By Will Vandervort.

It’s hard to judge much from a spring game. Especially one like Clemson’s where the squad is split into two teams that have first, second and third team players on the field at the same time.

But if there is one thing that can be taken away from Saturday’s Orange & White Game – Clemson is loaded with skill players.

During the White’s 35-24 victory over the Orange in Death Valley, there were 20 plays that totaled 15 or more yards, including seven that were 25-plus yards.

“If our quarterbacks can just get them the ball, they can definitely make some plays,” quarterback Nick Schuessler said.

Schuessler was the benefactor to most of those plays in the Orange & White Game. He opened the game with a 50-yard pass to Mike Williams and then two plays later he found the tall wide receiver over the middle for a 19-yard touchdown.

The quarterback from Grayson, Ga., also had a 20-yard pass to tight end Jay Jay McCullough and passes of 18 and 20 yards to wide receiver Artavis Scott. The 20-yard pass to Scott was his second touchdown pass of the afternoon.

“As quarterbacks we just have to get the ball in their hands,” Schuessler said. “Mentally make the right reads, make the right throws and they will take care of the rest.

Williams finished the game with five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while Scott caught four passes for 75 yards, including a 40-yard pass from freshmen quarterback Tucker Israel.

“It is always good when you make a three- or four-yard pass and Artavis, Charone (Peake) or Mike turn it into a huge play,” Schuessler said. “It is great having playmakers around you.”

And it is even more fun for the coaches. In all, 12 different players made long plays, including running backs Wayne Gallman, C.J. Davidson and C.J. Fuller. Gallman broke off a 60-yard run to set up his own one-yard score, while Davidson had a 54-yard touchdown run and Fuller broke off a 23-yard run.

“They hit some big runs, but they also took some base hits,” co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach Tony Elliott said. “We talked about taking what was there. Sometimes they swung at a 3-0 pitch, but if we can get those base hits the home runs will come.”

The home runs came four times overall. Schuessler’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Williams, his 20-yard scoring throw to Scott, Davidson’s 54-yard jaunt and later Kelly Bryant’s 20-yard toss to Germone Hopper for a touchdown.

“It was good. I was pleased offensively,” co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Jeff Scott said. “Coach Elliott and I talked at the end and it was one of the cleaner spring games that we can remember. It really was a good representation of the kind of spring we had. I felt like the entire offense showed a lot of improvement and came to work every day.

“It is kind of a blue collar group. There might not be any huge names or superstars, but it is really a deep group. It was really good to see some of those guys be able to make plays and kind of put an explanation mark on the type of spring we have had offensively.”

Overall, the two offenses combined for 738 yards, including 407 yards from the White squad, whom Elliott called plays for. They averaged 7.7 yards per play. The Orange wasn’t too bad either. Scott’s team averaged 5.1 yards per play.

“I thought the rhythm was moving well on both sides,” Elliott said. “Like I have said all spring, the tempo has been good. We are having fun and we understand who we are. We play fast and we put pressure on the defense by playing fast.

“When you are able to have big plays and consistent plays you are able to keep the tempo going.”

And that’s when playmakers like Williams, Scott, Peake, Hopper, Gallman and Davidson start to make plays. And on Saturday they made plenty.