Friday, Oct. 30, 2009

Coastal Carolina-Clemson game breakdown

Coastal Carolina (3-4) at Clemson Tigers (4-3)

Series | First meeting

Game-time weather | Partly cloudy; 83 degrees; Winds 10-15 mph.

Injuries | Coastal: QB Zach MacDowall (ankle), OL James Sims (ankle), DB Dominique Davenport (knee) and DL Quinton Davis (shoulder) are questionable; LS Jamie Perkinson (shoulder) and DL Matt Johnson (arm) are out. Clemson: TE Michael Palmer (concussion) and LB Scotty Cooper (concussion) are questionable; DB Kantrell Brown (concussion) is out.

Key number: 6.5

In two previous games against FBS opponents -- Penn State in 2008 and Kent State in this season's opener -- the Chants have given up 938 total yards of offense, an average of 6.5 yards per play. Clemson averaged 6.2 yards in its last two games, wins over Wake Forest and No. 8 Miami.

Key matchup

 Coastal's defense, ranked 41st in the FCS, faces perhaps the most daunting challenge in school history. Though Clemson is ranked just 88th nationally in total offense, the Tigers have found their groove, compiling 78 points and 792 points against the Demon Deacons and Hurricanes. Clemson features two of the nation's most electric offensive players, tailback C.J. Spiller and receiver Jacoby Ford.

Quarterback

With starter Zach MacDowall on the mend, Coastal figures to start backup Jamie Childers, whose mobility could help him avoid taking a pounding in the pocket. Clemson's Kyle Parker struggled early but has completed 60 percent of his passes over the last three weeks. Last week, he was 25-for-37 for 326 yards, three touchdowns and just one interception on the road against Miami.

Edge | Clemson

Running back

After collecting 310 total yards against Miami, some publications have started to tout Spiller once again as a Heisman Trophy contender. He leads the nation in all-purpose yards (207.9), averages 5.1 yards per carry and 14.8 per reception. Spiller has 15 runs of 10 or more yards and four of 20 or more this season. His primary backups, Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper, may carry much of the workload today.

Edge | Clemson

Wide receiver

Both teams have struggled to find consistency at the position, but Clemson's receivers haven't been nearly as detrimental to their efforts. Ford, a decorated sprinter, is one of the fastest players in the nation. He has 115 career receptions, two more than Coastal's four leading receivers this season have combined for in their careers.

Edge | Clemson

Offensive line

Coastal's offensive line faces perhaps the best defensive line it has ever seen. Coastal coach David Bennett told his players this week that, when their playing careers are over, they'll turn on the TV and see all four of Clemson's starters playing on Sundays. It might be a tough task early in the game, but the Chants desperately need to find cohesion up front after struggling the last two weeks.

Edge | Clemson

Defensive line

Clemson features one of the ACC's top defensive fronts. Ends Da'Quan Bowers (6-5, 280 pounds) and Ricky Sapp (6-5, 240 pounds) will be a handful for Coastal offensive tackles Bryan Brooks and Tim Franklin. Coastal's interior linemen also face a formidable challenge in containing tackles Brandon Thompson and Jarvis Jenkins.

Edge | Clemson

Linebacker

Clemson's trio of starters do not have eye-popping numbers, but they've been solid this season. Coastal's Andrae Jacobs is starting to earn more significant snaps at inside linebacker. The Chants have missed a bevy of tackles recently, a problem the Tigers are certainly capable of exploiting.

Edge | Clemson

Secondary

Clemson corners Chris Chancellor and Crezdon Butler will both likely have a chance to play in the NFL, but they've taken a backseat to strong safety DeAndre McDaniel, who returned to safety after playing linebacker as a sophomore in 2008. He leads in the nation -- after picking off two passes against Miami, he has seven in seven games -- in interceptions.

Edge | Clemson

Special teams

The Tigers are fifth in the nation in punt returns and 10th in kickoff returns. Spiller averages 38.3 yards per kick return and 36.4 yards per punt return. Ford also has the potential to score on any kick. Clemson kicker Richard Jackson has hit 17-of-23 field goals.

Edge | Clemson

Coaching/Intangibles

Coastal has played in the nation's largest venue, Penn State's Beaver Stadium, but Clemson's Memorial Stadium may be more intimidating. Death Valley holds 80,301 fans and will certainly be rocking today considering it's Homecoming and the Tigers are coming off a huge win over Miami.

Edge | Clemson

Pick: Clemson 56, Coastal 10

Saturday morning quarterback

Positive gains?

Coastal is highly unlikely to leave Death Valley with a victory, but that doesn't mean the Chants can't be a winner today. They will have three games left after this one and certainly need to make some significant improvements if they are going to come out of that stretch, which includes Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian and Charleston Southern, with a .500 or better record. It might be hard to find many positives against Clemson's starters, but Coastal could create some confidence, something the offense severely lacks, by making some plays late in the game.

The big stage

Coastal quarterback Jamie Childers is expected to start for the Chants today. It remains to be seen if he'll play well, but he certainly has the physical tools -- size, athleticism and arm strength -- to play quarterback at a place like Clemson.

Staying friendly

Many of Coastal's coaches are friends with members of Clemson's staff. If the game turns ugly, the Tigers might be willing to call off the dogs early, especially since Bennett is a Clemson alum.