the “Battle of the Palmetto State" and it is a must win for USC.

I gave you my preview/prediction yesterday and asked the most questioned thought leading up to the game, so now I have to lay out the 5 keys to a S.Carolina Win -

Going to keep it simple and short due to leaving in a few mins....

1.  Play with "Fire in the Belly" ---  It is a noon-er and the gamecocks have to come out with their heads on fire.  Garnet & Black Attack and I agree on this one - team has to come out strong, fast and ready to prove to the world that it is SEC football and no ACC team can hang.  I want to see every single player play with heart and leave 110% of their effort on the field today.  No excuses, hit the crap out of the opposing player and get after it as every play deserves all your effort.  It is senior day and show us what it means to wear the garnet&black.  I want the fans to do the same as we have to be behind the team today so get cocky and loud!

2.  Pressure Parker --- the gamecocks D has to disrupt Kyle today.  Have to rattle the kid and knock him around.  He can not be allowed to have all the time in the world.

3.  Contain the the Clemson Speed --- With 110% effort also comes playing under control and this means keeping clemson players (they have speed) in front of ya....don't miss tackles and don't give up the home run ball (i.e watch the CJ wheel route).

4.  No USC shooting themselves --- please don't dig a hole, please USC play smart, no dumb penalities or anything stupid. 

5.  USC success on Offense --- USC has to score today, not FGs but TDs.  USC has to have success establishing the run and this will allow for a good passing game to be conducted.  Garcia please make smart passes as the Clemson secondary is good so don't aim too high and if throwing away make sure you truly throw it away.  I normally say that the game is up to the Carolina D but this game I feel is up to the Carolina offense as they will have to score more than their 14pts per game average of late to make this a win by 330pm today.

I still think Carolina will win due to the right second half adjustments on D and I would love for Carolina to score first to start the game with a quick strike.  I think Carolina wins this 23-20 24-21 27-24.

Gamecocks Question of the Day - Will South Carolina be able to stop CJ Spiller?

Yesterday at the 'Turkey Day' celebration the one question that kept coming up when talking about the Gamecocks v Clemson Game is ...

Will the South Carolina Gamecocks Football Team be able to make Clemson RB CJ Spiller ineffective on Offense and Special Teams ?

I propose the question to you....

Gamecocks v Clemson Tigers Prediction/Preview

What would it take for Gamecock fans to consider this season a success?

Beating Palmetto State rival Clemson on Saturday would be a good start. But it won't be easy.

Read my other writings and you will get a understanding of my thoughts on this game -

• LOHD Thoughts on Gamecocks Defense v Clemson Offense
• LOHD thoughts on Gamecocks Offense v Tigers Defense
• For The Gamecocks, Clemson Game is a "Must Win"

Now you know where I am coming from...

South Carolina enters Saturday’s rivalry game with a 6-5 overall record and finished the season with a 3-5 SEC mark. Clemson rolls into Williams-Brice Stadium on a six-game winning streak and with a reservation to next week's ACC Championship Game…..Can Carolina burst the orange bubble?

Saturday’s game is huge for South Carolina. If the Gamecocks were to win they would finish the season 7-5 and avoid another late season total collapse. USC would end a two-game losing streak to Clemson and give its fans a year’s worth of bragging rights. Spurrier would take a fairly positive attitude into the final stages of recruiting and onto the speaking circuit with Gamecock Club meetings. Spurrier would improve his record to 2-3 against Clemson and 1-1 against Dabo.

However, a loss for South Carolina Saturday would mean another 6-6 season. It would mean another late season slide by losing four in a row and five of their six games. It would mean Clemson would have beaten the Gamecocks 11 of the past 13 seasons. Recruiting would be more difficult for the Class of 2011. The fan base would be depressed and I wonder what Spurrier could tell the faithful to inspire them to get excited about the 2010 season. South Carolina cannot afford another poor effort against the Tigers.

The game is always big for both teams but I think this is a huge game for USC and its future.

The Gamecocks are headed to a bowl game, win or lose against Clemson. But this game is really about changing perception of the program and one of the seniors says it best -

"It can change the whole course of the season in a matter of one game," All-American linebacker Eric Norwood told GoGamecocks.com.

That is right Mr. Norwood and I hope the Gamecocks are ready to play some ball because this is a “must win game” in my view….

