As promised, here I be…for perhaps some fun and merriment. This year, the cartoon jingle (“oh the wonderful thing about Tiggers, is Tiggers are wonderful things”) is apt. Clemson is good, really good. I can say it out loud, because I won’t feel bad if I jinx them – I think 2013 Clemson is too good to pull a Clemson. I can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth all the way from bumf-ck South Carolina. They can just sense that I said that, and they’ve seen this movie before. They remember how spectacularly 2011 Clemson pulled a Clemson (to top all Clemsons) in West Raleigh.
I ordered a pizza, so I will be back and lethargically blogging in a few. Woohoo.
7:25 – Samantha. Ponder. Holy crap, do I ever approve. Wow doesn’t even come close to describing her. But…wow.
7:27 – Get real, dude. NOBODY says “Clemsoning” – it’s always “pulling a Clemson.”
7:31 – Joe Thuney is your left tackle. First time EVER. Talk about a tough way to break into the position.
7:32 – Nice open field tackle on the Boyd keeper.
7:34 – VERY good start by the defensive front seven. Could we force an opening punt?
7:35 – To clarify – this is a very strong Tigger OL. So be duly impressed.
7:36 – Your answer is no – at least not yet. 3rd and 16 converted, rather easily. Clemson adjusting to the pressure.
7:38 – Pack D is playing very well, but these guys are an offensive machine.
7:40 – Really long FG is…good. Still a major win for the defense, good pressure pretty much constantly. Not gonna shut these bastards out, that’s for sure. But you have to keep it under 60.
7:43 – Excellent kickoff return, past the 30. Thus enters SHB.
7:45 – Play #2 is like 50 yards on the fly sweep to Underwood. Looks like a natural running that play.
7:46 – Crap, out of bounds much earlier than I thought. SHB misses a sure TD pass to Underwood the next play.
7:47 – Pretty big downer to be punting from the Tigger 43. But a very good punt after a very bad snap.
7:49 – Arch Miller look alike sighting as we got to commercial. My Cardinals now in the 14th with the Rockies, in case anyone cares. Didn’t think so.
7:51 – Yeah, bitch. Science! (h/t Jesse Pinkman)
7:53 – Woohoo, we made them hold!
7:54 – And then we smacked them around on back-to-back plays. Heroic work by the defense and Clemson punts right back.
7:58 – PPR comes in, runs QB draw. Stop me if you’ve heard that one before.
7:59 – 4th and 2. Time to take a chance. And we shall. Here come PPR.
8:02 – Boo. Changed our minds and punted to the 6. Nice punt…but boo.
8:03 – Boyd misses a WIDE OPEN 94 yard TD pass. Whew, bullet dodged.
8:04 – But the third down throw is perfect, an “NFL scouts take notice” kinda pass. Tiggers on the march.
8:06 – Timeout stops the pick six. Though to be fair…the WR did hear the whistle and stop.
8:08 – Uh…the secondary can’t be aggressive, we’ll get burned to a crisp. As is, they are still getting open deep. Boyd just keeps missing the seam route passes.
8:14 – Defense holds again, long FG #2 is good. 6-0. Pete Kozma did his Pete Kozma thing, GIDP with bases loaded to send game into bottom of the 15th. Yay football, boo baseball.
8:20 – Big pass play to Shadrach, and the offense is starting to show life. Cards lose in 15.
8:21 – Two passes to Smith and well inside FG range, looking for more.
8:22 – Now inside the 20, nice run by PPR. Clemson flat footed this drive.
8:23 – Touchdown, Shadrach and the Wolfpack will TAKE THE LEAD. Wow!!!! Crowd is louder than Samantha Ponder’s unfortunate pants (h/t Wufpacker).
8:26 – Whether it lasts or not, it’s great to type NC State 7, Clemson 6.
8:31 – Big third down, inside Pack 40. HUGE.
8:32 – Boyd airmails it, Clemson to try REALLY long FG. Scratch that, pooch punt, touchback by a few inches.
8:35 – Clemson is clearly shaken. The more doubt that creeps in, the better.
8:37 – SHB is playing really, really well. But the frosh WR can’t stay inbounds long enough to cross the 30. Punting time. And oh, how I hate delay of game on a f-cking punt.
8:39 – Worst part of the day (even more than Cards’ loss) – Samantha Ponder is sporting a ring. Boo. To paraphrase Louis CK on the hypothetical encounter – it would be the best thing to ever happen to me, and CLEARLY the worst thing for her.
8:41 – Tiggers punt right back. Boyd is having one of those nights.
8:46 – Offenses have gone into hibernation. That favors us, obviously.
8:50 – Finally a guy wide open enough (Watkins, somehow) that Boyd can’t possibly miss. Still throws a horrid duck, though. Tiggers across the 30 now.
8:51 – Chefs kicking the monkeyshit out of the Iggles.
8:54 – 4th and 1…going for it…the red sea parts. Could be huge for Boyd’s psyche.
8:55 – Awful throw, but the TE catches it for six. 13-7, Tiggers. Still a great half for us, and we will have plenty of time for one last drive. Just don’t turn it over.
8:58 – Give dopey credit for being aggressive and not settling for three.
8:59 – Gutsy, perfect throw by SHB. Quietly having a great game. Pack over midfield.
9:01 – Moving backwards now. Not looking good at all for more points. Still, Sade has a big leg. Just need 20 yards in next two plays.
9:03 – We got 2 instead.
Your halftime score – Clemson 13, NC State 7.
9:26 – We shall get the ball first. Critical to at least get a few first downs, methinks. Keep Clemson on their heels a bit.
9:29 – I just realized that if we ever get disenchanted with our playcalling, we can break into a rousing chorus of “Blame Canada!”
9:31 – We go three and out, but force Clemson to do the same. Boyd still lousy.
