Joining us now to kick off the Happy hour. Our good friend Will Vandervoord from the Clemson Insider, who had a double header double header duty up there in Pittsburgh this weekend. What's up, my friend? Not better than you, I'll tell you that you had one of the greatest sports weekends I can imagine. We'll get to the Steelers in a minute. Will, by the way, covers the Clemson Tigers for the Believe in Clemson Football podcast and the
Clemson Insider dot com. And he was there in attendance at Akroschure Stadium covering uh what I can just describe as a gritty win by Clemson, and then he stuck around maybe uh maybe camped out in the stadium. I don't know this roomy and really you saw his from what I understand. That was your third Steelers game of the year. Undefeated, undefeated, right, undefeated?
Actually yeah, three and zero? Uh, I need the start this season. Which was another game where the Steelers didn't score touchdowns. Then I went to but they won. Then I went to Denver. Yeah we two. They only scored one touchdown in that game. And then I went to U this game on Sunday and they did score touchdown, but they won. And by the way, so me and my friend Sam and his girlfriend Sonya shout out to Bill. They were with me and my brother was with me
also this week with the Ravens game. But the three of us were in Atlanta, no touchdowns, Steelers one. Then the three of us were in Pittsburgh, no touchdowns and Steelers one. It's the first time in franchise history the Steelers have won two games in the same season without scoring a touchdown. And I was out both of them with my buddy Sam and his girl friends Sonya.
Did the Steelers to my knowledge, don't do they have a mascot.
They do not have one that's on the field.
Who needs to Van Dervoort needs to get a good team. That just a big, a big mascot ahead of Will Vanderbilt. Yeah, and a steel outfit with Will VanderBurg with the grime and dirt on his hands. That's right, getting the dirty work done. Well. We'll talk to Steelers here in a minute.
But man, what a win it was for Clemson. Look, let's start just with Kate Clubnick in that amazing fifty yard run at the end of the game, and you couple that with the fact that they had to do it that way because the offensive line was in shambles from injuries, guys rotating it out. Antony Williams with a big game, TJ. Parker with a monstrous game, but what an effort at the end by Clubnick and the growth of this quarterback continues.
Yeah, I mean, just a very It was a design quarterback draw and I got to get also give a shout out, and I believe it was Trent Howard the other day that said that at the line of scrimmage, Ryan Linticum, he's the one who called the blocking scheme that allowed Clubnick to get open. He saw something, he changed it up at the last second before they snapped the ball, and obviously it worked what he saw does It allowed Kay to have a nice lane to go through.
And then also shout out to TJ. Moore too, because Cade talked about how you know he when cut when he started to cut outside, he saw TJ. Moore had taken the guy and taken him to the right and up the field, which took him straight out to play. It was a great blockdown field by the freshman wide receiver that allowed Cad just have one guy to beat and that was the safety, and he beat him and
screwed it up the sideline for the touchdown. So it was a cad made the play, but it was a bunch of other guys that helped him make the play obviously at the same time. And they all made it when they needed to the most. And John I said this, I've said this a couple of times now. Clemson doesn't win the Virginia Tech game last week, nor the Pittsburgh game last year. If this was last year's team, they don't win either one of these games. But this is
a different team. It shows you how far they've come because it's a lot of the same players that played last year when they lost that MT State and they played like that. He couldn't make a play when they needed to when they lost at Miami and couldn't make a play against the backup quarterback and backup running back, and they couldn't make a play. Well this year, they didn't play great in either one of those games, but they found a way to win in the end, and
that's all that matters. But like you said, it shows the progression of not only their young quarterback, but of this team and this program as well.
