Swinney uses extra class space to fulfill scholarship promises

Here are several reasons Clemson is content to have a smaller football signing class this year:
At tonight’s (Thursday) Orangeburg Touchdown Club meeting, coach Dabo Swinney reportedly said a pair of walk-ons – receiver Terrance Ashe and kicker Spencer Benton — will be put on scholarship next year.
For Ashe, a 6-2 redshirt sophomore from Cheraw, it’s [...]

Is Maryland trainwreck good or bad for Clemson?

Wow, it’s really starting to get ugly for Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams.
And not just because the Terps lost by 41 last weekend at Duke, the largest loss of Williams’ 19-year tenure. Or that Maryland gagged down the stretch Wednesday night at home against Boston College, dropping the team to 2-4 in the ACC – [...]

Purnell sticking with same starting lineup

Oliver Purnell met with a few reporters Tuesday afternoon to preview the Virginia Tech game. Here are a few notes:
Despite the fact sophomore big man Jerai Grant started the second half against Georgia Tech and showed out, senior Raymond Sykes will continue to start.
“A lot of things go into making a decision like that,” Purnell [...]

Viewing FB recruiting by the numbers

QB Tajh Boyd of Hampton, Va., could commit to Clemson during a 5 p.m. news conference Tuesday. Boyd has committed to West Virginia, Tennessee and perhaps Oregon during the recruiting process, too. And by signing day, he might have given as many pledges as Clemson has signees.
In the Q & A we ran Sunday with [...]

Purnell eyeing more Booker, Baciu (and a late Stitt update)

Basketball coach Oliver Purnell said today (Friday) the staff plans to give 7-2 freshman center Catalin Baciu a “long look” at practice with an eye on working Baciu into the first-half rotation.
The Tigers return to action Sunday against Georgia Tech (7:45 p.m., Littlejohn Coliseum), and Purnell allowed the next few days will be a balancing [...]

Booker a tad miffed at lack of opportunities

Some quick post-game UNC notes and thoughts.
That’s the fourth straight game Clemson’s offense has sputtered, and I think it all centers around the inability to get forward Trevor Booker the ball in the low post.
Sometimes, such as against Wake, the problem is as much Booker’s fault’s as anyone. He tends to not hold his post [...]

UNC gameday forecast

President Barack Obama knew it was time to call for change earlier this year when he was whistled for a charge and, despite rules about player-control fouls, Tyler Hansbrough was awarded two foul shots at the other end.
Gotta love former SI writer Tim Crothers’ lede to his ACC Sports Journal story about tonight’s Clemson/UNC game.
If [...]

Ford, Butler gave NFL some thought

A note that didn’t make it into the coverage following RB C.J. Spiller’s decision last Thursday to return for his senior season:
Talked briefly with receiver Jacoby Ford and corner Crezdon Butler, two of the four other juniors who requested a draft projection from the NFL’s Advisory Committee.
Both Ford and Butler said they actually gave some [...]

Wake Forest gameday forecast

To be honest, I’m kinda glad Wake Forest beat Boston College late Wednesday night.

It only increases the magnitude of what should be a pulsing atmosphere in Littlejohn Coliseum come Saturday.

No. 10 Clemson and No. 2 Wake Forest are two of just the three remaining unbeaten Division I teams (No. 1 Pittsburgh being the [...]

Spiller announces his return, word for word

Here’s the transcript of C.J. Spiller’s press conference today in which he announced he was returning for his senior season.

It was a pretty stunning scene. About 25 teammates were on hand, and all of them I spoke to afterward thought he was gone to the NFL. The place erupted when Spiller disclosed his decision, [...]