The TCI staff of Hale McGranahan, Ed McGranahan, William Qualkinbush, Will Vandervort and Robert MacRae go Around the Horn to answer some of the questions surrounding Clemson athletics and college football.
With news from head coach Dabo Swinney that running back Tyshon Dye might be back in the fold at running back as early as this month, one wonders could Dye be the answer the Tigers have been looking for at running back this season? Will he turn things around in the running or can he help it improve?
Robert MacRae: “Dye was certainly one of the nation’s top running backs when he arrived on campus at Clemson. The question now is how good will he be after returning from two years of injuries. If he can be the same back he was coming out of high school it will be a big boost for the offense. The word we are hearing from practice is that he is looking good. What we do know is that at some point he will be help a great deal. We will have to see how quickly that happens. The good news is with Dye coming back and Choice and Gallman elevating their play, the running back position will be much different later this season and one of the strengths of the team going into 2015.”
Will Vandervort: “I will tell you this much. It will not hurt. Clemson’s Adam Choice leads the team with 205 yards after six games and the running game is averaging 3.2 yards per carry. The Tigers need to be more productive and if healthy enough, Dye–5-foot-11, 220 pounds–is big enough to at least get a couple of extra yards. Adam Choice is coming on and I think he is only going to get better and will be a good running back as well, but it doesn’t hurt to have two quality backs in the lineup if you can get them. The problem with the running game isn’t all on the running backs though. The offensive line is a patchwork group and through they looked good on that final drive against Louisville, can they block well enough and be consistent enough to help a guy like Dye shine? That’s the real question, I guess.”
Hale McGranahan: “I’ve been a Tyshon Dye fan since I first watched him in person at the Georgia Junior Bowl practice before I went down to Miami for the first Orange Bowl game. He had a really nice skill set before his run of injuries, was a high four-star guy coming out of high school. But I don’t think we can assume that he’ll immediately return to that form.“
Ed McGranahan: “While the news on Tyshon Dye’s progress should be encouraging, it’s too premature to expect him to contribute enough this season to have a signficant impact. The progress by Adam Choice and Wayne Gallman is far more encouraging and should contribute to a bump in the run game during the second half. Gallman needed to develop sufficient patience to follow his blocks and Choice was learning how to block after a career of taking snaps at quarterback. Running backs have the shortest learning curve from high school, so after six games they both should be ready to launch — if the line can be productive.
William Qualkinbush: “I haven’t bought into the notion that Dye would play this season yet, and I really don’t think I’ve seen or heard anything that would make me change my mind. Certainly a healthy Dye would be a big boost to the running game, but I’d be apprehensive about putting him out there at all this season. The guy has proven to be injury-prone, and I know he hasn’t been rushed back by any means. However, if he truly is the future for the Tigers at tailback, there’s simply no reason to risk that in 2014. Choice and Gallman are more than capable of handling the load, with Davidson and Howard contributing as well. Unless injuries decimate the depth, Dye should sit until there is absolutely zero question he can physically handle the physical nature of college football. Plus, there are only five games left after this week, so there aren’t even enough games remaining for Dye to get into a groove.”
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