What We Learned From Clemson's Season-Opening Victory
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There probably isn't a more over-evaluated game than the first one.
Everyone spends nine months discussing what didn't go well the season before, asks how it's going to be better and then tries to find faults in every play in Week 1.
It's natural and not necessarily a bad thing, but Week 1 is the smallest of sample sizes. It's a thin line to walk between valid criticism/concern and overreacting hot takes.
That said, there was a lot to digest from Clemson's 41-10 victory over Georgia Tech. The Tigers started out looking like a spitting image of last year's struggling offense, but the final three quarters weren't that bad.
The defense looks like the same old dominating unit with talent all over the field, but there are several notable changes from the previous era led by former DC Brent Venables.
And don't forget, Dabo Swinney's special teams blocked two punts and made plays to complete the effort. The first block changed the game.
Here is a look at what was learned from the Labor Day win:
Clemson offense is a work in progress
Despite new coaches, a renewed DJ Uiagalelei at quarterback, a healthy offensive line and receiving corps and a ton of hope, Clemson's offense proved it still has a long way to go to be the kind of scoring unit everyone's accustomed to seeing.
There were good things. Clemson scored 41 points, something it did just one time in eight ACC games a year ago. Uiagalelei settled in and started successfully making the kind of throws he struggled with last year. His confidence is up. He completed nearly 60% of his passes. He put the ball where it needed to be several times. The offense scored on all seven of its red-zone trips.
However, the play was so sloppy early on. Uiagalelei mishandled a snap to kill a drive. Then he fumbled deep in GT territory on a run. He got tripped up easily too often. The offensive line struggled to create much in the run game. The receivers dropped or misplayed a few of those good throws by Uiagalelei. There wasn't a ton of creativity early as it looked like they just wanted to establish a few things in the passing game, but it led to too many punts and way too many wasted downs.
There's a lot to correct. There are also some positives to build on, but with an entire offseason to get better, the improvements weren't as evident or strong enough for some people out there. It's going to take more time. That's the reality.
There is still no quarterback controversy
Uiagalelei has certainly had worse games in his career than Monday night. He had 210 passing yards, didn't throw an interception and scored both a passing and rushing touchdown. His decision-making got so much better as the game went along, but it didn't feel like the playcalling got him out of the pocket enough to make easier throws.
That can't be said for Cade Klubnik. The true freshman signal-caller got one drive, and it took advantage of his strengths. Klubnik threw a nice pass on a rollout for his first completion and then had an easy 3-yard touchdown throw that was designed to get WR Will Taylor open. Why did it all seem to flow in his late-game possession? Who knows? But the coaches downplayed any chances of this becoming a battle.
Uiagalelei is still the starter, and nothing Monday changed that. They really wanted to make Klubnik comfortable, and that's fine, but Uiagalelei needs some of the same plays called for him. But Monday night did prove one thing: If Klubnik keeps making the most of his opportunities, he must get more. And then the narrative could shift.
The help was uneven
All offseason, Clemson's coaches harped on making sure the players around the quarterback are better than last season, and that was a mixed bag against Georgia Tech. Beaux Collins stood out at receiver in the first half, helping the offense get on track with three catches for 54 yards. He had a 6-yard TD reception in which he broke off his route and got open for Uiagalelei to find him in the end zone. But Collins also misplayed a good pass on a fade route in the end zone.
Davis Allen made one really nice grab along the sideline, but he also dropped a pass that could've been a score. E.J. Williams couldn't hold onto a ball that would've extended a drive. The offensive line was up and down. They probably made more good plays than bad, but when Tech defenders got free, it was noticeable, and the quarterback threw too many passes under heavy duress, much like last year.
These players, just as much as Uiagalelei, must improve for the Tigers to reach their potential.
Get Ship the ball
Will Shipley is such a valuable weapon and can turn a game around in a hurry. Uiagalelei made a heads-up play to get the ball to Shipley while he was being sacked, but keep in mind how much of an effort play that was from Shipley, who fell down trying to block. He popped back up, ended up with the ball suddenly in his hands and then took off for a first down to keep the drive alive. Clemson later scored.
Shipley had two touchdown runs but not enough impact in moving the chains. Swinney noted that the team had too many short fields to establish a successful run game, but Shipley is one of the most reliable players on the team. He needs more than 11 touches, and most importantly, he needs designed plays to get him in the open field.
Defensive speed is a game changer
This isn't the first time Clemson's had a speedy defense, but it really might be the fastest of the Swinney era. Sure, it might seem like hyperbole right now. After all, the Yellow Jackets aren't exactly known as a high-octane offense, but Clemson's ability to chase down ball carriers from both behind and in front of the line of scrimmage was impressive. Everybody knew this defense was going to be good, but actually seeing players like Trenton Simpson come out of nowhere to make tackles was still jaw-dropping.
KJ Henry is going to have a monster final season. He stole the show in Week 1 despite all of the preseason hype going to Myles Murphy. Leading-tackler Barrett Carter seemingly made a play on every inch of the field. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is going to be a joy to watch at middle linebacker. Bryan Bresee looks like last year's injuries are way behind him and the sky is again the limit for the defensive tackle.
New DC Wes Goodwin is clearly more aggressive. He wants more havoc plays and turnovers forced. Giving up under 250 yards and eliminating GT's run game (73 yards allowed) is a great start.
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