Clemson trying to crack Mean Green’s aura of mystery

CLEMSON — Season openers are always a mystery for college coaches.

With no preseason games and a plethora of yearly changes, the first Saturday in September inevitably brings a feeling-out period, no matter how much film coaches pore over in spring.

Saturday, Clemson’s defense will experience that feeling in extreme fashion.

North Texas is a program in transition; following a 5-31 record in four years, head coach Todd Dodge is fighting for his job. Following a 2-10 record in 2009, he stepped away from the offense, handing it off to newly-hired offensive coordinator Mike Canales, who has run offenses at South Florida and Arizona.

In addition, Dodge’s son, Riley, was forced to give up quarterbacking following a variety of injuries, including one to his elbow.

Saturday, the Mean Green will bring in Canales’ offense led by new starting quarterback Nathan Tune.

What will it look like? Good question.

“We'll find out,” Clemson defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. “ It may take longer (than 15 plays to figure out who’s in control). Depends on how smart somebody is or how dumb somebody is. You just don't know. To be honest with you, it would be good if we had more game tape on them.”

Clemson coaches spent time this spring and summer preparing a scouting report for UNT, like they do for every opponent. The biggest challenge, players said, has been studying two sets of game film: 2009 North Texas tape for personnel and South Florida film for Canales’ schemes.

Under Canales, the Bulls ran four-wide sets, but also ran three-wide sets with one back and a tight end and other variances.

“We just take it in stride,” said senior cornerback Marcus Gilchrist. “We try to get the best synopsis of what the offense is trying to do, getting certain situations on certain downs. That’s all we can worry about.”

Clemson’s last substantive practice was Thursday afternoon, but Steele will continue his preparations well into Friday night, he said.

“I may finish up Friday around 11 p.m.,” he said. “I'll watch (North Texas) and some South Florida tape. Once the game plan is put on paper, then you're going through it, if you will, playing blind calls. You sit there and you know down and distance and you're in a room by yourself. There's nothing up there on the screen that says there's 11 personnel and power O. You take that off the screen. You just know down and distance and personnel and field position, and you make your calls.”

It’s a good way to catch problems before they burn you on Saturday, he said.

“There are little things that will invariably pop up on Thursday night, where maybe you’ve got a call that you'll use in a situation, not a lot, but a surprise element, you rep it six or eight times during the week,” he said. “Obviously six or eight times, you can't get that (prepared) against all the looks. All of a sudden you sit there on a Thursday night at 11 o clock and you see something that pops up on the screen and you say, ‘Whoa, if they do that we’re in trouble. Let’s take that out.”

Clemson sophomore middle linebacker Corico Hawkins, who’ll make his second career start Saturday, is sure Steele’s preparation has him ready for what lies ahead.

“We’re pretty confident stuff we’re practicing going to be stuff we see on gameday,” he said. “Of course, everyone’s going to have some stuff that w have to adjust to, but we’re pretty settled on what they’re going to do.”

After all, the tape doesn’t lie.

“He has different players, but the coordinator is going to be the coordinator,” Hawkins said. “Their system, their location may change, but the stuff they do remains the same.”