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YOUR BALANCE
DJ and TP comparison
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DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 1:31 PM

First for the TP comparison.

I see many people on the board suggesting that TP "can't do any worse than DJ, so why aren't the coaches giving him a shot?"

They claim it must be that the coaches are scared DJ will transfer or some other nonsense.

If you want to know what Clemson's offense would look like with TP at QB, rewatch the FSU game from Saturday.

Picture FSU's QB being about half as mobile with the same weak OL and inconsistent WRs. Now you have a picture of what Clemson would look like this season with TP at QB. TP and Travis are similar in style except Travis is a much much better athlete. In limited appearances, TP has also shown to put the ball in jeopardy on passes more than Travis from FSU.

Now for the comparison for DJ.

DJ is the sophomore version of Tajh Boyd (2011).

The body type and mobility fits, except DJ is a little taller.

Both had strong arms and accuracy problems.

Both pulled their eyes down too soon when they were getting pressure early in games.

Both played horribly in big division games at NC State.

Both fell on their faces against the best defense they saw during the season (Boyd scar) (DJ UGA).

I see 2 major differences in DJ this season and Tajh in 2011.

Tajh got to start the season vs Wofford (and he trailed at halftime), but was playing in a game that should have been almost impossible to lose (even though we almost did). Then Tajh got Troy. 2 games to start the season with little resistance from the other team to hurt his confidence and no pressure.

The UGA game destroyed DJ for several weeks because of how he played and because of what that game meant to Clemson's expectations for the season.

The second difference is in the surrounding cast. Tajh's supporting cast included veterans Andre Ellington, Dwayne Allen, and Brandon Ford to give him a calming presence. He also had a fairly experienced OL though not very talented. He also had future 1st rounders in Watkins and Hopkins that literally caught everything in the air and could score from anywhere on the field. Specifically Watkins gave Tajh a place to throw the ball at very short distances with HUGE results after the run.

DJ is not so fortunate. OL is similarly lacking in talent but also lacking in experience, knowledge, and health.

WRs are not picking up DJ's slack and are often creating more slack in the rope on their end. Ross is the only potential 1st rounder but hasn't played even close to that level to this point in the season. No help elsewhere in terms of a calming presence because Davis Allen seems to be the only calm "veteran" on that side of the ball and he hasn't exactly ever been a go-to receiving TE.

Another side note: That 2011 team finished the season 6-2 in the ACC and finished the season with 4 losses, but they were fortunate enough to get a birth into the ACC championship game. Results to be determined for the 2021 team's final record and division standing.

I would love to have some discussion on these two ideas whether it be agreement or disagreement.

What did I miss when making my comparisons?

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 1:50 PM

So…you’re saying that TP is worse than the worst QB in college football?

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 1:54 PM

I'm not sure who the worst QB in college football might be, but I know he doesn't play at Clemson.

What I am specifically saying is that TP is worse than DJ and also worse than Jordan Travis from FSU, though he is a similar player to Travis.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:33 PM

Give TP 7 full games with the starters, and then we can compare; until then it’s conjecture.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:40 PM

It's hardly conjecture.

You don't have to see the people around a player to see his strengths and weaknesses.

TP isn't a great passer. The ball floats out of his hand in a similar way that it did when Kelly Bryant threw.

But he is supposed to be a running threat.

The problem with him being a running threat is that he isn't all that fast either. Yes he is faster than DJ, but he is not fast compared to Clemson's opponents on defense so it's an insignificant difference.

Now I could say that he struggles to make people miss when running and you could justifiably argue that he would show that trait with more opportunities.

When speaking to his talents: arm strength, arm accuracy, speed, strength, and other measurable aspects of his game; he doesn't come close to stacking up to DJ and as I stated he is a worse version of a Jordan Travis type player.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 10:59 AM

So that means Clemson recruiting missed on two QB's. That is what it appears to be. If our backup who was a 4 star can't play better than a 5 star who is playing like a 2 star and is the 115th best QB in the country then we have problems with recruiting or coaching.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 11:06 AM

TP is exactly what the coaches expected when recruiting him.

He was a project as a passer who was a really good athlete.

That really good athlete tore his Achilles 6 months ago and isn't the same athlete right now.

The coaches didn't miss on DJ as a recruit and that was evident last year.

In terms of talent, he is as advertised.

He is not currently playing to his potential which was almost completely his fault at the start of the year but the problems around him have compounded greatly as the year has gone forward.

The question has become: will DJ make it back to his high level of play and will Clemson have enough healthy players on the field around him for anyone to be able to notice if he does?

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 2:33 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

DJ isn't a great passer or qb. He stares down the primary target and never sees wide open receivers downfield. Don't want to hear the o line is at fault because some games he has had plenty of time to make all his reads and never looks off the intended target taking a sack. TP at least gets the ball out quickly and attempts to read the defense before making a throw. *) percent of our o problems are from qb play period.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 2:34 PM

Should say 90 percent

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 5, 2021, 11:00 AM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

I am not disagreeing with any of the faults you have listed that DJ has shown this season.

I do disagree with the 90% part though.

The big questions is why was DJ averaging 350 yards per game last year and this year he looks like this?

Talent wise, he is a bigger version of Tajh as I mentioned in the OP.

Why is he playing so far below his potential?

It can't all be placed at his feet, because I feel there are many many factors on this team that are playing factors in the offense's downturn.

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gotta keep in mind.. IF Dabo did pulled DJ and TP


Nov 2, 2021, 1:55 PM

threw 20 INTS and lost the game BIG Time...none of those people on tnet would take accountability for the decision and quit their jobs.


I personally don't think Clemson needs to get crazy until they are absolutely out of the ACc champ game.

I still have my 9 ACC champ tickets and hotel so I gotta keep hope alive.

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Geville Tiger on Clemson football , "Dabo's only problem is he has to deal with turd fans questioning every move he makes.”


Re: gotta keep in mind.. IF Dabo did pulled DJ and TP


Nov 2, 2021, 2:06 PM

Clemson doesn't need to "get crazy" at any point because this isn't the final season in the history of Clemson football.

Everything done down the stretch will have an effect on next season and maybe the one after that.

