WEEKEND REVIEW AND OTHER THOUGHTS

FRIDAY NIGHT / FAMILY NIGHT
We watched The Prince and The Frog with the kids on Friday night.  It was  a little scarier than I expected for the kids but they didn't have any ill effects from it.  It was fun to all be together on the sofa.  LA ended up the Aubrey and Wyatt and I had Ansleigh.  Wyatt didn't quite make it to the end.  If you ask Aubrey about it she will tell you about the frogs, the alligators trying to get the frogs, the men trying to get the frogs and the scary people in the house.

SATURDAY
We played a fishing game, Disney Princess card games and Candyland as I prepared for a College Football Saturday.  (Just and FYI 15 year from now when Aubrey and Wyatt are reading this blog - you did not beat me and Ansleigh at Disney Princess Dominoes or Candyland.  I was nice let you win.)

CLEMSON vs FSU

• Not much to say here...Saw this one coming after less than steller defensive weeks against AU, BS, FU...We had a chance...FSU is good and will get better, the year is still early not sure they are national championship good but they are back.  The defense is good but we put 37 on them in their house and walked out a loser that should never happen.
• We have resumed our making opposing players look like Heisman candidates
• Saturday we highlighted - EJ Manual
• Stats of the game 
• FSU - 667 yard of total offense
• FSU - EJ Manual - 380 yards passing / 102 yards rushing
• Defense is as bad/worse as last year (ranking out of 125 FBS eligible teams)
• 95 in nation total defense (85 last year)
• Giving up 443 yards per game
• 103 in nation rush defense - 207 per game
• 111 in nation yards per rush
• I was disappointed in Manual for sliding at the end of the game and for FSU for taking their foot off our throat and kneeling at the end.  They needed to go Spurier on us - our job is to stop us regardless of the time left or score.
• We have the offensive weapons to play anybody, we have defense to stop a pee wee football team
• In other news, The Chad has taken over the defensive coordinator position.

I used to have a handheld led football game as a kid.  This was when Madden was coaching the Raiders, long before Madden 2013.  It was something I would play long into the night and it was became not if you could score but how fast and how many points you could score.  As with most early video games there was a pattern and once you figured out the pattern scoring wasn't a problem.  It was just how long it was going to take.  Saturday night felt the same way and it was eerily similar to the WVU debacle in The Orange Bowl in January.  Here's my issues - tackling is horrible.  I am too the point of asking them to stop trying to tackle anyone individually, just grab  a leg, jump on the back and slow them down so someone else can help - this also assumes you can get close enough to jump on...at times this is a problem.  The quarterback run can't stop it.  Regardless of the type of coverage zone/m2m, if you don't know where the ball is your beat - turn your head around.  Keeping the play in front of you is fine except when it's 3rd down and they are constantly catching the ball at the 1st down marker or beyond in front of you.  You must be close enough to tackle them and even better make a play on the ball.  I am beginning to think open tryouts, might fine some hidden talent walking the hallways.  Can't be any worse...and don't tell me they are young.  I know they are but tackling isn't something they just learned.

Going forward we should be favored in all our games except against the boys from Columbia.  We have a lot of work between now and November 24th.  This is the hard part of our schedule - beating the teams we are supposed to beat. 

TICKETGATE

I have seen the dash cam video and read the reports of Dabo's speeding ticket.  My observation of the video is the following:

• The officer would give his mother a ticket but he had a little bit of a heart and  reduced the charges on the ticket - speeding ticket instead of reckless driving
• The officer is a gamecock fan pissed off at the world because he works in Clemson County aka Pickens County.
• Dabo deserved the ticket.  He isn't above the law.  He only a football coach.  
• Dabo got out of the car and approached the car to file a missing person's report on the 11 players on defense.
• Dabo has paid the ticket and written a letter apologizing.
• Why was Dabo driving?
• Dabo makes avg 1.95M over 6 years.
• He makes enough to hire an entourage to drive him anywhere he wants to go.  
• He could hire 39 of me or 1 Greg H
• If someone in the entourage is driving, it's a non issue...just make them disappear (I think they call it terminate, extinguish). 
• His brother in law was in the car - let him drive and this is a non issue; pay the ticket for him and his insurance increase or just say screw it, it's your brother in law.
• The officer lost his job for posting the incident report on a sports website.  I hate that for him but nothing good has ever come of an officer giving a ticket to a football coach or politician and then making a big deal about it.  I am sure it started with a phone call to a friend - guess who I just gave a ticket.   