I predict that the game will be tight in the first half as the Gamecocks must answer Clemson on every play.  The Gamecocks must not let CJ Spiller shine on Saturday and limit him (plus Jacoby Ford) on offense.  I can easliy see this game tied at halftime (possibly a 10-10, 14-14 or 17-17) then look to Ellis Johnson to make the right adjustments at halftime and really win this game because of the gamecocks D.  I think due to some Clemson TOs late the Gamecocks win this game 27-24.

Thoughts?

LOHD Thoughts on Gamecocks Defense v Clemson Offense

Gamecocks Defense v Clemson Offense

Clemson enters this game Hot as they average 33 points a game and 371 yards per game (204 passing and 167 rushing).  The Gamecocks are 17th in the nation and third in the SEC in total defense allowing 308.73 yards per game. USC is tied for 28th in the nation and fifth in the SEC in scoring defense giving up 20.73 points per game.


South Carolina is led by linebacker Eric Norwood (6-1, 252, Sr) has 66 tackles including seven sacks. He is a player that has to be accounted for on every play.

Love to see Norwood give a good hit on CJ Spiller early on.

Clemson is going to try to establish the run on their side much like I said early USC needs to do.  Clemson has the 46th nationally ranked rushing offense with 166.73 per game.  South Carolina is 63rd in the nation and seventh in the SEC in rushing defense allowing 145.09 yards per game. Linebacker Shaq Wilson (5-11, 210, So) is the team’s leading tackler with 73 stops.  The USC LBs and DEs will have to shut down the running game...contain their speed.  RB CJ Spiller has 172 carries for 894 yards, 7 TD and his back up, Andre Ellington, has 57 carries for 395 yards with 3 TDs.

The Gamecocks are 41st in the country and fifth in the league in sacks with 2.27 sacks per game.  Clemson is ranked 44th in nation for sacks allowed so it is possible to get to the QB.  USC - this is a must in this game!  Defensive end Cliff Matthews has 41 tackles and six sacks. Clifton Geathers (6-8, 281, Jr) has 36 tackles and three sacks.  If USC can not pressure Parker then it could be a long day.

CU QB Kyle Parker has thrown for18 TDs, 9 INTs and 2,082 yards with a 55.7% completion rate.  South Carolina is seventh in the nation and third in the SEC in passing defense giving up 163.64 yards per game. Clemson is 80th in the nation in passing offense with just over 200 yards per.  This si the Gamecocks strength.  Safety Chris Culliver (6-0, 190, Jr) has 54 tackles. Spur Darien Stewart (5-11, 216, Sr) has 50 tackles. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore (6-1, 188, Fr) has 48 tackles. 

Clemson has really 3 targets - TE Michael Palmer then their speed demons who can take it to the house at any time....WR Jacoby Ford has 45 rec for 654 yards, 5 TD and CJ Spiller has 29 catchs for 421 yards with 4 TDs.

So the Gamecocks must pressure the QB, eliminate the CU running threat or at least contain it, play good pass coverage (watch the CJ Spiller Wheel route) and most important do not give up the home run play.


More - Gamecocks Offense v Clemson Defense

LOHD thoughts on Gamecocks Offense v Tigers Defense

Gamecocks Offense v Tigers Defense

South Carolina is 101st in the country and 11th in the SEC in scoring offense with a 20.64 points per game. USC is 75th in the country and ninth in their conference in total offense by averaging 356.64 yards per game. To win this game it will take more than 20 points for Carolina.

The gamecocks must spread the ball around and that means the Gamecocks must establish the run.

South Carolina is 97th in the country and last in the SEC in rushing offense with 116.09 yards per game. Kenny Miles (5-9, 183, Fr) leads the team in rushing with 488 yards on 94 carries with one touchdown. Jarvis Giles (5-11, 183, Fr) has 52 carries for 277 yards and a touchdown. Brian Maddox (5-11, 224, Jr) has 82 carries for 261 yards and four touchdowns.  Please 1 of you 3 step up and hit the holes....

Gamecocks must play “pitch and catch” today and move the ball effectively as we all know a good offense is sometimes the best defense.

Stephen Garcia (6-2, 219, So) has had a very good season under center. He has completed 213 of 373 passes for 2,607 yards with 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also has 91 carries for 84 yards and four touchdowns. The Gamecocks are 40th in the nation and second in the SEC in passing offense with 240.55 yards per game. Alshon Jeffrey (6-3, 217, Fr) is the leading receiver with 39 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns. Moe Brown (6-0, 183, Sr) has 31 catches for 454 yards and three touchdowns. Tori Gurley (6-5, 227, Fr) has 26 receptions for 376 yards and a touchdown. Jason Barnes (6-4, 199, So) has 24 catches for 266 yards. Tight end Wesley Saunders (6-5, 280, Jr) has 28 receptions for 350 yards and a touchdown.

