Practice Notes

Swinney has challenged Clemson fans to show up for the spring game this weekend. In keeping with this stupid theme, theres going to be an "All-In" bucket at each gate for the furlough fund.

Wednesday was the last full contact practice before the spring game, and the offense tore the defense up again, which is not supposed to happen in spring ball.

Wideout
Dabo has named the top 4 WRs: Ashe, Dye, M.Jones and Jacoby Ford. Brandon Ford had the best scrimmage saturday, and is mostly fixed to 2nd (Pride) team, but he's in his first spring. Jones was an early enrollee last spring.

Signal-Caller
While acknowledging there is separation between the QBs, both Napier and Swinney have carefully neglected to say, in interviews this week, in which direction that might be. The coaches readily admit Korn has mechanical flaws and must fix that slow release, and have said that all 3 have had great practices (Wade actually had the best stats last weekend, Parker had the best day monday). Its going to come down to August. Korn and Parker will be on different teams this weekend for the game.

Coach Rumph and Coach Pearman will be the two coaches for the Orange/White game.

OT
JK Jay has gotten all his snaps at RT and for now he'll stay there. It may still be Lambert at 2nd string, who has gotten alot of reps at 1st team instead of Walker. Hairston has locked down LT, and Jamarcus Grant has been getting the reps backing him up. Speaking of Walker, Pearman said this:

"We're still trying to find a right tackle, nobody wants to step up and take the job."

Then he was asked about TE Dwayne Allen, who was the most highly recruited TE on this roster.

"Dwayne has had an ok spring. He needs to finish strong this week. He has a lot to work on. He's got some ability, but has a lot of things to work on, especially at the point of attack and blocking."

"He's athletic. We really have to use him as a weapon for us. And he's got to play, but you can't be handicapped by playing him. He's got to be able to handle all the plays, the run and pass game, and that's going to take some time and coaching," said Pearman. "You'd hope he could make an impact (this fall), but you can't say until you get there. It'll be up to him, a lot of it."

Allen has shown flashes in passing situations, but his blocking is inadequate. When asked this afternoon after practice, Coach Swinney said this:

Up front offensive line wise, we're much, much improved. And I'm very proud of what coach Pearman and what coach Scott are doing with those guys. Those guys are buying in to what we want to do as well.

With CJ and Jacoby missing most of practice due to track, Ellington has taken the opportunity to impress the coaches more than anyone else.

The defense continued its up & down performance this spring by playing very poorly in Wednesday's practice, after having a few good days lately. Swinney said this today to reporters:

"Defensively, probably the first day that I've come off the practice field and been a little disappointed. I didn't think they came ready to play until it was 21-0. And you can't show up at 21-0. You have to show up when it's zero-zero. But they did respond. That's the good thing. We had a couple of really, really dumb penalties that cost us the ball game, but overall pleased with where we are in spring ball. Defensively I think we've had a great, great spring. But today was a little disappointing for me.

Perhaps the cross-training for the LBs is contributing to their confusion. You have to teach WILL and SAM the same things because the offense flips formation strengths so easily by putting men in motion, and you cant just flip your LBs because that gives away the coverage. In the player comments I've seen in places, they do seem a little confused about what to do, because they're all being taught things for either MIKE and WILL or SAM and MIKE.

Thankfully we look ok in the defensive backfield.

Baseball chokes
Clemson blew yet another lead in the 9th, this time Casey Harman lost it for us against Sakerlina 7-6. We did beat the Cluckers tonight though, no meltdown.