By Will Vandervort.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is hopeful running back Tyshon Dye will play this Saturday when the 20th-ranked Tigers host Syracuse at 7 p.m. in Death Valley.
Dye spent Tuesday and Wednesday getting reps in practice during full contact drills – the first such contact for him since injuring his back during fall camp in 2013. He had surgery last year to repair his back and then last February he tore his Achilles. The redshirt freshman began working out with the team two weeks ago, but in limited drills and contact, to prepare his body and his mind for the rigors of a football game and season.
This has been the first full week of contact for the Elberton, Ga., native.
“We will see how the game goes,” Swinney said following Wednesday’s practice. “He has done everything he needs to do as far as practice and being really attentive to the details. He has demonstrated that he has a good enough grasp that he could play.
“We will see where we are. But I’m really pleased with how he worked Monday, Tuesday and today. Right now he is a go. Whether he plays one play, no plays or 50 plays, I have no idea. We will just kind of see how the game goes and if we get the right opportunity, we will play him.”
Dye will come into the Syracuse game listed as the No. 4 running back on the depth chart behind Wayne Gallman, who could start for a fourth straight week, C.J. Davidson and D.J. Howard. Dye’s return comes at a good time for the Tigers (5-2, 4-1 ACC) after losing freshman Adam Choice for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
“You guys have to understand that he is not going to be perfect on Day 1,” Swinney said. “He has not played in a while and he doesn’t quite have his legs, his sea legs just yet. He has practiced really well and that is all you can go on. At some point, you have to go play and then you just keep progressing. I’m really just excited to have him out there and to see him practice and engaged on what is going on from a reps standpoint.
“Offensively, he can really help us. There is no doubt about it. We just can’t expect too much too soon from a guy that has not played football in over a year and a half.”
Leggett and Peake updates. Tight end Jordan Leggett, who tore his meniscus in the third quarter of last week’s win over Boston College has already had surgery to fix the issue in his right knee and was out riding the bike in practice on Wednesday.
Swinney is hopeful the sophomore will be able to return at some point this season. The Clemson head coach says he had been pleased with Leggett and that he has had a really good mentality through it all.
Wide receiver Charone Peake, who will not play on Saturday, looked better in practice on Wednesday. Swinney said the redshirt junior is progressing and they hope they can get him back sooner rather than later.
“We are still just bringing him along,” Swinney said. “They had that scope and he is still recovering from that. They will probably drain his knee one more time, maybe (tonight) because the synovitis or whatever, it has stopped bleeding, but there is still a little bit of blood they can take out.”
Synovitis is the medical term for inflammation of the synovial membrane. This membrane lines joints which possess cavities, known as synovial joints. Synovitis can cause pain around joints such as knees.
“He feels good and he feels like he is improving and getting better. It is just unfortunate, it really is, that he has had to deal with that setback. I was talking to him today, and he has had some tough breaks, but he just keeps coming. He is such a great talent.
“He will have his time and it will be a special time for sure. He will be back at some point this year and hopefully, it will be in the next game or two. He has had some good moments already this year and there will be some more out there for him.”
Crowder could help out more. Swinney said reserve guard Tyrone Crowder has improved in his pass protection, something he did not do a whole lot of in high school. It has been a part of his game that he has tried to develop the most.
“He is very physical and he can do it, but really mastering the technique and all that kind of stuff has been the biggest part of his development. He is doing fine. He is on track. He is going to be a great player,” Swinney said.
The Clemson coach said Crowder is going to play a lot this week, meaning Clemson will play more than just five players on the offensive line for the first time since the NC State game.
“We expect that he will get a little more time, so we will see,” Swinney said. “We have to continue to bring him along and challenge him. I think he has a very bright future for us as his confidence continues to grow.”