Tigers look to bounce back after rare losing season
USC vs. CLEMSON TIGERS on 11/26
Coach: Dabo Swinney (19-15 in three seasons at CU)
Last Season: 6-7, lost to South Florida in Meineke Car Care Bowl
Last Meeting with USC: 2010 (USC 29-7)
All-Time Series vs. USC: Clemson leads 65-39-4
Dabo Swinney beat South Carolina to earn his job.
Some think he might have defeat the Gamecocks again to keep it.
After the Tigers thumped USC 31-14 to end the 2008 regular season, then-interim coach Swinney was lifted onto his players' shoulders and, days later, into the permanent job.
Two seasons later, his squad has lost to the Gamecocks in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1970 and finished 2010 with a 6-7 record, the first losing season in Death Valley since 1998.
It's been made readily clear in Tigertown that can't happen again, on both fronts.
"Winning our state championship is one of our goals," Swinney said at ACC Media Days last month. "Everybody understands the importance of Clemson–South Carolina."
Offense: The Tigers will transition to a spread scheme this fall. New offensive coordinator Chad Morris, who helped build Tulsa into a Top 5 offense nationally, preaches speed and quick snaps to get as many offensive plays off as possible with as many players as possible.
"We'll be very multiple," Swinney said. "Our philosophy is to run the football first, and everything comes off of that."
Tajh Boyd is the starting quarterback after spelling the oft-injured Kyle Parker several times last fall. Morris feels he has the tools needed to excel in the offense.
Boyd will have junior tailback Andre Ellington by his side at all times. Ellington is cousins with USC slotback Bruce Ellington. The two share a jersey number — 23. Heralded true freshman back Mike Bellamy also should get a good amount of carries.
At the receiver position, there's a lot of talent but an almost equal amount of inexperience as well. DeAndre Hopkins was Clemson's leading receiver as a freshman in 2010. He'll have to keep improving as he is the only proven threat in the receiving corps. Several freshmen likely will be forced into significant roles early on. The Tigers are set at tight end, though. Returning starter Dwayne Allen, a junior, was second-team All-ACC last fall.
Clemson has a good deal of experience on the offensive line, as each starter will be an upperclassman. The line also will have a steady hand leading it. Former Vanderbilt coach Robbie Caldwell, a Pageland, S.C., native, is the new offensive line coach.
Defense: DaQuan Bowers and DeAndre McDaniel are gone. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele has to find a way to replace them and still keep his unit among the ACC's best.
"We played well enough defensively to really win our conference last year," Swinney said. "But we weren't a complete team like you need to be to have the kind of season we expect in Clemson."
Up front, Clemson isn't likely to make up for Bowers' nation-leading 15.5 sacks last fall. But it does think it can get pressure from end Andre Branch and nose tackle Brandon Thompson. Plus, a move to more 3-4 looks could give the defense a strategic advantage against college offenses not used to seeing the scheme.
Quandon Christian, Jonathan Willard and Corico Hawkins, the team's leading returning tackler, are penciled in at the linebacker positions. But heralded five-star recruits Stephone Anthony and Tony Steward could see playing time immediately.
The secondary is full of upperclassmen, but few have much in the way of starting experience. The unit is probably Clemson's biggest defensive concern at this point.
Special teams: After an erratic 2010 campaign, Chandler Catanzaro is back at placekicker. So is punter Dawson Zimmerman, who was very good for the Tigers a year ago. Ellington should handle return duties.
Schedule analysis: As always, two cupcakes to open the year means an all-but-guaranteed 2-0 start. Then things get much tougher. Clemson will host defending national champion Auburn and ACC favorite Florida State in back-to-back weeks before traveling to Virginia Tech. From there the schedule eases up a bit before the season finale at USC in the annual rivalry game.
An ACC Atlantic Division title is probably out of the question, but seven or eight wins should be attainable. Anything less than that, and Swinney might have to upset the Gamecocks in order to keep his job going into 2012.
The final word: "We want to be a tough, physical football team. That's where it starts for us." — Swinney
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