Aubrey's 4th Birthday Party

We celebrated Aubrey's 4th birthday this past weekend.  Aubrey want a cowgirl birthday party and LA out did herself.  We had a general store full of candy for all the cowboys and girls to take home.  We had a watering hole for everyone to get their fill of drinks in their mason jar or they could grab an ice cold root beer in the bottle.  We had a city with a house, saloon, and jail.  All the cowboys and cowgirls got decked out with bandanas, badges, cowboy/girl hats and they all got to pick out their own horse from the stables.  The big attraction for the afternoon was the bucking bronco that we had brought in especially for Aubrey.  All the kids got a chance for a ride and had a blast.

We probably should have just rented a bus and taken all our city friends to Lodge.  It would have been a little easier and allowed our city friends to see the country and experience life in a small town or actually 15 minutes away from a small town.

We owe a big THANK YOU to the Wesley Ulmer family and especially Garrett for letting us use his bucking bronco and to the entire family (Wesley, Karissa, Wes, Garrett and Paige) for all the hard work they did to get the bucking bronco ready for the party.  She was beautiful.  They even bailed hay and loaded it up for us.  They went above and beyond to make this a special day for Aubrey.  Aubrey owes each of you lots of hugs and kisses and LA and I are indebted to you for the next 7 years (isn't that how it works...however, how about LA makes you mac and cheese and we call it even).

I checked the jail last night before we went to bed and Lucas was still in jail so we took him some bread and water.

The best thing for me and LA about the party was everyone that was there.  It was great to have family and friends gathered together to celebrate.  It makes us realize how lucky we are to be apart of a great family that puts an importance on gathering together and for friends that give up there time to be apart of our lives and most importantly part of our kids lives.

I am not sure when we will recover but hopefully it will be in time for Wyatt's party in March and Ansleigh's in April.  

PS - All the horses that the kids took home were handmade with lot of love by Nannie and LA

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE:

For Horse Theft

The horses were for the kids.

Clemson Vs Flordia State

This is a big game early in the season and could (will probably) decide the Atlantic Division.  It's Gameday in Tallahassee and Saturday night primetime on ABC with Brent and Herbie calling the game.

• FSU #4 vs Clemson #10
• last time FSU and CU were ranked in the top ten and played each other was 2000 when they were ranked the same and Clemson left Tallahassee with a 54-7 loss.
• FSU 771 yards of total offense - 521 through the air
• Clemson has won just once since 1992 when FSU entered ACC - 2006 on a performance for the ages by James Davis
•  Clemson has won 6 of the last 9 and last 5 in Death Valley
• Catanzaro FG kicker has 14 consecutive made field goals - tied with Obed Ariri 1980
• Clemson is undefeated with Heather Cox on sidelines and she will be their for ABC/ESPN - 4-0 and was on hand for our defeat of then 3rd ranked FSU in 2003
• FSU has outscored its first 3 opponents 173 - 3
• They have actually played 3 significantly worse teams than Clemson has faced in our first three games
• Scored more than 50 points in first 3 games
• FSU Defense vs Clemson Offense
• CU line has to bite the ankles of the front 4 (actually 7 that rotate) and slow them down
• Clemson has at least 498 yard of offense in 1st 3 games
• Clemson Defense vs FSU Offense
• Have to stop the run
• Pressure on OB Manual
• What I do like is that Clemson is a 14 point dog in early betting
• That's motivation
• It could be that FSU really is that good this year and the odds makers watched our defense
• Sometimes its easier to slay the giant than to be the giant.  In this case, I will take the role of David.  I am sending three stones to Dabo today.  They might need something a little bigger to slow them down - maybe they sould just take Howard's Rock.  

I have mixed feelings on this game.  The obvious reaction to what I have seen thus far is FSU murdering us and possibly breaking the scoreboard because we can't stop them on offense and their defense stops us cold.  Turnovers are the obviously the equalizer and CU can't give them the ball.  We have to win or that battle. A few generous gifts from FSU would be accepted.  If we can't stop the run then, my hope is that we can turn it into a shoot out and have the ball last.  I also have faith in Dabo motivating and getting the players ready for the challenge (see underdog role above).  I am thinking we turn the corner this weekend and never look back and upset #4 FSU on the road in a hostile environment and add a tombstone to the graveyard at Clemson.