Look for Clemson and the Kevin Steele D to play “lights out” and try to get to Garcia. Clemson enters that game allowing 18.2 pts per game and only 297 yards per game (170 passing, 127 rushing).

What worries me the most for the USC offense versus the Clemson D is the Gamecocks offensive line. USC is 109th in the nation and last in the SEC in sacks allowed giving up 3.0 sacks per game. Garcia can not allow the pressure to disrupt him as he needs time to throw and make good passes. South Carolina must do a better job of protecting the quarterback against a Clemson defense that leads the ACC in sacks.

My other concern is Garcia and his ability here lately to throw INTs. Garcia threw only two interceptions in his first five games. But Garcia has thrown four in his last three games, including two against Florida in his last game. Clemson is No. 1 in the ACC in turnover ratio and has 20 interceptions….eh scary.

The Gamecocks offense must establish the run early, try the Cocky formation with Gilmore and other trick plays…heck do all you can to keep Clemson guessing. The main thing is the offensive line must play their best game for the Gamecocks to win this game.

More - Gamecocks D v Clemson O

Gamecocks v Clemson Tigers "DYK"

This is the 107th meeting between the two schools in football, dating back to 1896.  The two teams have met every year since 1909.

Clemson holds the all-time lead in the series, 65-37-4.
The tigers hold a 49-29-3 advantage when the game is played in Cola and the tigers are 16-8-1 in games played in Clemson.

CU has won 6 of the last 7 and 10 of the last 12.  This is the 4th time in 5 years that atleast 1 team is ranked heading into the match-up.

USC Coach Spurrier is 2-5 vs Clemson.  CU has won 2 straight vs the Gamecocks.

Last year, the tigers won 31-14 due to rushing the ball and a 24-0 lead that the Gamecocks could not overcome.

Gamecocks v Clemson Tigers Rivalry Roundtable

The ACC&SEC Blog conducted a roundtable with various SEC and ACC schools weighing in on what their respected rivalry game means.  As you know, we have UGa v GT, USC v CU and UF v FSU this week going head to head so blogs from the represented schools got to weigh in.....check it out -

ACC vs SEC Rivalries Combine History, Passion, and Hatred

Answers to some questions on the upcoming Clemson game

Recently, The ACC & SEC Blog asked us at LOHD to comment on four questions.  Below is our responses to those questions that will be posted over at his blog.  After you read our thoughts please visit The ACC & SEC Blog as he does a very good job weighing in on things of the ACC/SEC nature.
_

Question #1 - What this rivalry means to you and the fanbase of your team?

Winning in the Clemson and USC rivalry is everything to these two schools that lie 129 miles apart. Folks in South Carolina will tell you one thing with certainty—beating the rival is a must. Most in South Carolina like one or other, rarely do you see a person that likes both so it creates a love/hate arrangement in the state. In the eyes of many, the biggest game of the year is about to take place in South Carolina. The type of game that divides families or can ruin friendships; this is not just any old rivalry game but it is the “Battle of the Palmetto State.”

Question #2 - What a win would mean?

The University of South Carolina football team is in desperate need of a win to reverse another late season slide, and at the same time create a new chapter in the “Palmetto State Rivalry” that has been dominated by Clemson of late, winning seven of the last nine games.

Saturday’s game is huge for South Carolina – “must win!” If the Gamecocks were to win they would finish the season 7-5 and avoid another late season total collapse. USC would end a two-game losing streak to Clemson and give its fans a year’s worth of bragging rights. Spurrier would take a fairly positive attitude into the final stages of recruiting and onto the speaking circuit with Gamecock Club meetings. Spurrier would improve his record to 2-3 against Clemson and 1-1 against Dabo.

Question #3 - What a loss would mean?

A loss for South Carolina Saturday would mean another 6-6 season. It would mean another late season slide by losing four in a row and five of their six games. It would mean Clemson would have beaten the Gamecocks 11 of the past 13 seasons. Recruiting would be more difficult for the Class of 2011. The fan base would be depressed and I wonder what Spurrier could tell the faithful to inspire them to get excited about the 2010 season. South Carolina cannot afford another poor effort against the Tigers.

