By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort
CLEMSON — It’s hard to imagine the Clemson offense being any better than it has shown through the first two games of the season. So far, the Tigers are averaging 527 yards a game thanks to back-to-back 500-yard plus performances.
Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris talked about having a more balanced attack in 2012, and so far he is getting it. The 11th-ranked Tigers are averaging 237 yards per game on the ground and 290 through the air. The crazy thing about it, Clemson put up these numbers without its best offensive weapon – wide receiver Sammy Watkins.
The All-American wide receiver was suspended for the Auburn and Ball State games after being arrested in May on misdemeanor charges. Watkins will make his return to the gridiron this Saturday when Clemson host Furman at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are still available.
“I think he gives us another dimension. Obviously, we have seen that,” Morris said Monday. “We saw that last year. We have (DeAndre Hopkins), who has had two really good games, Charone Peake had a really good game and Adam (Humphries) had a lot of catches. I think he just gives us that depth that allows you to put guys back to where they were before.
“Instead of Charone Peake being a backup to Adam, now he is over here where he and (Hopkins) are working together. Then you will see Sammy back in his normal rotation.”
After seeing Clemson (2-0) rack up more than 1,000 yards and 78 points the first two weeks, Watkins completes an arsenal that still has not reached its full potential.
“He will make us a lot more explosive, in my opinion,” Morris said.
The addition of Watkins cannot come at a better time. With the Florida State game looming on Sept. 22, the Fort Myers, FL native will be able to get back to game-speed with a tune-up against the Paladins.
“He has to get in and get his work in,” Morris said. “We have to get him up to speed and get his timing right and those kinds of things. I anticipate Sammy playing as if he would be in a normal situation (this week). We have to get some good quality reps in and get him game ready.
“He’ll be ready for that.”
Watkins not only gives opposing defenses something else to think about, but he gives defensive coordinators an extra nightmare or two when they try to go sleep at night during Clemson week. Officially, Clemson has run 171 plays this year – that’s 85.5 snaps per game if you are trying to do the math.
Morris noticed when reviewing film how defensive players have their hands on their hips and appear worn out.
“That’s what we want,” Morris said. “I said in the off-season that we want to be faster than we have ever been, and we are doing that. We are snapping the ball with 30 seconds on the clock and then we will snap it with 22 seconds.
“We are trying to change the tempo of the game.”
Morris says when he shows his players the clips of how tired the defense is it gets them excited.
“They take a lot of pride in that,” he said. “They are really aware of the number of snaps that were taken in the first half and in a quarter. They are asking me how many snaps we are taking… They want to break that 100 mark. We are not trying to hurry up to make that, but I think they have a really good feel of the tempo we want to play at.”
And with Sammy Watkins back in the mix, it is only going to add to it.