It does show a lot of growth, will vanevert when you look at what they went through last year and a lot of what they went through the last few years with some of the adversity, and obviously last year being the prime example of just self inflicted mistakes and the inability to overcome. Like the NC State game comes to mind, we'll get your thoughts on an NC State
grad who had a moment on Sunday, Peyton Wilson. I know you were front and center to see that here momentarily, but yeah, you look at the defensive side of the ball. I mean TJ. Parker Man, I'm just watching that game and he is flashing everywhere. Four sacks, four and a half tackles for loss, making some history there as a Clemson pass rusher. I mean, you're in attendance for that game. It's got to be mind boggling to just watch what you're seeing there against a very sound unit in pit.
Well, I knew he had a great game because he was like in the backfield the whole day and he was making tackles and everything, and so I knew he had a great game. I didn't realize he had a record day you know what I'm saying until I read my game notes, so I'm like, holy man, he had a great He had a record game that game, you know, because when he made the plays there at the end that gave him that allowed him to tie the record
and set the record. You know, that was you know, that was at the end of the game because people weren't really talking about it because you're talking about the end of the game, right so you know, so you really didn't know that was going on because of what was happening in a moment. And but what a great game by him. He's been playing with Listen, TJ. Parker's played well all year. He's just been getting double team and I think what you saw the reason he was
able to play as well as he did. Now, Fifthburgh had some injuries on the offensive line as well. You got to understand that. But I think the growth of kay Deenhoff and a growth of Jahine Lawson at d event helped because they moved Peter Woods inside. He played
ninety five percent of that game at defensive tackle. And those two ends really grew up and have grown up, and they showed that in that game where they were actually getting in the backfield themselves and Pittsburgh had to adjust to that, and so it wasn't just chipping on on on, you know, TJ. Park of the whole game and stuff like that. So that allowed him to be PJ.
Parker and he you know, right now, he's second in the ACC and sacks and he's second in the ACC tackles were lost, and he's one of the best in the country at getting to the quarterback. And I think you're going to see that continue to be the case because you're seeing growth of those other two defensive ends on the other side, and that's allowing you know, TJ. Parker to get to make some plays now where early in the season he wasn't able to do that because of how teams were defending him.
Well. Vandervoord, Clemson insider and also the host of the Believe in Clemson Football podcast, is our guest here. We'll talk Steelers with him in a minute. He's a Steeler fanatic. But Clemson moved up three spots in the College Football playoff rankings. Uh, what's your take on that and what's the path forward for Clemson as you understand it in terms of ACC Championship possibilities.
Yeah, I mean, Clemson's only pack in the College Football Playoff is to get into the AC championshgain win it. I mean, they're not. Clemson's not going to get in that large bid. We know that by now. This is it's heavily favored to the Big ten and SEC and it's going to be this way for years to come, which is why Clinton needs to leave the ACC because it's just not fair right now for if you're not
in those two conferences. With that said, though, just talking about this year in general, you know, right now, Miami, the scenarios of this. You know, Miami will if they lose one of these next two. It doesn't matter which one. Clemson's in, m Okay, because Clemson's in the clubhouse. They finished. They're they're sitting in the eighteenth t eighteenth hole in the clubhouse. They finished, you know why. You know, Miami and uh and and them were on the seventeenth hole.
So at the clubhouse hoping for the best.
Yeah, so they're on the seventeenth hole and then and so the pressure is on those two teams to finish, right because Clemson's in and Clinton knows where it's at. So you know Miami if they lose one of these next two games, Clemson's in and I want I'm interested how Miami handles the pressure. I'll tell you this much, guys. I'm glad and say, now, okay, Clinton's gonna be the
Nation Championship game. And I'm so confident I'm gonna fill out my credential for Nations Championship plone with you, guys. And here's why Miami will lose one of these next two games. Because the ball doesn't lie. And everybody who knows ball knows Miami had no business winning that Virginia Tech game that they were given that game. And everybody who knows ball knows Miami has no business winning that California game that they were given that game too. And that's not a very good defense.
That's Syracuse game that that's the one I'm looking at. That's the word friend.
Well, I'm looking at too. I don't think Wake Forest. I think Force is gonna move the football on them and score on them. But I don't think White Forest can hang with them. Uh in a in a in a you know, shootout. Weird.
