Thoughts from the Spring Game

There’s nothing new or earth shattering here, you’ve probably read similar reviews by now, but that won’t stop me from adding my two cents.  Yeah, it was the spring game and the team was split, but that doesn’t mean observations can’t be made.

Courtesty OrangeandWhite.com

• Tajh Boyd was unimpressive and inconsistent.  As Tajh goes so goes the Clemson offense.  Boyd made huge strides last year and needs to keep that momentum going in 2012.  He’s a junior on paper, but somewhere in the back of my mind “sophomore slump” (it is his second year as a starter) lurks.
• Mike Bellamy had his moments, but once again fumbled.  Still there’s no denying the talent and home run ability Bellamy provides.  I love D.J. Howard and Zac Brooks is going to be a player, but the Tigers need Bellamy to contribute.  I was criticized for saying the same thing last year, but to me it’s painfully obvious.  Oh, by the way, Bellamy averaged 6.9 yards per carry on the day.
• Brandon Ford is no Dewayne Allen, but he’ll be just fine and perhaps an All ACC Candidate.
• Is there a better group of WRs in the nation?  Amazing how Jeff Scott has gone from an idiot to a savant in two short years.  One word:  Talent.  I’ll be interested to see the position rankings when the preseason mags hit the street.  If the Clemson WRs aren’t in the top 3 in the nation, it’s a sham.
• The OL is a work in progress as it seems it is every year.  The difference is the young guys have talent.  It may take some time to grow them, but there is hope.  Injuries along the OL are always a concern and they happen every year, so developing backups is imperative.  The backups from last year saw precious little playing time and Clemson will pay for that early.
• The DL acquitted themselves fairly well, but…they were going against an average OL that was split between teams.  Still concerned here, especially with depth.
• The linebackers looked much improved.  Whether it’s Venables, his simplified scheme or simply maturity (or a combination) it was nice to see the LBs factor into many plays.
• The DBs had to play against the best receivers they will see all year and that led to some tough results.  Travis Blanks has a future ahead of him, if for no other reason than he tackled well, something that has been missing over recent years for Clemson.
• Speaking of tackling, the defense as a whole did a much better job in wrapping up and form tackling.  The Venables effect?  Who knows what will happen in truly live situations, but it was encouraging.
• Bradley Pinion was as advertised.  Let’s hope it continues when the lights are shining bright.
• Chandler Catanzaro has had a great spring by all accounts and I don’t really fault him for missing two 50 yarders at the end of the game before winning it with a 45 yarder.  However, it leaves a lingering concern about what tends to happen in the clutch.