Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
What We Learned From Clemson's Win over Iowa State in Season Finale
It's hard to believe that it's done.
The 2021 season for Clemson football is over. Careers for Tiger stalwarts like James Skalski and Nolan Turner are over.
However, a new era began in No. 19 Clemson's 20-13 win over Iowa State in the Cheez-It Bowl on Wednesday in Orlando. New offensive and defensive coordinators helped spark the victory, and the program won its 10th game for the 11th consecutive season.
It's a true testament to Clemson's culture designed by Dabo Swinney, but the players deserve credit for taking full advantage of what the postseason minus a playoff has to offer.
"Man, I love this team," Swinney said following his 13th full season as head coach of the Tigers. "Very similar to our 2014 team that we had. Actually, ironically, right here in this bowl game, that was one of my favorite teams as well.
"I've never judged a team based on a championship. Never, ever, because you know what, there's a lot of things that go into winning a championship. Just because you don't win the championship doesn't mean this team was any less committed than our 2018 team that won it all. This team was just as committed, just as passionate, unbelievable group."
Here's a look back at what was learned from the Tigers' final game of the season, and what it tells us about the future:
Bowl games aren't meaningless
It might be in the eye of the beholder, but nobody would've walked into Clemson's locker room Wednesday night after the game and had the guts to tell the players and coaches that their victory meant nothing. Not sure that person would've made it out of there alive. There was a real enthusiasm to be in Orlando and play a game together one last time.
Clemson didn't experience opt-outs. Both sides played hard throughout the game. Coaches coached their tails off. Fans cheered. The bands played. And at the end of the day, one team recorded a win, the other a loss. The Tigers danced and celebrated. It wasn't a national title, but it was a team-goal accomplishment: win the closer. The "bowls are meaningless" crowd are the ones who took the biggest loss that night.
In good hands with Goodwin
Not seeing a wild-eyed, halfway-on-the-field Brent Venables took some getting used to but seeing Clemson's defense dominate gave Tiger Nation plenty of familiarities. WIth Wesley Goodwin taking over as coordinator, Clemson, without several key players, held Iowa State to 270 total yards and one touchdown. The defensive front made it very difficult for Brock Purdy, one of the most accurate passers in the country, to get into a rhythm. Not having star running back Breece Hall beside him didn't help either.
But in the end, there was nothing to complain about in Goodwin's play-calling debut. The Tigers had just two penalties: a facemask and a roughing the passer, which was actually a receiver. There were no procedural issues. Plays didn't appear to be coming in too late. Defenders weren't out of position. Goodwin used the talent and scheme correctly, and now the pressure of doing it in front of a live audience is over. The defense should keep on clicking in 2022.
Open competition at QB is coming
Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei did some good things against Iowa State. He completed the second-highest number of passes in a game this season. He was 5-of-10 on third downs, converting each of those five completions for first downs. Uiagalelei didn't throw any touchdowns, and his one interception was a huge blemish because it just didn't need to be thrown. But overall, he made fairly good decisions otherwise and showed off some ability to improvise. However, what this offense truly needs still wasn't there.
Yes, Uiagalelei was down to three recruited, scholarship receivers, and his starting center was out. It's been a makeshift year at times for the entire offense, so he's used to it. But Clemson refused to push the ball downfield. Maybe that was Uiagalelei's decision. Maybe the coaches didn't want him to force it. Regardless, this game, with weeks to prepare and still no deep passing attempts, showed there will be a position battle in the offseason. This time last year, the starting job was Uiagalelei's and nobody else had a chance. This year, big-time prospect Cade Klubnik is coming, and the best man will win the job in 2022.
OC's got a lot to work with in 2022
Brandon Streeter being promoted to offensive coordinator meant Clemson didn't have to change much for this game. Sure, there were a few wrinkles here and there, but it probably helped that there wasn't any real overhaul. It could be argued that coming out of this season, there needs to be as the Tigers took a very visible step back with the scoring unit.
However, this game showed what's to come moving forward, at least in terms of playmakers. The top four pass-catchers in this game were three freshmen and a sophomore. They combined for 18 of the 21 receptions. WIll Shipley, one of those freshmen, and Kobe Pace, the sophomore, went over 100 yards rushing combined, and Shipley scored the only offensive touchdown of the game. Streeter showed some ability to get Shipley and Pace in space more. Look for that to continue next fall, when Streeter has experienced, viable tools to utilize.
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