Bright Spots
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In a thrilling Week 1 showdown, the Miami Dolphins secured a dramatic 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, thanks to a clutch 52-yard field goal by Jason Sanders as time expired.
The win, which marked Miami’s fourth consecutive season-opening triumph, was propelled by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who threw for 336 yards and a touchdown.
Tagovailoa also orchestrated a late-game, eight-play drive to set up Sanders’ game-winning field goal, showcasing his poise under pressure.
Tyreek Hill emerged as one of the game’s key players, despite chaotic hours before kickoff that included being briefly detained by the Miami-Dade Police Department as a result of a driving incident.
He finished the day with seven catches for 129 yards and a touchdown. Hill was a consistent playmaker throughout, moving the chains three times and forcing four missed tackles. His ability to gain big yards after the catch was pivotal, as he hauled in two catches of 15 yards or more, while averaging an impressive 3.58 yards per route run. Hill’s efforts were also reflected in the passer rating of 123.3 when Tagovailoa targeted him.
Despite the loss, the Jacksonville Jaguars left the game with some bright spots, particularly from young players and new additions.
Second-year running back Tank Bigsby had a standout performance, showcasing his explosiveness and decisiveness. Bigsby forced four missed tackles, more than any other Jaguars rusher, and hinted at a potential one-two punch with Travis Etienne in the backfield.
Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. also made an immediate impact in his NFL debut. The Jags rookie and first-round draft pick, who was covered by Dolphins star cornerback Jalen Ramsey for much of the game, demonstrated why he’s drawing so much attention.
Thomas caught four passes for 47 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown that gave the Jaguars a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. His ability to draw a 40-yard pass interference penalty earlier in the game helped set up Jacksonville’s first score.
On the defensive side, linebacker Devin Lloyd was another Jaguar whose stock rose after Week 1. Lloyd displayed improved decision-making and played a critical role in stopping Miami’s run game.
Meanwhile, Darnell Savage, in his first start at nickel for Jacksonville, put together a solid performance, allowing just four receiving yards on five targets while forcing two incompletions.
However, not everything went smoothly for the Jaguars. Travis Etienne, the team’s top running back, had a tough outing, particularly with a costly third-quarter fumble that significantly shifted momentum.
Although Etienne has been a major contributor to Jacksonville’s offense, Bigsby’s emergence may lead to a more shared workload in the future.
Defensive struggles also plagued the Jaguars, with Antonio Johnson missing three tackles in his first start of the season.
On the offensive line, the team’s top pass blocker from last year, Anton Harrison, gave up four pressures and showed some rust after an injury-limited preseason.
Ultimately, the Jaguars’ inability to capitalize on a 17-7 lead and their lack of offensive rhythm in the second half contributed to the loss.
After producing 162 yards and 17 points in the first half, Jacksonville failed to score after halftime and managed just six second-half first downs.
QB Trevor Lawrence, in his first regular season game since signing a five year, $275M contract extension, acknowledged the missed opportunities, citing the need for more consistent execution, particularly in critical moments.
In the end, the Dolphins’ defense stood tall in the second half and was too much for Jacksonville to overcome.
Florida State Semi-Noles
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2024 football season is underway and some teams have left us with more questions.
Florida State is one of those programs. I think we have to start with head coach Mike Norvell to see what the problem is with this program.
Norvell coached at Memphis from 2016-19 and his record was 38-15. He led the Tigers to a 12-1 record in his final season, which is why he was hired at FSU.
In his first two seasons, the Seminoles were 3-6 and 5-7. Things turned around in 2022 and they went 10-3. Last season they won their first thirteen games, which included the ACC Championship. They were snubbed from the College Football Playoff.
This is where problems with Florida State’s culture started to show. Over a dozen starters left the team after the ACC championship.
The #5 Seminoles playing the #6 Georgia Bulldogs sounded like a great Orange Bowl matchup on paper. UGA was also disappointed to not play in the CFP but their players chose to play in this bowl game.
We know what happened next, Georgia beat FSU 63-3.
“Well, the game mattered because we’re playing a game,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart, whose team set a couple of Orange Bowl records, including for point differential (60) and total yardage (673).
“As long as winning matters, we’re going to compete like hell at Georgia, it doesn’t matter what it is.”
That is an interesting statement by Smart; it seems like a jab at FSU because it is. Georgia has a winning culture so their players still played in the Orange Bowl, unlike Florida State.
