Backfield moniker not going away yet

CLEMSON — Don't say goodbye to Thunder and Lightning just yet.

When running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller finally finish up their careers at Clemson, Thunder and Lightning are still going to be around, Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said.

It'll just take a different shape in running backs Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington.

The 5-10, 180-pound Ellington will presumably be the "Lightning" in this scenario, while the 6-0, 240-pound Harper will take on the Thunder moniker.

"Jamie Harper and Andre Ellington are two great running backs," Swinney said. "We'll continue 'Thunder and Lightning' around here for a while because of those two."

There was some talk early in the season that Ellington, a former Berkeley High School star, might play this fall, but the decision to redshirt him was the best one, Swinney said.

"He's a stud, I mean a stud," Swinney said. "He's a good football player. I'm so glad we redshirted him. We would have wasted a year for him. There's only one ball to go around and (Spiller) and (Davis) are going to get it most of the time."

At first, Ellington said he was a little disappointed in getting redshirted, but now realizes it was the right move.

"After the coaches explained everything to me, it was the right decision," Ellington said. "I wasn't going to get much playing time and this year would have been wasted for a few plays here and there.

"I really think down the road it's going to help me. I know I've got to get bigger and stronger, and a year in the weight room is only going to help me."

Ellington said his adjustment and progression to the college game has been relatively steady this season.

"I've learned so much about football this year," said Ellington, who has put on about 10 pounds of muscle since enrolling in September. "I'm not thinking as much as I was when I first got here, I'm just reacting to situations on the field.

"The players are faster, the speed of the game is faster, the coaching is faster. Everything about the college game is faster, so I need to be faster. I think I've become a lot faster mentally and physically."

It's just practice, man!

Unlike Allen Iverson, Swinney puts plenty of stock in practices.

Swinney said the Tigers had their best practice of the bowl season on Wednesday.

"A lot of enthusiasm. We had some really good hitting out there today on both sides of the ball," Swinney said. "I thought offensively we took a little step forward. We took care of the ball a little bit better and we did things a little crisper than we have in the last couple of days. I thought overall it was our best day since we got back to work.

"We turned up the intensity today and they responded very well. They really got after it today. We'll do the same thing on Friday and Saturday. We'll tune up on Monday and then see what Santa's going to bring us."

After the first three practices where the Tigers concentrated on fundamentals, Swinney put in a good portion of the game plan for Nebraska on Wednesday.

Injuries and academics

Swinney said there were no additional injuries or academic casualties to report on Wednesday.

Thus far, backup kicker/punter Richard Jackson is the only player to be academically ineligible for the Gator Bowl.

If something happened to Mark Buchholz, freshman Dawson Zimmerman would handle the kicking duties, Swinney said.

"I'm not expecting anyone else as far as academics," Swinney said. "Dawson has been working on it and John Early, a senior, would get some work."

Linebacker Stanley Hunter, who injured his knee last weekend, was in a yellow jersey and did not practice on Wednesday.

Practice schedule

The Tigers will take today off before returning to the practice field for workouts on Friday and Saturday.

Swinney said the Tigers will review game film and practice film on Sunday before taking part in their final workout before Christmas on Monday.

The Tigers' first practice in Jacksonville will be on Dec. 27.

— Andrew Miller