The Clemson Insider grades Clemson’s performance by position group in Saturday’s 58-0 win over Miami…

Quarterbacks: A

Deshaun Watson was brilliant in his time on the field. He engineered six scoring drives in seven possessions. Those drives netted 38 points for his team, which is incredibly good for an entire game. Nick Schuessler was unimpressive in his stint running the show, but Kelly Bryant ran for a pair of touchdowns and showed flashes of brilliance during the fourth quarter.

Running Backs: A

Miami’s linebacking crew is banged up, and this was the Hurricanes’ first game without leading tackler Raphael Kirby, but Clemson’s tailbacks still did yeoman’s work against a vulnerable defense. The run game gained 416 yards, and the Clemson tailbacks got 232 of them on 46 carries. Three tailbacks rushed for at least 40 yards in the game: Wayne Gallman (118), Tyshon Dye (52), and C.J. Fuller (42).

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: A-

This group does not get an A simply because of a lack of opportunity and a lack of efficiency. It was clear Clemson wanted to utilize its running game, and that plan worked to the detriment of the receivers. Jordan Leggett’s lone catch was a touchdown on a screen pass that functioned more like a run anyway. Other than that, this group did not score on a catch, and there were chances for plays to be made. Blocking in the run game was exceptional, though, which gives this crew a little bump.

Offensive Line: A+

This was the dominant group today. A team does not surpass 400 rushing yards without a sensational effort from its big boys up front. The most impressive thing was the way Clemson’s reserves manhandled Miami’s line late in the game. The talent gap was enormous, but the Tigers’ effort in the trenches went above and beyond the call of duty.

Defensive Line: A

This group had a chance to make some plays in this contest, and it did not disappoint. Shaq Lawson had a pair of sacks, including a hit that knocked Miami’s quarterback out of the game. Late in the game, Richard Yeargin added another sack. There was penetration on almost every single snap of the game, especially from the interior line. The Canes only averaged 1.8 yards per carry in the game, which is a testament to the defensive tackles pushing the line of scrimmage backwards.

Linebackers: A+

This position group gets an A+ because it was challenged coming into this game. There were questions about covering backs out of the backfield in coverage and how the stress that element provided would affect the Tigers’ ability to shut down the run or rush the passer at the second level. Well, Miami tailbacks caught one pass in the game, and the trio of Ben Boulware, B.J. Goodson, and Dorian O’Daniel were magnificent all game long. Jalen Williams came in late and provided a big hit for a sack.

Defensive Backs: A+

Miami was the ACC’s top passing offense coming into the game, but any first-time viewers would have been fooled. As a team, here is what Miami did in the passing game between two quarterbacks: 13-of-32, 93 yards, 3 INT. There simply were not pockets into which the ball could be thrown. Jadar Johnson began the game with an interception, and Cordrea Tankersley ended the game with one. Van Smith had his coming-out party, leading the team with a half-dozen tackles and picking off a pass late.

Special Teams: B

This group was fairly unimpressive throughout the day. Ray Ray McCloud committed Clemson’s lone turnover by muffing a punt. Andy Teasdall was good punting the ball, but Greg Huegel drew the ire of Dabo Swinney when he missed his first career extra point. Swinney was not happy at all with Huegel, but he allowed him to attempt the final PAT of the game. Kick coverage was pretty good, as well, as the group continues to improve from week to week.