A lot of weird things happen in Syracuse, says you know that is an awkward place to play in. Fran Brown's doing a hell of a job at the football team.
It's good team, so you know, I think that's where it's going to happen. And you know it's gonna be on the road. They're gonna be everybody's gonna be against them. You know. I just and I just don't think ball lies. I just don't think it lies. And I think everybody knows Crimson should be in that championship game and not Miami. I think everybody to a man knows that, and and and I think it will happen. Now Crimpson didn't mess up.
They had their own opportunities. Just you know, if they don't mess up against Louisville, they're playing in the AC championship game. So that is what it is. But I'm confident Miami's gonna lose because they don't deserve to be in. They don't. They're not the best team in the ACC. And I don't care what anybody says that they're not. Their defense is not very good at all. I think their defense is giving up Clo the forty points the game and almost five hundred yards the game in act play.
That's how bad it is. Okay, it is not a very good defense, and their offense now is great, don't get me wrong. You know, I think I think cam Board is the best quarterback in the league, and I think they got one of the best running backs in the country as well. But they're just not They're not very good on the defense side of the ball, and I don't it's a team game, it's not a one unit game, and I think that's gonna cost them in the end. So yeah, you know, so that's one scenario.
The other scenario is the you know, it's the less likely of the ones. Now. If if SMU loses their next two games, then Clemson's in there as well. But I don't see SMU losing both of those games. I mean, they could, you know, I mean, is a tough team.
Tony Elliott has the opportunity to be the most cleansing man ever this weekend.
Yes he does. And it went surprised me to see Virginia beat him because SMU has been flirting with disaster the last couple of weeks. You know, I say, you go back to last week's game or they almost they should have probably lost to Boston College. You can make a strong argument, and then they definitely should have lost the duke. You know, so they've kind of been flirting with disaster as well, but I think they I just
don't see them lose. They're too consistent, you know, They've been too consistent throughout the season where I don't see them losing back to back games. But if they lose to Virginia, Okay, now here's how Clemson can get in. If SMU loses to Virginia, if Louisville loses to Pitt which is a possibility, and and Virginia, I mean Virginia wins the SMU game and Louisville loses the PIT and then Virginia next week beats Virginia Tech, there will be a three way tie for first place in the ACC.
Miami automatically goes Clemson goes over SMU because Clinton's would have beaten a team with a better conference record in Virginia. So that's how Clemson would get in over SMU. And that's so there's two scenarios out there, or three scenarios. One is more likely, that's Miami. The other two are not as likely, but you got to follow it. Hey, my Steeler's gotten in the playoffs with less likely chances
the last few years, and so anything can happen. You know, I'll never say it's over till it's over.
Will Let's let's get some Steelers talk in here. The Steelers, they're in a pretty unique place as far as quarterback play goes. Obviously, Russell Wilson with that deep moonball, it's beautiful, but you've also got Russell or excuse me, you've also got Justin Fields in there. I've heard chirp and chatter through some of the people in Pittsburgh that cover this team talking about Justin Fields down there in the red zone, dialing.
Up some packages for Justin Fields.
How do you feel about that and utilizing him there like not not just in the red zone. But we kind of saw, you know, in Sunday's game against the Ravens where he rushed for that to try and get that first down. Obviously he slid a little early, didn't get the first down, but dialing up some packages for Justin Fields, you got him, may as well use him.
Yeah, I'll remind you that Justin. The Steelers weren't very good in the red zone with Justin Fields with the.
Quarterback right he did have his legs though.
