Joining us now on the English Hotline is our good friend. He was live with us at the All American Tailgates show down there and easily a couple of weeks ago. And it's good to catch up with will Vandervoord from the Clemson Insider. What's up, my man?
What's going on? Guys? How y'all doing?
We're doing great. We'll lead this show off, of course with Clemson talk, and then we'll save the back half for Steelers talk, because I know you've got some perspectives and thoughts on this Steelers team that you followed for many, many years. It's a big time week coming up here. Obviously, this is a big moment for Clemson, big moment for Georgia. A lot of thoughts on this game that are going around the internet. And then we just want to start
with you. You know this program very well, Dablos Speeney, Dablos Sweeney, I should say, spoke with the media yesterday. What kind of sense you getting about this game that teas off in a couple of days here.
Well, you know, I think it's gonna be I don't know, you know, when you look at the national media, I think national media thinks George is gonna blow Clinton away. And I get that perspective just based on how they did even play up the game last week. It's the biggest, it's the highest ranked game in the country, you know, number fourteen, number one. All the other games are lower ranked games that are evolved ranked teams against each other.
And you know, when you watch the game last week, the Florida State game, it's like they kind of blew off the Clemson game and top were really playing up the Miami game against Florida and the Texas A and M game against Notre Dame war And I thought, I thought that kind of was interesting. I think locally, I think the Georgia fans I get to feel feel like
they're just gonna blow Clempson out. And I get the Clemson fans feel like Clinton's gonna come and play a tight game, and some even feel like they're gonna win it. So you're getting all kinds of all kinds of feelings from different areas. I guess you will. But you know, I think the game, I really personally think it's gonna be a good game because I think Clemson's gonna come in there. Here's what this is a rivalry game. First of all, you know Clemson and Georgia both selling is
a rivalry game. Also, you got a Clemson program, and for people to think Georgia may blow and they may blow Clinton way may be totally wrong, but I just don't get the feeling a program with the pedigree that Clemson has, that's one national championships, that's been to more calls football playoffs than Georgia, that has had a high level of success. I just don't see him going there and letting Georgia roll all over them. You know, I
just don't see that. I think Georgia is the better team, and Georgia has the better roster, but I think Clemson does have a better than a fighter's chance to win this game. I think they can win it. It's gonna take a lot and they're gonna have to have some things happen, and they're gonna have to play at a high, high level. But I think Clinton's gonna come in there and play hard, and they're gonna play physical and they look.
People don't understand. Last year, they got embarrassed on national TV and David Sweeney set the camp right away right off the bat with camp, you know, and let them know that what happened in Durham last year is and how they got embarrassed on national TV. They're not doing that again this year. And that's kind of been the message to them the whole camp, and you know, I think that message is continued on through as they now
prepare for Georgia. I think it's gonna be a nice slabrynocker here in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon.
Should be physical.
A noon kickoff, which I know as a reporter, you're you're a fan of that, but an interesting early window kickoff on Labor Day week.
I'm more of a fan if it's like if it's like a typical traditional home game or like maybe I'm on the road in a traditional road environment, I'm more of a fan of it than I am that I am being in Atlanta. Yeah, and because it's in Atlanta, we don't travel because it's two hours closer. So you know, so like I got to get away early in my hours on Saturday morning and hit the highway so I can beat the crazies that are going to be their killgating.
It has its downsides too.
Yeah, Look I'm at with Ingles Tiger Tailgate show this year with Daja and Mark and Rich and we've got an early start for those new kickoffs, as you know.
But yeah, I mean to each their own. Hey, look when you look at obviously you know the roster.
We'll start talking about some of the impact players for Clemson heading into this season, as we do every single year. But you know, Dad was Sweeny had some interesting perspectives in his press conference yesterday, including the fact that and I didn't realize it had been so long since Clemson has had just a home opener at home week one, and it's been been a minute.
Right, Yeah, you're welcome. I'm knowing that asking that question.
Oh there you go, recog news. Well, Vanivard, that's a great question. Great job on your part.
