By William Qualkinbush.
By William Qualkinbush.
I rarely make hockey analogies, so when I do, it’s pretty substantial news.
As Clemson was grinding its way to a victory over Wake Forest last Thursday, I couldn’t help but notice the similarities between this stretch of games on Clemson’s football schedule and a power play in hockey. More specifically, it would be the equivalent of a penalty kill for the Tigers.
Here’s how it works, in case you’re unfamiliar: When a hockey player commits a violation, he gets a certain number of minutes in the penalty box. It’s the athletic equivalent of a timeout in parenting.
While that player sits, the opposing team gets to play with an advantage since you cannot substitute for a penalized player. The team operating a man down typically goes into a shell, protecting the goal except for an occasional attacking chance when the numbers are favorable.
Scoring goals isn’t the priority. Keeping the other team off the scoreboard is. Then, when the penalized player comes back, the game resumes as usual.
When Deshaun Watson got injured, Clemson began its month-long penalty kill. Once the severity of Watson’s broken hand became common knowledge, there was a similar reaction in all corners of the fan base.
Just win these next few games, however you have to, until Deshaun comes back.
And as ugly, as rough, as nauseating, as frustrating, and as annoying as the past three games might have been for fans, that’s exactly what the Tigers did. They won—all of them.
Stoudt has felt his share of criticism—both earned and imagined—but it’s hard to argue this point: He did the job he was asked to do.
He closed out the game against Louisville barely well enough physically to don a jersey, although his decision-making skills were called into question more than once in key moments. He fought against a tough Boston College defense to help earn a road victory. He battled against Syracuse, and he rose up at Wake Forest to throw a tiebreaking touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
Here’s a stat that’s inconvenient but true: The defenses Stoudt faced were light years better than anything Watson saw pre-injury, save Florida State. Not including a game against FCS foe South Carolina State, Stoudt took the majority of snaps against the top five defensive teams Clemson faced—including each of the past four contests, all of which featured top-45 total defenses nationally.
Meanwhile, Watson’s toughest test was at Florida State (50th), but the two worst defenses on Clemson’s slate—North Carolina and N.C. State—were his other two opponents. Fittingly, Watson makes his return against Georgia Tech (76th) and South Carolina (110th), two generally weak defenses.
None of this is to say Stoudt might be a better talent than Watson. The naked eye doesn’t lie in that regard. Clemson’s best quarterback will be its starter against the Yellow Jackets.
What it does display, however, is the difficulty of the task Stoudt faced and the gratitude he is due for giving fans exactly what they requested in an adverse situation.
Now, the power play is over. The sides are balanced once again, and it’s time to attack.
God Bless!
WQ