Just One Defining Moment...

Sep 16, 2005, 1:50 PM

Everyone has them... Some have more than others. That defining moment where you can choose to rise above what others expect of you and even what you expect of yourself. That moment when you decide you are the person your father wanted you to be.

At 3:30pm on Saturday, there will be about 100 young men and coaches who will have one of those moments. This is a group who, despite being 2-0, is an underdog in their own stadium against a team the physically dominated a year ago. If that doesn't pi$$ them off, nothing will.

This is the defining moment for a coach that can't seem to get the respect he deserves.

This is a defining moment for a quarterback who many wrote off for a flash in the pan after last season.

This is a defining moment for a group of players that the great "MIAMI" program probably didn't deem good enough to recruit.

This is a defining moment for 80,000 plus fans who crave a team that is a national contender again... and deserves to have one.

This is a defining moment for a venue labeled "Death Valley" that needs to become deadly to all who enter once again.

This is a defining moment for a program on the rise...
... or for a perennial conference also-ran.

Orange pants won't win this game... neither will 80,000 people screaming themselves hoarse (though it won't hurt none either!). Eleven guys lining up on either side of the ball and a host of others on the sidelines wearing both helmets and headsets will win this game by deciding that this is THEIR DAY... their defining moment, and whipping the guy across from them.

Boys... 80,000 passionate family members wearing orange have your back. You have their respect, but the respect of few others... including those fellows from Miami who think you "got lucky" last year.

The once proud and dominant Clemson is - for now - a pretender. Moments of brilliance against Florida State, Tennessee and Miami suggest great things to come. This is our defining moment.

Myself and 80,000 others just like me are going to make life miserable for anyone in a Miami uniform this Saturday. Loud and proud. You can count on us. Strap it on tight and make sure you hit them with the shoulder that has the chip on it. I guarantee that if you do, they will remember "Death Valley".

When I have grandchildren, I want to be able to tell them about that Miami game of 2005 that re-launched Clemson into the elite. More importantly, I want the Miami folks to remember it too as the day they handed over the mantle of expected dominance in the ACC to Clemson and left Virginia Tech and FSU to cope with it.

LET'S DO THIS BOYS... this is your defining moment and I am glad you are sharing it with us.

GO TIGERS!!!!! SPOT THE #### BALL!!!!!!

(Somebody pass me a beer, please!)