ACC Preview: Clemson Tigers
July 20th, 2008 by Matthew Melton
That Clemson Tiger offense that you enjoyed so much in 2007, well it’s practically all back in 2008. For die-hard Tiger fans dead-set on seeing their team in the ACC Championship game, that’s a good thing. For fantasy footballers, it depends on who you pluck from the Tigers.
Quarterback Cullen Harper led the ACC in passing efficiency in 2007. With such continuity on offense, he should once again have a strong season. However, it should be noted that Harper threw only 6 interceptions in his first season as a starter. Turnovers have a way of bounding up and down throughout a players career, based on arbitrary bounces and random chance. Harper should once again be one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC, yet he may not match last year’s stats.
The running back tandem of James Davis and CJ Spiller is good for the Tigers, but bad for fantasy owners. Neither player had a spectacular season-Davis had 1064 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns while Spiller had 768 yards rushing and 5 total touchdowns. Spiller is the more accomplished receiver, catching 34 balls to Davis’ 12. The main point is that since they split carries, neither is a fantasy star. If one of the tandem gets hurt, be sure to act quickly to pick up the other. However, drafting one to start for you out of the gate is not a prudent move.
Clemson’s best value is likely receiver Aaron Kelly. Kelly caught 88 balls (a lot of bubble screens) last season and totaled 1,081 yards (tops in the ACC). His 11 touchdowns also led the league. After Kelly, the Tigers have another solid receiver in Tyler Grisham (653 yds). At tight end, the Tigers offer almost no production. Michael Palmer had only 13 receptions last season.
Quite simply, the kicking game lacks accuracy. Mark Buchholz making only 22 of 36 field goals last season pretty much sums it up. However, with a team that figures to score a lot of points, PATs should be a frequent occurrence.
Defensively, the Tigers should be strong yet again. They have held opponents under 21 points per game the past 5 seasons. Plus, with no defensive touchdowns last season, one figures the Tigers are due to erase that goose egg in 2008. Special teams is where Spiller really shines, taking two kickoffs to the house in 2007. The return game should be solid once again in 2008.
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