Uiagalelei Pleased With Growth of Clemson Offense, Says 'Rome Wasn't Built In a Day'
This Clemson team had high hopes entering the season.
The Tigers were heavy favorites to return to the College Football Playoff for a seventh consecutive season, while quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was one of the favorites to win the Heisman. To say things have not gone according to plan would be putting it mildly.
While the Clemson defense has lived up to the preseason hype, and then some, the offense had seen its share of problems in the team's 2-2 start to the season. Much of those issues due to the wildly inconsistent play of Uiagalelei.
The sophomore has struggled far more than anyone anticipated in his transition from his role as Trevor Lawrence's backup to being the full-time starting quarterback, with accuracy being extremely problematic at times.
In the Tigers 19-13 win over previously unbeaten Boston College, Uiagalelei had his best performance of the season, going over 200 yards passing for the first time in 2021. At the same time, the quarterback still struggled with consistency.
After starting the night by completing six of his first nine passes and closely resembling the Uiagalelei the country watched throw for more than 900 yards in two starts a season ago, the quarterback finished the night by hitting on just seven of his final 19 throws. However, according to Uiagalelei, he was happy with the progress he and the rest of the offense made in the win, despite some of the up and down moments.
"Rome wasn't built in a day," Uiagalelei said. "Gotta keep getting better. Keep grinding my butt off every day in practice, and just keep working for my team. I love my brothers on this team and I'm going to continue to keep giving them all I got. Just go out there and lay it all on the line."
The issues the Tigers have experienced on the offensive side of the ball have extended well beyond the play of the quarterback. After accumulating 438 yards of total offense against the Eagles, Uiagalelei was more than satisfied with the improvement, even if it was just a small step forward.
"I think every game we play we keep getting better," Uiagalelei said. "Just trying to take little steps each and every game. You're not gonna be able to take this massive jump in one game, you just got to keep growing."
However, Uiagalelei is far from satisfied. After the stadium had emptied on Saturday night, the quarterback was back out on the field working on getting better, staying out there well past midnight.
With the Tigers heading into a bye week, Uiagalelei's primary focus is on growing as a player and on improving from one week to the next. He's not going to dwell on the struggles of the past, choosing instead to put all of his energy into doing whatever it takes to improve as a quarterback.
"Huge strides tonight," Uiagalelei said. "I think we just got to continue to get better. I mean, each and every game. Keep growing and growing and growing and by the end of the year, who knows where this offense is going to be at. Can't wait to see the fruits of our labor come from all the work put in each and every week. We're going to continue to get better.
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