JADEVEON CLOWNEY ROCKS MICHIGAN’S WORLD
University of South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney – who finished sixth in the 2012 Heisman Trophy voting – said he was going to start his 2013 campaign at this year’s Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida.
For three-and-a-half quarters, Clowney’s campaign wasn’t looking so hot. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound All American from Rock Hill, S.C. was pretty much held in check by All-Big 10 left tackle Taylor Lewan, a projected top five NFL draft pick. Not only that he was flagged for a pair of offside penalties.
Midway through the fourth quarter, though, Clowney got angry – and with good reason. On a fourth-and-four play from its own 37-yard line, Michigan gave the ball to safety Floyd Simmons’ on a fake punt. USC’s defense clearly stopped Simmons behind the first down line, but the Wolverines received an exceedingly generous spot from the Big East officiating crew. Even with this generous spot, though, the tip of the football came about an inch shy of the first down marker after the officials called for a measurement.
Astoundingly, a first down for Michigan was signaled regardless – sending USC head coach Steve Spurrier and the rest of the Gamecock sideline into a rage.
“I asked one of those other refs. I said, ‘You know the ball did not touch the first-down marker,'” Spurrier said after the game. “He said ‘I know it didn’t.’ I said, ‘Well, why did he give it to them?’ and he said, ‘I don’t know.'”
Spurrier challenged the spot of the ball, but the ruling on the field was “upheld” – which was even more bizarre considering the officials’ spot (a.k.a. the “ruling on the field”) appeared to indicate that Michigan had come an inch shy of converting its fake punt. No explanation was provided by the officiating crew for this inconsistency either – they just gave Michigan the ball.
No matter …
On the very next play from scrimmage Clowney emphatically reclaimed what had been unjustly taken from the Gamecocks – delivering what many are already referring to as the hit of the season on Michigan running back Vincent Smith.
Firing through the Wolverine offensive line, Clowney exploded into Smith a full six yards in the backfield – sending his helmet flying through the air and Smith’s body slamming into the turf at Raymond James Stadium.
And not only did Clowney level Smith, he had the presence of mind to make an equally impressive one-handed recovery of the fumble caused by his bone-rattling “de-cleater.” In fact Clowney was struggling to his feet in an effort to return the fumble for a touchdown when he was run into by one of his own teammates.
“I was trying to score a touchdown,” he said after the game.
Here’s a closer frame-by-frame look at “The Hit …”
And here’s the full-speed video …
“That’s the hardest hit I’ve ever seen in my (24-year) coaching career,” USC defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said.
Yeah … we’d say Clowney’s 2013 Heisman campaign is off to a “rocking” start.
UPDATE: For those of you who love “X’s” and “O’s,” here’s neat description of “The Hit” from Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples …
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49 comments
Clowney, Sanders, and Thompson all did outstanding jobs. Credit should be also given to Shaw for keeping it together. Hats off to both CAROLINA and CLEMSON for extraordinary 11 win seasons!
I thought I was watching a scene right outta of a movie. Justice was served by the Jclownator. Way to go Gamecocks and Tigers. You made SC very proud!
I couldn’t have stated it any better. That was a massive well deserved hit.
Please don’t say “I thought I was watching a scene right outta of a movie.”
Amazing stuff like this happens on the gridiron from time to time.
It’s the movies that copy real life, not the other way around.
Don’t be like those people on 9/11/2001 who said that the planes hitting the WTC were like something out of a movie. That’s backwards.
Think about it.
Hope Clownhole doesn’t get caught with that trunk full of pot he smokes each week… look at the guy, you know he does. He’s probably kicking himself for not going to the University of Colorado, Boulder is a big pot smoking town.
BradWarthenSucks, You are a moron.
I’m happy you will never be in my presence socially.
BWS, “look at the guy, you know he does?”
What’s that mean?
Please say you don’t have a bigoted thing about guys who have dreadlocks.
I honestly hate to say this but I am. You reckon he smokes it with you mama?
What an envious tool you are.
And he probably does smoke weed, just like 70% of the student population.
just add cock at the end Brad
I think this report is short-sighted. Yes, USC won a football game this afternoon. They also graduate 39% of their scholarship players, lowest of any bowl-bound team this year.
Compare to Michigan, ubiquotiously (sp?) sending young men into leadership roles, many of whom will employ SC grads.
I hope you all know Clowney is very special (not in an acadmeic way).
Perhaps smarter than BigT, perhaps not. Debateable.
I just hate you guys for equating a football game’s outcome for what I spend a year plus working for.
In 2011, USC’s football graduation rate was 57% according to Fox Sports.
Kansas State has a lower graduation rate at 56% (Fiesta Bowl)
Arkansas is lower at 55% (Go Daddy Bowl)
Texas A%M has a 57% rate (Cotton Bowl)
Oklahoma 44% (Cotton Bowl)
Oh, it’s ubiquitously by the way…
Mr. Reality Check, The tattooed-up greasers and thugs on Michigan’s football team no more represent the typical Michigan graduate than the players on any other top tier college football squad represent their school’s alumni. Sure, schools trot out the biology major lineman with the 3.8, but those are hardly representative. There’s not a school with a serious football program that would not have found a way to admit Clowney. Your comment is petty and risks consideration of you as an ignoramus.
Reality Check can’t spell debatable, either.
How special is that?
Or academic.
Lovely.
Just another South Carolina detractor trying to get his groove on.
There is no word for a sore loser.
If it was not clear enough in the follow ups, that 39% was incorrect. The Colonel has the correct rate. There is a report on graduation rates for black athletes, and the upshot was that no school should be bragging about graduation rates. But USC was actually 1% higher than Clemson.