Coming into the 2024 season the expectations were high at Florida State. They had the #4 transfer portal recruiting class in 2024. The class was headlined by former five-star QB DJ Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei played at Clemson and Oregon State.
Last season at Oregon State, he passed for 2,638 yards, 21 touchdowns, 7 interceptions and he completed 57% of his passes. He has not lived up to his recruiting ranking and he hoped to reach his potential in Tallahassee.
They had five players transfer in from Alabama: linebacker Shawn Murphy, running back Roydell Williams, corner Earl Little II, offensive lineman Terrence Ferguson and receiver Malik Benson.
The other notable transfers are edge rusher Marvin Jones Jr. (Georgia), wide receiver Jalen Brown (LSU), defensive lineman Sione Lolohea (Oregon State) and defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye (West Virginia).
As you know, FSU lost their first two games to Georgia Tech and Boston College.
Both of those teams were unranked. This is Norvell’s third 0-2 start in his five seasons at Florida State.
They are coming off a bye week and will play Memphis this week. The question we have to wonder is, will this team implode or will they drastically improve the rest of the season?
I don’t think it’s possible to get much better. This should be Norvell’s last season at FSU if they lose any more games.
Drain The Swamp?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Billy Napier’s third season at Florida didn’t start well. We’ll wait to see whether he finishes it or not.
It would take the second-biggest buyout of a coach in college football history ($26 million) but Florida’s administration has to ask themselves hard questions after in-state rival Miami thumped them on Saturday in front of 90,000 fans in The Swamp.
Florida hasn’t been patient in the past. Since Urban Meyer resigned at the end of the 2010 season, the Gators have cycled through Will Muschamp (28-21 from 2011-14), Jim McElwain (22-12 from 2015-17) and Napier’s predecessor-Dan Mullen, without blinking.
It’s hard to tell where the Gators have improved since athletic director Scott Stricklin pulled the plug on Mullen with one game to go in 2021. Mullen went 34-15 in his four total seasons coaching the Gators, including 11-2 in 2019. Stricklin told Paul Finebaum this week that he expects Napier to “be at Florida for a long time.”
That could mean several seasons or just one.
The University of Florida has an interim president in charge. Once a new president is hired (which could be a long way off), Stricklin and Napier will very likely be looking for work.
Here’s what we know: The Gators haven’t gotten any better since Napier was hired. They’ve actually gotten worse on defense. Florida is giving up more points than they did under Dan Mullen. Looking back, defense was why Dan Mullen was fired in the first place.
How about the offense? It’s more conservative than Mullen’s, and it also doesn’t score nearly as much. Is there any reason for the program to keep him?
Napier is 11-15 in Gainesville. He has lost six games in a row. Florida has endured three consecutive losing seasons for the first time since the 1940s. On Saturday, it was obvious that the coach developed Miami into a better team in the same time frame that Billy Napier had with the Florida Gators.
“Miami outplayed us. They outcoached us,” Napier said. His team was out-gained 268 yards by the 19th-ranked Hurricanes.
Is it fair to point out that Napier has plenty more resources than his predecessors?
Mullen fought for a new $85 million standalone football facility, and it opened doors when Napier took over. Florida’s support staff under Napier grew by 17 staff members to 62 in total and the assistant coach salary pool has doubled compared to 2021. Not to mention Florida’s NIL efforts have been buttoned up.
So why haven’t the Gators improved? Maybe it’s the way Napier has tried to rebuild his roster over time.
Maybe Napier is a poor game day coach and his offense is lethargic and predictable.
Billie didn’t help himself on Monday, with this quote:
“I think we’ve got to become a more consistent team and we have to execute better. If we can focus on those things and not necessarily what some guy in the basement is saying in rural central Florida on social media, then we got a chance to get better, right? I think that’s the key.”
The Gators play Samford next week before facing Texas A&M.
Odds are pretty good quarterback DJ Lagway will be starting for Graham Mertz next week. He left Saturday’s loss with a concussion.
Lagway could be a special player for the Gators, but the Gators’ issues run much deeper than who is playing quarterback.
I don’t think Napier will change who he is, and he shouldn’t. Off the field he’s thoughtful and intelligent and stoic. He intends to address the media with quotes they want to hear.
I believe Napier has lost support from the masses and Florida fans are turning on him.