Yeah, I just thought it was kind of crazy. I just he was talking about, you know, being a neutral site and all that, and I just said, it's kind of crazy that in your career at Clemson you've been almost as you know, I think this think this is his sixteenth season opener. Now, wow, this will be eight road games and eight home games or eight games away from Death Valley, I should say, in his career, including five in a row. So Clemton hasn't had a home
opener to start a season since twenty nineteen. Now that'll change next year. That was a yeah, we get a break next year. We just started home and we get this little old team called LSU that comes in. So we got a nice break.
Nice break there. Well, look, I think the big question I have with this team is, obviously, as we're joined by Will Vandervoord the Clemson Insider, we know what the defense is all about. And by the way I saw your reaction to the Barret Carter rankings. Was he listed as the twenty fifth best player in the ACC?
Is that where they happen?
Yeah, that's that really happens.
Oh that's ridiculous.
Man, Is that really happened? And the ACC did it? I mean, so I'm like, what are you doing?
What tape are you watching? Guy's a baller again.
Once again defense not getting any respect. But hey, he finished. The crazy thing about it is he finished third in the media's preseason ballot. Said again third or player of the year on the me not defensive player of the year, player of the year, that means overall conference player of the year. He finished third on the ballot yet because his own conference had somebody to rank from twenty fiss you know what happened there? You want me to tell
you what really happened there? All the marketing people have there need to close their ears. Somebody in marketing did the toll and they just don't understand football.
Well there there you have it. Yeah we know that game for sure. Got a no ball to be able to talk ball. I mean that's one of the rules. But you look at me.
Why you don't put marketing people on football lists? Yeah, don't do the list. They don't know what they're doing. It the quarterback of the best person.
You know, I'm a.
Defensive How many brand slams will this cornerback have?
But the big question I.
Have is the receiving corps. I mean, look, Britain Steel obviously will get get a lot of action in this offense, but talk to me about who to look out for. We know the main players right now, but you know, obviously there's this discussion about you know, well, Trevor Lawrence was there for a while and obviously before that it was just Shaun Watson, Taj Boyd and guys like Watkins and Hopkins and Higgins were part of that, and maybe
it's a connectivity issue. Maybe the quarterback makes the receivers better. But we know there's no Sammy Watkins or prime DeAndre Hopkins on this roster right now. But who could emerge possibly this year is something that maybe rivals that is there anybody there that you look at and say, okay, somebody could step up and have a breakthrough season.
I don't know if anybody could rival you know, a new Hopkins or Sammy Watkins or they were just special. They were special as wide receivers as Sean Watson and Trevor Lawrence are a quarterbacks. Right, So we got to understand that like seeing those kind of guys like you know, how many CJ. Spillers have you seen in your life?
Right? Not many many?
How many Travis Apins have you seen your life? Not many many? So you got to put those things in perspective them why those guys are special players. But I think Brian west co as a kid, the true freshman who played in the spring. He ended up. He's got himself up to about one hundred and ninety pounds, which is where they wanted them. He's a guy that the players just bring up every time. I mean, we get in interviews. It's not Davo bringing up Bryant Ruscoe. It's
not us asking about Brant Westco. It's like the players were the defensive players will bring him up, like, yeah, we we have a hard time covering that guy and this guy, this guy's gonna make plays. So when that happens, it gives you an idea that this is a guy who can be a playmaker. This is a guy who can do some special things. And now, I don't know if he's gonna be like Sammy Watkins fresh true freshman special.
I think that's asking too much. But if he's new Compkins freshman, then then that's not because Nuke was before Stamy got there. Duke got a really good freshman season. A lot of people don't realize that, but Nuke's actually set the record for a freshman in receptions and yards his true freshman season. Sammy just came in the very next year and broke them all.
Yeah.
But but but if he has he I think he can potentially have a Nuke kind of freshman season, and you know, which would be about six seven hundred yards, you know, you get about you know, maybe four or five touchdowns and and by doing that, he really helps the other guys on the team that we already know are pretty good. And you know that's a that's an Antonio Williams, a Tyler Brown, an Adam Randall, a Jake Green stool at tight end. So they have weapons, and
that's what you know. Troy Stilato is a guy that nobody really knows about. I think, you know, he's a guy I think it's really gonna have a breakout season. He last year he had over you know, he was third on the team in receptions, third on the team in yards, and so I think he's a guy that could really have a breakout season two for this wide receiving corps. And if you throw it a guy like Brian westco in there who maybe can stretch the field and get deep, you know, he could be somebody special.