Reality Check is out to lunch with his mom
Maybe this was Clowney’s way of saying thanks for the lousy spot call, thanks for ignoring all but one of the facemasks and all of the offensive holding. Smith was lucky his head didn’t go with the helmet – last I heard they were looking for it in the parking lot…
So what you’re saying is that Clownhole is a thug. That’s not surprising.
Brad, your reading comprehension is something to behold.
Hey Sucks,
I recruit for the Chicken Coop (academics, not athletics) and happen to have been at a few events with Mr. Clowney – he is the antithesis (look it up) of a thug. I’ve seen him take his personal time to talk with kids being treated for cancer and he is gentle, polite and actually fairly well spoken.
Is he a Rhodes Scholar? No but he has a keen intellect for football, a personal drive the size of Texas, team spirit and ambition. I’d love to see you try to learn the play book or survive two a days.
People said the same thing about Deuce Staley when he was playing at USC – dumb, could only play football….. He violated team rules once; he was late for a meeting. His punishment was to work for my wife at an American Cancer Society fund raiser (The strength coach at the time was a friend of ours and his wife worked with mine). Deuce showed up early, worked hard, and went way beyond what was required. He volunteered to show up and help out at the next event on his own (which he did).
Deuce play 10 years, rushed for 5,700 yards and now coaches special teams for the Eagles. Not a bad career for a dumb football player, particularly a running back.
What few know about Staley is this; he worked with Special Olympics for most of his playing time in college and the Pros, he gave $25,000 to SC’s First Steps program to help defray a shortage and has run a summer camp that funds a number of SC child development programs for years.
Oh yeah, he earned his degree from USC.
And yeah, I know he spells it “Duce” – effing spell check.
Forgot to mention this – Cool graphic FITS!
Men’s Football graduation rate Colonel, not overall athletics. We’ve been there before, you included you old kook, dammit!!!
Hey Kernel,
You gave those same arguments on SC athletics about a month ago…..no less valid. Your school still is academically challenged. If you don’t believe me, understand that BigT graduated in your loins.
I hope you all know that Clowney is a damned great football player…..and academically at about an eighth grade level.
I pray he does not have to speak in 2013.
Rock Hill Reality Check, Are you two asserting that, say, Clemson’s football team doesn’t have a few academically disinclined chaps? I’m assuming that’s where your posts are headed. My bet is the average reading level of starters on both teams would be about the same; not very high.
“I be, you be, he be”… what the typical SC and Clemson football team meeting sounds like.
I love these effete intellectual snobs spewing puffery while posting in the thread about football.
What a bunch of pretentious assholes y’all are.
Get over yourselves and go suck your thumbs or something. Losers.
That’s right Jesse, a bunch of pretentious douches they are.
I’m sure Brad has the same earning capacity as Clowney.
@Rock Hill, I wouldn’t be fretting too much about Clowney’s speaking cabilities in 2013. After yesterday, I think we can all agree, that if actions speak louder than words then Clowney spoke volumes. In fact, I came away with the impression that he has skillfully mastered his non-verbal communication skills. I don’t think there was a person who watched that game who didn’t get his message. It wasn’t necessary for him to utter a single word. Just sayin, again…
Reality Check lives with his mom
Effete intellectual snobs spewing puffery? I think I love you, Jesse’s Pontiac Ventura. Good call on the crybabies.
In one play, Clowney (a) knocked the Michigan RB’s helmet off, (b) knocked the football loose, and (c) knocked Clemson’s mythical national championship win – as seen thru the eyes of Clemson’s crybaby coach – off the national radar. Tweet that, Clemson bitches!
hahahah First Team Ever to win the national Title at the Peach Bowl
To all the haters, Jadeveon Clowney’s academic achievements on the collegiate level, or lack thereof, will probably have little to no bearing on the huge cash roll he’ll be taking to the bank when he goes pro. It must be nice to be talented enough to have the opportunity to focus on a football career. We can agree, only a select few in the college ranks will ever get that chance. Just sayin…
I would gladly exchange a substantial drop in IQ points to have the athletic talent of Clowney. Life would be pretty sweet making millions playing a game and then retiring at an early age with a hefty bank roll.
But as far as Clowney goes, the comments about his intelligence are unwarranted. Sure, he’s no Rhodes Scholar, but he’s also no CJ Spiller (who scored a 10 on the Wonderlic test) either.
Rock Hill,
What you say may be true and it shows how proud you must be when 50% of those graduating from high school across this nation cannot read above an 8th grade level.You have college graduates that cannot do much better either! Hang down you head Tom Dooley!
Wow–that helmet flew like it had wings!
Remember what FITS and RT said about JD???
We cannot let these Cretins get away w/ the Bashing of SC and praising of Clemson…
It’s why the media is so hated…
Anything to tear down a nice young man I see. Some of you are pathetic. Who cares if Mr. Clowney can’t properly identify electron counts for everything on the periodic table of elements or anything else, HE’S A FOOTBALL PLAYER!!!!
I also don’t require my auto mechanic to do calculus, just to simply fix my car and do a really good job…..
This just in: Smith’s helmet just landed in Pensacola, FL and Clowney’s hit sacked Boyd as well (again).
Now that NORAD has finished tracking Santa, they’re using the extra radar space to track Smith’s helmet to ensure that it doesn’t knock out the GPS satellite constallation.
+2
“Radar space” – ???
Computing power. The days of actually looking at a ‘scope showing the radar sweeps are long gone. All computer processed images.