Clemson’s offense needs more than just a dynamic QB

Clemson's offense has seen a decline in recent years.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Mon Jan 02 11:32:03 GMT-04:00 2023

From 2015 through 2020, Clemson had a top-15 offense every season. While everyone knew replacing QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne would be a tall task, nobody quite expected what 2021 brought. Clemson’s offense regressed from sixth to 79th in the F+ rankings (an advanced statistics metric that blends FEI and SP+ opponent-adjusted numbers). The Tigers still managed to win 10 games, going 10-3, but it was a frustrating season to say the least.

Coming off last season’s anemic offensive performance, the prevailing expectation was that there would be significant improvement this year. While they did move up from 79th to 41st in the F+ offense rankings (excluding the Orange Bowl), the offense was still well below the “best is the standard”-level that Clemson set for itself. Their worst offense between 2015 and 2020 was the Kelly Bryant-led 2017 offense, which still ranked 15th.

Clemson fans and media spent much of the past two seasons trying to diagnose the unit’s issues. Some blamed QB DJ Uiagalelei. Others blamed the play calling. Still some, including myself, pointed primarily to weaknesses at wide receiver and on the offensive line.

After Clemson coach Dabo Swinney finally turned to QB Cade Klubnik in the ACC Championship Game -- and the offense took off -- it seemed the issue was quarterback play all along. I thought maybe Swinney just waited too long to turn to Klubnik, but now all was well. Perhaps it was that simple, and Clemson was back to being playoff-caliber.

Unfortunately, the Orange Bowl proved that returning to elite status won’t be so easy.

The Tennessee Volunteers gashed Clemson’s offensive line, collecting four sacks and seven tackles for loss. Clemson’s wide receivers had just one reception of 30-plus yards, and Klubnik looked like the green-behind-the-ears quarterback that coaches said he was this year.

“You can easily see how talented he is and what a great player he is going to be. He made a lot of great plays, but he also had some mistakes… Took some sacks on some hot [reads]. Took a sack on a sprint out. Obviously, the situation there at the end (of the first half) can’t happen [Klubnik being tackled to inbounds to run out the clock].” – Swinney

With the loss, Clemson finishes 11-3. They’re ACC Champions, and no season in which Clemson wins the conference should be considered a failure. At the same time, no season in which the Tigers lose the state championship and the “closer” should be considered a total success either.

In games against teams ranked in the F+ top 30, the Tigers were just 1-3. Florida State was the lone win, and it is worth noting that Tennessee was severely undermanned due to injuries and opt-outs. Clemson went 10-0 against teams ranked below 30th. In every single game this season, Clemson held the advantage in recruiting metrics, and yet the offense was stymied in each of the losses.

Clemson has gone 21-6 over the past two seasons. Most programs would be envious of that, but it is the most losses for Clemson in a two-year span since 2011-2012 when they went 10-4 and 11-2. The F+ overall team rankings show Clemson’s regression with startling clarity, going from finishing no lower than fifth from 2015-20 to No. 15 ranks in the last two.

Prior to the South Carolina game, I suggested Clemson had underlying issues on offense, and whether it be changing coaches, modifying offensive schemes, or supplementing the talent-level through the transfer portal, some sort of change was necessary. After finishing the season with a 1-2 thud, the need for changes seems more obvious than ever.

Swinney was asked what he says to those who suggest the program is “slipping” or has “fallen from the elite.” He said: “I don’t really know what to say to them. I mean, we’re 11-3. I wish we were undefeated, but we’ve won the league seven of the last eight years.” He then added “We’re going to continue to be consistent and try to do everything we can to be undefeated around here.”

Now that the season is over and he has some time to pause for serious introspection, hopefully he can uncover what really needs to change, and has the willingness to truly do everything he can for Clemson to be undefeated. After all, as he himself has said, “best is the standard,” and “the best is yet to come.”