Clemson Footall Recap Wk 2 and 3

I took a week off on game commentary because as I expected games 2 and 3 were exactly the same.

• Both opponents (Cardinals and Paladins) were overmatched
• Clemson's offense is potent
• Clemson's defense is impotent - against the run, against the pass 
• To be ready for prime time your defense needs to squash those teams and set the tone - the tone we set is that you can run the ball and pass the ball, Mr. Inferior team and our prayers will be answered and somehow we will keep you out of the end zone.
• Not sure this strategy is good long term
• Auburn ran the ball against us - they are terrible and Chizk is on the hot seat
• Congrats to UL Monroe on accepting their invitation to the SEC West and successfully guaranteeing no one wanting to schedule them in the future - invest your last two weekend takes wisely
• Ball State ran the ball against us
• Furman moved the ball against us
• Gave up 374, 380, 349 total yard in first three games respectively
• 4 sacks - all against AU - none against Ball State or FU - what the...
• Did you see the 61 yard field goal by Spencer Benton?  Broke the ACC record for longest FG - What a kick...

•   Sammy Watkins is back and in case you were wondering he is still fast - he is a game changer like no other

SC

• I am just an outsider but I am thinking Conner might want to consider holding the clipboard.  He was blown up by the UAB player - nice throw for TD but wow, that hurts

USC

• That was quicker than expected - thank you Stanford....Matt Barkley has inquired if the expansion draft is still an option

VT

• Beamer Ball includes a September loss to nobody U and know Pitt didn't find the time machine - they are still terrible.  They were given a gift by the scheduling gods.  

Notre Dame

• Welcome to the ACC and thanks for letting us play you in football (sarcasm) .  Since you have avoided us since 1979 when we went to South Bend and beat you 16-10.  In case you were wondering, I am not a big golden domer fan...

• Here a link to the entire game for you Greg - Clemson 16 - Notre Dame 10
• Since they are now 3-0, I don't want to be the last to say it - Notre Dame is a BCS National Championship pretender contenter.  Hopefully, this nonsense will be silenced this week.

 

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY - AUBREY ELIZABETH

It is hard to believe that Aubrey is 4 today.

More about her great Birthday Weekend will be forthcoming in a later post.  She has a special dinner to tonight with Mommy and Daddy, her friend Adi's birthday party tomorrow, and her party on Sunday.  Her party is going to be a rootn' tootn' good time at the KC Corral for all the little buckeroos.  I hear there might be a new sheriff in town and maybe even a buckn' bronco for the kids to try to ride for 6 seconds.  

While your waiting for the birthday post here's what what was happening on September 14, 2008.

7th Wedding Anniversary

Hard to believe it's already been 7 years but according to the calendar today is the day.

How Long Has It Been:

• 2,555 Days
• 3,679,200 Minutes

What do I remember about 7 years ago:

• Very little, do you know how old I am and that I have three (3) kids under the age of 4.  I am just lucky to remember what day it is and to put pants on before I walk out the door
• Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 - There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother.  There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I tolling." he asked.  This too is meaningless - a miserable business!  Two are better than one, because they have a good return of their labor:  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered,  two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  
• An answered prayer and how trusting in God will always produce good fruit 
• How lucky I was to have found someone as great as LA
• How hot it was waiting behind the doors in the church waiting to walk in - it was the final test and I knew I was committed to her because I wouldn't stand in that heat box for anyone but her - I could have left and gone to the house to get in the a/c.
• Playing golf in the morning before the wedding  
• The rehearsal dinner at Wescott Plantation with family and friends.
• See LA walk through the doors of the sanctuary (even through through a timing gaff, we  saw each other in the hallway beneath the church) - priceless
• Making a covenant with each other and God
• Exchanging rings as a sign of our love for each other
• Pictures, Pictures and more Pictures (which I am glad we now have)
• A big party to celebrate that they called a reception with all our family and friends and it was hot, hot, hot.
• 1st dance with my wife to this song

What Big Happened In The Last Year:

• We had another child on April 23, 2012 - Ansleigh Grace
• We went to Las Vegas, NV

I wouldn't change a thing over the past 7 years.  My love for LA is the same as it was that day she walked into my office (even if I did have to cut her short because of a basketball game - sometimes you have to play hard to get - wink, wink).  She's a great wife, a great mother to our 3 kids and most importantly - my best friend.

