Clemson’s kicking demons hanging around

By Bob Wilson  |   Wednesday, October 11, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

Clemson Tigers
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It's hard to find fault in a team ranked 12th in the country, but the Clemson Tigers must improve their special teams play if they expect to keep winning. They have winless Temple on the schedule this Thursday, but Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are looming thereafter.

In what is turning into a recurring nightmare for coach Tommy Bowden, the kick coverage, field goal and punt return teams all were awful again Saturday. The Tigers allowed a 90-plus-yard return on the opening kickoff and then chose to squib every other kickoff. That strategy allowed the Demon Deacon to start at their own 35-yard line or better every time.

Jad Dean had another kick blocked, the fifth game in his last six that at least one of his kicks has been blocked. Fortunately for Tiger fans, the kick managed to wobble over the crossbar. His extra points, although good, were ugly. John Early, a sophomore walk-on, will compete with Dean for the kicking job this week in practice.

Another area of concern is the punt return team. Jacoby Ford looks like a freshman when he goes back to field punts. For some reason, he refuses to catch most of the punts and allows them to bounce and roll toward the goal line.

Wake Forest was able to down three punts inside the Tiger 5-yard line when a fair catch would have saved valuable yardage. This has been an ongoing problem for the return men. Ford has shown his blazing speed and already returned a punt and kickoff for 90-plus-yard touchdowns, but he isn't a weapon if he won't catch the ball.

Oddly enough, the Wake Forest game turned on a special teams gaffe by the Deacons. After a muffed snap on a field goal attempt, the holder attempted to run with the ball rather than falling on it. All-American candidate Gaines Adams knocked the ball loose, caught it in mid-air and sprinted to the end zone for the first Clemson touchdown. The great individual play provided a spark for the team, allowing it to overcome its own special teams errors.

The Tigers will roll all over Temple, but they need to use the game to correct their special teams problems and smooth out the passing game. One thing is for sure, they ought to get plenty of opportunities to work on kickoff coverage.

Get daily Clemson Tigers coverage at RealFootball365.com
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