Question #4 - Anything else you would like to throw in (is this your biggest rival why/why not?, history, etc...

Winning in the Clemson and USC rivalry is everything to these two schools that lie 129 miles apart. Clemson leads the football series 65-37-4, but approximately forty games have been decided by a touchdown or less.

The USC/Clemson rivalry game is the longest uninterrupted series in the South, and the third longest uninterrupted series overall, having been played every year since 1909.

GO COCKS! Beat Clemson!

Gamecocks Offensive Players watch out for the Clemson Eye Poker

Gamecocks Offensive Players watch out for this dirty bastard as he will try to gouge your eye out like he did on the FSU player.

Watch:


Start to watch at the 0:04 mark, Andre Branch (#40) grabs #79 (David Spurlock) by the helmet, snaps his neck back, holds his head and sticks his fingers into Spurlock's facemask, an obvious eye gouge. Then Branch gets up, talks trash to the justifiably angry Spurlock, points to the sky, and dances around.

Plain out dirty but hey it is klempson right...

Favorite Clemson fan

Check this guy out, you just lost to GT and this is what you do on national TV.


Way to go

Show Clemson some love

Clemson Cake Football Schedule Released

Well today we get to see the Clemson 09 Football Schedule -

Sept. 5 -Home vs. Middle Tennessee State
Sept. 10 at Georgia Tech
Sept. 19 -Home vs. Boston College
Sept. 26 -Home vs. Central Michigan
Oct. 3 at Maryland
Oct. 17 -Home vs. Wake Forest
Oct. 24 at Miami (FL)
Oct. 31 -Home vs. Coastal Carolina
Nov. 7 -Home vs. Florida State
Nov. 14 at North Carolina State
Nov. 21 -Home vs. Virginia
Nov. 28 at THE University of South Carolina

Big bad out of conference foes from Middle Tennessee State, Central Michigan, Coastal Carolina and USC combined with the weak ACC.....let the SC news media spin begin on how 2009 is the year of the tiger.....

LOHD has the 2009 USC schedule on the right hand side of the blog to dare to compare.

thoughts?

Clemson shows no class

Low-life Clemson fans vandalize Willie B over the weekend by spray painting 31-14.

Former Gamecock Watson resurfaces

Seems the AIFA is the place to be....Along with former USC QB Blake Mitchell, who signed with the with the Carolina Force, now a another former gamecock has joined the ranks of AIFA pros.

Former USC running back Derek Watson has also signed to play in the AIFA. Watson is on the roster of the Charlotte-based Carolina Speed, according to the team's web site.

Rumor Mill---Dabo fires Vic Koenning/Targets Ellis

Dabo Swinney goes to work as "the man" today and takes care of some house cleaning duties as he gives Vic the pink slip no surprise there but the rumor is Dabo has talked to Ellis Johnson about the opening but I call bullsh*t on that. No way Ellis leaves Carolina for this gig. Why would he? He has a solid defense and got a fat contract. I think the UT former DC John Chavis is a better fit.

Dabo No Danny

Dear Clemson Fan Base,

Please stop with the "danny ford" comparisons with the guy above. William Christopher "Dabo" Swinney just signed a 5 year deal and can remove the 'Interim' from his title after taking the tigers to 4-2 record to have them finish 7-5. Please note this is the same record as South Carolina in 2008. Great you got your man! But seriously, I know Clemson just won against the "arch rival" but stop for a second and separate the passion or should I say stop drinking the orange kool-aid. Dabo has his work cut out for him. Bowden was 8-4, 8-5, and 9-4 the last three years. Are you trying to improve the program or just maintain the same levels?

I agree he has upside and came at a good price since you still got Bowden on the hook. But do remember he was never a coordinator, and now he's a head coach. It's a big jump for a school whose money, support and tradition fits more in line with the SEC. In other words: win or walk.

Next year he should be okay and there have been comparisons of this is much like West Virginia but I think he will do well next year as far as a record. They will still have a good D in place, Spiller, a little shaky at QB with Korn and a improved O line. So he should win some games next year on talent alone but the true test/measure will be in year 2-3 (2010 & 2011). As the other ACC schools are on the upswing and USC is on the upswing it will be interesting to see what happens in Clemson, SC.

I guess it is a flip of a coin when you hire a new coach anyhow but seriously stop with the Danny Ford talk, please.

Clemson To Name DABO Coach

Report: Clemson To Name Swinney Coach