Making changes based off of possibility of championships is never the way to decide playing time in a program.

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if i have to eat these tickets any ways.. i would love to


Nov 2, 2021, 2:17 PM

see some crazy stuff.

no punting.. onside kicks only.. no field goals.... blitz 7 guys ever down.. if u get beat.. go full on Techmo bowl.

even the music. Have tehDJ play the techmo bowl music during the whole game.

come to think of it... IF the DJ played the tehcmo bowl toucdown theme after 1 of the TDs he would be immortalized.

2024 white level memberbadge-donor-05yr.jpg flag link military_tech thumb_downthumb_up

Geville Tiger on Clemson football , "Dabo's only problem is he has to deal with turd fans questioning every move he makes.”


Bottom Line - At Least 50 Teams Maybe More


Nov 2, 2021, 1:58 PM

Have worse rated O-Lines and lower ranked QBs. A true 5 or even 4 star talent overcomes a weak line etc. DJ is not doing that.

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Re: Bottom Line - At Least 50 Teams Maybe More


Nov 2, 2021, 2:04 PM

I'm not sure what you are referencing.

The only comment I made about OLs was that both DJ and Tajh got rattled when their protection is bad early in games which causes both of them to lower their eyes for the rest of that game. Tajh grew out of that for the most part but it still flashed at times later in his career.

Then I stated that Tajh's OL was a little more veteran to help keep him calm, but DJ's is just as inexperienced as he is.

If you would like to have your conversation though:

DJ would have been an 80% passer in the Pitt game if not for the 8 drops. How many QBs and OLs are having strong performances when that happens?

Also most (not all) of those lower rated OL and lower rated QBs are playing at the group of 5 level and not contending with much talent across from them each weekend either.

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Re: Bottom Line - At Least 50 Teams Maybe More


Nov 2, 2021, 2:28 PM [ in reply to Bottom Line - At Least 50 Teams Maybe More ]

What are you talking about? This comment makes absolutely no sense at all.

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Good comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:15 PM

But it won't gain any traction here. Makes too much sense and uses too much logic.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:18 PM

2011 Tajh threw for 3,828 yards, 33 TDs, 12 Ints, and he averaged 7.7 yards per attempt. Tajh had a 141.2 QB rating. His QBR (which only evaluates his play on a play-by-play basis- not the rest of the team) was 62.9 which is good for 35th in the country.

DJ, so far has 1,291 yards, 5 TDs, 6 Ints, and he's averaged 5.6 yards per attempt. DJ has a 104.8 QB rating. His QBR is 38.6, which is good for 108th in the country.

I personally don't find their numbers to be at all close. Sure the 2011 offense had better talent, but it's not like Ross and Ngata are complete bums. They're both going to be NFL WRs, and I'm not even sure the rest of the WRs can properly be evaluated with such poor QB play.

To me, DJ is ironically the worst Clemson QB since his current QB coach and passing game coordinator Brandon Streeter, who finished his career with 17 TDs and 26 Ints. Maybe that should be looked into...

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:33 PM

I appreciate you laying out the statistical differences.

Would you care to tell me where Tajh was a lot better as a player than DJ that accounted for the differences in stats? I mean actually analyzing his talents.

Obviously Tajh had a much better year statistically. He also had a guy in Watkins who was routinely taking balls 50+ yards on passes that were thrown <5 yards down the field.

I highlighted that I feel Tajh was able to gain a lot more confidence early due to an easier schedule to start the season and because he trusted his WRs.

BTW Ross leads the team in drops and is supposed to be the go-to WR and the leader in the group. Tajh didn't have to deal with that from his security guys.

Also comparing Ngata to either Watkins or Hopkins at this point is an incredible stretch as Ngata hasn't exactly been Mr. Consistency this season either.

Let's not forget Tajh also had: Charone Peake, Martavis Bryant, Andre Ellington (junior), Dwayne Allen(junior), Brandon Ford(junior), Adam Humphries and Jaron Brown (junior) that were extremely talented playmakers around him.

That's a pretty long list of NFL players that carried Tajh in his first year as a starter.

Clemson's playmakers this season are nowhere near any comparisons for all of those guys that rounded out the skill players counted on in 2011.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:43 PM

Again QBR does most of the work for me. It both adjusts for defense and it only looks at the QB's specific actions - so the WRs, OL, etc. are factored out. If a WR makes an incredible play and takes a 5 yard pass to the house, the QB is only getting credit for completing the 5 yard play with the given amount of separation.

I don't think it's perfect, but it's good for getting a feel for how a QB is performing irrespective of how the rest of the offense is doing. 2011 Tajh and 2021 DJ are not comparable.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Tajh was far better as a scrambler, and he could make plays outside of the pocket. Neither 2011 Tajh nor 2021 DJ were great pocket passers. Neither could read a defense and move on to a 2nd or 3rd option with regularity.

Tajh was much better at actually being able to hit the free, easy stuff, but the other main difference was that Tajh could actually make plays outside of the pocket or under pressure. Any pressure at all, and DJ stands almost no chance to make a positive play happen.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:55 PM

You are seeing Tajh's stats from 2011 but you are remembering him as a player from later in his career.

NC State and GA Tech made Tajh look absolutely foolish in terms of handling pressure and reading coverage respectively. Tajh struggled mightily in both games. Scar may have been the only other team that challenged him with pressure and he performed poorly in that one as well.

Another thing you are not accounting for is that Tajh was running an offense in 2011 that nobody had ever seen from Clemson that employed a lot of misdirection.

If you chose to go back and look, you would see Tajh attempting many of his passes to WRs with no defenders in the picture because the new confusing offense helped guys get lost in coverage leaving them wide open.

Your QBR rating also can't account for the fact that Tajh was getting the ball to 4 future NFL juniors (not counting Watkins and Hopkins) and had veterans on the offensive line to help keep him calm and performing at a high level during games. For most of this season, DJ has had to deal with 10 guys staring at him and wondering what to do next.

There has been no Landon Walker, Dalton Freeman, or Antoine Mcclain on the offensive line to take their young QB and calm him down. This offense has Matt Bockhorst, who by his own admission is not the calming presence when things aren't going well.