I am looking forward spending the rest of my days here on this earth with her by my side and all the adventures that we will embark upon - some planned and most that just happen.  Laughing in the good times, crying the bad and always together till the end. 

Misc Friday Thoughts

ORANGE EMPIRE

• Country Music Singer - Lee Brice (Hard To Love, A Woman Like You, Love Like Crazy)
• Born Sumter, SC
• Attended Clemson on a football scholarship as a long snapper (there's Wyatt's ticket to college)
• He has written a song for Clemson that will be used during the teams entrance

• Not a huge fan of it today but depending on it's use, I could come to like it.  The best part for me is the beginning  and the tiger roar at the end.
• As long as this video hasn't been replaced, I will be ok with it:

CLEMSON VS BALL STATE

• 2012 Home Opener For Clemson in Death Valley
• There has been a few upgrades to the stadium for 2012
• New Video Boards 
• On The Hill 
• West End Zone Corners

Photo From: http://www.clemsontigers.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=28500&PALBID=448580 

• IPTAY contributions must be down - we didn't try to set any video board records (which I have problem with - If they wanted to be average that's okay but they don't want to be average - Go big and show everyone you mean business).  It isn't as big as Jerry Jones video board in the Cowboys stadium (nothing is a big as anything in Texas anyway).  We could have at least had the biggest video board east of the Mississippi.
• I'm am sure it will be fine for my old eyes for at least a few more years   
• I am still looking on the map for Ball State, haven't found it yet.  Anybody know the capital of Ball State (keep it PG-13, fellas).
• For some reason, we schedule them on a 10 year rotation - '92, '02, '12
• Conference - Mid-American
• Mascot - Cardinals (the mean kind)
• Offense - They run a lot of plays - 96 last weekend - 596 total yards on offense 
• Defense - Gave up 26 points and 366 yard to Eastern Michigan
• Key Player - "Quake" Edwards RB
• Must contain him (we gave up 180 yards rushing to AU last week)
• CU needs to dominate teams like BS.  
• Ball St is not Savannah State (but closer to them than they are to Alabama)
• We tend to struggle/play down to level of competition (see Wofford last year) and many time lose to teams we are supposed to beat.  Hopefully, Dabo has turned the corner in this area.
• Looking for another beast mode performance from Andre Ellington, OL and DL

SC VS EAST CAROLINA

• Should be a easy victory for our friends in the state capital with or without Connor Shaw.  

GAME OF THE WEEK - Flux Capacitor/Space Continuum Bowl 

• Duke vs Stanford

LINE OF THE WEEK

• Florida State vs Savannah State - 70.5
• Take Savannah State and the points
• Two weekends - $950,000 to get killed but they are used to it.  They get killed by other similar sized FCS schools and don't get paid near that amount.
• As long as no one on SSU gets hurt it's a win, win, win. School gets the money, Opponent gets the win, players get experience and story of lifetime..."son, in 2012 I was playing for SSU and we went to Stillwater, Ok to play OSU and the next week we went to Tallahassee, FL to play FSU and we got the poop beat out of us both weekends but I will never forget the experience of playing in those stadiums, the atmosphere and crowd was awesome.  Maybe one day you will be playing for one of those big name schools...lets go outside and play some football."

PITT PANTHERS 

• Great add by the ACC - if it was the late 70's, early 80's and Hugh Greene and Dan Marino were still playing - Anybody got a time machine.

END OF SUMMER BOATING VIDEO

• Last weekend was the official end of summer and I hope everyone was safe on the water this year.
• If you haven't seen this video yet, you are in for a treat.  Hopefully, everyone is okay - always wear your life jacket and sit in the seats

Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing

There is something about old hymns that I love.  I like the new praise and worship songs but there are a few songs from the hymnal that I hope will never be lost.

One of my favorites that has been on my mind lately and one that I get excited about singing in church is Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing.  It was written by Methodist pastor and hymnist Robert Robinson in 1757 at the age of 22. It started out as a five stanza hymn but was revised to the three stanza hymn we are most familiar with today.

1. Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Hither by Thy help I'm come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, 
Interposed His precious blood.

3. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grade now like a fetter, 
Bind my wondering heart to Thee, 
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

In the first verse, it speaks of the overflowing blessing that come from our God and asks that our hearts and ears be "tuned" and for God to "teach" us so we can see all that he provides - unending grace, mercy and unending love.

The second verse mentions an Ebenezer in 1 Samuel 7:12 we find out what an Ebenezer is "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen.  He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us".  An Ebenezer is a stone of help.  It was at this place that the Israelite's repented and recommitted their hearts and minds to God and Samuel marked the place with a stone so that everyone would remember that day - their new beginning.  It is the same today for us as we wonder aimlessly living for ourselves, moving further away from God but God never leaves our side.  He continues to patiently waiting for us to come home by Jesus' "precious blood".  In those moments at difficult times or at rock bottom,  as we return our focus on Jesus and his promises and repent, he marks those times on our hearts and we those places (raising our Ebenezer) so that we will never forget that God is always with us and our source for life.

The third verse is our shout out to God to take our hearts and bind them to his - so we will never leave his presence...make His ways our ways, make His thoughts our thoughts.  It's a big plea to God because we are not perfect and "prone to wander...prone to leave the God I love"...prone as Paul wrote to do what I do not want to do.  We should start each morning praying to God "Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal for Thy courts above."

***

I changed up the music on the side bar and there are a couple of different versions of "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing" by different artists.  Take a few minutes and listen to a song written over 255 years ago - pretty sure Taylor Swifts song won't last that long.

Weekend Football Recap

It's the first weekend of the college football season and it was full of excitement:

• Kent State player recovering a punt that touched the receiving team (Towson) and for some reason being pursued and tackled by the Towson player 58 yards later - he only had 7 yards for touchdown in the other direction.  Fortunately, it's college football and you can 't advance a muffed punt.  It was entertaining and will cause him a lot of grief this weekend from his family and friends and I am sure the nickname of "Wrong Way" Parker.

• What an interception that nobody saw - UCONN v UMass

• Link To The Best College Gameday Signs From Saturday
• WV sign - you can't run from the truth - that's not going to die anytime soon is it - I will be honest and say that I thought it was funny - now burn it with your sofa
• Funniest Picture I Saw From 1st Weekend Of College Football (not sure where it came originally but retweeted by @eyeofcfb from @_blakeeddins):  Miss St Entrance

If you're not laughing at this picture you might want to go see a doctor.

• Anybody looking for a job?  I hear Houston is hiring...I am pretty sure the record for shortest term of offensive coordinator has been set - 1 game.  He was fired with cause - losing to Texas State, 1st FBS game 30 -13.

SC vs Vandy

• Survived the upset bid...1st week SEC road game - any kind of victory is accepted; gutsy performance by Shaw - he will  need to learn to slide to avoid the big hits

Clemson Vs Auburn

• Road(Neutral Field) SEC win 1st week of season - (see SC vs Vandy) I'll take it.  AU isn't Elon or Sister Mary's School of the Blind but I also realize they are not Alabama (who is - not Michigan) - we left Atlanta 1-0 and that's all that matters.
• Hats off to Dabo and staff for being prepared
• Andre Ellington - beast
• OL was better than expected but Taji still had to run for his life a couple of times
• Nuk (Sammy Who) is Sammy v2.0
• Too many dropped passes that hit receivers in hands or numbers
• Too many field goals in red zone - need touchdowns
• Defense was better than expected
• Kept them out of end zone except for busted coverage - still room for improvement
• better pass coverage on deep middle of field or anything deep

Ellington Going Beast Mode:

Game Highlights:

Clemson Vs Ball State

• Should be interesting - Two of the top offensive play from wk 1 squaring off
• Clemson - 87
• Ball State - 96

Helmet Rule

I understand the new rule but now I feel like they are going to have put a rule in for defensive players that are trying to rip a players helmet off.  If I were a defensive coach, don't cross the line (it's what we do in life - give me a limit and I will push as close as I can without crossing the line) but if you can get quarterbacks helmet off then do so.  It's almost like in wrestling when win or lose you try to unmask the masked man so everyone will know who is behind the mask.  

More later in the week...

PS - Are you still laughing at the Miss St entrance fail?  I still am!