With Christmas right around the corner, we all have something we’re hoping for this season. If you’re a fan of the Clemson Tigers, you probably got your big wish when Clemson stomped South Carolina 35-17 a few weeks ago. But, there’s always room for improvement, and there’s definitely a few things Tiger fans would like to get from Jolly Old St. Nicholas this December.
1) A fully healed Deshaun Watson: The freshman star will miss the Tigers’ bowl game with Oklahoma due to surgery on a torn ACL. While Watson dazzled fans during his first year, he fought through injuries. Here’s hoping that Watson recovers fully from his surgery and can have an injury free career.
2) Better OL Play: All year, OL was a weak link for Clemson that hurt the Tigers often. For Clemson to have any kind of constancy on offense, they need a solid push up front.
3) Another Chicken Kickin’: Clemson has another chance to beat rival South Carolina-on the hardwood. Friday December 19, the Tigers head to Columbia to take on Frank Martin’s squad. Clemson will be looking for it’s 3rd straight win in the series, and looking to improve to 4-0 against the SEC on the year. The Tigers have wins over LSU, Arkansas, and Auburn.
4) Rod Hall to become a scorer: Senior point guard Rod Hall tied his career high points in a game by dropping 20 in a home win over Auburn Sunday. For the Tigers to keep up this run and make some noise in the ACC, they’ll need someone to provide a spark to the offense, and Hall has shown to have the potential to do just that.
5) An Offensive Coordinator: Chad Morris has taken over the reigns as the head coach for SMU, so Clemson is trying to replace him. For the Russell Athletic Bowl, wide receivers coach Jeff Scott and running backs coach Tony Elliot have been promoted to co-offensive coordinators. Elliot will be calling the plays from the box during the game. If they prove that they can handle the job, then there is no reason why it wouldn’t be them, but if they can’t get the job done, Clemson may look elsewhere.
6) A WIN: Clemson has won it’s last 2 bowl games against a pair of college football’s royalty. In 2012, Clemson finished the season with a Chick Fil A bowl win over LSU, and last season the Tigers defeated Ohio State in the Orange Bowl. Playing Oklahoma gives the Tigers a chance at a third win against a historic program. The last time these two teams met, Clemson beat Oklahoma in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, so Tiger fans are hoping history repeats itself. For Defensive Coordinator Brent Venebles, this game is personal, because he came from Oklahoma to coach at Clemson. Middle Linebacker Kellen Jones followed Venebles by transferring to Clemson from Oklahoma, so he would also love a win against his former team.