And I know a lot of people out there, well will what about TJ. Moore other freshman, Well understand TJ. Moore didn't come in until late summer, so he's a little behind. Dabo talked about him being behind. Now. Tyler Brown came in at the same time last year, and it took Tyler Brown a couple of games before he really got into the the mix, right, So I think that's what TJ. Moore is, who we think he is.
Then I think you'll see him get into the mix, you know, by maybe weeks three or four of the season and become from a pretty dark gun good weapon himself. But I just don't think TJ. Moore is ready to go right off the bat and play Georgia. So I don't think we'll see as much as him as I think we will with Westcoat, who's had the whole spring and summer to kind of get used to college life and being a college football player.
You're going to be interesting. Will vandervor Clemson insider joins us here on the England's hotline and what was interesting from week zero? I mean, let's start, obviously with what happened in Ireland with a Florida State team that obviously a lot of new moving parts, a familiar name of quarterback in DJU, and.
A Georgia Tech team.
And the takeaway from me for this, you know, I tried to state, you know, very balanced in my analysis here. What a job by Brent Keeth, what a job he's done down there re establishing that program, and as he said after the game, not running the ball, run the ball, ba w L. I love that quote from him, and boy,
they know how to move you up front. What a great testimony in terms of being able to come in there, shorten the game against that otherwise explosive team down there in Florida State and move those guys around and totally neutralize their pass rush. Just you your thoughts on what we saw in Ireland there.
Yeah, and you might have heard it. And I'm not patting myself on the back, but I'm going.
To expect nothing.
On my podcast, you know, I mentioned in my podcast around back in June that I did one that that I thought Georgia Tech was going to beat Florida State straight up, and and I really believed that because I thought it was just asking too much for a team who lost what they did from Florida State and then to have them go all the way across the world to play a football game with a team that's not geiled together against a team who is who brings back a lot of players. A lot of people forget this
is a thing. Georgia Tech team who was driving to go win the game against Georgia has a lot of opportunity to go win the game against Georgia Last year to end the season, they were a pretty decent football team last year. This year they're a little bit better. They made some changes on offense. I was not surprised at all to see what they did against Florida State. Now, what I was surprised was the fact that they ran the ball as well as they did against Florida State.
Because we heard all year Florida State's defensive fronts better than Clemson's, is the best in the ACC blah blah blah. We didn't see that. And what surprised me also about that was how well Georgia Tech with the quarterback run got to the outside edge and how they just, you know, just really exploded Florida State's defensive ends in that game.
And I'm telling you what, Florida State better get that fixed by Monday night, because the guy they're gonna see at Boston College on Monday night, Yeah, he's a whole lot faster than what they just saw last week for Georgia Tick. And if he gets down on the edge, he's not getting twelve to thirteen yards, He's going for about seventy.
Yeah, And you know, I got Bill O'Brien now coming into the fold as the coach of that program, and this is no easy game for Florida State coming up back to Clemson. And of course it's the Believe in Clemson Football podcast that is one of the best in the business for college football. And you had the luxury and the pleasure of being joined by our good friend Tim Burray this week. And I apparently I haven't had
a chance to listen to it yet. I usually listen to these right before game day to kind of give me a little flavor of what you guys are thinking of. And obviously a lot of memories with the Georgia Clemson rivalry. I mean, you you're one of the leading experts in Clemson football. What did you guys talk about and get into and what are some of your favorite memories when you look back at this series over the years.
Yeah, we primarily focused on the what I like to call the eleven year War between Georgia and Clemson that was from nineteen seventy seven to eighty seven. In nineteen seventy four, the rivalry prior to nineteen seventy four, of the previous from nineteen thirty two to nineteen seventy two, every game was played in Itthens, and so Georgia had a nice comfortable twenty six three and three record against
Clemson at that time. But in nineteen seventy four, Clemson got him to move the game to home and home series, and the first year they played in Death Valley, Clemson beat Georgia beat them by a couple of touchdowns in that game, and it really changed the dynamics of the rivalry at that time. And then back in seventy seven, it really it really took a change in Charlie Peil became the head coach and then Danny Ford obviously took over for him then and it just became a complete,
totally different rivalry than what it was. And you know, it really was like a series at that time that over the next eleven years it was five to five and one average margin victory was four points. And what Tim told me last night was that in the when Danny Ford was the coach in the eight the nine games he was the head coach in that series, the final score the average, that's the average, but the total score Clemson outscored Georgia one fifty two to one to fifty one.
