Clemson making the same mistake WVU did?

[Bluefield_Rules 46]

The situations are very familiar. WVU hired Stewart following huge, blowout win in the Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma. Clemson hires Dabo Swinney after huge, blowout win over in-state rival South Carolina. WVU players lobbied hard for Stewart to be hired, several saying they’d come back to school if Stewart was H.C. Clemson players lobbied hard for Swinney with several, including CJ Spiller, saying they’d come back to school if he was named H.C.

 

So the question is, like WVU did Clemson jump the gun with this hire? Although, Clemson did interview several candidates for the position before making the decision. Can Swinney recruit the caliber of players that Clemson needs and can he lead a program as the head coach?

[Grundy10 10]

Not the same situation in my opinion. Swinney took over mid season and had more than one game under his belt before the decision was made. Stewart was hired after one game as head coach, a game in which he had weeks to prepare.

[Guest JJBrickface]

Its still too early to tell if WVU's hire was a mistake. This was the first year for practically a brand new coaching staff. With a great recruiting class coming in the future still looks pretty good for WVU, just have to see how it goes the next few years. As for Swinney I dont know much about him but he did end the season well.

[hokie07 11]

Not the same situation in my opinion. Swinney took over mid season and had more than one game under his belt before the decision was made. Stewart was hired after one game as head coach, a game in which he had weeks to prepare.

 

I see it this way too. Plus, Swinney isn't walking into a job where there is a tremendous amount of pressure to become the top dog. In Stewart's case, he came aboard when WVU was on the top of the world; Heisman candidates, BCS bowl wins, etc. and was expected to uphold that trend. Swinney is taking over a program who is still trying to get on track. Despite the preseason hype that Clemson receives each year, they are still trying to get in the national spotlight. Clemson has the room to almost "test the waters" with Dabo. If he fails, then he just joins the club. Contrary to WVU, they don't have as much to lose in a emotional hire like this.

[Guest JJBrickface]

I see it this way too. Plus, Swinney isn't walking into a job where there is a tremendous amount of pressure to become the top dog. In Stewart's case, he came aboard when WVU was on the top of the world; Heisman candidates, BCS bowl wins, etc. and was expected to uphold that trend. Swinney is taking over a program who is still trying to get on track. Despite the preseason hype that Clemson receives each year, they are still trying to get in the national spotlight. Clemson has the room to almost "test the waters" with Dabo. If he fails, then he just joins the club. Contrary to WVU, they don't have as much to lose in a emotional hire like this.

 

i guess that is a picture of Stinespring in your profile. lol I didn't watch all of the VT UVA game but from what I did see he called a decent game. EXCEPT on the 4th and goal where Boone kept it. I saw that coming from a mile away. It may not have been bad if Boone just took it straight up, but the fake just allowed the D to penetrate. Horrible call.

[hokie07 11]

i guess that is a picture of Stinespring in your profile. lol I didn't watch all of the VT UVA game but from what I did see he called a decent game. EXCEPT on the 4th and goal where Boone kept it. I saw that coming from a mile away. It may not have been bad if Boone just took it straight up, but the fake just allowed the D to penetrate. Horrible call.

 

Haha, you're right. It is Stinespring in my avatar, and the 4th down call was ridiculous. Why you would put a 280 lb. guy 4 yards behind the line to receive a snap and then fake a hand off is beyond me. All Boone would have to do is take the snap under center and fall forward in order to be in the endzone. Touchdown. But that's Brian Stinespring at his best.

[VTCC22 10]

I agree with that completely, but I also think Boone made a poor decision. After watching that play, Boone should have just handed the ball off to Dyrell Roberts. Any quarterback is taught that if you see a blitz when you are trying to run the play-action, hand the ball off. I find it very hard to blame Stinespring for that one. I will blame Stinespring, however, for putting Boone in the game just to run a QB draw. Yeah he did pass the pass once, but UVa was smart enough to know what Boone was coming in the game to do. Thats why on that 4th and Goal play Uva did not even bother to hide the fact that they were blitzing. This cames right back to where I said Boone should have handed the ball off. Roberts had a clear path to the endzone on that play because the blocking was definitely there.

[bhs7695 185]

I didn't have a problem with the call on fourth down. It was the play I wanted them to run. The problem I had was the timeout called to get that play in there. The timeout is what screwed the whole thing up. I looked as my buddy beside me and said that the timeout just cost VT a touchdown when the whistle blew. It allowed UVA to change some people and everyone in the Commonwealth of Virginia (and probably Iraq & Russia) knew what play was going to be run.

 

The Wild Turkey formation should have already been decided on before the third down play was run. The staff showed lack of preparation IMO.

[GMan 3,569]

It was a terrible play call period...even BS admitted so on Hokie Hotline Monday night...

[Deleted Account 5,203]

I see it this way too. Plus, Swinney isn't walking into a job where there is a tremendous amount of pressure to become the top dog. In Stewart's case, he came aboard when WVU was on the top of the world; Heisman candidates, BCS bowl wins, etc. and was expected to uphold that trend. Swinney is taking over a program who is still trying to get on track. Despite the preseason hype that Clemson receives each year, they are still trying to get in the national spotlight. Clemson has the room to almost "test the waters" with Dabo. If he fails, then he just joins the club. Contrary to WVU, they don't have as much to lose in a emotional hire like this.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[bhs7695 185]

It was a terrible play call period...even BS admitted so on Hokie Hotline Monday night...

 

Kick a Field Goal or run "The Naked" with Tyrod then?

[GMan 3,569]

Or just run a frickin' QB sneak with a 280lb QB...all he needed was a little push by Shuman and Render up front and he's in the 'zone...

[Deleted Account 5,203]

Or just run a frickin' QB sneak with a 280lb QB...all he needed was a little push by Shuman and Render up front and he's in the 'zone...

 

It's not like Groh/Pruett were going to run a 3-4 in that situation and let Boone tiptoe into the endzone, either. The TD's far from automatic at the 1-yard line. The play call itself was the problem, though, and very reminiscent of what Mike Groh did against Clemson. Never, ever, ever line up in a Shotgun formation on a 4th-and-1, and ESPECIALLY with a player that will only run the ball. "Engage Eight" was the easiest call of the game in that situation. Certainly gave me false hope.