Did Loss of Rodriguez Hurt Clemson Offense? |
CLEMSON - The recent struggles of Clemson's offense have not only brought
questions about play-calling and execution, they've also resurrected a name from the team's recent past: Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez, offensive coordinator under Tommy Bowden at Tulane (1997-98) and Clemson (1999-2000), left the Tigers to take over as West Virginia University's head coach prior to the 2001 season. Given Clemson's poor offensive performance over the past two weeks, the question most often popping up is this: When Rodriguez left, did he take the heart and soul of Clemson's offense with him? In 2001 it was rarely, if ever, an issue. Rodriguez and the Mountaineers struggled to a 3-8 season his first year, while the Tigers - though only a 7-5 team after the Humanitarian Bowl victory - put up huge offensive numbers and had, in Woody Dantzler, the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. But beneath the surface, future unrest was boiling. Rodriguez's struggles at WVU were due in large part to a talent-deficient squad left to him by former coach Don Nehlen, a team with nowhere near the athletic ability he and Bowden inherited at Clemson in 1999. His 5-3 record this season has been among the nation's pleasant surprises, and he has done it mostly with a dominating rushing attack. Meanwhile, many of Dantzler's numbers came in bunches against lesser opponents a year ago, and it can be argued that his tremendous athleticism - which allowed him to turn numerous broken plays into huge yardage - masked the depth of the offensive problems the Tigers would face this season. Still, Bowden maintains that Rodriguez's departure has had no effect on Clemson's offense. "Last year at West Virginia they wanted to give him back," Bowden joked. Then, turning serious, he added: "That kind of goes with the territory. Last year without him, even though we were 98th in the nation in turnover (ratio) we were within a couple hundred yards of having the most productive offense ever, and (Rodriguez) wasn't here. He's a good coach, but I've been around successful football before I met Rich and we've been successful here without him." One major difference in the Tigers since Rodriguez's departure has been the tempo of the offense. After running at the fastbreak pace for the first two years, Bowden has ground his team's pace to a halt since the beginning of the 2001 season. The reason, he said, revolves around the running game. "If you're in running mode, it usually involves some checks being made because of the different schemes and blocking assignments," he said. "It gets a little more complicated. In 1999 our running game wasn't as diverse. Offensively and defensively things evolve over four years. We're trying to do more in the running game. "Yeah, we were faster paced then, but the running game wasn't as involved as it is now." In contrast, West Virginia's offensive attack in 2002 is predominantly run-oriented. Moreover, operating out of the spread, just like Clemson, Rodriguez still has his offense in fastbreak mode, often snapping the ball with 16-18 seconds remaining on the play clock. The hurry-up attitude hasn't hurt the WVU running game. The Mountaineers currently lead the country in rushing yards per game (305.75), and tailback Avon Cobourne is second individually at 147.13 yards per game. Meanwhile, West Virginia ranks No. 13 in total offense (439.25) to Clemson's No. 96 (339.25). The Mountaineers also have a decided edge in scoring offense, ranking 29th (32.38 points per game) to Clemson's 73rd (25.00). Whether or not the numbers prove Rodriguez's departure hurt Clemson's offense is still a matter of debate. But the fans, at least, are beginning to ask questions. NOTES - Bowden continues to maintain he has yet to decide on a starting quarterback for Duke, and stuck to his now-familiar line when asked when a decision might be coming. "You'll (media) be the first to know," he said. When pressed on whether or not it would be a gametime decision, he relented just a bit. "Probably," he said. - Backup center Tommy Sharpe was in yellow (no contact) Wednesday, suffering from a bacterial infection. He is expected to be ready for Saturday. Starting guard Cedric Johnson would be the next backup to starter Jermyn Chester if Sharpe's situation got worse instead of better. Dan Scott covers Clemson University for the Florence Morning News. He also hosts SportsTalk from 10 a.m.-Noon, Monday-Friday, on WCCP-Fm, 104.9. Click here for Dan Scott's SportsTalk discussion board.
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