What We Learned From Clemson's Win at BC, First Half of Season

Clemson reaches the halfway point with all of its goals in front of them, thanks to an improved offense and a defense that's finally dominating.

Author:
Brad Senkiw
Oct 9, 2022 1:00 PM EDT

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Clemson Tigers

No matter how they've gotten here, No. 5 Clemson is a perfect 6-0 overall and 4-0 in ACC play at the halfway point of the season.

Coming off a 31-3 victory over Boston College, the sample size is big enough to make at least a few definitive statements about this team in 2022.

For starters, this isn't last year's squad. In fact, let's put the comparisons to bed. The offensive struggles of 2021 are a thing of the past. Adjust for opponents all you want, but this unit is averaging 39.3 points per contest. At no point last year did that seem possible.

The defense also is different with new voices and ideas, but it's rounding into more the expectation. This is a new era for that group as well.

Clemson finished well Saturday night and built a lot of confidence moving forward. There was also much to work on.

"We are 6-0," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "We have to keep grinding and putting the work in day in and day out."

This team, which is now bowl eligible, appears capable of doing that with half the season to play. So let's take a look at what we've learned coming out of the BC road win and six games into the regular season:

Defense does have that dog in them

The first four games of the regular season left more questions than answers when it came to Clemson's defense, but the last two weeks have shown this unit has the kind of fight people were expecting. Sure, they're short-handed and hampered by secondary health issues. Bryan Bresee, arguably the best defender on the team, has been out for half of the season. Coverages haven't been great and even the sack numbers weren't especially remarkable early in the season.

But that's starting to change. After keeping NC State in check a week ago, the Tigers kept BC out of the end zone and held them to 254 total yards. They harassed QB Phil Jukovec all night and took advantage of a struggling Eagles offensive line. Xavier Thomas showed he's still got it with two sacks in his season debut. Barrett Carter is a bad man. KJ Henry is making the most of his final ride, and Tyler Davis is driving up his draft stock each week. This group is finally putting it all together, and if it can get healthy on the back end, the BC game proved that scoring touchdowns are going to be a problem for opponents.

Offense makes goals attainable

This isn't an elite unit compared to the rest of college football, but it's far from the worst. If you had told Clemson fans in August that they'd have a top-50 offense that could work its way into the top 35 or so, who wouldn't have signed up for that? The important part is this group is not a liability. Clemson proved it can win games, like the one at Wake Forest, with this side of the ball. It proved Saturday night at BC that it can overcome adversity and not get completely sidetracked after one bad moment, like DJ Uiagaleleie's second interception of the season.

Most importantly, a functioning offense that doesn't have to work so hard for points and yards gives the Tigers a real shot at the five goals Swinney hangs on the wall in the team room. Clemson already won the opener, and it's in really good shape to win the division, which would give the Tigers a shot at the ACC title. Right now, they look like the better team in the annual state rivalry, and doing all of those things puts Clemson in a position to chase the final goal: win the closer. If confidence stays high and Uiagalelei builds on his strong first half, the season will go much better than many people expected, thanks to the offense.

Adjusting to injuries

This season hasn't been nearly as devastating from a health standpoint as this time last year, but that doesn't mean the Tigers aren't dealing with injury issues. They've been without corner Sheridan Jones for multiple weeks. Bresee has only played half the season. Now, running back Kobe Pace is out for at least a month, leaving Clemson short-handed in backfield experience. Eventually, Jones will return, Malcolm Greene will get back to normal playing time and Bresee will make a huge difference in the second half of the season.

Edge rusher Xavier Thomas can round into form and be a huge force up front. What the team learned during the first half of the year is that it can find a way to win without those guys, so when they do return in full, they will be a deeper squad. They didn't survive last year when the O-line got decimated. The secondary took the brunt of injuries this season and the Tigers found a way to get past Wake Forest, the best passing game they'll face, healthy or not, this season.

DJ is for real

Six games are enough to evaluate a quarterback, and Clemson's starter is having a real turnaround. Uiagalelei has thrown for 1,462 yards and completed 63.9 percent of his passes. He's recorded a 14-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He's averaging 7.7 yards per pass attempt and he's rushed for 311 yards on 67 carries (4.6 per run). His legs have been a game-changer for the offense and make him a real threat.

Uiagalelei is, most importantly, 6-0 as a starter this season, and there is no threat of him losing that designation based on performance. This team has responded well to him, and even though the BC game wasn't his best, he still threw three touchdown passes. Imagine telling someone last year one of his worst games came with that number. This is fully his team. The belief is there and the hope he can get this team to the College Football Playoff is far from a pipe dream. Uiagalelei is having a legit and respectable season at the helm.

Room for improvement

The win over the Eagles was far from perfect, and Clemson needed its defense to produce four sacks, two strip fumbles and more than a dozen QB hurries of Jurkovec. Still, it was a victory, and the Tigers would much rather learn from that than a loss. But there are plenty of areas that need to get better heading into the second half of the season. Special teams weren't great Saturday night, and that has to get cleaned up. It can cost a team a win in tight situations. Clemson can survive without amazing special teams, as long as field goals are made and punts are constantly shanked, but the drops on punt returns can get them beat.

The defense is getting by in the secondary and showing improvement, but it still feels like a liability. It might not be with any team left on the schedule, but when the postseason comes, the Tigers hope they've progressed from a performance and health standpoint. And as far as the offense goes, Clemson needs to get better at running the football, but if the passing game continues to be a real threat, that'll eventually open up more holes for Will Shipley and the backfield. The offensive line has come together nicely and has started the same five each game, but it can be more dominant and needs to build some depth. Penalties have been an issue up until the BC game, but it's something to keep an eye on in the second half.

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