Who do you think will be the new president, AD and coach for the 2025 season?
Mixed Bag
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Week 1 of the 2024 SEC season was a mixed bag for one of the nation’s most dominant conferences.
While many SEC teams took care of business in nonconference matchups, the conference struggled in high-profile games against ranked opponents. The SEC went 1-3 against ranked teams, raising questions about its early-season strength and readiness for top competition.
The standout victory of the weekend was Georgia’s 34-3 dismantling of No. 14 Clemson.
The No. 1 Bulldogs looked every bit the part of a national championship contender, dominating both sides of the ball, once they settled in.
Georgia’s running back depth stood out, rushing for 169 yards against Clemson’s NFL-talent-loaded defensive front.
Freshman RB Nate Frazier emerged as a future star, leading the backfield with 84 yards and a touchdown.
Despite the impressive win, Georgia’s offense had a slow start, punting on three of its first five drives, struggling to convert scoring opportunities.
Clemson couldn’t keep up with Georgia’s depth in the second half, but the sluggish first half could be an issue against stronger offensive teams later in the season.
Elsewhere in the conference, however, the results were less encouraging.
Florida suffered a 41-17 blowout loss to No. 19 Miami.
The Gators struggled offensively, with quarterback Graham Mertz leaving due to injury. Freshman DJ Lagway showed flashes of promise, but the offensive line’s struggles, giving up three sacks and allowing constant pressure, were a significant problem. Florida’s defeat leaves the team searching for answers.
Texas A&M also fell short, losing 23-13 to No. 7 Notre Dame.
While the Aggie defense did well to limit Notre Dame’s quarterback, Riley Leonard, to just 158 passing yards, the offense faltered.
Quarterback Conner Weigman struggled with decision-making, throwing two costly interceptions. Texas A&M had opportunities to make a statement in head coach Mike Elko’s debut, but missed chances and mistakes cost them the game.
LSU continued its recent trend of struggles in season openers, losing 27-20 to No. 23 USC in Las Vegas.
The Tigers, despite being favored, failed to capitalize on key moments and displayed a lack of discipline. Costly penalties, including an unsportsmanlike conduct foul and a targeting penalty, contributed to LSU’s defeat.
The Tigers also struggled with tackling, allowing USC’s running backs to break free for extra yards on multiple occasions.
LSU’s wide receiver depth remains a strength, but the team’s defensive and disciplinary issues need to be addressed quickly.
On the positive side, most of the SEC teams dominated their nonconference matchups, though many of these victories came against inferior competition.
Alabama cruised to a 63-0 victory over Western Kentucky, with new head coach Kalen DeBoer’s aggressive defense making a strong debut.
Arkansas posted a 70-0 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with Utah transfer Ja’Quinden Jackson leading the Razorbacks’ rejuvenated ground game.
Auburn’s offense also shined in a 73-3 win over Alabama A&M, showcasing an explosive new-look passing attack led by freshmen receivers.
Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Missouri all secured comfortable wins, with Tennessee defeating Chattanooga 69-3, Mississippi State routing Eastern Kentucky 56-3, and Missouri shutting out Murray State 51-0.
SEC newcomers Oklahoma and Texas also started their seasons with dominant wins. Oklahoma dismantled Temple 51-3, while Texas blanked Colorado State 52-0.
There were some close calls in the conference, though. South Carolina narrowly escaped with a 23-19 win over Old Dominion, thanks to timely defensive plays from edge rushers Kyle Kennard and Dylan Stewart.
Vanderbilt, meanwhile, earned a hard-fought 34-27 overtime victory against Virginia Tech, with quarterback Diego Pavia providing a much-needed spark for the Commodores.
Kentucky’s 31-0 victory over Southern Miss was notable for being one of the shortest games in recent history, as it was called off with 9:56 left in the third quarter due to weather.
Quarterback Brock Vandagriff, who transferred from UGA, impressed in his first significant action, completing 12 of 18 passes for 169 yards and three touchdowns, despite the shortened game.
As the SEC moves forward into Week 2, teams will look to build on their successes and correct the issues that emerged in the opening week.
For some, like Georgia and Alabama, the season is off to a strong start. But for others, particularly those who lost marquee matchups, there is work to be done to meet the high expectations of the SEC.
Dawgs And Tigers To Tear It Up
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Boot meets ball and we’ve got Football in 2024!
