TCI assesses the play of each position group in Saturday’s 24-22 win over Notre Dame…
Quarterbacks: B
Formulating a passing game is difficult to do when torrential rains are plaguing the field, so there has to be a sliding scale on which to grade Deshaun Watson’s play. He missed a couple of open receivers and threw an interception, although one of those passes happened to be slightly overthrown as wind gusts picked up at his back right before the snap. Watson threw for very few yards, but he also threw two early touchdown passes and rushed for almost 100 yards. It was a steady performance given the circumstances.
Running Backs: B+
The offense was put into the hands of the tailbacks, and they delivered. Specifically, Wayne Gallman delivered to the tune of 98 yards on 22 carries. He had one of the biggest plays of the game with a 33-yard run to set up a fourth-quarter field goal. Gallman also aided in protection well and generally was able to get tough yardage. Zac Brooks had a big run in his stead, as well. The only thing keeping this grade from being higher is the inability to produce anything in the fourth quarter on the ground.
Wide Receivers & Tight Ends: C-
It was going to be tough to throw and catch for anybody on Saturday, but this group was a relative no-show. Other than Hunter Renfrow’s big catch and the two touchdowns, nothing stands out except mistakes and ineffectiveness. Charone Peake barely mustered an effort on a jump ball that ended up being intercepted. Ray Ray McCloud dropped a shovel pass on a jet sweep. Deon Cain was nowhere to be found. Without Mike Williams, this group looks severely overmatched, even against a group like Notre Dame’s that has not been proficient so far.
Offensive Line: B
This was a hard group to grade. On one hand, the Tigers came out and established the line of scrimmage early. Watson was not sacked a single time. Jay Guillermo earned praise from his head coach after the game for his consistency snapping the ball in the wet conditions. However, it is hard to ignore the lack of any semblance of running game when Clemson desperately needed it down the stretch. Much of it was due to ineffectiveness up front, and the Tigers are still struggling to get critical yards late in games.
Defensive Line: A-
Notre Dame’s offensive line might be the best in the country, and yet, Clemson front four managed to be disruptive all night long. Ends Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd combined for seven tackles for loss. Tackles Carlos Watkins and Christian Wilkins each registered a sack. Three- and four-man rushes were used primarily by Brent Venables, and the Tigers were able to occasionally make Deshone Kizer uncomfortable. On the late two-point conversion, Watkins defeated two blockers to put the initial hit on Kizer, while Dodd forced him inside by setting a hard edge. It was an impressive effort by this crew.
Linebackers: B+
Any issues this group had came in coverage, and much of that was due to an impeccable job of pass protection by the Notre Dame offensive front. Ben Boulware played like a man possessed once again, and B.J. Goodson had an interception and a fumble recovery. At the nickel/SAM spot, Travis Blanks was outstanding minus one coverage bust that might not have even been his fault. Other than having to cover for unreasonable lengths of time, there cannot be many issues on the film from Saturday’s game for Brent Venables’ position group.
Defensive Backs: B
Once again, the only issues with the defense in the entire game were because of Notre Dame, so this group gets a pretty good grade, as well. Will Fuller was held to only two catches, a major accomplishment against one of the nation’s best wideouts. The Fighting Irish pass-catchers did drop a ton of balls right in their hands, which coverage guys don’t have much control over. However, some of the drops were clearly due to the impending presence of Clemson’s defensive backs. The Tigers get credit for some intimidation on that front.
Special Teams: B-
Kickoffs did not get appreciably better with Ammon Lakip running the show. A couple of times, Notre Dame’s returners found a crease in the return game, which is sure to be a recurring theme with the Tigers. Andy Teasdall had a very good day punting, pinning the Fighting Irish inside the 20 on four occasions and averaging 43.1 yards per punt. Greg Heugel split his two field goals late in the game, making one from 35 yards out and missing a 45-yarder.