Recap of Coach O'Brien's Radio Show (11/09/09)

-Coach O'Brien was really impressed with the offensive line and the running back's ability to block this past Saturday against Maryland. Maryland came into the game as the ACC leader in sacks, with 21. The Pack only allowed one sack on Saturday. O'Brien said that he has never had 2 running backs that picked up blitzes the way that Baker and Eugene do.

-Someone called in and asked: 'Have you considered giving Glennon more playing time since it is uncertain whether Wilson would be back next year?' O'Brien said 'no' because he is playing for this season. It would be a disservice to Russell to sit him.

-O'Brien thought that Andrew Wallace did a great job filling in for the sick Vermiglio (flu). He described Wallace as a tough kid who works really hard. Coach O'Brien tells everyone to be ready to go on a moments notice. Both Wallace and O'Brien found out that Vermiglio wasn't going to be able to play this past Saturday 45 minutes before kickoff.

-When a caller asked O'Brien about his recruiting strategy, he said that they recruit the state of North Carolina first, and work outside of North Carolina only when they can't fill their needs from within. Coach O'Brien has played 7 true freshmen this season, which is an all-time high for him.

-When asked if the good defensive play against Maryland was due to Turner going down or solid preparation, O'Brien said that as a whole the defense had less mistakes on assignments. Certain players stepped up and played better. The key performer was Alan-Michael Cash, who had 8 quarterback hurries in the game.

-O'Brien believes that Clemson's offense is more wide-open than Pittsburgh's. They try to get CJ Spiller involved in many different ways. In O'Brien's opinion, he is the best player in the conference so far.

-A caller asked: 'Would it be worth it to recruit a kicker that just did kickoffs?' O'Brien responded by saying 'Absolutely.' They have brought in a soccer player to try, and even though he has been working for a couple of weeks, he still isn't as efficient as Czajkowski.

-A caller asked: 'Is George Bryan one of the best tight ends you have coached?' O'Brien said 'Yes,' because he has tremendous hands and rarely drops the football. He referenced Bryan's unbelievable catch against Boston College last season. He is a lot stronger in his conditioning than when he arrived on campus. Bryan can also be counted on to arrive early to practice and to stay afterwards as well.

-O'Brien talked about how Jarvis Byrd was really effective at stopping the run. He's not afraid to stick his face in there and tackle.