While I know college football officially began last week with Week Zero, we have our first full weekend of football coming this weekend and the first marquee game kicks off at Noon with the Aflac Kickoff game between Clemson and Georgia.
The Bulldogs come into the match-up a consensus number 1 team while Dabo Swinney’s Tigers come in as the 14th best ranked squad.
This SEC vs ACC clash is the 65th meeting all time between the two, and a rematch of the 2021 Kickoff game in Charlotte where the Bulldogs won 10-3. That 2021 match-up was the last meeting between the two, and the only touchdown scored in the game was a pick-six by Georgia’s Chris Smith taking a (now former Tiger) DJ Uiagalelei pass back 74 yards to the house in the second quarter to start the scoring.
This game away from Memorial Stadium marks the 5th straight season that Clemson will open the year away from the friendly confines of Death Valley.
The Tigers look to build off the success they had in the back half of 2023. After starting the season 4-4, Clemson finished up the 9-4 slate by winning the final five games of the year.
On the flip side, Georgia has become accustomed to playing inside Mercedes Benz Stadium after having played at least one game inside “the Benz” each of the last eight seasons.
That being said, the Dawgs are looking to get the sour taste out of their mouths from the last contest in Atlanta with the loss in the SEC Championship game last season to Alabama 27-24. While the loss to Alabama still sticks in the crawl of Dawg fans, the loss in the SEC Title game was the only loss in the last 30 contests.
The quarterback match-up is one of experienced signal callers. Georgia’s QB1 Carson Beck ranked third in all the FBS with 3,941 passing yards and was a Manning Award finalist a year ago.
Beck is going to be protected by familiar faces with four returning starting linemen with LT Earnest Greene III, LG, Dylan Fairchild, RG Tate Ratledge and RT Xavier Truss. That combination helped lead the Georgia offense to a school record 7.26 yards per play and leading the country on third down by converting on over 55% of the time.
For the Clemson Tigers, Cade Klubnik already made a name for himself last season already ranking in the top 15 in Clemson history in career passing touchdowns and collected three contests of over 300 yards passing, which is good for 6th best in Clemson lore.
This match-up is the only meeting between two AP Top 15 teams this weekend and clashes two legendary head coaches. Dabo Swinney and Kirby Smart are two of only three active head coaches to have won an FBS National Championship (along with North Carolina’s Mack Brown).
Obviously, Georgia is the favorite in the game, and casual fans have overlooked the Clemson squad for the last year plus, I think Clemson makes this more of a game than many believe.
Clemson hasn’t utilized the transfer portal much, but honestly didn’t need to this year with fourteen returning starters from a year ago from a team that arguably had the most momentum in college football down the back stretch.
So, on Saturday, after a morning of College Game Day, it will lead you to the ABC kickoff in Atlanta for the first major matchup of the season. The Dawgs and the Tigers to kick off your Week 1!
Sunshine State Heat
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The University of Florida is set to open their regular season against Miami on Saturday at 3 PM at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It is Billy Napier and Mario Cristoball’s third season at their respective programs.
Though it’s just Week 1, there’s a lot on the line for both teams, particularly with their head coaches. Both Billy and Mario have a lot to prove to fans and athletic departments in their third seasons, with losing records.
For Napier and the Gators, wins are scarce this season, as they face the toughest schedule in the country.
For Cristobal and Miami, the competition gets more manageable after Saturday. Neither coach wants to take a loss right off the bat.
Is the Florida defense strong enough to win tough games like this? They started strong last season but crashed soon after.
The Gators should be better this year, but the Hurricanes are far stronger offensively thanks to former Washington State Cougar Cam Ward.
Ward might be the best quarterback transfer in the 2024 cycle. He has all the tools and experience, and he gets the ball out of his hands in a hurry.
In addition, Oregon State running back Damien Martinez should be a star behind an improved Hurricanes offensive line that should dominate the trenches against the rebuilt Gators front.
On the other side of the ball, Miami’s defensive front is undergoing a bit of an overhaul. They have several talented players that might take time to acclimate.
Florida’s offensive line has been an issue over the last few years. Injuries are the Gator’s biggest problem, but their roster has improved through the transfer portal, and the health concerns are okay as of Week 0.
The Hurricane secondary, like the line, will be good, but it’s counting on a slew of transfers to rise up and perform right away.