Oh wow.
And the record was four to four and one in those eight in those nine games, just out. It was a It was one of the best college football rivalries in the country at the time. It was as close physical boat teams were at the top of the college football world, winning national championships in nineteen eighty and eighty one, and it was really good for the game of college football.
It was a nationally teleprized game in most occasions, and you know, and everybody was watching it and paid attention because it had it had repercussions on the national landscape at the time, and so it sounds kind of familiar going into this game, right and you know, so you know it. That's kind of what we talked about, and we talked about those games and what they meant to
each team. And then Tim, of course he always has these antadotical stories that you didn't know, and that he told a couple last night evolved in the rivalry and it was just kind of awesome to see.
Will I'm gonna pivot over to the NFL a little bit and we can talk some Steelers ball. Obviously with all the informations come out, you know, Russell Wilson's gonna be the starter. I think you talked about this a couple of weeks ago that that was kind of the foregone conclusion that there wasn't necessarily a quarterback battle. So I'm gonna kind of stay away from that, but I do want to get your take on Broderick Jones and just what we've seen from him in the preseason and almost take him.
A little I mean, it seems like a little bit of a step back.
Is it.
Do you think he's more limited because of his elbow or is it just because he keeps getting moving moved around and we're not really sure what position he's going to play.
What are your thoughts on Broderick?
I don't know, but if I had to, he had to ask me, you know, the main thing, I would say, he's a bust right now.
You know, they don't even know what he's playing. The guy playing like every other position on the line right now. It's crazy.
Yeah.
Well, the reason he is is because they hoped he would be able to come in and be the start and right tackle this year, but that didn't happen. Yeah, so there's when a guy who's been there one year already can't take the job or can't win the job over a rookie who hadn't been there yet who's just getting there, then that makes me wonder, like, did you
make a mistake. And also they were hoping he would take over dan moore spot at left tackle, right that hasn't happened either, and so I'm like, you know, maybe blaming on the elbow issue, maybe blaming on other things, but well, I'm not gonna blame it on him having the move positions. I just that's a bunch of malarkey.
I think I think it's more just I just think he's not living up to what they hoped he would be, and they're just trying to find value for him because he was the number fourteen overall pick that they traded up to get and so they're hoping he's not going to be a bus But right now, you know, they may have to make a decision because if Dan Moore continues to play well and and of course the you know, the kids from Washington that came in, if he lives up to the expectations, then what are you going to
do with Roderick Jones?
Right, you know?
And I think that's the question uh So, right now, I say he's a bust. I know it's only year two, but he's a bus right now. He hasn't worked out and he got beat out by a rookie.
Right and then, obviously, I'm sure you've seen the news about Isaac cilmloe. How's how does that feel with a line that's already kind of kind of struggling there and has been struggling for a number of years, and and going forward, barring Broderick Jones or Troy Faltano or whoever it is that's going in there to start, how do we fix it? How do we get this line? How do we make it solid?
Well? Right now, Crimson, I mean Blisper has got to stop being snake bit, right, I mean they're just snate bit on the offensive line every time they think they get something, and they're taking a step forward to take two steps back. And I like, I like what they have in Frasier at center because Univerbrick is out for the year, so the rookies gonna have to start. That's going to be a learning curve, right. I like what
the but I like the future with him. I think he's got a chance to be a really good center. I like what they have in McCormick, who can play, who can play that left guard position. But again, he's a rookie, so you know that's he's gonna have some rookie mistakes and he's young and he's going to be in experience, so I think they're just gonna have some
growing pains there. To be honest with you, the thing that sucks the most is you thought you had a little depth, right but now you find out you don't have any depth, and because you're having to play guys earlier than you wanted to, and so it's a it's going to be a work in progress, and I hate it, you know, because you thought the running game would be able to go better this year, and maybe it still will,
who knows, you know, we'll we'll find out. But you know, obviously not a good start for the Steelers when when their offensive line is getting banged up as much as it is already.