Yeah, but I hear it, I get it. But I think you're better with Russell Wilson in the red zone. When you go back to the last couple of games, Who's throwing touchdown passes in the red zone? Idiot this game, No, but you can't give the Ravens credit for that. Like the Ravens game, the Steelers up very well. But against Washington, he you know, got red zone touchdowns. You know the other two previous games that Justson the Giants, you got redon touchdowns. I'm not worried. You don't need to you
need to use Justin Fields. I'm thinking packages out in the middle of the field. But I think when the field shrinks, you got to be able to throw the ball accurately in the red zone when the field shrinks like that. And and Justin Fields is not that guy, not right now. And that was proven the first six games of the season. And so you know, the Steelers were not good at all in the red zone with Justin Fields. So I say, don't worry about that. I
don't think the Steelers are worried about that. I don't even think jumped in their head because one of the reasons they liked they went out and got Russell Wilson was because Russell Wilson is very good in the red zone. Twenty of these twenty six passes last year were in the red zone. I think he's already got three red zone touchdown passes this year was with the Steelers. Did he make a stupid mistake the other day? Absolutely did. I was up there yelling at him more.
Than I don't know.
I think Washington goes up to that ball though he might.
Yeah, I think he was being held too. But Russell should have known the situation. You just keep the field goal, you know, throw it out of bounce out of the back of the end to kick the field goal. And you know, at that point the Steelers would have an eleven point lead instead of a you know, an eight point lead. Changed the whole dynamics of that game. If he kicks the field goal there, So, you know, got to be Russell's got to be a little bit more
smarter than that. I understand what he was trying to do, but you can't turn the football over there. You got to get the point, especially in a game like that. And so I'm find I like the way they did though, Russell with with Justin Fields in the game, bringing them in to run those plays and made the Ravens think.
I loved how Mike Tomlin did an okie dokee with them when he came out with Justin Fields on to that four on that third one, he came out with Russell Wilson, saw the defensive alignment and then says up time out, We're gonna put out Justin back in.
Yeah.
And and even though they still ran Nasee on the play, it made the Baltimore realize they had to pay attention to what Fields was doing and it totally changed their whole scheme on what they were going to do. And they had they couldn't call the time out there because they would have burned their last time out, so they had to go with what was on the field. And so smart move by. That's why Mike Tomlin he's a
he's a great coach in those situations. Now when it comes to the challenge flag, because there was one sack on the play in that game that would have cost the Ravens would have got their field goal had Mike Comlin thrown the challenge flag because he was down and we're sitting in the stadium might throw the flag, throw the flag, you know, you know, but anyway, you know. But it was a good, great coaching call. The little Oki dokie did there to the hardball and it pulled.
It worked out great, and Justin Field's made the great right read and Nausey gets the first down and the game's over and I was celebrating because you know why they beat the Ravens, man, I hate the Ravens. Yeah, And it was awesome. It was awesome to be in that state. It was a great atmosphere, by the way, it was like the playoff atmosphere. And the Steelers from the moment, you know, about twenty minutes before the game starts, they're getting the crowd amped up, and they do it
throughout the entire game. I mean, it is. It is one of the best marketing things I've seen by any game I've been to. And remember I've been to a lot of games, guys, as you know, covering Yep and going to different NFL stadiums following the Steelers, and trust me, that's the best marketing game I've ever seen. To keep the crowd into the game the entire time where they're just loud and bolsterous and making it really difficult for the visiting team.
How are you feeling about tomorrow Night's game?
Obviously coming off a short week, we just just played the Ravens. That's always taxing. They play, they play hard, but it seems like, I think, what's the stat I saw the last like six meetings with the Browns were like one four and one. I believe you think that's different this year with this offense. And obviously it feels like this defense.
Correct that what you just said, not the last that's at Cleveland.
Oh okay, well yeah, Cleveland.
Sorry, it's at Cleveland Bird, So there no time the Browns are one four one overall against within any point in life of my life. Well, yeah, we had to make sure that's corrected.
But definitely, this defense feels like it's playing on a whole other level, even even above what we've we were coming to expect coming into this season with this defense.
How do you feel about Mars game?
