Clemson week, Spiller, Gilmore
I know not everybody was in favor of moving the USC-Clemson game to Thanksgiving weekend a few years back, but I think it’s great.
It’s basically a three-day work week for most folks, followed by a holiday that celebrates caloric indulgence, a day to recover, and then on to the biggest football Saturday in the state.
What’s not to love?
OK, so it’s not great if you’re going out of town for Thanksgiving. But come on, hasn’t everyone had enough family by Friday? Leave Tuesday, get back by Friday, and get up early for the noon kickoff.
In the spirit of cold turkey and stuffing, a couple of early Thanksgiving-week leftovers:
–Did you see the comments from USC special teams coordinator Shane Beamer last week about kicking the ball to C.J. Spiller? The Tigers do make it hard on teams by positioning Jacoby Ford and Andre Ellington in front of Spiller.
But I think that’s where I’d be kicking it, and it would help if Adam Yates can get some hang time on those kicks.
The Gamecocks’ coaches will walk a fine line this week of making sure players are aware of Spiller’s skills and the various ways the Tigers use him, but they don’t want to put him on too high a pedestal.
Said Beamer: “We haven’t faced anybody like him, but you can’t sit there and make him out to be unstoppable, either.”
–Had a chance to spend some time with Stephon Gilmore’s family last week for a Sunday feature. Everyone in the family obviously thinks a lot of Gilmore.
But so do other folks. There was a quote from South Pointe coach Bobby Carroll that didn’t make it into the story, but I thought was telling – especially with the holidays approaching.
“He’d call you on Christmas Eve and wish you a merry Christmas,” Carroll said. “He’d call you on New Year’s Eve and wish you a happy New Year.”
Carroll also said he never saw Gilmore drink a soda. After games the team would have a cooler of Cokes. But Gilmore would have a sports drink, juice or water.
Wonder if he’ll pass on the pumpkin pie?
7 Comments to “Clemson week, Spiller, Gilmore”
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USC football beat writer Joe Person has covered the Gamecocks since the start of the 2002 season. He's been on the college football beat since 1993. 
SPILLER HAS DONE ALOT FOR CLEMSON ITS NOT GOOD HE IS A SENIOR
coleman, I have two things for you. First, your caps lock is on. Second, your comment doesn’t make any sense.
[...] game should be moved to the front of the teams’ schedules.7. This writer disagrees and likes the post-Thanksgiving timing of the rivalry.8. In basketball news, Dominique Archie’s knee injury is a sprain, but that’s much [...]
what Coleman meant was.. SPILLER HASN’T DONE ALOT FOR CLEMSON IT’S GOOD HE’S A SENIOR.
Joe, how did you like Spurrier ripping you a new one today at HIS press conference? You stink!
This game will be a tribute a lot of talent on the field. the result will be who has found this in-state-rivalry to be a serious matter and not just another competitive game on the schedule. Another game on the schedule always loses this event.
The Shot Doctor
Wow, has it really been 34 years since QB Jeff Grantz directed that 56-point beat down on Clemson in what still ranks as the greatest individual performance in the long rivalry’s history? I’m starting to feel like a geezer.