The 3 Areas the Tigers Must Get Better

Even though the Clemson Tigers enjoying a week away from the stresses of the football field this weekend, they are still working hard to get better and become a more complete team.

 Even though the Clemson Tigers enjoying a week away from the stresses of the football field this weekend, they are still working hard to get better and become a more complete team.

Through their first five games, they are a perfect 5-0, but that does not mean they are a perfect team — in fact, many would argue they are far from a perfect team.

So, today, we give you the three areas where the Tigers need to improve if they are going to find themselves where they want to be at the end of Week 12 — the ACC Championship.

1: Offensive Play-calling: The play-calling this season has been confusing to say the least. At times, it appears that the offensive coaches have completely forgotten about the middle o the field in the passing game and one of the best running backs in college football, Travis Etienne.

Instead the Tigers' offense appears to be, at times, a throw a 50-50 ball down the sidelines in hopes of one of their 6-foot-4 receivers making a play on the ball. While it has led to some exciting plays, it has caused the Tigers to lose consistency. 

The Tigers' ability to put together sustained drives has fallen on hard times, as a result of their all-or-nothing offensive approach.

2: Tight End Play: Whether it is J.C. Chalk, Jaelyn Lay, Luke Price or Davis Allen, the Tigers' lack of production in the passing game has been concerning the last three seasons, and. has yet to get any better this season.

The Tigers need to utilize the tight end more in the passing game if they are going to live up to their potential as an offense. The tight end can be a great equalizer in the passing game, creating favorable mismatches for the offense. If the Tigers can find a way to use the tight end after the bye week, it may be the key to seeing the offense that many expected to see this season come to fruition.

3: Tackling; The defense has been very impressive through the first five games, drawing rave reviews of defensive coordinator Brent Venables. But the one area of concern is a lack of tackling by the linebackers.

The Tigers have been one of the best defenses in the nation this season, ranking ninth in scoring defense, eighth in total defense and ninth in passing defense. However, the Tigers rank 30th in rush defense — due, in part, to the Tigers inability to get opposing rushers on the ground.