Florida needs to get QB Graham Mertz going quickly after he completed 73% of his throws for close to 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns last season.
So, this all comes down to…Which defensive front can be more disruptive?
Miami has the pieces in place to finally win with Mario Cristobal, but The Canes are about to face 2023 Week 3 University of Florida.
That team rose up and rocked defensively in an energy-charged win over Tennessee, and it’s about to happen again in week 1 of 2024.
The Florida defense will hold on in the fourth quarter, and Mertz will be just a bit better than Ward.
Miami is the team playing with more pressure to play well, given the NIL investment that have been made on both sides of the ball.
Florida 31 Miami 27.
This keeps the fans off of Billie‘s back for a few weeks until the gators face Texas A&M at home during week 3.
I think Miami finishes first or second in the ACC and still has a shot at the college football playoffs even with this loss.
Revised Reality
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A few weeks ago, I did a season preview for Georgia Tech. I said I expect them to lose the season opener against Florida State and struggle to win 6 games and become bowl eligible.
By now, you have to be aware of their upset win in Week 0, beating #10 FSU 24-21.
“It’s definitely a special moment, definitely want to enjoy this one tonight, but like the guys said, it means nothing if we can’t go out next week and handle business,” Tech running back Jamal Haynes said. “We gotta get back (Sunday) got to practice, clean up the details, clean up anything that we made mistakes on and get to work.”
Tech was more physical than the Seminoles. They had a physical run game, which accounted for 190 yards of the 336 yards of total offense. They scored on four of seven drives and were 5-of-9 passing on third downs.
They ranked 120th last season in total defense out of 130 FBS teams. They looked much better in that game and if they can sustain this, they can have a special season.
They have a new defensive coordinator this season, Tyler Santucci. He was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Duke last season. Before that he was the co-DC and LB coach at Texas A&M.
“We talk about putting the extra emphasis on response, how to respond to adversity,” linebacker Kyle Efford said. “We knew after that first drive we had to respond. We can respond negatively or positively. We got on the sidelines and was talking about it, ‘Hey we gotta step up. It’s gonna be on us.’ It was really just that response.”
This win has led to a recruiting win. Two days after the game, four-star defensive lineman Christian Garrett committed to Georgia Tech. The 6’4, 280-pound senior at Prince Avenue Christian was previously committed to Georgia since June and then he backed off that pledge earlier this month.
He is a top 20 defensive lineman in the nation. Garrett had offers from programs like Tech, UGA, Clemson, Florida, Auburn, Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
This is a bit different from when Paul Johnson was the head coach. The players he recruited would have offers from teams like Austin Peay and Gardner-Webb.
I have reexamined their schedule and I think they can get off to a fast start. The next game is home against Georgia State. That should be a blowout win.
The next five games are at Syracuse, VMI, at Louisville, Duke and at North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets should be favored in all of those games. I believe they have a real shot to start the season 7-0. The schedule will get drastically tougher after that.
They will face off against #7 Notre Dame October 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Initially, I did not think Tech had a chance in this game but I think they have a chance to win.
Establishing the run game and playing physical gives them a puncher’s chance in every game.
The final games are at Virginia Tech, #19 Miami, #22 NC State and at #1 UGA. My new assessment of GT is they can win nine games as a best-case scenario. Realistically, I think they go 8-4 and that is a very good season.
Sugary Canes
By: Charlie Moon
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Gimme two chains and a big ole pimp hat – a big green one with a thick black stripe around the brim. Sounds like a garb-laden recipe for great football. I get it. We’re in a new era of youth sports. Bat-flipping and TD chains are a way of pigskin normalcy. But the Canes are king when it comes to all swag, no substance.
I really try not to be Mr. Hyperbole, but I think the Canes might be the most disappointing college football team of the last twenty years.
Consider this. From 1983 to 2003, the Hurricanes won more than 10 games, 14 times. All 5 of the Canes’ national titles were won during that same time span.
And since then?…..just one 10-plus win season.
Seeing that, I nearly spit out my iced coffee.
Their schedule slots several slippery slopes.
The Canes get ACC favorite FSU at home and don’t even have to play the #2 squad Clemson Tigers. Those playoff chances hinge heavily on the Canes opening week trip to Gainesville. They also have roadies at Cal and GA Tech.
