The Clowney-Lewan battle
Article at sportsline about the game's big matchup, notes that it shaped up as the blockbuster battle that everyone expected:
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/blog/rob-rang/21483627/clowney-vs-le….
Suggests that Clowney gave Lewan problems, but that Michigan's All American lineman largely held his own. Lewan was not responsible for Clowney on the big play that nailed Vince Smith in the backfield and resulted in a fumble.
EDIT: After the game, according to the News, Lewan sought Clowney out. "I went up to him after the game and told him, 'You're one of the best defensive ends I've ever played against.' He said, 'You're the best tackle I've ever played against.' So that's a great compliment to have, but none of this matters because we didn't win the damn game."
January 1st, 2013 at 10:20 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 11:29 PM ^
IIRC, he's only 19 years old...
January 1st, 2013 at 11:56 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:11 PM ^
Besides the total farse of giving the player of the game to Clowney over Ace, it was a very good battle. Lewan did well and cemented himself as a top 8-10 pick...HE gone
However...that hit was amazing. I wasn't even mad when that went down...reminded me of B. Graham vs State...but WAY better!
January 1st, 2013 at 9:15 PM ^
Really? You weren't mad when South Carolina forced a fumble that turned the game around and led to 7 points? I was pretty pissed. It was a huge play in a game that we lost.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:22 PM ^
I know it was a tough loss, but you have been taking it REALLY hard today.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:56 PM ^
Suxors that point system.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:27 PM ^
That previous first-down call was one of the most egregious refereeing errors I have ever seen, even it it was to our favor. Forcing the fumble on the next play was textbook karma...
January 1st, 2013 at 9:38 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:39 PM ^
BINGO! I was glad that we got that call, even if it was totally wrong, but I am not going to get pissed when they make an amazing play and gets the ball that they deserved. Sorry, not happening
January 2nd, 2013 at 9:22 AM ^
The only thing I can see, is that the original spot was a bad spot (favoring SC). It was definitely the wrong call, but.... yeah i don't know. (scratches head.)
January 2nd, 2013 at 10:31 AM ^
that the spot had not been generous to begin with. I wondered is Spurrier should have been whistled for his on-field encroachment and reaction.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:45 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:12 PM ^
Clowney getting player of the game was a joke. Dude had four tackles. Sure he forced the fumble, but are you telling me he was more valuable than the guy with 3 TDs? I think not. But what do you expect from sports? Objectivity is not exaclty highly-valued.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:15 PM ^
You beat me to it. Definitely don't agree with him getting the player of the game award.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:13 PM ^
I think Clowney was held in check for the most part. Yeah, he had a huge play on the forced fumble. I still don't agree with the decision to give him the player of the game award. I though Connor Shaw played out of his mind. And he was playing hurt.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:16 PM ^
He looked pretty damn healthy to me, unless you're talking about the injury with 11 seconds left.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:32 PM ^
Shaw came up limping numerous times throughout the game, and the announcers made frequent reference to a foot injury he suffered earlier in the year and had re-aggravated recently. For someone with so much to say about it, you don't seem to have given the game much attention.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:41 PM ^
I gave it enough attention to see him run for 60 yards on one play. He wasn't hurting on that play one bit.
January 1st, 2013 at 10:03 PM ^
So his limp back to the huddle after that run was just some sort of avant garde celebration, and not related to the foot injury he suffered against Tennessee and has re-injured repeatedly? Because it's impossible to make any plays while fighting through injury?
I get being mad about the loss, and we're all 14-year-olds at some point in our lives, but I think the board would benefit if your thought-to-post ratio would increase.
January 2nd, 2013 at 2:17 AM ^
Shaw suffered a bone bruise to the hip or thigh early in the season. He was cleared to play, but he's still not 100%.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:32 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:44 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 10:29 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:16 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:18 PM ^
Due to the horrible uniforms, I actually thought it was Denard. And I thought he had died, and that made me very sad.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:26 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:35 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:54 PM ^
Yup, the one play I remember Lewan getting beat cleanly on.
January 1st, 2013 at 10:00 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 10:14 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:42 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:42 PM ^
Don't forget that was the same helmet that smash Clowney's groin earlier in the game. I thought for sure there would be payback...
January 1st, 2013 at 9:24 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:26 PM ^
So you're saying having the best player in college football on our team would be a good thing? Got it.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:48 PM ^
Because if he said otherwise, he'd be lying.
January 2nd, 2013 at 9:35 AM ^
That's the obvious part of the statement. To me, this game really accentuated a flaw on our defense: No organic d-line pressure. We constantly had to dial up blitzes with inexperienced/unestablished personnel in the secondary. We needed a guy this year who could cause match up problems (e.g. Martin, Graham). We didn't have that this year at all.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:31 PM ^
Lewan seemed to have kept him in check. Which worries me.
Sadly Lewan seems as good as gone. I hope to God I'm wrong for next year's OL. Only Schofield remains if he goes pro, which really worries me.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:43 PM ^
Why? Our Oline was a sieve this year.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:57 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 10:02 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 10:24 PM ^
So you're saying there is a chance?
/s
January 1st, 2013 at 11:07 PM ^
January 1st, 2013 at 9:40 PM ^
If you ask me, holding arguably the best defensive player in the country to 3 tackles and 1 TFL tells me Lewan won the matchup. But tomorrow morning, all ESPN will talk about is how Michigan just can't handle the speed of the SEC, that we're not any good, blah blah blah more ESPN sucking SEC dick.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:50 PM ^
I'll be interested to see which way the story is spun. Clockwise, I'm sure (the direction of the sec) Maybe its my maize tinted glasses (or a collection of McClure's bloody Mary tinted glasses) but it seemed that the speed/power thing was neutralized a bit. Other than some dreadful secondary play (by the 3 deep) our big(ish) guys kept their fast guys in check.
January 1st, 2013 at 11:17 PM ^
January 2nd, 2013 at 7:04 AM ^
So true ... football requires athleticism *and* skill. Guys in the south have more opportunities to work on the skill part.
January 1st, 2013 at 9:55 PM ^
Which just goes to show how good Lewan really is. All game long, Clowney gets nothing. One play where he pulls and the TE takes Clowney? DEATH.
January 2nd, 2013 at 12:47 AM ^
when they announced Georgia had "routed" Nebraska 45-31, It was 31-31 in the 4th Q and Georgia had just scored to tie the game.