Saturday’s season-opening loss to top-ranked Georgia served as reality check for 14th-ranked Clemson.
The Bulldogs used a dominating second half to roll to a 34-3 victory over the Tigers, with the game serving as a staunch reminder of where Dabo Swinney’s program is currently when compared to what is arguably looks like the best team in the country.
With the passing game once again failing to find its footing, there has been a lot of criticism aimed at how the wide receiver rotations played out in the loss. With such a formidable opening opponent, looking at the snap counts, it appears the staff chose to go with players that have been in the program as opposed to the younger talent.
Adam Randall and Antonio Williams were the starters on the outside, with Tyler Brown running out there first in the slot.
WR Snap Counts (52 Offensive Plays)
- Antonio Williams 45
- Cole Turner 29
- Tyler Brown 26
- Troy Stellato 19
- Adam Randall 15
- Bryant Wesco Jr 12
- TJ Moore 6
With expectations so high for the two freshmen wideouts, Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore, the two combined for just 18 snaps. Moore did not get into the game until late, when it was already decided. Each registered one catch, with Moore’s going for seven yards and Wesco’s for five.
Turner and Randall, guys who have now been in the program for three years, were non-factors. Turner had just one catch for one yard and stopped running mid-route on one of the few times the Tigers took a shot down the field. Randall did not have a catch and committed multiple penalties, costly ones at that. Stellato also failed to record a catch.
One of the few bright spots on offense was Antonio Williams. The redshirt sophomore caught six of his seven targets for 76 yards. Brown had three catches for 25 yards, all coming in the second half.
With the passing game continuing to sputter, it will be interesting to see how the rotations shake out moving forward. With App State visiting on Saturday (8pm/ACCN), the staff will have to figure things out quickly. The Tigers did open as a 16.5-point favorite, but the Mountaineers have proved time and again they are not to be overlooked.
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