Clemson, South Carolina start football practice
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) -- Clemson star James Davis led the way Saturday at the Tigers' preseason camp, just as he did much of last season.
James Davis, who had 1,187 yards and 17 TDs a year ago, urged on his teammates with shouts, cheers, and even a cartwheel before the start of preseason camp.
"I was just trying to get my team feeling good," James Davis said. "We ended the season on a tough note. We've got a tough game coming with Florida State and we've got to be ready."
Down the road, the Tigers' chief instate rival, South Carolina, opened their preseason camp Saturday night.
James Davis and the Tigers hope to keep the energy high throughout camp and right into the season and erase the sour memories of last season's late slide.
Clemson, behind James Davis and his backfield partner, C.J. Spiller, ran to a 7-1 record and rose as high as No. 10 nationally. The Tigers, though, won only once more in their final five games with staggering losses to the Gamecocks and, in the Music City Bowl, Kentucky to finish 8-5.
And indeed, Clemson enters camp with several offensive question marks. Last year's slide came because of inconsistent quarterback play - when defenses locked down on James Davis and Spiller, first-year starter Will Proctor could not make the passing game go.
Again, the Tigers will enter the year without experience under center. Junior Cullen Harper came out of the spring the starter, but highly regarded freshman Willy Korn was right behind.
Also depth in the backfield was thin - behind James Davis and Spiller was media darling Ray Ray McElrathbey and Sadat Chambers, who was moved from the secondary to running back this week.
They'll need the bodies since James Davis and Spiller expect to line up side-by-side this fall. "When they told us that, it put smiles on our faces," James Davis said.
Still, after a few words from coach Tommy Bowden, the Tigers jumped right to work when the buzzer sounded.
"Really work that thought process," offensive coordinator Rob Spence told Harper before one drill.
"Good job, good job," Spence said, liking the way Harper ran things.
Harper, Korn and third stringer Tribble Reese practiced swing passes to runners James Davis and Spiller.
"Usually, the excitement from the players comes because it's the first day," Bowden said. "They won't be nearly as excited after this."
At South Carolina, the Gamecocks have their own questions to answer.
Coach Steve Spurrier has ramped up his expectation in his third season, saying his team's goal should be a Southeastern Conference championship. Whether that happens, Spurrier admits, is something else entirely.
South Carolina hopes that senior quarterback Blake Mitchell looks more like the way he played at the end of the season than the beginning.
Mitchell was benched early because of ineffective play. However, he returned late in the year against Arkansas and helped South Carolina finish with three straight victories - something that hadn't happened since 1973.
Gamecock fans also want to see if their heralded freshman, Stephen Garcia, can actually play. Garcia enrolled in January with hopes of making spring practice. But two arrests got him suspended from the workouts and the team.
Clemson opens the season on Labor Day night, Sept. 3, with a nationally televised game against Florida State and Bowden's father, Seminoles coach Bobby, at Death Valley.
South Carolina starts Sept. 1 at Williams-Brice Stadium against Louisiana-Lafayette.
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