(Editor's note: Clemson sophomore linebacker Chad Carson will periodically check in with ESPN.com as he and the Tigers continue to prepare for the Peach Bowl. For more information on Clemson, visit the Tigers' official athletic site.)

Dec. 20, 1999

I didn't write a journal for yesterday since we did not have practice, but I did have a great pre-Christmas meal with the Carson side of my family. My cousin, Steve Carson (a proud Clemson grad living in Greenville), was also at the get-together, and he has been a great friend to me all year when I needed to get away from the crazy football schedule.

The two of us, along with many other football players, often meet to eat at Mac's Drive-in, which has always been a football player's favorite place for cheeseburgers, fries and sweet tea.

Before practice today, we once again watched film for about an hour and a half. I think one characteristic of a bowl game is that the teams have enormous amounts of time to prepare for the opponent. During the season we only have five real days of preparation for one team, but now we have been practicing and studying film for at least six to seven days (with at least seven more to come).

I'm not sure of the effect all of this preparation will have on the game, but I know I will be very eager (and I already am) to go out and finally play the game. After watching so much film, I feel like I know their game films better than any of the Mississippi St. fans or even the players know it themselves.

After a day of rest, we got back to business with another full-pads practice. We once again did a lot of fundamentals (tackling drills, footwork drills, etc.), a running-game scrimmage and one-on-one challenges.

The team also had a scrimmage in which the first-team offense went against the first-team defense for eight to 10 straight plays. From my perspective, the defense played very well in most of today's scrimmage, and as a result the offense was never able to get near the end zone against us. Knowing what a great offense our team has, the defense takes a lot of pride in trying to stop such a potent attack every day in practice.

At the end of practice we got to watch some of the younger players and walk-ons have a big scrimmage of their own. We have some great younger players and walk-ons who will definitely make a huge impact in the very near future.

This scrimmage showed me that the intensity and excitement that pervades every one of our practices and scrimmages exists throughout the team, from the starters all the way to the future starters and scout teamers.