Word around Coral Gables is the U will get back to its natural born identity, the run game. Last year, Miami ranked 10th in average yards/carry of Power 5 teams. Sweet, but the Canes want to add more sugar.
The Georgia Bulldogs have been known as “Running Back U” for a couple decades, but before that Miami was right there. Coral Gables was hot-n-heavy with studs like Alonzo Highsmith, Willis McGahee and Edgerrin James.
For all the flamboyant flamingo flying of guys like Michael Irvin and Bennie Blades, it was the rushing game that sweetened the Canes.
There’s probably more upside to the Miami RB room than any other ACC squad. 2023 leading rusher Henry Parrish left for Lane Kiffin’s Rebels, but the Canes got what I think will be one of the top ACC transfers in Oregon State’s Junior Damian Martinez.
In his first two years, he tallied 2,167 yds and 6.4 yards/carry. AJ Allen and Mark Fletcher add depth and both would probably start for many Top 20 teams.
The O-line returns most of its bulk but will be led by Indiana transfer center and 2023 All Big 10er, Zach Rivers.
Leading wideout Xavier Restepo brings back his 85 catches. The rest of the wideout room is good, but not great.
But the biggest reason Canes Nation sees sunshine is QB transfer Cam Ward from Washington State.
Most of the country may have rarely, if ever, seen Ward play. Let’s face it. If it wasn’t for Phil Knight’s checkbook, the only thing college football fans would respect out of the northwest would be the occasional bark of the Huskies, certainly not the Cougars.
But I believe Cam Ward will be THE #1 most valuable ACC transfer and a sleeper for the country’s top role. He’s got it all with his legs and his arm. Once he improved his progression reading, he became lethal. The 3-year Apple State man has thrown for over 11,500 yards with 92 TDs and 25 INTs.
Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with the Canes defense. We’re in the age of the transfer portal. But, the Canes have a possible 12 transfer starters, it would be like predicting how many flamingos will be in the next Miami Vice flick.
The biggest wildcard for Miami is HC Mario “Can’t Get Right” Christobal. I’m sure he’s a smart guy. You don’t reach that level without being smart.
But that doesn’t mean your brain won’t freeze when the lights come on. With a 3-point lead against GA Tech last year, who had no time outs, what do you do?
Obviously, you run the ball, right? Wrong! They ran it…and fumbled. GA Tech scored a few plays later. It could be forgotten, but Christobal did something similar when he was at Oregon.
In the end, I really think this is finally the year that the Canes get back to national prominence. Not saying they’re a sneaky top 4 or 5 team, but I do think they’re a sneaky shot to reach the expanded playoff.
Much weighs on Cam Ward. I think he’s a Heisman dark horse Top 5. Damian Martinez is a dark horse Doak Walker winner. It’ll come down to the defensive transfers and a coach who has a history of going brain dead.
Life In Death Valley
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
People have seen the Clemson Tigers coming back down to earth after their historic run with Head Coach Dabo Swinney the last few years. The Tigers have had at least three losses in each of the last three years.
Swinney has been extremely vocal about his opposition to the current state of college football with the transfer portal and NIL running rampant, but at the end of the day, Clemson keeps winning!
Last season, the Tigers began the 2023 season 4-4 with losses to Duke, Florida State, Miami, and NC State. It was at that point that Dabo Swinney said that if Clemson was a stock, you should buy big. Boy was he right.
The Tigers rattled off five straight victories including a victory over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl to finish 9-4. While that mark still is sub-par in Clemson, the impressive finish to 2023 cannot be overlooked.
Swinney, again, has been against the evolution of the transfer portal and had dug his heels in the sand with the lack of transfers that Clemson has brought in the last half-decade.
That being said, this year Clemson may not need a ton of new talent into South Carolina with the Tigers returning 14 starters from last year’s squad.
One of the most impactful returners for the Tigers is quarterback Cade Klubnik. Klubnik took the full reigns of the offense last year after three impressive games as a true freshman in 2022.
Last year, Klubnik threw for over 2,800 yards, but did make some critical mistakes in the first half of the season leading to the 4-4 start. That being said, Klubnik grew up in front of Tiger fans’ eyes taking control and led the team to the aforementioned five game season-ending winning streak.
The offense seems to be in a good place with Offensive Coordinator Garrett Riley and Klubnik both in year two as the “full-go” along with an upgraded receivers room and a heavily experienced offensive line.
