Watkins now "Spiderman'' in Dabo's eyes

Cute quote from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on freshman Sammy Watkins' pass-catching prowess:

"He looks like Spiderman out there,'' Swinney said of Watkins' agility. "And he attacks the football. He doesn't wait around for it....He has incredibly gifted hands -- strong, strong fingers.''

That sums up how a freshman can have 46 receptions in his first seven college games, for 728 yards and eight touchdowns.
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Center Dalton Freeman is one of Clemson's more thoughtful, articulate players. He made two observations Tuesday worth passing along:

Freeman was asked about Andre Ellington's big rushing night against Maryland (212 yards on 24 carries) and whether this indicated Ellington was getting back his form after several injuries.

Freeman said what's often missed about Ellington is his ability to avoid negative yardage. In the Maryland game, Ellington failed to cross the line of scrimmage once, losing a single yard.

"He can find a crease off anything,'' Freeman said. "He can make something out of nothing.''

Freeman was also asked about Saturday's noon kickoff against North Carolina, and whether that early game time could lead to a slow start.

"There is a whole different mentality in knowing you'll be getting up early,'' Freeman said. "But a good football team can play at any time. This is the kind of team where (an early start) doesn't matter. Play at 9 a.m., and we'll be the same team.''

-- Rick Bonnell