Post-Game Analysis.....

First & foremost, we're ACC Champs.  No one can ever take that away from us.  It was the player's # 1 goal entering the season & they achieved it.  Congrats.  What a game.  A little too close for our liking but just an incredible display by two very good teams.  We knew it would be a close one & it certainly didn't disappoint.  Some random thoughts, in absolutely no coherent order, for you to chew on:

• Clemson changed their base alignment on defense from our previous meeting.  In our September game, Clemson played a four man front with all 4 players in a 3-point stance. Their goal was penetration & they achieved that, disrupting the mesh on the dive & making things very difficult for us.  In that game, the defensive tackles & middle linebacker had the responsibility for the dive while the defensive end took the QB & the outside LB, safety, & corners took the pitch man.  Just to give you an idea of how well that worked against us, we have 14 "three & outs" all year, lowest in the FBS (that is simply an amazing statistic!). Eight of those came in the Clemson game, including seven in a row at one point.  For some reason, Clemson DC Kevin Steele decided to 1) smash his hand against a wall in pregame in an attempt to motivate his troops, breaking it (moron....) 2) change up his defensive alignment.  This game, Clemson played their base 4-3 with the outside backers 5 yards off the line in a stack behind the ends.  The biggest difference is they played their ends, Sapp & Bowers, standing up in a two point stance.  The rationale for this among defensive coaches is so the ends can "play with their eyes in the backfield" and get a quicker read on plays.  This also changed the responsibilities on defense; the DT's & DE's were now responsible for the dive while the linebackers took the QB & secondary handled the pitch man.  This change was great for us.  We had a really difficult time blocking Sapp & Bowers in game 1.  Their penetration & athleticism gave us fits all night.  But in standing them up, they lost all their leverage & became much easier to block.  Also, the linebackers have farther to go to get to the QB, making it even more difficult for them to stop us.  Add to that the fact that we're much more efficient running the offense & you have a big night on offense for us.

Clemson changed their defensive alignment & allowed Nesbitt far too much room to work...

• We said in our breakdown we needed a turnover free game in which we controlled the clock.  We got it: no turnovers, 37:17 in time of possession, & 84 plays to Clemson's 51.  Add to that our two forced turnovers & a plus 2 turnover margin & you get...Winning stats....
• For the second game in a row we didn't punt.  In fact, we scored on seven consecutive possessions (that rhythm thing we talked about in the breakdown).  Had Roddy caught the floater on the first drive & Nesbitt gotten a better spot on the fourth down run we didn't convert & we might have scored 50....
• Tackle Phil Smith broke his ankle in the 1st quarter.  Sucks for a kid playing in front of his  home town fans.  Nick Claytor performed admirably in his place & Clyde Yandell even saw action when Claytor had contact lens issues. We should get starter Austin Barrick back in time for the Orange Bowl.  On the subject of Claytor; his false start on our 2pt. conversion attempt left him with plenty of opportunity to go down in Tech lore as "that guy".  Lucky for him we won the game.....
• We changed our base defensive alignment from a 4-3 to a 3-4 due mostly to injuries & lack of depth on the defensive line.  We frequently walked our linebackers up into end positions to give them a 5-2 look.  I thought the defensive line played pretty well this game.  It was our linebackers & DB's who got caught out of position & toasted by Spiller.  We constantly over pursue & then get pinned by a backside block.  We've got to get this cleaned up...
• Speaking of Spiller: he's "ludicrous speed" fast.  You can really see it when you're down close like we were.  He's got an extra gear everyone else doesn't.  It doesn't help our linebackers over pursue & bite on fakes but the guy is really, really fast....
• Cord Howard & Sean Bedford lived up to their All-ACC billing.  Very fine offensive line play all night.  Those Clemson defensive tackles are fine players & we held them in check.  That plus Howard & Bedford's ability to get to the second level & block the linebackers really made a difference for us...
• CPJ threw in some wrinkles.  We saw Dwyer at A-back for the first time all year.   As he motioned across the formation the entire defense adjusted to the outside leaving nice holes for B-back Preston Lyons.  On the first drive of the second half we faced 4th & 2 on their 40 & we acted like we were going to draw them offsides, motioning Roddy & Allen back into the wishbone.  At the last second, we snapped the ball on a load option right for a 6 yard Allen gain.  We've motioned into that formation multiple times on fourth down this year, always calling timeout as the play clock winds down.  This time we ran a play. Super trickeration.  Not fancy, just effective...
• Josh Nesbitt has grown so much as a player & leader.  Our clock management was superb all night long & led to an easy field goal at the end of the first half & the winning score with little time left.  And how about Josh's use of the fake pitch?  At least 30 extra yards for us on the night.  In fact, our section never wavered when Clemson scored the go ahead TD.  5:10 left on the clock, down by 2 = Nesbitt Time...
• Our offense just wears people down.  By the middle of the second quarter you could see Clemson defenders with their hands on their hips, gasping for air.  By the end of the third they were toast.  We simply strangle you, 4 yards at a time...
• Scott Blair, slayer of purple & orange demons!!!!  Just the night before, we engaged in a less than sober discussion with a Clemson fan about which team's kicker was a bigger liability (for the record I conceded when he told me their guy had missed 5 extra points). Liability?  Who?  Not our guy!  Blair was a true asset on Saturday, varying his kickoffs & booming field goals.  I never knew he could pound it like that.  Both his long field goals (48 & 49 yards) would have been good from 55.  Let's hope he keeps this up....

Whatever they did to you over in Clemson, we don't want to know....

• Jon Dwyer is a beast.  As is BayBay.  The physical punishment Dwyer takes is incredible.  But what's even more incredible about both stars is the way they block. Watching the game again I counted no less than 3 "pancakes" by the Diesel.   And BayBay is cracking guys on every play.  When your best players like #21 & #8 have bought in & are willing to block like that, you're gonna win games.

That man runs with pain on his mind & malice in his heart....And he blocks, too...

• And finally, ACC refs suck.  Really, it's not even funny anymore.  The pass interference on Burnett I can handle.  But overturning the call on the 2 point conversion is laughable. Undisputed video evidence?  Bullshit.  Sounds to me like these guys sit up their watching films of a grassy knoll in Dallas....

So it's off to Miami on January 5th for a clash with the Hawkeyes from Iowa.  Should be a great game & something tells me that after last year's let down, a certain gentleman from North Carolina will keep their nose to the grindstone this year....