Very little has gone right for Clemson during the first four games of the season, and most of the goals the Tigers had coming in are off the table.
Only two goals remain. Win the state and win the closer.
There will be no College Football Playoff berth, nor will there be another conference championship trophy. About the only thing left to play for is pride, and watching the effort in last Saturday’s 34-21 loss to Syracuse, there didn’t appear to be much of that on display.
Dabo Swinney’s team appeared uninspired and downright unprepared in that most recent loss. The Orange moved the ball at will against the Clemson defense, which, for whatever reason, just didn’t show much heart.
Over the years, Swinney has been as effective as any coach in motivating his players. However, whatever buttons he’s tried to push to this point just haven’t worked. Can he get enough of this team to stay bought in to get this thing turned around?
“We’ll see,” the head coach said. “I just don’t know.”
That’s just part of the issue, though. If the Tigers are going to start winning football games this season, it goes beyond just motivation. Swinney needs to identify some of the guys on that team who actually want it and give them a shot. You are 1-3. There is nothing left to lose by doing so, and maybe you find out exactly what you have in some of these younger guys who are expected to be major contributors next season.
And it all starts with the quarterback. Cade Klubnik just hasn’t been what most expected him to be. He’s far from the only problem, but he looks more like the inconsistent player we saw during his sophomore season than a senior now in his third year as the starter. Klubnik is making the wrong reads too often. He is just not seeing the field for whatever reason and is routinely late on his throws.
Why not see what Chris Vizzina can do? With Klubnik gone after this season, Vizzina has been considered the heir-apparent. Run him out there and see what he’s got. Maybe he gives this offense the spark that’s been missing. Or maybe, he shows he’s not quite ready. Either way, you know a lot more about what you have in him ahead of next season.
It’s also time to start getting freshman running back Gideon Davidson more involved. The same could be said for redshirt freshman David Eziomume. The two have combined for just six carries to this point. Starter Adam Randall has been a bright spot, but he’s had fumbling issues.
Every team needs more than one back it can lean on, and it seems Clemson did not learn its lesson from last season when Phil Mafah was the only back the staff trusted. When he got hurt, there was no one else the Tigers could turn to, and Mafah ran out there several more weeks, basically playing with one arm.
There’s more than one reason why those younger backs need more opportunities, but when you’re not getting your starter enough carries most weeks, how are you going to get the guys behind him any? There needs to be more of an emphasis on running the ball, period.
You can make the same arguments for some players on the defensive side of the ball, as well. Jahiem Lawson has been one of the best players up front, while TJ Parker has been mostly MIA. How about seeing more of Hevin Brown-Shuler and Amare Adams on the interior?
The fact is, there isn’t a whole lot you can do midseason, outside of trying new personnel. Having lost three of your first four games, what do you have to lose? At the very least, find the guys you know are going to give it their all instead of what we saw against Syracuse. Because that day, there were definitely some players just going through motions.
“We’re not going to win the national championship this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t finish well,” Swinney said. “Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the journey.”
Photo by Bart Boatwright