By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort
CLEMSON — Last year, the Clemson football team did not have a bye week until the 10th week of the season and the year before that, it fell on Week 4. So it was only fitting that the 13th-ranked Tigers finally got the bye week that is most desired by all teams this year – Week 7.
“I don’t think it can come at a better time,” Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd said Tuesday. “It’s at the halfway point of the season. Sometimes an open date can come too early or come too late, but in this case, it comes right on time.”
It comes right on time because the Tigers are coming off two straight wins and sit at 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the ACC. With six games to play, and thanks to Florida State’s loss to NC State last Saturday, Clemson has every goal in front of it when it returns to the football field on Oct. 20 to host Virginia Tech.
Clemson can still win its division, can still win the conference championship and can still qualify for a BCS bid as an automatic qualifier or as an at-large team.
“It’s great to have this time so we can get a lot of guys healthy, and make sure we finish the second half of this season strong and get us mentally prepared,” Boyd said. “I don’t think it could have come at a better date, honestly.”
The good news for the Tigers is that they are not too banged up physically with only Brandon Ford listed as questionable for the Virginia Tech game with a sprained ankle. But head coach Dabo Swinney said earlier in the week he expects his tight end will be ready to play by Oct. 20.
The rest of the injuries are just a few bumps and bruises which mostly occurred during live tackling practices the last two weeks.
“This is great timing,” right guard Tyler Shatley said. “We get a chance to get everyone healed up. It’s right in the middle of the season. Everyone is starting to get kind of beat up so its time physically and mentally to get a little break.”
The break comes at a great time for Clemson’s overall psyche, too. No Clemson team since 2006 has gone into a bye week with a win. Then add in the fact FSU has opened the window to a repeat trip to the ACC Championship Game, and Clemson’s confidence is sky high right now.
What also should not go unnoticed is the opportunity Clemson has to get better on both offense and defense.
“We are getting better with our overall trust in each other,” linebacker Spencer Shuey said. “I think we are all starting to come together real well, and we know what the other person next to us is doing so we can do our job even better and trust that they will be there.
“That’s been a factor in our improvement as a defense.”
While it’s no surprise the defense is getting better, it’s telling to think that the offense can improve as a unit too. The Tigers lead the ACC in total offense at 525.8 yards per game, while averaging 41.3 points.
“It’s exciting to think about it,” Shatley said. “We have left a lot on the table. We have to keep working, which is a good thing. We have not reached our full potential yet so we are still climbing. That gives us something to work for.”