Training wheels
Tigers have reaped benefits from easy start; now things get more challenging
If there was a checklist of what Clemson wanted to achieve through its first three games, you have to believe they ticked off most of their objectives on that list.
Not that there weren’t moments of stress during the Tigers’ wins over Georgia Tech, Furman and Louisiana Tech, but they all ended in lopsided fashion as the team was able to take advantage of an easy start to the 2022 season.
Top of their checklist to this point would’ve been building confidence both for and in quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. Nothing is quite the force multiplier (or divider) in an athlete’s ability to perform quite like confidence, and Uiagalelei cuts a much more confident figure now than he did all last season. The hallmarks of his struggles in 2021 — panicking as he searched for an option to throw, unable to make quick decisions, missing throws high and wide — have been replaced by a much calmer presence in the pocket and much better throwing accuracy.
A big element in growing a quarterback’s confidence is developing go-to receivers and you can start to see that in Beaux Collins and Antonio Williams. Collins clearly emerged as Uiagalelei’s favorite target during the stretch run last year, and that has continued into 2022 with team highs in yards (158) and touchdowns (3) to this point, but the man who he shares the receptions lead with has been more of a surprise. Williams, a late addition to the incoming recruiting class out of the Columbia area, has started his college career flying, providing the speedy, slot receiver the Tigers so desperately needed. Add in outside presence Joseph Ngata, who has flashed his potential, and you have a trio of receivers you can build a viable passing attack around.
The play of Uiagalelei has allowed the offense to not have to ride its established running game. Will Shipley has carries of 10, 10 and 12 through the first three games after that number was usually around 20 per game when he was healthy as a freshman. Some fans have bemoaned the lack of touches for Shipley when the offense has gone through its rough stretches but making sure to keep Shipley as well as fellow backs Phil Mafah and Kobe Pace fresh for games where they may be needed more is surely something the coaching staff has had in the back of their mind.
If there’s been a disappointment through the season’s first three games, it’s been with the pass defense. Both Furman and Louisiana Tech saw success through the air against the Tigers, especially on third down. One stat that jumps off the page is the Tigers’ opponents are 8-for-8 passing on third down and between 7–9 yards to go, averaging 16 yards per throw and picking up the first down six of those times. By comparison, the Tigers only allowed nine first downs on 25 passing attempts under those circumstances all of last year. Both the pass rush and the defensive backfield has seen a number of absences in the last two games, and there’s optimism many of those players will be back for Wake Forest.
Ah, Wake Forest. In Clemson’s history, when you’ve talked about easy stretches of the schedule, so often they have included the small private school from Winston-Salem. But the Demon Deacons are a much tougher outfit these days and they are the reigning ACC Atlantic Division champs after knocking Clemson from that perch last year. Led by a “he’s still in school?!” legend in Sam Hartman at quarterback, Wake is 3–0 and ranked №21 after edging out Liberty last week.
Things don’t get much easier for Clemson after this week. Fellow Atlantic Division hopeful N.C. State (ranked №12) comes to town hoping to make it two-in-a-row against the Tigers. They too have a strong quarterback in Devin Leary who threw for four touchdowns in the Wolfpack’s overtime win over Clemson a season ago. Many have talked about Clemson trying to get back to the College Football Playoff, but the first step is winning the division, and by playing the primary combatants for that crown back-to-back, there’s a path to Clemson basically being out of the race by the second day in October.
Road trips to Boston College and then to resurgent Florida State follow. Syracuse visits and as if the Orange didn’t play Clemson hard enough, they too are 3–0. The trip to Notre Dame in early November doesn’t look as daunting after the Irish’s slow start, but they are still a talented team, as are Miami who will be making just their second trip to Clemson since 2010 to cap the conference slate.
The easy start was just what Clemson needed, but anyone expecting the ACC to fall at the feet of its former conqueror is sorely mistaken.
Can Uiagalelei and the passing game continue their success against better opposition? Or will they have to rely on Shipley and Company to run them out of trouble again?
Can you chalk the defense’s struggles up to circumstance? Or were those the early warning signs that the unit’s best days are behind them (and gone with their former coordinator)?
We’ll find out soon enough. The training wheels are well and truly off now.
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Robbie Tinsley is an award-winning columnist from his time as the sports editor of The Journal in Seneca, S.C. He now works on a freelance basis from his home in Massachusetts. He can be reached either via Twitter @RTinMan13 or email at robtinsley13@gmail.com.
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This column also appears in the Saturday edition of The (Seneca) Journal on September 24th.
