By Heath Bradley.
By Heath Bradley
The Tigers and the Cardinals have faced off twice in history, 1992 and 2002. The two teams will have their third meeting Saturday, 20 years after their first meeting, 10 years after the second. Ball State and Clemson seem to play once every 10 years, and the 2012 matchup is connected to the past two matchups in a variety of ways.
The first similarity is that when the first meeting between the two teams in 1992 took place, the Tigers were the defending ACC champions and ranked in the top-15. The 1992 meeting saw the 13thranked Tigers open the season versus Ball State in Clemson Memorial Stadium. The defending ACC champions were victorious 24-10 to open the 1992 season.
Two current Tigers have special ties to Tigers that played prominent roles in the 1992 matchup. Ronald Williams rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown, he is the father of current starting defensive lineman DeShawn Williams. Wide Receiver Terry Smith, the late uncle of current receiver Nuk Hopkins had one reception in a game that saw the Tigers only pass for 36 yards.
Both Williams and Hopkins will be expected to have big days for the Tigers in Saturday’s matchup with Ball State. Williams recorded four tackles including a tackle for loss in Saturday’s win versus Auburn. Nuke Hopkins is coming off his most impressive game as a Tiger, a game that saw Hopkins set a new school record with 13 receptions, including the game winning touchdown catch while being held by the defender, in the fourth quarter.
The 2002 matchup saw the Clemson Tigers give up an early score to Ball State to trail 7-0. The Tiger defense then rebounded, while the offense exploded to give the Tigers the victory 30-7 over the Cardinals. The way the defense rebounded is very similar to the defensive effort of the Tigers in their opening victory versus Auburn in week one. In both games the Tigers gave up an early touchdown, but the defense rallied back to slow down the opponents and help the Tigers to victory.
Entering the second week of the 2012 season, the Clemson and Ball State offenses are eerily similar. They are two of only six teams in the nation to have over 300 yards rushing and 200 yards passing in their first game. Clemson and Ball State were also in the top-13 in the nation in snaps recorded in week one. Ball State was second in the nation with 96 snaps for 596 yards versus Eastern Michigan, while Clemson was 13th with 87 snaps for 528 yards. Two teams ahead of Clemson played in overtime against one another. Both teams also had a running back rush for over 200 yards in week one. Andre Ellington currently leads the nation in rushing with 228 yards, while Jahwan Edwards of Ball State is sixth with 200 yards.
With two explosive and fast-paced offenses, Saturday’s game should be exciting. The Tigers will Run Down the Hill for the first time in 5 games, the first time as the defending ACC Champions, and the first time with all of the additions to Death Valley. The excitement in the stadium should be just as electric as the playmakers on the field.