PITTSBURGH – Some way, somehow, Clemson found a way to win on Saturday at Pitt.
To be quite honest, I’m still not sure the Tigers overcame some of the obstacles faced in this one. That was about as patchworked as you can get up front.
With Elyjah Thurmon going down on the first offensive play, Clemson was left scrambling up front. Blake Miller moved over to LT and Walker Parks moved outside to RT, a spot he has not played since he was an underclassman. Trent Howard had to slide in at one of the guard spots, while Harris Sewell was at the other. Ryan Linthicum was the only starter in his usual spot.
That led to all kinds of blocking issues. In the run game and in the pass protection. And as the game wore on, the more aggressive Pitt got with its pass rush. Especially once Sammy Brown was ejected for targeting right before halftime. That also left the Tigers exposed in pass coverage over the middle of the field, seeing as Wade Woodaz was already out.
At the end of the day, a win is a win. However, this one felt more like survival. Kudos to Cade Klubnik, though. When his team needed him the most, he responded with a game-winning play.
Klubnik Was Pretty Dang Good
Was it perfect? No. It rarely will be, but Klubnik was pretty good in this one, despite not getting a lot of help from the guys up front and despite being the victim of five more drops, most of which came in the first quarter.
The junior did overshoot Antonio Williams on one throw that would have no doubt gone for a touchdown, but the pressure had arrived and he wasn’t really able to get his feet set.
Yes, the offense was pretty ineffective in the second half, but I’m not sure that’s on Klubnik. Either way, at the end of the day, when the Tigers needed it, Klubnik delivered. And that is something that would not have happened this time last season.
Unpopular Opinion
Many might disagree, but I firmly believe this defense was better than some of the numbers might suggest. In the first half, before Brown was ejected, Pitt had just 111 passing yards and while they did have 63 yards on the ground, 48 of those came on one play. More importantly, the Panthers had just seven points and one third down conversion over the first two quarters.
Even in that third quarter, when the offense really started to sputter, this group still held Pitt scoreless. Then in the final quarter, after they’d been on the field for much of the second half and they finally started to bend, they still only allowed the one touchdown. Holding the Panthers to just a FG after they’d driven inside of the five in that final quarter was huge. Then Khalil Barnes sealed it the interception.
The pass rush was as strong as its been all season and part of that is Jahiem Lawson reaching the point to where he can start outside and Peter Woods can move back inside. This group finished with eight sacks and 16 tackles for loss. Props to Nate Yarnell for taking that beating and continuing to get up.
Unstoppable Parker
Speaking of the pass rush, TJ Parker had the strongest performance of his college career. The sophomore end finished with seven tackles, four sacks, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and two QB hurries. The four sacks tied a school record. He made life miserable for Yarnell. Lawson growing into the player he has, makes it more difficult for opponents to throw so much attention at Parker.
ACC Refs Are the Worst
What happened late in the fourth quarter on Saturday was inexcusable. These officials missed the call when Dee Crayton’s arm made contact with the quarterback’s head. Should have been an easy call but no flag was thrown. Four minutes later, well after the conclusion of the play, these officials dropped a flag. Why? Because Pitt kept showing the replay on the video board. The referees decided to have their own version of “replay.” On a play that isn’t reviewable. At some point there has to be some consequences for these kinds of egregious calls.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This group of officials were downright bad. The worst I have seen this season. It was terribly officiated and on both sides.
Still Alive
With the win, the Tigers ACC Championship hopes remain alive. All they need is for Miami to drop one of their last two ACC contests. While that isn’t the only path, it’s the simplest. Clemson could also get in if Virginia was to knock off SMU and Va Tech over the final two weeks and Louisville was to lose to Pitt.
However, even if this team does make it to Charlotte, if they don’t get some of these injured guys back healthy, I’m not sure how much it will matter. This team needs Leigh, Tate, Woodaz and Mickens healthy.
And that leads to an interesting scenario. Let’s say Miami loses to Wake Forest next weekend and Clemson has clinched a spot in the ACCCG ahead to the rivalry matchup with the Gamecocks. IF there are still several guys still banged up, would Dabo Swinney sit those guys in an effort to have them healthy for the conference championship game? Would he entertain the idea of “resting” some of his starters for that one? Think what the reaction to that might be.
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