Again you can keep arguing statistics all you would like.

There are a lot of factors making the difference in the two offenses as a whole, but DJ and 2011 Tajh display a very similar skillset.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:26 PM

I'm more looking at Tajh's best moments of 2011 as compared to the best of 2021 DJ. Tajh was inconsistent, but 2021 DJ unfortunately hasn't shown much at all.

At the end of the day though, you're right and there's a reason that Tajh Boyd went undrafted despite being a fairly athletic, record-breaking QB at Clemson. Clemson's at the standard where a Tajh Boyd shouldn't be a starting QB at Clemson any more as lot of Boyd's success was a result of scheme and the personnel around him.

I still found Year 1 Tajh, at his best, to be both better outside of the pocket and better under pressure than DJ this year (and that is shown in the QBR - which does factor in the WR play). Tajh at times also threw with much better anticipation than DJ has shown at any point this year.

I guess my point is that DJ just really hasn't shown anything at all this year. Even against SC State he struggled. And even if the argument is that DJ and Tajh have a similar skillset, I still would argue that even that isn't good enough for Clemson any more. We're at the point where our QB should be a potential 1st round pick every year.

If a QB at Alabama, OSU, or Oklahoma have a poor season like DJ is having, they're not going to get a second chance. They're going to bring in someone else. We simply can't afford to just wait for DJ to develop when he seems extremely far off.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:42 PM

Your best point so far, in my opinion, is that Tajh had better anticipation than DJ which is a big deal.

At this point that is lacking from DJ. I do wonder how much it's lacking due to not trusting the guys on the other end of his passes, but either way it's become a weakness at this point in the season.

I disagree when you say DJ hasn't shown anything this year, but I agree that he was bad against SC State.

I think there has been a clear difference in the last 2 games and the first 4. I'm not sure why it was so easy to crush his confidence, but the UGA game caused a 3 game hangover for DJ.

He would have thrown at an 80% clip without the 8 drops in the Pitt game. Being an 80% passer and who knows how many more yards that would have meant would have completely changed the current opinion of how DJ is playing at this point in the season.

Rattler struggled at Oklahoma last season (2020) and nothing was done. This year they have a 5 star freshman and something could be done to fix the problem.

Next year Clemson may have another option if DJ hasn't improved his play, but at this point we don't.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 9:17 PM

In a QB, anticipation is one he11eva indicator.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 3, 2021, 10:08 AM

I completely agree with that, but I don't believe it is something that a QB is born with.

Being able to anticipate comes from the combination of many factors lining up.

DJ's anticipation SHOULD improve as he gains more confidence in himself, gains more confidence in his WRs, gains more confidence in his OL, improves in reading defenses, gets more comfortable with his mechanics to remove that from the list of things he is thinking about.

The short version is, the less DJ has to think or worry about in a game, the better his anticipation should become.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:46 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

TigersO said:

I appreciate you laying out the statistical differences.

Would you care to tell me where Tajh was a lot better as a player than DJ that accounted for the differences in stats? I mean actually analyzing his talents.

Obviously Tajh had a much better year statistically. He also had a guy in Watkins who was routinely taking balls 50+ yards on passes that were thrown <5 yards down the field.

I highlighted that I feel Tajh was able to gain a lot more confidence early due to an easier schedule to start the season and because he trusted his WRs.

BTW Ross leads the team in drops and is supposed to be the go-to WR and the leader in the group. Tajh didn't have to deal with that from his security guys.

Also comparing Ngata to either Watkins or Hopkins at this point is an incredible stretch as Ngata hasn't exactly been Mr. Consistency this season either.

Let's not forget Tajh also had: Charone Peake, Martavis Bryant, Andre Ellington (junior), Dwayne Allen(junior), Brandon Ford(junior), Adam Humphries and Jaron Brown (junior) that were extremely talented playmakers around him.

That's a pretty long list of NFL players that carried Tajh in his first year as a starter.

Clemson's playmakers this season are nowhere near any comparisons for all of those guys that rounded out the skill players counted on in 2011.



Ignoring everything else. Boyd was a leader and is a lot more of an intelligent guy than DJ. Watching DJ in his interviews available to the public he strikes me as being sort of child like and meek. I’m sure he’s a fine and respectable person, but that’s not what is being discussed. Boyd threw a beautiful deep ball. He could run the new offense first year Morris put it in. He didn’t need the coaches to hold his hand and tell him where to throw and then cover for him when he’s does after it costs the team. I remember back to the tail end of the Danny era and DJ is by far the worst starting QB I’ve seen here. Even Stoudt was more effective. But to compare DJ to Boyd at any point is maybe the most insane take I’ve read in while. If he was half as good as TB10 was Clemson is 7-1 worst case right now. Amazing how people keep trying to wish and hope and dream this QB into being something he isn’t or won’t ever be. This has been such a disaster this year with him I really don’t see him back at Clemson next year.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:02 PM

Tajh is more well-spoken and was always a great interview as he is a very outgoing person by nature, but I can't speak to either person's actual level of intelligence because I don't know them that well.

DJ threw a beautiful deep ball last season so the ability is there.

The Morris offense was incredibly simplistic in terms of QB play. It wasn't a tall task to learn it quickly. That's why Morris is back in high school now because it didn't take defenses long to figure out his offense either once he left Clemson and didn't have NFL players all over the field.

Also Tajh didn't exactly have it mastered to start the season when he was losing to Wofford at halftime of the 1st game.

I could continue to refute the rest of your ridiculous points, but the remainder of your post is an attempt to bash DJ and is not worth a response.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:11 PM

TigersO said:

Tajh is more well-spoken and was always a great interview as he is a very outgoing person by nature, but I can't speak to either person's actual level of intelligence because I don't know them that well.

DJ threw a beautiful deep ball last season so the ability is there.

The Morris offense was incredibly simplistic in terms of QB play. It wasn't a tall task to learn it quickly. That's why Morris is back in high school now because it didn't take defenses long to figure out his offense either once he left Clemson and didn't have NFL players all over the field.

Also Tajh didn't exactly have it mastered to start the season when he was losing to Wofford at halftime of the 1st game.

