OK, so I get to drive the truck so little that I can't tell if I'm doing something wrong all of a sudden, or if there is something wrong with the clutch.

First: should the clutch be either ON or OFF with no play? If I try to bring the clutch out slowly, as in when backing up or starting slow on a hill or whatever, I get nothing, nothing, nothing, POP, it's in 100%. New master.

Second: How the hell do you shift down from 3rd to 2nd? I don't ever remember having trouble with this process, but since getting the truck back on the road again, I just can't do it. I've been trying to practice, but no matter what I do, I'm basically destroying the transmission.