It goes without saying, but special teams were truly the low point for the Clemson football team in 2015.
Though placekicker Greg Huegel was one of the best stories of the season and punter Andy Teasdall held his own, they were perhaps the only two bright spots for the special teams units. The rest was a problem for the Tigers from very beginning of the season.
Clemson ranked 116th nationally in covering kicks, allowing 24.9 yards per return. The Tigers were one of just two teams (Louisiana Tech) to allow three kickoff returns for touchdowns this past season. The 1,764 yards allowed ranked 127th out of 128 teams.
In the national championship game against Alabama, the Crimson Tide used this to their advantage on two of the biggest plays of the game.
After Alabama tied the game at 24 early in the fourth quarter, head coach Nick Saban called for an onside kick. Why? It was because of the look Clemson kept showing him on the previous four kickoffs.
As Alabama would bunch there kick crew together, Jayron Kearse would sneak up the line and would leave the outside wide open. Without fail on all four kicks, he darted back into the middle of the field to help set up the return. Not once did he watch the outside guy.
Knowing his defense was tired and there was no way they were going to stop Clemson’s offense the rest of the game, Saban called for the onside kick, which he knew was going to work because Clemson failed to adjust to his alignment.
Perhaps the biggest blunder came on the Tigers’ next kickoff. Kearse again was at the center of the play, though it was not entirely his fault. Kearse over pursued on the play a little bit and when Alabama’s Kenyan Drake bounced the play outside, Cordrea Tankersley did not set the edge. Though he left his safety position and overran the play, Kearse was in position to make the tackle, but the edge was not set and Drake ran right past Tankersley (the outside defender), caught the corner and ran by Huegel, who was Clemson’s last line of defense.
Drake’s 95-yard kickoff return gave the Crimson Tide an 11-point lead at the time, a deficit the Tigers could not overcome.
But it just wasn’t Clemson’s kick coverage that was insufficient in 2015. The Tigers’ punt and kick return teams weren’t much better. The Tigers ranked 52nd nationally in kick returns, averaging 21.6 yards per return with no touchdowns, while the punt return team was awful.
Clemson ranked 123rd out of 128 teams, averaging 2.3 yards per punt return.
The Tigers ranked much better in the opponents punt return average category. Opponents averaged just 6.1 yards per return and only 6.5 yards per game, good enough for 34th and 29th respectively.
Huegel was one of the nation’s best kickers as his 27 made field goals led the country, while his 84.4 percentage rate (27-32) ranked 18th nationally. His 1.8 field goals made per game was tied for sixth, while his 32 attempts ranked second in the country.
Huegel also set a school-scoring record with 138 points, which ranked 19th nationally.
Teasdall’s punting average was a modest 39.5 yards per punt, but as stated above opponents averaged just 6.5 punt return yards per game and the net per punt average was under three.
With Huegel and Teasdall back in 2016, Clemson should be solid in the kicking game, but it is obvious to everyone the Tigers have some major improving to do on kick coverage, kick returns and punt returns.
If you haven’t already order your copy today of Guts & Glory – Tales of Clemson’s Historic 2015 Football Season to help you celebrate and remember this special season.