Yeah, I mean it's I'm not gonna lie to you, it's a trap game because you're playing the Steelers. By the way, they want to give another record to make you feel good. The Steelers are ten and ten coming off the playing the Ravens in a game. So there, that's that's not a good thing. Right Then, to make it even worse, the Steelers are one in seven on Thursday night football on the road, so uh and and three of those losses are to Cleveland, believe it or not.
So so yeah, So the numbers don't are not good, but the good news is Cleveland's awful. Yeah, and Miles Garret did not practice yesterday at a whole status is today, but he did not practice yesterday. He's got some kind of hit pointer or something, they said. Even even if he does play, he's probably not one hundred percent. So that could bow well for for the Steelers in a Granted, the Steelers are banged up too because they just played the Ravens, you know, So you know it's gonna be
interesting to see. I think the key tomorrow night for Pittsburgh Tomorrow night against the Browns, they got to stop they gotta start Nick Chubb. I think that they can just slow him down and not let him be any factor in the game. Then I think the Steelers will win. But you know, he's going to be motivated in this thing because this is the game he got hurt in last year, and actually the last two times he's got hurt has been against the Steelers.
I think Henry is a good matchup going into it like that was a good litmus test there, Derrick Henry with the with the Ravens now Nick Chubb with the Browns.
Right out of the gate and force. That was an amazing way to start the game. So that helps.
And it's good to get Herbert back because he made the fumble against them. So and also you don't have to worry about like you know, we saw Herbert a couple of times get out of get out of his runs run wanes and allowed he allowed uh you know, Vick listen to me, uh Lamar Jackson to go to go off to the hedge and get around them. So don't have to worry about that. With James Winston, Jamis Winston is not a running quarterback, so you you just
got to play the run. But you know, the Steelers at times this year struggled against some teams you know, run runs running backs and they have not you know, coming off only you know, three days rest, you know, not a full week. They just played a very physical game against the Ravens. You know, it's it's a game. But the good news I think, I think just that the Browns just aren't very good overall on the defense or on offense. Usually they're really good on offense, but
they're not, I mean really good on defense. But they're not good on defense this year, guys, they're not. They're not playing well on defense at all. And so you know, you hope Pittsburgh could take advantage of that. And by the way, here's a good number for you. Russell Wilson is three and oh against the Browns all time, including a win at Cleveland last year's Nevers quarterback. So there's a good news for you.
That's right. One more question here. You might have answered this already, but forgive me. How happy are you that Peyton Wilson is a Steeler? I mean, you covered the ACC for a long time. Obviously NC stayed great, but we saw what Peyton could do last year against Clemson and what a play he made against Justice Hill on that route.
I don't know if they showed them on TV, but it was after Renegade.
That's amazing.
Renegade perfect. Yes, yeah, Renegade is for the can get the big defensive stop and that was on that that SI that was right after the interception that Russell Wilson threw. And then they played renegade and then Lamar has that long run getting in the midfield and then like two plays later he throws the interception. Uh wow, so that was after renegade. So it was a great play. Russell Wilson said, it was great that an NC State guy had another guy back.
Of course, there you go, man, that's right right up to the turnover. Well, Will, ye can't wait to see you down there. And Clemson again this weekend they take on Citadel and then you got uh South Carolina. Clemson of course coming up a week and a half from now. Is always the host of Believe in Clemson Football podcast, huge Steeler fan, and with the Clemson Insider, it's Will Vanderford chronicling his yins are doubleheader this past weekend. Man, I'm glad you enjoyed it, Bud real fast.
For those people out there, because I know you've got some Game Cup fans too that listen. Yeah, it's not called the Palmetto ball, so don't call it that.
Duly noted it.
Don't play into the stupid marketing there. Okay, it is not the Palmetto Balls, Carolina Carolina or Carolina Clipson. That's all it needs to be called. Don't call it anything else.
Whatever it is, it's gonna be great. It's gonna be a great matchup this year, t this time around noon kickoff. We'll see you out there, will.
All right, Man, talk to you guys like that.
There it goes.