Well, last question, I mean speaking of Georgia. George Pickens obviously is a wide receiver one right now for Pittsburgh and is capable of doing great things, and we've seen what he can do, but I mean, of us, no, he's not no.
No, he turned out not one of the Georgia guys that worked out. But but I will say this that that.
That wide receiver to spot. And again I don't want to go all a uk here. I mean, we know that that situation is very fluid and there's a lot of moving parts there. But they they really do need somebody else on the other side. Who who do you think emerges? Is there anybody in the roster right now that stands out?
Is okay?
They could take the mantle and be what maybe Deontay Johnson the good side of Deontay was at least when he was there at Pittsburgh.
Well, no, there's no deont Johnson. I can't tell you that.
I hear. Yeah.
I mean you hope that when he gets playing and Ruman Wilson to be a guy that when he gets up there and starts playing, that eventually he can turn into something. But he didn't have any preseason reps at all because he got injured. Liked Birthday camp and so you know, so it's going to be a while, I mean maybe even not even this year before you see anything from Rouman Will and so you know they're gonna have to have other guys step up that they brought in.
I don't know if there's a true guy that's the number two guy, And it's gonna be interesting how they try to, you know, work Pickens to try to get him open because he's gonna get double teamed and everything. Everybody's gonna key on him because they're not gonna be worried about anybody else, and so you're gonna need one of those other guys. Maybe, you know, I believe it's Van Jefferson. You know, that's the guy that maybe you know, he's got the potential to be really good, right was
at one point then started getting injured. If he can stay healthy, you know, he's a guy that's gonna have opportunities because I think he can get open yea, And but he's got to make the most of them, and he's got to stay healthy. If he starts doing that, then maybe that can take some pressure off off Pickens. Pat fryer Mouth is a guy I like to see
get going too. He's been unfortunately because of the bad offensive line, he hasn't been able to be used the way they wanted them to because he has to stay in the chip and block Jim so haven't been able to use his talents the way they would like to. So they got some skill players, they really do. It's just a matter of, you know, can they get the right mix in there, and you know, can somebody step up and become that number two just enough. You don't
have to be an all pro wide receiver. It just needs to be something where defense has got to respect him well.
As we prepare for another NFL season, we're eight days away from kickoff from that and then just a couple of short days away now from Georgia and Clemson, tangling Will Vanderbor Clemson inside of remind us where we can find your work, and what's coming up on the horizon is we're going to be just stuck on all of your news and your podcasts in terms of Clemson analysis or you're my friend.
Yeah, we've got to be a lot of stuff in them. But before we get real fast, want to make my mind, Trey here. You know what year it is, right, guys for the Steelers, Right, it's the what anniversary?
Oh, it's the anniversary.
It's the fiftieth anniversary of their first Super Bowl title, which they wanted.
New Orleans goodness, Wow, the embarrassment.
Of countroversary that year. There. You know, you had a great defense, he had quarterback controversy. He had questions on the offensive line going into that seventy four season.
Oh yeah, I'm some parallel play, guys.
Guess for that Super Bowl plate that year.
New Orleans, correct, New New Orleans, and this one has played in New Orleans and they're.
Similar play to New Orleans.
Similar components happening now, history is repeating itself.
It's all coming together finally for the Steelers after years apart. Marking on the calendar. Let's go all three of us road trip to New Orleans. Let's bload up on the gumbo and bourbon straight here we come. Baby. That is a fascinating nugget. Man. That is that is cool.
That is yeah, yeah, I thought it was crazy when I when I started paying attention to it, they and realized all that. So anyway, anyway, guys, they could find me obviously clinching joy at the game. We were getting loaded on it, and we got a podcast on our YouTube channels at Clinton Insider. You can go check those out. We got all the player interviews on our website at Clemson Tires dot com. We'll have breakdowns and things of
that nature that we're working on. So tons and tons of stuff between now and kickoff, and then when the game is kicked off, we'll have tons of stuff in game, post game, and then a day after. So Clinton Insider you can check us out there Clinton insider dot com, at our Facebook page, at Clinton Insider, on X at Clinson Insider. So I'll find different ways to find us, of course, you can find all that also with me on Steele.
Will Well, you're the best man. We've following you all weekend long for all the doings, my friend. We'll see you soon.
Bud Hi guys, we'll talk to you next time.