By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort
CLEMSON — If there is one thing we have come to learn about Dabo Swinney – he isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
The Clemson head coach came to the defense of Memorial Stadium’s moniker “Death Valley” when it was challenged by Steve Spurrier earlier this week, and now he is coming to the defense of up-tempo offenses everywhere.
Last week, Alabama head coach Nick Saban suggested offenses that are no-huddle and push the tempo, such as the one Clemson’s uses, could ultimately hurt the game of football. Saban is concerned these kinds of offenses risk injuries for defensive football players because they are too tired.
“At some point in time, we should look at how fast we allow the game to go in terms of player safety,” Saban said during the SEC coaches’ teleconference last week. “The team gets in the same formation group, you can’t substitute defensive players, you go on 14-, 16-, 18-play drive and they’re snapping the ball as fast as you can go and you look out there and all of your players are walking around and can’t even get lined up. That’s when guys have a much greater chance of getting hurt when they’re not ready to play.”
During Wednesday’s ACC teleconference, Swinney disagreed with Saban, basically saying up-tempo offenses play within the same set of rules as the defense.
“I think that we have a play clock, and if you look at us, we substitute all the time,” Swinney said. “We play fast, but we’re constantly changing personnel. We are constantly using multiple formations and shifts and personnel groupings.
“When you do that, the defense has to be allowed to change personnel, and that’s the refs’ job to manage that part. But we don’t put the same 11 guys out there and play them for 80 plays.”
The up-tempo offense at Clemson, which is orchestrated by offensive coordinator Chad Morris, has been good to the Tigers the last two seasons, so one can see why Swinney is quick to come to its defense. So far this year, the Tigers ranked 10th nationally in total offense (525.8 yards per game), 13th in scoring (41.3) and 11th in passing (324.7).
On the other hand, Saban, who is seeing the West Virginias of the world score 70 points on Baylor one week and then 48 on Texas the new week, is concerned the game is turning into a video game and it’s the defenses that are suffering.
But why is he worried? So far those spread offenses have not affected Alabama’s defense. The Crimson Tide is once again the nation’s best unit, giving up only 7.0 points and 191.6 yards per game. They rank in the top three in every major statistical category defensively.
South Carolina, who also ranks in the top five in scoring defense and are 11th in total defense, is also considered one of the nation’s best defensive units and they have faced up-tempo, spread-you-out offenses like
Missouri and Georgia, and had very little trouble stopping both.
“I just think that we’ve got a great game, and the variety makes it even better,” Swinney said. “Everybody has to have their own philosophy and be committed to it. But I don’t agree with (Saban’s) assessment or comments.”