Catching Up

A few things that have been knocking around the ol' cranium the last few days:

- It seems to me that Clemson's coaches and players have dialed in 100 percent on Wake Forest this week, which is good. Lose this one and next week's Boston College game means nothing. Further, I've been encouraged by what I've seen from the fan base. It's beginning to look like Saturday's Noon start will be loud and rowdy in the stands.

It better be.

- Special teams and turnovers. Always important parts of any game, magnified this week when the Deacs visit. With two of the top return men in the country, Wake Forest will test Clemson's improved kick coverage. And the Tigers' plus-11 turnover margin will be challenged by a team that has seven fumble/interception returns for scores. Add two kick returns, and that's nine non-offensive touchdowns Jim Grobe's team has scored this season.

Talk about intangibles.

- Funny how things work, isn't it? Two horrific losses throw everyone into a tizzy a few weeks ago. And yet here we are, three games left in the season, and Clemson has its best shot ever at playing in the ACC title game. Up and down. Down and up. The emotional roller coaster continues to run a breakneck speed.

Six Flags should have a ride like this.

- Prediction: Though he will have the usual freshman struggles, Demontez Stitt will be just fine as Clemson's point guard. The young man seems to have a presence about him that great point guards have, and his ability to penetrate the lane and kick the ball out to the open man will make Oliver Purnell's halfcourt offense that much more dangerous.

This should be a fun season.

- Today's scoreboard:

Upstate Challenger Sports kids - 28,365
Apathy in the Upstate - 0.

Thanks so much to everyone who made Thursday's fundraiser a tremendous success. By the time the golf tournament figures are added in, the organization's only fundraiser of the year will have raised over $40,000 for the special needs kids.

Puts all the other things we do on a daily basis into perspective, doesn't it?