Closer Look: Grading Clemson against Florida State |
A win is a win but there were certainly teaching points to come out of the effort in the 34-28 victory at Florida State on Saturday.
We take a closer look at the effort with the aid of Pro Football Focus: Offensive MVP RB Will Shipley Shipley touched the ball on 26 of his 44 offensive snaps with a career-best receiver grade (84.8) with six catches in six targets his way for 48 yards. He also had a 69-yard kickoff return out of the halftime break that set up the one-play TD possession to boost Clemson to a 31-14 lead. As a rusher, Shipley averaged 6.1 yards per carry with 121 total. PFF did grade him with his second-worst game as a rusher this season (65.1). He racked up 238 all-purpose yards in all. Offense
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QB DJ Uiagalelei - Uiagalelei was not among the top-3-graded players for the Tigers despite averaging 8.8 yards per attempt with three touchdowns to no interceptions and completing 15-of-23 passes for 203 yards. He had a season-low 63.5 grade as a passer and a worst since the South Carolina game last year (57.9/99 passing yards/5.2 YPA/0 TD-1 INT). He had only two recorded passes of 20+ yards, going 1-for-2 for 59 yards and a TD. Uiagalelei performed well under pressure, however, with an 82.1 grade/50 cmp%/78 yards/TD in four situations, while hitting just 6.5 yards per attempt when not blitzed for a 52.1 grade.
TE Davis Allen - Allen led Clemson offensively grading (70.7) with the top mark in pass (75.9) and run blocking (65.4) and two catches for 40 yards and a TD.
OTs Jordan McFadden and Blake Miller - It wasn’t a highlight reel night for the starting tackles with the two worst grades on the offensive line according to PFF, at 54.4 and 54.5 respectively. Reserve Mitchell Mayes stepped in for Miller mid-game and posted the second-best pass blocking grade of the night (74.9). The true freshman Miller had three penalties attributed to him also.
Wide Receivers - Three catches total for the group in six targets meant some pretty low grades. Beaux Collins had a lone target and was the floor for offensive starters grades-wise (53.3). Adam Randall played 28 snaps and was in for 17 run plays, with a 35.2 mark in run blocking and also took a penalty. Antonio Williams paced the group with a 75 grade in the passing game with two catches in two targets for 76 yards and a TD in 36 snaps.
Unit grade notes: Clemson’s offense graded a season-low 62.2 overall with the worst mark for the passing game (63.5) and struggles in run blocking (52.8), pass blocking (59.9) and running the ball (62.5).
Defense
Defensive MVP
DE Myles Murphy
Murphy led Clemson’s defensive grading (80.6) and he forced a critical fumble late in the first half to swing momentum Clemson’s way. He also ranked second on the unit in rush defense grade (76.4) in playing the most snaps of the D-line group (58).
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CB Nate Wiggins - Wiggins has shown the improvement the defensive staff would have called for after the Wake Forest struggles, as he’s bettered his game each grade since (38.2), from NC State (65.6) to Boston College (72.1) to FSU (76.5). He was targeted six times and gave up a lone catch for 25 yards on Saturday (a TD) with two pass breakups.
DE KJ Henry - Henry continues to hassle the QB with a team-best six QB hurries and ranked second only to Murphy in overall grade (78.8).
Back in the mix - Some rust showed in the grades for Tigers who returned the lineup after one or more absences lately. That group was led by RJ Mickens (70.3) then it was Sheridan Jones (65.3), Xavier Thomas (59.2; had played just six snaps with two sacks the previous week; played 32 snaps on Saturday), Bryan Bresee (49.4) and Tyler Venables (46.2). Venables came into the game as Clemson’s highest-graded tackler but he missed both tackle opportunities he had Saturday.
LBs Barrett Carter and Trenton Simpson - It was also an unusually tough night for Clemson’s athletic linebackers in Carter (52.1 grade) and Simpson (55.8), both season lows. Carter had his lowest coverage (48.4) and tackling (47) grades. Simpson posted his low in pass rush (53.3) and also struggled against the run (54.8) and in coverage (59.3).
DT Ruke Orhorhoro - He logged a career-best mark against the run (82) with two tackles.
Unit grade notes: It was not the strongest of efforts this season when it came to pass rush (68.1 grade, third-lowest), run defense (70.1; third-lowest), and tackling (49.7; second-lowest). The coverage grade was above 70 for a fourth time this season (71.5). The overall mark ranks fifth on the season (71.7).
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