Tigers on a Tear, But Need to Be Better
The Clemson Tigers have been on an offensive tear through the 2020 season. Against Virginia Tech, the Tiger's 8.3 yards per play represent its highest average since last year’s ACC Championship Game against Virginia (9.2). They also joined 2013 Florida State as the only ACC teams ever to score 34 or more points in each of the first 10 games of a season and recorded multiple rushing touchdowns in a 26th consecutive game. The last time Clemson was held to a single rushing touchdown was in the 2018 Cotton Bowl.
- However, if there is one area of concern as the Tigers look ahead to a rematch with Notre Dame in the ACC Championship (ABC, 4 p.m.) it would have to be the running game.
- The Tigers currently rank 70th in the nation in rushing yards per game, in 2019 the Tiger's ranked 13th nationally in rushing yards.
"You've just to get your ego out of it and try to establish the run," offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. "We knew coming into this game, they do a lot of things. It's hard to anticipate what's coming. They are going to pressure with some zero pressures on first down, but you don't know when they're coming. They do a good job of disguising it. Once we saw we could get some push up front and the backs were finding the running lanes, we could lead with the run and somewhere down the road it would open up the explosives in the pass game."
But it is not only the running game that needs to improve from poor to, at least, good over the next two weeks if the Tigers are going to avenge their loss to Notre Dame and clinch their sixth straight ACC title and earn their sixth straight berth to the College Football Playoff–it is the passing game.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has thrown only three interceptions in the 2020 season, his latest one was thrown in the end zone that took points off the board for the Tigers. But it is not only that throw that concerned Elliott, it is the other throws that should have been intercepted that have him wanting a little more attention to detail.
"I think taking care of the ball in the passing game," Elliott said. "Thought we made some decisions that put the ball in jeopardy. Luckily only one of them was picked off."
