Not quite ready for prime time

CLEMSON -- There were a couple of season opener misnomers Saturday at Death Valley.

Most tailgating Clemson fans were not really making use of tailgates.

And the Tigers' 35-10 victory over North Texas seemed for long, quiet stretches more like some sort of exhibition game than action that actually counts.

Obviously, Clemson needs two soft spots on the schedule (Presbyterian is due at Death Valley next week) before its Sept. 18 game at Auburn.

North Texas, theoretically one of the worst teams in major college football, outgained Clemson, which hopes to repeat as ACC Atlantic Division champs.

That's right, 462 yards for the somewhat Mean Green and 423 yards for the slow-starting, sloppy-tackling Tigers.

"We have to recapture that dominance," defensive coordinator Kevin Steele growled, "and that dominant spirit."

Kyle Parker, the baseball star/ quarterback, went 0-for-4 (passing, not batting) in the first quarter.

"We need to become more consistent," Parker said. "But once we get into the swing of things, we know how to play."

The New Storm

Maybe the sweetest paradox of Saturday is that the three players most responsible for filling the vast C.J. Spiller void were Clemson's top contributors.

Andre Ellington, the sophomore running back from Moncks Corner (Berkeley High School), scored on a 60-yard run on the second snap of the game and finished with 122

yards on 12 carries.

Junior running back Jamie Harper barreled his way to 103 yards on nine carries.

"C.J. and James Davis taught us a lot," Harper said of the tandem known at Clemson as Thunder and Lightning. "Now we're The New Storm."

Cornerback Marcus Gilchrist had a 33-yard kickoff return and a 29-yard punt return.

Still, Spiller didn't become Clemson's greatest player ever without making an impact beyond statistics.

It's more of a mindset.

Spiller consistently came through with thrilling plays. It's possible there were players in orange Saturday still waiting around for No. 28 to make something happen.

Lots of No. 28s were in the stands -- in orange, in white, in purple -- but no one worth $20.8 million in guaranteed money from the NFL's Buffalo Bills.

Meaner Auburn

The biggest concern for the Tigers is their role in making North Texas playmakers look like Heisman candidates. Give Mean Green offensive coordinator Mike Canales credit for mixing plays in a blender.

"I promise you, they didn't run the same play very many times," Clemson defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said. "They did a good job with that."

Clemson didn't play any better on defense after halftime.

"I mean, they only scored 10 points. That's the main thing," senior safety DeAndre McDaniel said. "But we have to improve. We missed a lot of tackles. I missed a few myself."

On offense, Clemson showed quick-strike capability that partly explained why the Tigers held the ball for only 18:08 (41:52 for North Texas).

But going 2 for 9 on third-down conversion attempts probably will not work against the ACC or SEC teams on the schedule.

"Overall, it was a good start," offensive coordinator Billy Napier said. "But I do think there's a ton of improvement left."

The last spin on this first game won't register for two weeks, and then so as part of a trio: Mean Green, less mean Presbyterian, much more meaningful Auburn.

Reach Gene Sapakoff at gsapakoff@postandcourier.com or (843) 937-5593.