The Tigers defense took a hit in the offseason with five NFL Draft picks and losing all four starting D-Linemen. Swinney and 3rd year Defensive Coordinator Wes Goodwin dove deep into the recruiting trail to bring in pass rushers and return two Freshman All-Americans in TJ Parker and Peter Woods.
While last year’s 9-4 mark snapped the streak of 12 consecutive seasons of 10+ wins, folks around the Tiger program believe this could just be a bump in the road and the Tigers continue to help lead the ACC.
The Tigers have won the ACC in seven of the last nine seasons, and look to continue that trend in 2024, but it will be a tough road to do so.
Clemson will have to come out of the gate swinging with the 2024 season opener coming in Atlanta for the Chic-Fil-A Kickoff against the Georgia Bulldogs. In addition to the Bulldogs in a “neutral” site game, the Tigers track to an ACC Title is a tough one.
Clemson draws NC State, Florida State, Virginia Tech on their league schedule with the matchup against the Seminoles and Hokies coming on the road.
While the schedule isn’t necessarily in favor of Clemson, I think this is a year that is manageable for the Tigers to get back into prominence in the ACC, and into the expanded College Football Playoff.
And who knows, even if the Tigers don’t take home the ACC crown, maybe a first-round playoff game finds its way to Death Valley and Memorial Stadium.
Rule Change
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As the NFL preseason wraps up, the effects of several new rules are becoming clearer, with the revamped kickoff alignment being one of the biggest talking points.
Kickoffs, which had been fading in importance, are making a strong comeback. This preseason, 78% of kickoffs have been returned, compared to just 22% during the 2023 regular season.
The league’s effort to make kickoffs a strategic play again has also led to a big drop in touchbacks, now down to 19% from 73% last year. The average starting field position after a kickoff has improved too, moving up to the 28.3-yard line, a nice jump from 23.9 yards in the 2023 preseason.
This rise in returns has led to more exciting plays, with 11 kickoffs returned for at least 40 yards, almost double the number from last year at this point.
However, some teams are still opting for the safety of touchbacks, and we’ve seen a 10% increase in kickoffs landing in the end zone between Weeks 1 and 2 of the preseason.
About two-thirds of kickoffs have hit the “landing zone” between the 20-yard line and the goal line, showing that teams are trying out different approaches under the new rules. But with touchbacks now spotted at the 30-yard line, there’s some debate about whether teams will stick with this more cautious approach once the regular season kicks off.
Another interesting shift is how involved kickers have become in the action. They’re making tackles a lot more often than before.
Last season, kickers were credited with a tackle roughly once every 15 games, but this preseason, they’re averaging a tackle every four games. This shows how kickoffs are becoming more dynamic again, with some coaches even using their starters on special teams to take advantage of this renewed importance.
The new kickoff rule isn’t the only change this season. The NFL has also introduced a penalty for hip-drop tackles, which has sparked a lot of debate. Despite concerns about how it would be enforced, no flags have been thrown for it so far in the preseason. The rule is aimed at the most obvious cases, where a player drops their hips and body weight onto the runner’s legs to bring them down.
If a player stays on the ground or on their feet while using a similar technique, it’s still considered a legal tackle. The NFL seems to be taking a similar approach to how they enforce the helmet rule, with penalties likely coming after the game during reviews instead of during live play.
Besides these major changes, the NFL has also made some quieter adjustments to its replay system. Replay officials can now review two new situations: whether a passer was down by contact or out of bounds before throwing the ball, and whether the game clock expired before the snap.
These additions fit with the league’s cautious approach to expanding replay, where they focus on fixing obvious mistakes without reviewing everything.
The league has also made changes to player safety with the expanded use of Guardian Caps during training camps and preseason practices.
These foam pads, which attach to the outside of helmets, are now mandatory for more positions, except quarterbacks and specialists.
The NFL also allows players to wear helmets that offer equal or better protection than Guardian Caps during practices and games, leading to more players switching to those models. Some players are still opting to wear Guardian Caps during preseason games.
With just one week left in the preseason, we’re already seeing the impact of these new rules, especially with kickoffs.
Teams are testing out different strategies, and the 2024 season could bring a lot more special teams action, with more returns and big plays than in recent years.
But whether these trends continue into the regular season depends on how teams decide to balance the risks and rewards of the new rule changes.
I can’t wait to find out!
