CLEMSON — Clemson’s youth and inexperience on offense have been covered ad nauseam since the start of fall camp.
We saw it in the blowout loss to LSU, again in the win over Georgia Southern a week ago and early in the North Carolina game, as the offense managed just 31 yards in the opening quarter.
The Tigers quickly found themselves in a 17-3 hole, and if we’re being honest, it could have been worse. The Tar Heels certainly left some points on the field. But that’s football.
Towards the end of the second quarter, things started to change, and Clemson made UNC pay for allowing the Tigers to hang around. The result? A 28-20 comeback win for Dabo Swinney’s team.
Offense Showing Signs of Life
Things started to change with about five minutes left in the first half. The offense took over on its own 12-yard line and went on an 18-play drive inside the Heels’ 5-yard line. The drive ultimately stalled, but Nolan Hauser’s chip-shot field goal that made it 17-6 gave Clemson some much-needed momentum heading into the break.
It was on that drive that freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds really started to settle in. However, it was also the drive where we started to see Clemson’s much-maligned offensive line find its footing. Watching it live, I thought we saw a little more zone blocking in the second half, but when guys did pull, it was much cleaner. Execution. And we saw that.
Reynolds really showed signs of growth, going 8-of-10 in the second half. 139 of his 215 passing yards came in the second half. Having said that, he is still a freshman. Saturday was his first career start, so there are likely still going to be more freshman moments like the interception that was intended for Bryant Wesco. That ball was way off the mark. Speaking of that play, Wesco has to do everything in his power to keep the defender from catching that, even if he’s got to tackle him and incur a pass interference penalty.
Running Back Room
Gideon Davidson might have been the player of the game. The sophomore had some tough, hard-nosed runs, especially in the second half. He hit the century mark for the first time, and his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner.
Davidson’s 45-yard run in the fourth quarter can be pointed at as the turning point in the game.
Jarvis Green is also proving himself to be the next best option. Sure, he put one on the ground, but he more than made up for it later when he had four carries in the third quarter for 23 yards. Each of those runs went for five yards or more. More of that, please.
Chris Johnson Jr. was once again a total non-factor in the run game. He had two early carries, amounting to zero yards. He did make his presence in the return game, including a 30-yard kickoff return after the lightning delay.
Retooled Secondary Locks Things Down
Clemson’s pass coverage was excellent on Saturday, and you could really see it in the second half. The play of Ashton Hampton and Elliot Washington Jr. was crucial in allowing the pass rush to finally start to get home late, with Will Heldt finishing with two sacks.
Washington’s first interception of the season on UNC’s final possession was what sealed the victory.
Ronan Hanafin and Jerome Carter combined for 11 tackles, and Hanafin had a couple of punishing hits.
Still Room for Improvement
One area where this team still needs some improvement is in its tackling. Still seeing too many misses in that department. Too many of those are coming in the backfield.
The run defense is also still leaving a lot to be desired. The Heels finished with 214 yards on the ground, and it was pretty balanced, with UNC having more than 100 rushing yards in each half. Benjamin Hall rushed for 130 yards and averaged 7.2 yards per carry. And I’m still not sure why the Heels decided to throw it down the field on 4th and short late in the game when they absolutely needed a touchdown after having had so much success on the ground.