Grading The Tigers at the Halfway Point :
Clemson enters this week’s upcoming game with NC State holding an 6-0 overall record 3-0 inside ACC conference play. With all the turmoil inside and adversity faced by this team so far in 2018, this season for the Tigers to stand undefeated at the halfway point is quite the accomplishment. With quarterback controversies, transfers in mid season, and dealing with the death of a former team mate all taking place as the Tigers try and maneuver their way through the scheduled opponents of the season. Today we are going to sit back and discuss how the team has performed and grade each sides of the ball.
Offense: A-
“Explosive” is the word to describe this years Clemson offense. With a propensity to bust a huge play either on the ground or in the air. This years Tigers offense has been at times deadly with its “quick strike” ability. Overall the Clemson offense has had a great season so far despite the lack of continuity at the most important position on the field. “Quaterback”… where the Tigers spent the first four games platooning two players and then after finally announcing a starter for Syracuse only to see him go down with injury in the first half of that game.
The Tigers offense is in rare form in 2018 . As it’s the Clemson running game and not the passing that has taken front seat on the bus at what has for years now been known as “WRU”. The Clemson rushing offense going into week 8 of the college football season is sitting #4 ranked nationally with an average of 280 yards per game. Leading the way is sophomore running back Travis Etienne. The Louisiana native has managed to gain 761 yards on the ground at an incredible rate of 9.17 yards per carry. Etienne alone is not the reason this rushing offenses success so far in the 2018 campaign. You can attribute it to many different reasons including a new combination up front along the offensive line that now seems to have more continuity than Clemson fronts in the past. Add to that the new added dimension that is Trevor Lawrence and his ability to affect the middle of the field vertically that forces defenses to play 2 deep safeties more often than in the past. This allows the Clemson offense an advantage in the number of bodies inside the “Box” and the Tigers have an extra blocker on each run play.
The passing offense has seen its numbers grow and efficiency increase as Lawrence has continued to rack up snaps. It was easy to see earlier in the year as the 2 QB system played out in front of the Clemson fans and media, Bryant was not capable to affect the vertical passing game. The Clemson offense also was more productive through the air with the Freshman in at quarterback. Every time Lawrence was inserted into the game he was able to force the issue and made the throws into tight windows. The Bryant was incapable of making. And eventually as we all saw it play out with Lawrence being named the starter and the eventual transfer of Bryant . So far in 2018 Trevor has thrown for a completion percentage of 69% with Eleven (11) touchdowns to (2) interceptions. Targeting fellow newcomer Justyn Ross on several big plays along with Higgins and Rodgers along with Hunter Renfrow. With an per pass average of 8.7 yards Lawrence is near the top of the ACC in quarterback efficiency.
Overall the offense is 8th in the nation in total offense and 4th in rushing the ball as we enter this 8th week of college football.
Defense A-
Coming into the 2018 season it was Clemson’s defense and specifically the defensive line unit (Dexter Lawrence, Christian Wilkins, Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell) getting a lot of much deserved preseason acclaim and hype. The Clemson defense returned all four of the “D Line” starters from a year ago present a very big challenge for opposing teams in any game. Add to that a pair of veteran linebackers and young but Uber talented defensive backfield. This year more so than in recent memory Brent Venables returns a more intact unit than he has since he began his time here at Clemson. Each year in the past due to graduation and attrition was a “rebuilding” project of unknowns and plugging players that were just beginning to develop into starting roles. The experience this 2018 group brings to the field after three straight years of ACC Championships and College Playoff games is beyond an advantage for this team. Plug in an skilled bunch of freshman (Xavier Thomas, KJ Henry, Kyler McMichael) that have seen plenty of snaps here early in the season and Clemson has parlayed that group and it’s performance into the 3rd ranked over all defense in college football at this point in the season.
The team has had some lights out defensive performances like the way they shut down a prolific Georgia Tech rushing offense in Atlanta. But has been at times gashed in the “big play” area. Good example would be Texas A&M where 3rd down efficiency was not good to the Tigers defense. Many times against A&M the Tigers would win 1st and 2nd down only to have coverage breakdown result in wide open receivers down field for first down. Add to that the lack of “turnovers” so far this season and you have areas that need to be addressed. The one area it has been hard to determine results wise as far as statistics go is that vaunted defensive line unit. Now you have to remember the outlier here is the fact the Tigers have faced threes option teams out of their first six opponents. Thus stats like sacks and qb pressures and defending the pass can be skewed as the factors are not accounted for when losing into college football over-all statistic
With the defense showing up in a game like Syracuse, when the Clemson offense had issue sustaining drives after losing Lawrence to injury. . . to a game like Wake Forest where it shut down one of the conferences most potent offensive attacks with the Deacons propensity to run 90 plus plays a game. Even the performance at Texas A&M take sans the few breakdowns in coverage was superb as they held what now is one of the nations top running backs to well below his season average. And forced the Aggies out of their game plan early in the contest. This defense has been as expected at times just too talented too be contained. Offensive coordinators have to decide which player to double team and that leaves others just as talented with an advantage numbers wise along the front seven. In the defensive backfield Clemson came in with the knowledge it would have to rely on a couple of very highly recruited freshman to come in and shore up the unit with depth. And already this season both Kyler McMicheal and Mario Goodrich have seen themselves placed on the island that is cornerback and held their own. Clemson has show so far its able week to week to adjust to the offenses and take away the strength of each team and force then out of their game plan and comfort zone. You cannot ask for much more than that from a defense in 2018.
Special teams C+
So far in the 2018 season Clemson special teams units have yet to be just that. The only “consistent” bright spot we can point to is kicker BT Potter who has continued to send his kickoff’s consistently into the end zone taking away opponents return chances and forcing them into a 75 yard field for the defense to start drives. Placekicking was expected to be a bright spot with the return of Greg Huegel to the starting role after spending last season injured. However so far this season inconsistent is the word to describe Huegel’s season. This year greg is 5 out 8 with a long of 49 yards. Punting has been a place where the same issue has shown up for a second straight season as Will Spiers has yet to become the weapon he was projected to be coming out of high school. Look no farther than the Texas A&M game at the very end of the 4th quarter as Clemson was trying to run the clock out and flip the filed on A&M and force them to use clock and a different game plan to get downfield. On that 4th down, Spiers was asked to perform a “rugby” style punt and hesitated and ended up “shanking” the punt for less than 25 net yards and put A&M in prime position to do as they did and drive the field in the time allowed and score. Add to that the hang time and ability to flip the field has just not showed up on the playing field on Saturdays so far. The coverage units have been very solid so far this season, with players like Xavier Thomas and Chad Smith standing out along with Isaiah Simmons and AJ Terrell all showing up and making big plays in coverage downfield at times.
The return units have been at times spectacular (punt returns) and underwhelming (kickoff) with a few mistakes being made like the muffed punts resulting in costly fumbles. Amari Rodgers has shined on returns this year with 13 so far for an average of 10.9 and long of 62 yards. Rodgers has also muffed 3 punts on the season. So with the good comes the bad, with this special teams unit so far here in the 2018 season inconsistency has shown up in every unit outside kickoff specialist.
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