I could continue to refute the rest of your ridiculous points, but the remainder of your post is an attempt to bash DJ and is not worth a response.



I can’t believe anyone would want to sell this comparison. I look back fondly on 2011 as a 10 win season and ACC title. Boyd was a huge part of that. I’ll look back at 2921 and remember DJ being the main reason Clemson won’t win the ACC and will have its worst season since 2014 or maybe but hopefully not, 2010.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:33 PM

I don't believe you.

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Tajh had Hopkins, Watkins, Bryant, Humphries, Peake, Brown,


Nov 2, 2021, 4:18 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

Allen and Ford. Ellington ran for 1200-ish yards that year.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 1:27 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

You don't think Tajh stats speak for themselves? Numbers don't lie. People lie, twist, spin, etc...

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:34 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

Ross has not played close to his previous years since he cam back, FSU was his best game. The UGA pick 6 was on his lazy route. Ngata is young, he has made plenty of mistakes with his blocking and route running. He also was not present against FSU (meaning he was not an impact player), which hurt as he is one of the better receivers (and he joins the long list of drops too).

To the post, I trust the coaches who work with these guys and see them all week and know what they are supposed to be doing; we only know what we see, and for the most part that is real time and you cannot see everything real time.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 2:41 PM

I have been critical of Ross this season, and I was very pleased to see him play better and with more aggression against FSU.

I hope that was a turning point for what we will see from him as we move forward this season.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:16 PM

Don't know if it has already been covered here. Tajh had to keep on chucking and scoring in 2011 simply because the D was not all that great. They gave up over 29 a game. This year's team is giving up half that much, ostensibly making it a bit easier for their qb to succeed. But, he hasn't.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:29 PM

There are 2 ways to look at it. You have outlined one way.

You said it should be easier for DJ because the defense is better and should allow more room for success from the offense. I disagree.

The bad defense jacked up Tajh's stats considerably because you are correct that he had to keep scoring for 60 minutes. Tajh got around 75-80 plays per game in 2011 to try to make plays and sling it around the field.

Because we know Clemson has such a great defense, the coaches are being far and away more conservative with offensive calls in the 2nd half of games when we have a lead in hopes that the defense will win it and the offense won't lose it.

I don't like this strategy, but with the way we have tried to step on our own toes on offense this season, I can see why they get conservative.

Clemson's offense is averaging probably around 55-60 plays per game this season.

That's taking a lot of plays and opportunities away from DJ to have more success.

Also huge chunks of yardage that Tajh put up were once defenses got tired. We are not running enough plays this season to wear out a defense and start to get those chunk plays on offense that come from tired and lazy defense.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 4:24 PM

Why are they calling a very conservative offense? Because the O simply is not good. Many three and outs. We've discussed ad nauseam the reasons for this- lousy Oline, dropped passes, overthrows, little downfield blocking, endless lateral throws that gain nothing, injuries, COVID Protocol cases, transfers. But the qb is the leader of the offense and has to take a good portion of the blame. If DJ improves (along with all of the others...coaches too), he will be given a ton of credit. Just can't agree that he is comparable to Tajh in 2011. DJ has not had one big game.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 3, 2021, 10:14 AM

Yes they are being conservative because it should help prevent turnovers or disaster plays from a struggling offense.

They are also being conservative because they know they have a defense that can hold up to the task of winning a low scoring game.

If we had a bad offense and a bad defense, they would not be milking clock and trying to play a conservative low scoring offense.

You do mean DJ has not had one big game THIS SEASON right?

We have all seen what DJ can do, but the question becomes why isn't he doing it now?

I think the different surroundings on offense is what is making a player with similar skills to Tajh play like he is a far less talented player.

I'm not sure why people think it's an acceptable option to say "DJ just can't do it" when we have seen him do it.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 9:59 AM

Yes, I mean this season. He led a great comeback last year against BC, and had a great game against ND.
He had Travis, Amari, and Cornell. But with Ross, Ngata, Shipley, and Mafah, the drop off in surrounding talent has not been so severe that he should crap out the first eight games. He has great coaches (supposedly), experience, a great defense, good special teams, and a rabid fan base. Also has NIL. Plenty of all around support. He should be better, plain and simple.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 10:13 AM

I'm not arguing that DJ should be playing at his current level.

He should absolutely be better than he has been this season.

However, your list of reasons why he should be better is not very strong.

Ross has been a shell of himself this season and has been very inconsistent. I would argue he has hurt DJ's level of play by not being the "go-to guy" that DJ expected and needs.

Ngata has been our best WR, but hasn't been the most consistent and has missed a good amount of time for injury and COVID.

Shipley and Mafah are true freshmen and each has only played in about half of the games. Both have been good for true freshmen, but until the FSU game neither were shouldering the load of the offense to help DJ.

Our coaches are a positive for him and I think they have helped him since the beginning of the year. I'm not sure anybody could have prepared him for whatever happened to him and his confidence after the UGA game. That collapse falls on DJ.

Where is the experience that should be helping him?

The defense helps the team, but in no way affects DJ's level of play positively or negatively.

Same for special teams.

I would definitely say "rabid fan base" has been a negative this year if it has had any effect on DJ.

NIL certainly isn't going to help his play on the field. I think it takes someone who knows him personally to know if it's had a negative effect. but it certainly hasn't been a positive for the on field product.

Again, he should be playing to his potential.

I will ask again, as I did above, we should be asking why he isn't playing to his potential and not simply pointing out that he isn't which is obvious.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 1:43 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

Your comment "you are talking about this season DJ not having a big game, right"?

Shows that you are not an unbiased observer and do have bias for DJ. You are the one who brought up the topic. And the topic was DJ's sophomore season compared to Tajh's sophomore season. Then you ask a question like that, so you can go all the way back to the Notre Dame game during DJ's freshman season find a good or very good game for DJ.

Admit it. No argument will change your mind. You are arguing for arguments sake. Not to be proven wrong. Your trying to sway the jury to believe your attorney opening and closing statements for the defense no matter what the evidence shows. If your a good enough silver tongue, smooth talking salesman you can get a jury to believe anything. Your trying to sell ice cream to an Eskimo and most of us are not buying. But some will.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 5, 2021, 11:07 AM

Never once did I compare DJ's sophomore season to Tajh's sophomore season.

