CLEMSON — This Clemson football team just can’t seem to get out of its own way.
A less-than-fully healthy Cade Klubnik had a career day passing-wise, the running game was finally a point of emphasis and successful as a result, and the receivers certainly did their part, as the offense rolled up 560 yards and a season-high 45 points. However, it still wasn’t enough.
The secondary experienced one breakdown after another in a performance that was once again hard to watch. The safeties are not only weak in coverage but also just can’t seem to play assignment football, allowing Duke quarterback Darian Mensah to make it look rather easy.
In the end, what we saw was a program that continues to fall further into the abyss. Right now, this team isn’t even mediocre, it’s just lost.
So Many Busts
Did anyone else lose count of how many busts the Tigers had in pass coverage? The fact that this team really doesn’t have someone who is an ideal fit for the nickel, or what Tom Allen likes to call the “Tiger,” is a problem in and of itself. How many times have we seen a receiver get behind Tink Kelley? But that is just one issue of many.
After Que’Sean Brown got behind Khalil Barnes for a 43-yard touchdown at the end of the first half, just after Clemson had overcome a 21-7 deficit to take its first lead at 28-21, Dabo Swinney had seen enough. The head coach went ballistic on his defensive backs on the sidelines. And no one was immune to his wrath.
Unfortunately, whatever was said had very little effect. It must have gone right in one ear and out of the other, because we continued to see the busts in the second half. Ronan Hanafin and Ricardo Jones both had head-scratching moments. Even Avieon Terrell had some down moments, and the linebackers continue to struggle in coverage, too.
The pass defense now ranks No. 95 nationally, allowing 245 yards per game.
The failures on the backend overshadowed a pretty good effort from the defensive line, which was probably as disruptive as it’s been all season. For the most part, the defense bottled up the Duke running game.
There was even a special teams bust, as the Tigers allowed a 100-yard kickoff return on a play in which everyone seemed to be expecting a fair catch and no one was prepared for Sahmir Hagans to actually bring it out.
Amazing What An Effective Running Game Does
Garrett Riley finally made it a point to establish the ground game in this one. Amazing what some success on the ground can do for the passing game, huh?
With the way Swinney had talked about the lack of a running game since the loss to SMU, this was just as likely to be an edict from the head coach as it was Riley seeing the light. Whatever the reason, it worked.
Adam Randall actually carried the ball 16 times. The staff finally got Gideon Davidson involved, giving him 12 carries and allowing the freshman to show what he can do. The two combined to rush for 140 yards behind an offensive line that probably had its best game of the season.
With Tristan Leigh back on Saturday, freshman Brayden Jacobs got the start at LG, a move that absolutely produced the desired results.
Too Cute for Own Good
As good as the offense was on Saturday, there were still some mind-numbing decisions regarding the play calling. One example would be calling for a pass to former walk-on offensive lineman Chapman Pendergrass on a 1st and Goal from the 1-yard line. The running game had done most of the work in driving the Tigers 75 yards down the field. Why not allow them the opportunity to finish it off? Clemson would ultimately have to settle for a chip-shot field goal from Nolan Hauser.
More Signs Changes Are Coming
“I am going to do whatever I got to do to fix it. This stuff here is just not working.”
Those were Swinney’s words after the loss when asked about the busts on the backend. So, it is safe to assume changes are coming. Having said that, seeing how we got here, will just making more changes to the coaching staff be enough?
We’ve already seen plenty of staff changes over the past three or four years, yet the program keeps falling further and further away from where it once was.
If Clemson is going to once again compete for more than ACC Championships, Swinney may need to look deeper than the staff. As great as the culture inside the program has served the head coach over the years, right now, it seems there is something fundamentally broken.
After this kind of season, you have to examine how you do everything. From how you acquire talent, high school and portal, to how you practice and prepare.
The question becomes, can Swinney identify what those issues are and then get them addressed?
Photo by Bart Boatwright