Clemson Attempting to Get Back to 'Basics' After Losing 'Confidence' In Passing Game
For the first time in a long time, the Clemson offense struggled to push the ball down the field last season.
The Tigers wound up finishing 11th in the ACC in passing offense a season ago, averaging less than 200 yards per game. It was a far cry from the 349 passing yards the team averaged in 2020, which was good for tops in the league and close to 50 yards better than the second-best passing offense, North Carolina (301 YPG).
Clemson's new passing game coordinator, Kyle Richardson, who also now serves as tight ends coach, said at a certain point, everyone lost faith in the team's ability to consistently throw the ball, coaches, and players. He, along with new offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter, has a plan in place to ensure the Tigers don't see a repeat in 2022.
“We lost our confidence last year, and once we lost it, it was hard to get it back,” Richardson said. “I think the biggest thing is me and Streeter sitting down together and kind of talking about, alright, where do we want to go in the future with this? We don’t want to throw it all out the window, but the flip side of it is where do we want to go and grow this thing?"
One of the focal points in the passing game this spring has been on simplifying things and making sure the little things are being done right.
“I think the biggest thing is let’s get back to the basics, where the basics were we put the ball in playmakers’ hands in space and they went and made plays in the passing game," Richardson said. "The second thing was maybe we need to simplify some things. Maybe some things have kind of stacked on top of each other year after year after year, and then all of a sudden simple concepts become complex concepts.”
While Richardson is entering just his first season in his new role with the Tigers, he is no stranger to high-powered offenses. He spent nine seasons (2007-15) at Northwestern High School, first as offensive coordinator, then finishing as the head coach (2011-15), with his explosive offenses being key to three state titles and eight region championships.
While no one should expect to see wholesale changes, there will be some minor adjustments here and there, as Richardson and Streeter look for a more efficient offense than the Tigers fielded in 2021, as well as more consistency.
“I’ve got the pass-game coordinator title, but that means nothing,” Richardson said. “It really doesn’t because the pass game means nothing if you don’t have the run game. And the run game is not much if you don’t have a pass game, and if you don’t have that screen game to keep that defense from pinning their ears back and keeping them honest, it’s not going to be a consistent offense. And at the end of the day, that’s what you’re looking for.”
The Tigers are among the favorites to win the national title according to Fanduel at +1000.
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