Other people starting running with stats and numbers and trying to compare their production differences.

The differences in their production are very clear and inarguable.

My comparison was of their skills and talents.

Tajh obviously made some improvements by his 5th year on campus and was a much cleaner and more experienced product that Tajh in his 3rd year on campus. That's why I mentioned Tajh as a sophomore.

Every reference I made to DJ was just about DJ in general and not discussing his performance during a season.

My comparison was just of their style of play and talent level.

The rest of your babbling seems like you are upset at something.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 1:47 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

Who has been responsible for most of those turnovers and disaster plays from this struggling offense? Do I need to answer my own question? Or will you be honest and stop trying to defend the indefensible? Are you a law student or something? And your practicing arguments for future tests?

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 5, 2021, 11:11 AM

What a ridiculous argument here.

The QB on almost every team in the country is responsible for the most turnovers.

Very rarely does a WR or RB have more fumbles lost than a QB has fumbles lost and INTs combined.

Tajh would fit the criteria for your questions for any season that he played. It doesn't mean he was terrible, it just means he is the QB and touches the ball every single play on offense.

Remember when Deshaun Watson threw 30 INTs between his sophomore and junior seasons?

It's always the QB with the disaster plays.

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We will never know


Nov 2, 2021, 2:59 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

Because, for some reason, TP is not going to get the chance to see how he compares on game day with DJ!

You tell me why. There has to be a reason that we don’t know about. Is it the injury.? Is there really that much difference in the skills of the two players? Others?

I’ve neither coached nor played a game of football in my life so I certainly don’t know the answers and don’t profess to but I know what I see on the field every Saturday. And yes, I go to the games. The offense is stagnant.


The thing that has hurt this team the most is the departure of Dixon. He was groomed to step in when ETN left and I think he was prepared to do just that. The Clemson that I have watched closely for the last ten years or so relied heavily on the short passing game to “move the chains”. At this, Dixon should be ideal because he has quickness and vision that no one else has shown thus far in 2021. How many great plays like that did ETN have.?.?. A LOT. I’m not sure DJ has the ability to make those throws. Thus far we haven’t seen it very much but we don’t have that kind of running back either. Shipley perhaps can be the guy. We will see

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Re: We will never know


Nov 2, 2021, 3:10 PM

TP has gotten to play and even in his short time, it's easy to see the difference if you know what you are looking for.

Yes there really is that much difference in the skill of the two players.

I think we have finally reached a point here where you are admitting why you should be listening instead of trying to rely on your assessment of the situation.

Dixon was a loss before he ever left the team because he chose to be divisive instead of providing the veteran leadership that this team is desperately missing this season.

Dixon wasn't groomed to be next and he would have been behind Mellusi and the freshmen had everybody stayed on campus. Dixon just happened to be the oldest, but his talent didn't progress enough from freshman year to senior year to maintain his place on the depth chart.

This team isn't missing a RB to dump the ball to. This team is missing a WR who can threaten the deep ball/an OL that can block long enough for a deep ball at any time that causes the safeties to back up.

All 3 RB remaining on the roster have more talent than Dixon at this point. Had Dixon worked hard while ETN was the starter then he may have improved more and been much better by his senior year. Instead he sat back and waited for ETN to leave like he was waiting for a gift that was owed to him.

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Re: We will never know


Nov 4, 2021, 2:04 PM

Dixon would have provided senior leadership. Something Clemson desperately needs on offense. DJ is NOT a leader. And it isn't ideal to have a senior guard who plays average and has false starts himself and is often injured to be your offensive leader.
Dixon could not lead from the bench. Something is happening that we don't know about with the RB coach and our veteran RB's. Dixon never had a problem for three years. Then all of a sudden he's a discipline problem his senior year. Let's be objective here and be honest. Dixon would have helped more than our two freshman. I really like Shipley, but he is just now coming into his own 8 weeks into the season. We didn't have that kind of time to waste. Unless you don't mind wasting a season. You have an answer for everything. But if you look back on several of these comments there is a lot of wisdom there if you will listen instead of talking. God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.

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Re: We will never know


Nov 4, 2021, 2:13 PM [ in reply to Re: We will never know ]

I disagree. We are sorely missing a RB to dump the ball off to. Etienne was used a lot last year in that scenario. Mainly because our o-line wasn't run blocking well and opposing teams were just not going to let Etienne run against them with the formation they were using. Of course there are more problems as you explained. But I don't see how you cannot see that that is another weapon in our offensive arsenal we are missing thus year. Dixon would have given us that option in my opinion.

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Re: We will never know


Nov 2, 2021, 3:24 PM [ in reply to We will never know ]

The issues are not on any one player, we have made far too many mental and discipline errors game after game to win contested games, which they all are.

For example the defense went offsides two plays in a row to change from a 3d and 13 to a 3d and 3...FSU converted and extended the drive, ending in a punt and they flipped the field.

Could go on and on... no team is perfect but this team for some reason is sloppy.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:07 PM

I get what you’re saying, but what does this say about our coaching? They are getting paid millions to have DJ and TP ready to go. They don’t have to be the next TL, but they’re among the worst in college football now. Why is that? How long has TP been on this team? For some reason he’s not able to come in and keep the team afloat if something were to happen to our 1st string QB, no matter who that may be. For some reason, they have no faith in him. Meanwhile, DJ can’t even master basic fundamental QB skills.
Both DJ and TP are sorely lacking. This is on coaching, or lack of it.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:21 PM

I will try to address each question you asked.

It says nothing about our coaching. I am assessing the abilities that each player has. TP was recruited to be a career backup. He didn't practice for 5 months this summer when he could have been improving to a higher level.

Neither QB is among the least talented in college football. Clemson's offensive statistics are among the worst for a mountain of reasons which do not all fall on the QB room.

This is TP's 3rd year on campus and DJ's 2nd year on campus. Again TP missed the 5 months of training leading up the this season. That is prime developmental time in college football.

Your claim that DJ "can't master basic fundamental skills" is not accurate.

DJ is trying to change aspects of his mechanics that he ingrained into his body since the time he started throwing footballs. You are expecting him to reprogram things he did for roughly 14 years in just a couple of seasons.

