Gaffes and roster gaps doom Clemson at Duke

Clemson showed some different offensive looks, but the performance was a lot of the same from recent seasons.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Tue Sep 05 10:36:10 GMT-04:00 2023

After eight months of hype and optimism, the Clemson Tigers look exactly as we left them when they were blown out by Tennessee in the Orange Bowl. Fluky turnovers in the red zone and missed (in this case blocked) field goals cost Clemson in both losses.

There are a lot of negatives, but since many prefer optimism, let’s start with the scant positives we can pull from a 28-7 loss to the Duke Blue Devils. It starts with new OC Garrett Riley. The playcalling and formations were noticeably better. The passing game focused on getting the ball to the best wide receiver – Antonio Williams. He finished with seven receptions for 56 yards and, aside from one costly drop, played well. When it became clear Shipley and Mafah were more productive than the wide receivers, Riley moved to two running back sets. Clemson’s lone touchdown was scored from one such formation.

Will Shipley ran for 114 yards and scored the Tigers' only touchdown on one of his six receptions. He was Clemson’s best player. On defense, Andrew Mukuba played the nickel, recovered a fumble, and looked like the healthy version of himself that excelled as a freshman in 2021. Freshman defensive end TJ Parker got snaps early and was a difference-maker in his first collegiate action.

Now, to the problems. If you’re not ready to digest this, hop down to the comments section, but if some sober-minded criticism is as cathartic for you to read as it is for me to write, continue on.

This loss came down to gaffes and roster gaps. The two blocked field goals were big. The two fumbles inside the Duke 10-yard line were huge. Klubnik’s mental mistake of sliding short of the first down marker on fourth down cost them the game. If the sum of those mistakes was why they had just lost to a team like Georgia or Florida State, then you chalk it up to a bad day and move on. Unfortunately, this was Duke. A better Duke team than we’re used to, but Duke, nonetheless. The issues run deeper than some gaffes.

So many people –media, fans, and coaches—expressed confidence about this wide receiver corps. It was misplaced. Antonio Williams is very good, but he cannot be the only wide receiver that gets open. Coach Swinney raved about Beaux Collins this offseason. His five receptions for 50 yards were fine for a number three option, but it was clear from Swinney’s offseason rhetoric that he was supposed to be the “alpha.” Adam Randall had one reception for eight yards. He didn’t make any receptions beyond the line of scrimmage and still hasn’t shown that “flash” of elite playmaking ability in game action. Cole Turner had a drop and no explosive plays. In fact, even after bringing in a mastermind OC whose offense led the nation in plays of 50+ yard plays, Clemson was still remarkably not explosive. Mafah’s 49-yard run was their lone play of 25+ yards.

In our passing offense preview, we suggested that the offense could make major strides if the wide receivers stepped up, but highlighted that as a big unknown. It appears that for the third consecutive year, it may be a major weakness.

Further highlighting this roster gap was the success of DJ Uiagalelei at Oregon State. The former Clemson QB went 20/25 for 239 yards and five total TDs. While it was against light competition (San Jose St.), it is another bright flashing signal that QB and offensive coordinator weren’t the only – or even primary – issues.

During the offseason, we suggested the Tigers needed to use the portal to fix the seemingly glaring hole at wide receiver. One of the names we suggested was Ali Jennings. He transferred from Old Dominion to Virginia Tech and went for 72 yards and two TDs in his first game with the Hokies. Other ACC teams also saw immediate dividends from offseason WR transfers, including Jamari Thrash (Ga. St. to Louisville) who led the Cardinals with 88 yards and two TDs, and Keon Coleman (Michigan St. to FSU), who led the Seminoles with a whopping 122 yards and 3 TDs.

Instead, the Tigers invested in four true freshmen wide receivers. The foursome of true freshmen combined for two receptions for 21 yards in the loss to Duke, with only Tyler Brown making the travel roster for the trip to Durham. They may all end up being major contributors down the road (Brown looked good), but in the meantime, the Tigers have a roster gap that other teams avoid by bringing in turnkey contributors through the portal. As long as Clemson holds such a rigid stance against bringing in starters from the portal, it is hard to see them consistently competing for National Championships against teams that recruit at or above their level and also utilize the portal.

Yes, player development at wide receiver must improve, but as the portal becomes a bigger and bigger part of other team’s roster development, the Tigers are handicapping themselves more every year. This also showed up at defensive end. The Tigers had no sacks in the contest. Justin Mascoll has not gotten a sack since 2020, but again the staff didn’t see it necessary to fill this gap. Perhaps a Peter Woods position change is soon to come. Can it wait much longer?

Like all losses, this one hurts. It hurts more than usual, though, because unlike a late-season loss in which you can quickly convince yourself offseason changes will solve the issues, the Tigers still have 11 games left with some familiar problems staring us all in the face.