Dynamic Duo: Scott and Elliott keep it simple with great success

Clemson's new offensive coordinators pose in front of the scoreboard after the game

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Wed Dec 31 14:23:57 GMT-04:00 2014

ORLANDO, FL – From start to finish, Jeff Scott Jeff Scott
Asst. Coach (WR) / Recruiting Coord.
View Full Profile and Tony Elliott Tony Elliott
Assistant Coach / Running Backs
View Full Profile couldn’t have drawn up a better scenario their first game as co-offensive coordinators.

Scott and Elliott were promoted after Chad MorrisChad Morris
Offensive Coordinator / QBs
View Full Profile ’ departure to SMU after the South Carolina game, but the two didn’t look like rookies as they led a Clemson offense that racked up 387 total yards in Clemson’s 40-6 rout of Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl Monday night.

The two rookie offensive coordinators worked feverishly over the previous three weeks to install the best game plan possible, but their main goal was to keep the plan as simple as possible.

That included getting back to basics.

“If you go back to what we did when we were very successful several years ago is we played fast, we played with tempo and we kept it pretty simple,” Elliott told the media following the game. “We wanted to get back to that and putting the kids in a position to be successful and not asking them to do too much but allowing them to have fun and play fast and know what they're doing.”

The plan got off to a great start as quarterback Cole StoudtCole Stoudt
Sr. Quarterback
#18 6-4, 231
Dublin, OH
View Full Profile hit Artavis ScottArtavis Scott
Fr. Wide Receiver
#3 5-11, 190
Oldsmar, FL
View Full Profile with a short pass and Scott raced 65 yards to the endzone for a touchdown on Clemson’s first offensive play – a play that Scott said was decided on in the days and weeks leading up to the game.

“You always have the best-case scenario in mind when you're doing that,” Scott told TigerNet. “Our staff talked about that for a long time - what we wanted to do with our first play. It was a little different formation than what we've shown. Give Cole credit, he had three different options on that play of where to go and he did a good job throwing it to Tay and then obviously Artavis made a great play and run after the catch. We talk all the time about those guys on the perimeter building the momentum for the team. If we start fast, it really creates a lot of good energy for the team. It was a fast start and the team rallied after that.”

Not only did the play give Clemson a quick start and a 7-0 lead over the Sooners, it also eased the minds of the offensive staff.

“I think leading up to the game and waking up this morning was a little different knowing that there's a new opportunity and new day,” Scott said. “Once we got out here and got into the routine, it was very similar. I think having the success that we did early definitely eased any butterflies that we had. Once the game starts, you just kind of get focused on what you're doing. It was definitely a first game that I'll remember for a long time.”

Scott said that he and Elliott had been looking forward to this opportunity for quite some time and that the game flow and communication went exactly as planned.

“It was great. It was something that Tony and I really talked about a lot for the last month leading up to it - just what that situation was going to be like,” Scott said. “It was Tony's first time being up in the box and he just did a great job. I knew he would. His demeanor is very calm, relaxed, focused and he was really able to get up there and see what the defense was doing to allow us to make some of the checks that turned into big plays. Communication was great. Our entire offensive staff did a great job - Robbie CaldwellRobbie Caldwell
Assistant Coach / Offensive Line
View Full Profile and Danny PearmanDanny Pearman
Assistant Head Coach / Tight Ends
View Full Profile and Brandon Streeter. They did a great job preparing our guys for all of the different looks to be able to go out there and have the success that we had today.”

Part of the smooth operation should be credited to the dry run the coaches went through in the days leading up to the game, according to Elliott.

Head coach Dabo Swinney congratulates Elliott and Scott after the game

“The nerves started to kick in this morning but by the time we got up there and the game was getting ready to kickoff the nerves were gone,” Elliott said. “The testament goes out to the coaches. They made me feel very, very comfortable getting prepared. We even had a practice run that we went through on Friday - just a couple of us coaches up there doing a test run to get used to the vantage point. The coaches and the players did a great job in preparing and made it pretty easy.”

With their first game as coordinators behind them, Scott said that he and Elliott, along with new quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter, are already looking ahead to spring practice.

“There are things that as we went through in bowl practice that we said when we get to the spring these are some things that we want to clean up and get better with,” Scott said. “We really tried to keep it simple and not add too much but there will be a time for that in the spring. I think it's a huge at advantage having Coach Streeter here going through all of the bowl practice with us and going through this game. It's just going to be a lot easier for him to make that transition as we get into the spring and study our cut-ups from this season and get our plan together for spring practice.”