I'm sure DJ has made great changes in a controlled setting like practice, but our body will revert to what it knows best when put under duress. No matter how hard DJ works or how many reps he takes, he is having trouble staying away from old habits in game.

This could be one of the largest reasons why we are hearing reports that they don't know why DJ isn't taking what's happening in practice to games.

His body hasn't had enough time to erase the old programming and hardwire the improvements that he has made since getting on campus.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:27 PM

Good points...

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 4:58 PM

Points? I call them excuses.

TP is in his 3rd year, recruited as a back-up? Okay. He’s not even skilled enough to be that. Yes, he had an injury that kept him out for a few months. What’s he been doing for the past 2 years? Where is his development? Again, they have no faith in him.

What was DJ doing for the past 1 1/2 -2 years on campus? He had the best QB in the nation at his disposal for advice, mentorship, working beside him. Some of the best coaches in the nation to train him, prepare him. Did he even work with his WRs during the summer?? Again, he’s still playing like he’s in high school.

Yes, Tahj Boyd wasn’t ready to go on Day 1, but he did develop and progress throughout the seasons. He also had chemistry with his teammates and drive. My worry is that these current coaches have relied on elite talent to get by. We don’t have that now, but do have a lot of young inexperienced talent that’s not being developed and used effectively.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 3, 2021, 10:24 AM

Did you see TP try to throw when he got here??????

He is a far far better passer than he was on arrival, but he's still not a high level passer. He was projected as a major running threat but he is coming off of a torn Achilles so he is understandably not as athletic as most would have anticipated at the moment.

I can't say whether DJ and his WRs were working all summer to improve their chemistry.

What I can say is that all Clemson fans should know that DJ is better than he is currently playing.

Pretending that he's always played like this and everybody should have known what was coming is incorrect.

We have young talent that isn't performing.

Saying that they aren't being developed or used correctly is you placing an opinion on things that you don't have knowledge on.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 3, 2021, 10:37 AM

Okay, Tony, I guess all of our eyes are deceiving us.
It shouldn’t be a comparison of QBs, but a question of what’s fundamentally wrong with this offense and why the supposedly high level talent isn’t playing at a high level.
Most fans are concerned that real issues aren’t being addressed and there will be ripple effects into next season.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 10:15 AM

Those are completely valid questions, but they are not a part of what I was presenting or asking when I started this thread.

Yes, I would love to know why it has gone so bad.

No, I don't think TP playing would have made a positive difference.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:36 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

If DJ has been at Clemson for two years and hasn’t changed his mechanics from his high school days something is WRONG. Why not develop an offense around the skills that he does possess instead of trying to make him become another Lawrence.? Because, that AINT GONNA happen. Half the throws he makes doesn’t have a snowballs chance of being caught ...by anyone.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 3:47 PM

Your statement that "half the throws he makes don't have a snowballs chance of being caught" shows me you are emotionally reacting to the situation because it's blatantly false.

DJ was 12 for 25 in the Pitt game with 8 drops. That's 80% catchable balls.

He was around 60% passing vs FSU with a couple of catchable balls that weren't made.

You can't change an offense to account for a long throwing motion and a QB who struggles with shifting his weight at the right time during throws.

DJ can run Clemson's current offense just fine when he is playing to his potential, which he is not.

As I stated above, DJ has probably made tons of progress in a controlled setting like practice, but the human body reverts to what it knows best in pressure situations and DJ is struggling to take his mechanical improvements to the games.

More accurately he is struggling to keep his mechanics consistent during games, because he is showing improvements on many of his passes but he can't be consistent with it for 4 quarters at this point.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 2, 2021, 9:25 PM

You just stated DJ was recruiting miss.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 3, 2021, 10:25 AM

How so?

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 2:25 PM [ in reply to Re: DJ and TP comparison ]

In other words, DJ is playing bad but he us being kept out on the field in hopes of improving. Or finding his game again. Meanwhile we are losing games we should be winning. Winning games closely that should have been blowouts. Players are leaving, morale is low, fans are in disbelief and awestruck, offense is leaderless, ad infinitum.
All the while we're waiting on DJ to perform. Why is DJ being given more time than any other QB would be given? Why are we throwing a season away on his developnent?

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Disagree with your take


Nov 2, 2021, 3:55 PM

IMO we haven't seen enough this season of TP7 to make the assessment he's a "worst version" of Travis from FSU.

Each time I've seen TP7 take the field the offense seems to click better. Not saying he's an all-american player just riding the pine for some strange reason but I feel like Clemson's record is better if TP7 were healthy and given the same schedule.

He may be more of a game manager QB but that veteran presence is definitely noticeable when he's in. The pass you're referring to was a bad decision but TPs play this year is noticeably better than the prior two years.

Doesn't mean DJ's ceiling isn't still higher but there are definitely times I would've pulled DJ to give TP a shot at sparking the offense and think it could've led to us being 6-2 or even 7-1 at this point.

As for the TB10 & DJ5 comparison, I can agree that Tajh inherited a better veteran squad to grow with.

DJ benefited when Lynn J was in the game earlier this year and I felt like it helped him feel easier having a veteran presence around him. Similar to ND and BC games last year, I think that veteran presence gave him the comfort to play looser.

Athletically, it is a train wreck watching DJ take off. I don't recall TB10 having that slow of a step, even as a RS Sophomore. It's crazy to think DJ had like a 30 yard run last year against BC watching him this year - maybe this off-season will be a similar "proving time" for DJ to work like TB10 did in those off-seasons after his first year as starter.

Overall, I wanna see DJ5 get better. He's definitely not the main reason for this seasons struggles but I am puzzled at times why we aren't giving TP7 more chances than hoping it's a blow out to work him in.

True, DJ5 needs to work through things and I hope this season leads to bigger and better things later. However, I feel like watching DJ5 each week is the closest thing I've had to testing my sanity. (though the OL and playcalling definitely doesn't help DJ too so it's not all him)

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Re: Disagree with your take


Nov 3, 2021, 10:40 AM

TP is a less talented version of Travis because he is slower and has a weaker arm. Neither have displayed much in the way of accuracy. If you have watched both play and understand athletic evaluation you can determine that easily.

"Each time TP has taken the field the offense seems to click better." Are you referring to the 20 yard drive that ended in a fg against Pitt or the 3 and out when he tried to throw an INT that Pitt dropped in the next series? Or are you referring to the 1 play he ran at NC State where the RB ran the ball for a TD? No clue what you have seen TP do this season or previous seasons that indicate to you that the offense smooths out when he enters the game. He isn't a veteran presence because he has never been on the field.

He isn't a game manager because he has the tendency to throw the ball to the other team. Game managers take what is given to them and are very good with ball security. We haven't seen that from him. You can't call him a game manager just because he isn't very talented.

You would have pulled DJ more times because you are an emotional fan and you don't understand that removing the more talented player doesn't just effect the player being benched. Did you notice how deflated the defense was against Pitt once TP came into the game? They had no faith he could help them come back and win.

TP would have lost to UGA, BC, NC State, FSU and Pitt at least. I think he would have lost to GA Tech as well but am not positive because DJ played very poorly in that game. The difference you don't realize is that DJ is the reason we have a running game because even when he is inconsistent the defense still has to honor his arm strength. TP would be facing an 8 man box every game.

Yes, it's a shame that Dixon bailed on his team because the offense badly needed a calming presence in the first half of the season. Instead of trying to help bring everybody together, he opted to try to divide everybody even to the extent of lying about who was supposed to get snaps at RB in a game.

TP isn't getting more of a chance because he is far more limited than even an inconsistent DJ. He has also shown an equal tendency to turn the ball over so there is no upgrade there either with him coming in.

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We certainly don't have a Sammy this year. DJ is not the


Nov 2, 2021, 4:13 PM

runner that Tajh was. And doesn't have a line playing as good as 2011. Disappointed we haven't reduced the zone read a bit and played to the strengths we do have. Need DJ to get the ball out quick. Have the receivers to do that. Saw some nice throws to the middle vs. FSU and hope we keep after that. Still don't know if I have seen a seam route all year.

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The issue shouldn’t be DJ vs Taisun.


Nov 2, 2021, 9:37 PM

It should be why an elite program with top 5 talent is having such an issue with QB play (and WR play, and OL play, and…).

There is simply no excuse for things to be this bad on offense.

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"All those 'Fire Brownell' guys can kiss it." -Joseph Girard III

"Everybody needs to know that Coach Brownell is arguably the best coach to come through Clemson." -PJ Hall


Re: The issue shouldn’t be DJ vs Taisun.


Nov 3, 2021, 10:45 AM

I guess there is the possibility that there has been some major issue that the public doesn't know about that can be some sort of explanation for what has happened to the offense this season, but from the outside looking in it doesn't make any sense.

Dabo keeps referring to some massive stuff that the team has had to overcome this season and how proud he is that they have fought through.

I'm not sure if he is inflating the criticisms, injuries and departures to a level of being major hurdles to overcome or if there really has been some other big stuff that is not public knowledge.

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Re: The issue shouldn’t be DJ vs Taisun.


Nov 4, 2021, 10:44 AM [ in reply to The issue shouldn’t be DJ vs Taisun. ]

For once I agree with you, I’ve looked up and down this roster and failed to understand how they can be so bad. I can understand some drop off , but to be one of the worst offenses in the country is really inexcusable. I think we could run the wing T with Will Taylor is the quarterback and have a better offense

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Re: The issue shouldn’t be DJ vs Taisun.


Nov 4, 2021, 10:55 AM

I'm guessing your comment about running the wing T was made tongue in cheek, but it is a perfect example of what is being missed by many here who don't understand why the offense hasn't made drastic improvements this season.

Yes the 1st game was inexcusably horrible.

For some reason our QB didn't recover mentally from that until several weeks later. I'm not sure there is a good excuse for that either.

However, by the time DJ was feeling a little better and starting to show signs of turning around, the offense was decimated with injuries and departures.

Your prescribed Will Taylor offense wouldn't have been possible after the first drive in game 5 when he tore his ACL and went out for the season.

Better blocking is needed, but 4 OL from the 2 deep are out for the season.

Need better slot play to help DJ. Spector out all year with COVID and Taylor goes down to an ACL just as he starts to make the transition.

To add to the above, Clemson's most talented WR just started to show signs of life in game 8 after coming off of neck surgery.

Next best WR has also missed time this season with injuries and COVID.

Still have no idea why the offense is struggling to recover from its abysmal start?

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 10:41 AM

Give DJ a decent oline and wide receivers who can create separation, I think he could be the best quarterback in the country. Without those two components, and he does not have them this season, he’s one of the worst

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 10:46 AM

I am not going to disagree that better OL and better WR would be helpful for DJ, but DJ is certainly not without fault.

I think it's also important to remember that we now have 4 OL out with season ending injuries.

We have 2 WR's out with season ending injuries and many more who have missed games here and there for different reasons.

Health, continuity, and experience have all been working against our offense this season.

Still product has been worse than it should have been even with all of the issues that we could not control.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 11:04 AM

One thing I noticed that you forgot to mention is the decision making difference. Tajh Boyd made much better decisions. That is the biggest difference as far as I can see.

Take did the read option much better. Take was also about 10 pounds too heavy his sophomore year. When he lost weight he was a noticeably better runner that Junior year.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 11:13 AM

Tajh made great decisions in 2011 when he wasn't under any pressure. Tajh improved with his decision making as he got more experience.

Check the NC State and scar games from that season to see what kind of decisions he made when Clemson couldn't protect him.

Also notice that Clemson's offense, and in turn Tajh, got much worse that season when Ellington and Watkins got banged up for a few games. Ellington missed the GA Tech game and Watkins was almost useless due to injury vs NC State.

Tajh lost a lot when his veteran RB and go-to WR weren't there to make things easier.

DJ's veteran RB quit when things got tough and his go-to WR is just now starting to show signs of being ready to play at full speed.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 5:25 PM

Your arguments for DJ are as bad as his play has been this year. You don't seem to take into account DJ throws 100mph every ball, will stare at a covered wr tuck the ball and then pull it back up and throw at that wrs chest. Or that DJ is terrified to pull the ball on a read option or RPO. The guy has no touch or composure. Even when he has time he's throwing the ball off his back foot and not making it through any progressions. The offensive coordinator needs to get creative in getting the ball into space bc DJ will never be consistent. Dj has regressed from his footwork to how he holds the ball to how much touch he puts on the ball, all around he's cooked. Needs to transfer and get a fresh start bc he's never going to regain his confidence here where he's asked to do more than throw 70+ yards down field. I'll bet money Dabo won't recruit another traditional drop back qb, if they can't move or make good reads in the rpo game they won't succeed at Clemson. 5 star QB that doesn't fit what you do = 1 star play. Taisun at least brings the threat of an RPO game, I think he deserves a shot.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 5, 2021, 11:34 AM

I disagree with most of what you are saying because you contradict yourself.

QBs who throw ball off of their back foot all the time are not also throwing the ball 100 mph every time.

Impossible.

Then you complain that DJ hits the WR in the chest with passes. HUH????????

Then you say the offensive coordinator needs to get creative to get the ball in space because DJ won't be consistent.

Who do you think is going to make all of these throws to guys in space?

If DJ isn't consistent what good does it do for the OC to be scheming guys open that can't be used?

Are you willing to lose another game to prove that TP isn't good enough to take DJ's spot?

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 4, 2021, 9:03 PM

DJ is playing nervous. That is the main problem. Without consistentcy from the QB it is impossible for the receivers, online, etc to be consistent. I'm definitely in the camp that DJ is 75% of the problem. Obviously online and play calling being weak do not help a ton but they are not the main issue.

If he could just somehow relax and have fun we would see the DJ we saw last year. One scene that has stuck in my mind this year is before the first snap in the SC State game. The camera zoomed in on DJ and he was taking a deep breath like he was extremely stressed out. He should have been licking his chops and excited about the easy competition but he looked like he was about to take a snap as a backup QB thrown into the Natty game. It was an odd look.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 5, 2021, 11:21 AM

I completely agree with your comments about a major reason why DJ is playing so poorly.

He seems to be playing with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

His terrible performance in the UGA game left us handicapped all the way through the 4th game of the season. I would give him more than 75% of the blame in that game.

Clemson lost 2 games in the first 4.

Since then however, I think DJ has made improvements.

I think DJ has actually made more improvements than his production is showing because of the turmoil and inconsistency around him.

I have also noticed that when things go bad around him, he starts to press and get tight again.

The Pitt game is a perfect example of this. He played a great first half and his pass catchers let him down in a major way. Then coming out from halftime behind by 4 points, you could see him pressing again and tightening up.

He just can't seem to shake his loss of confidence in a game.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 5, 2021, 10:57 AM

I personally don't think we have a body of work for TP that allows a decent comparison to DJ. Maybe he's not better, I doubt he's very much worse. That would be difficult. When I watch us play I see a QB that in ALL aspects of the game looks like a fish out of water. I have no idea how he played as well as he did last year. My take on it is that last year was the anomaly and this year is really him. It's a scary thing to see him play and come to the realization that we have 2 more years of this. And make no mistake, if he stays he will be playing. I think Dabo will throw a sacrificial lamb to the wolves at the end of the year but it won't be anyone that matters much. I sure hope I'm wrong but I think we are just now entering the Twilight Zone.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 5, 2021, 11:28 AM

First of all, please step away from the ledge on drowning the Clemson program moving forward.

Secondly, the biggest difference between DJ this season and TP is that DJ still has potential.

TP is at his very best equal to this bad version of DJ that we have seen.

The difference is in how opponents still have to respect DJ's talent even when he is not playing up to that talent level.

TP is a one trick pony whose best trick is being hindered by his recovery from injury. He is not currently a fast dual threat QB. Opposing secondaries would be stacked up at the line of scrimmage with TP in the game because he does not threaten to stretch the field at all.

This change would take away Clemson best weapon at the moment which is its RB run game.

Even inconsistent DJ who isn't a great runner helps the run game more than TP who doesn't scare anyone in the air.

Aside from that advantage that DJ provides, he has played much better lately and those who want him to be the problem are failing to notice the improvement.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 5, 2021, 11:48 AM

I'm not advocating playing TP. I have no idea if he would be better than DJ and neither do you. He hasn't had an opportunity to show if he can or not. You're obviously a stats and numbers person. I'm not. I'm about who can get the job done and stats don't always tell you that. One thing I know for sure and that's that DJ is not getting the job done and if in fact TP is worse that DJ then we are in a world of hurt. In that case I would bench both of them and put Hunter in. As far as being on a ledge I can honestly say that none of this will affect my life in any way but I do know how fast mediocrity can slip up on you and how hard it is to get back out of it. Elite programs do fall but rarely do they fall very far before they come back. We did 3 years worth of falling in just over half a season. My point is and always has been that this can go sideways fast if something isn't done. Each negative effects several other aspects of fielding an elite team.

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Re: DJ and TP comparison


Nov 5, 2021, 12:25 PM

I'm surprised that you would suggest that I am a numbers and stats guy since most of my reasoning for not putting TP in the game more has to do with how it would affect opposing defenses' schemes against us.

If I were basing my analysis off of stats and numbers I would certainly be advocating for DJ to take a seat because his numbers have been pitiful at best.

I agree that things can go south in a hurry, but I'm not so sure about the "3 years worth of falling" yet.

Clemson has lost 3 games so far this season. The widest margin being 10 points and one of the 3 being a 1 possession game to what has shown to be the clear #1 team in the country to this point in the season. Based on that, one could suggest that we have only lost 2 unexpected games.

If Clemson drops a couple more than I can see where you would say it's too much dropoff for 1 normal down year.

Based on the surrounding circumstances of this season's performance, I would suggest that Clemson is still in a place to either continue to go down next season or to return to what people have come to expect from Clemson year in and year out.

In my opinion, 3 years worth of falling would indicate that Clemson has put itself in a position where it can't return to form next season. At this point, I don't know that anyone can say that definitively.

Although I would say at this point that remaining down from normal is at least equal odds if not better than equal odds compared to returning to form.

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