CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Morris takes responsibility for play of offense

Morris takes responsibility for play of offense


by - Senior Writer -

RALEIGH, N.C. – The numbers weren’t pretty.

A Clemson offense that went into Saturday’s ACC regular season finale against North Carolina St. as the nation’s 14th-best squad didn’t score a touchdown until the game was decided and the reserves were in, managed just 337 total yards against a Wolfpack defense that entered the contest ranked 39th in total defense.

Included in that total was a paltry 34 yards on 28 rushing attempts.

"Our inability to convert short yardage is getting us,” Morris said. “We had that several times tonight. We've got to try to figure out how we can pick up those short yardage plays in order to keep the chains moving."

Morris took responsibility for the ugly play and said turnovers have been the main cause of concern.

"It starts and ends with me as the offensive coordinator,” Morris said. “Right now, we're not playing with the confidence level we had earlier in the year. The last three weeks, the inability to protect the football has been a glaring concern. It's totally unacceptable. Whether it's a lack of focus, I know it's continued to be harped on in practice over and over, I promise. We're not doing anything different in terms of how we're teaching ball security. But right now it's not working. You can't win any football games like this. You will struggle to win ballgames turning the ball over."

Freshman receiver Sammy WatkinsSammy Watkins

Fr. Wide Receiver

#2 6-1, 200

Fort Myers, FL

View Full Profile didn’t play, but Morris declined to use that as an excuse.

"I think everybody missed Sammy tonight, but we're more than a one-man team,” he said. “He gives us explosion, no question about that. But we have guys busting their tails out there. You have to give credit to N.C. State. They outplayed us and outcoached us. There's nothing I can say to change that.”

The Tigers have committed 11 turnovers over the last three weeks, a staggering statistic considering they only turned it over seven times in their 8-0 start.

"We're not executing at the level we were three or four weeks ago, period. We're not,” Morris said. “We have to get back to that mental focus, that hunger that we had back four or five weeks ago. We're not playing with that hunger. They're trying. It's not them. Our players are trying. Our coaches are coaching. We have to coach harder. We have to get it turned around. And that's my job as a coordinator. I thought we had one of our better weeks of practice. It's just that we have to get back that hunger. Right now we don't have it. It's not the fact that they're not trying, because they are trying."

Morris was asked if he had the confidence they can turn it around, especially considering the South Carolina Gamecocks await the Tigers next week and the ACC Championship is a week after that.

"Well I'm real confident. We have to get back that confidence level, that swagger we played with for eight, nine games,” he said. “We have to be able to make plays and hang on to the football. Turnovers - that is a critical part of this thing right now. If we protect the ball, we don't put our defense in such a tough situation. When you give a defense 20 yards, that's tough. I hate that we put our defense in that situation. It's totally unacceptable."

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Subject (Replies: 50) Author
spacer Front Page Story: Morris takes responsibility for play of offense
B-Meist®
spacer Morris = captain obvious, offensive genius my ####***
TigerCook®
spacer Re: Morris = captain obvious, offensive genius my ####***
2tigerboyz
spacer He was unhappy....we were winning.
bw4tigers®
spacer Re: Morris = captain obvious, offensive genius my ####***
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer I'm so tired of hearing it was my fault or I will fix it
Baltimore Tiger®
spacer Well...he has to say something...
bw4tigers®
spacer Saying "no comment"
ClemsonBrad23
spacer Of course he has to say something but
Baltimore Tiger®
spacer You are right
ClemsonBrad23
spacer LOL That would go over well. NOT***
Bashful Baron
spacer Re: Well...he has to say something...
91grad
spacer Yeah list what we will be doing in practice next week.
tiggerz04
spacer It's only sunday
haden53
spacer Would you prefer "We got who we got" like Reggie Herring?***
Judge Keller®
spacer Re: I'm so tired of hearing it was my fault or I will fix it
CUalum79ALLn65
spacer I would certainly hope so***
MemphisCat
spacer Then FIX it.....this week would be a good time........***
Wando Tiger
spacer Re: Then FIX it.....this week would be a good time........***
cutigersco
spacer Re: Then FIX it.....this week would be a good time........***
footballmanager
spacer It just looks like GT, WF, and State knew what was coming...
tigerorangewhite®
spacer Re: It just looks like GT, WF, and State knew what was coming...
Baldtiger2000
spacer While I do agree, I also recall Morris saying early on that
Tigergal85
spacer Re: While I do agree, I also recall Morris saying early on that
Baldtiger2000
spacer Re: While I do agree, I also recall Morris saying early on that
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Teams watch film figure us out. Need to change it up I guess***
WolfMan2
spacer Re: Front Page Story: Morris takes responsibility for play of offense
emeraldcitydj
spacer Re: Front Page Story: Morris takes responsibility for play of offense
Baldtiger2000
spacer Re: Front Page Story: Morris takes responsibility for play of offense
jerrymin
spacer Mostly attitudinal, but loss of Price hurt more than Watkins
Razzmatazz
spacer Re: OL recruiting
89tigergrad
spacer Re: OL recruiting
bubber
spacer Quality & quantity. Look at our OL recruits vs. LSU's.
Razzmatazz
spacer Re: I remember the days...
89tigergrad
spacer Ford emphasized line, toughness. Bowden/Dabo skill, finesse***
Razzmatazz
spacer Re: Quality & quantity. Look at our OL recruits vs. LSU's.
sgt tiger®
spacer Well we attempted to run...
JVTiger
spacer Re: Well we attempted to run...
rofubu
spacer Re: Well we attempted to run...
bigb71089
spacer To me, it reads like he's just blaming the players.
CharlestonTom®
spacer That's a good observation...
MemphisCat
spacer Re: To me, it reads like he's just blaming the players.
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: Front Page Story: Morris takes responsibility for play of offense
sspassport®
spacer Is he gonna take responsibility for the loss to USuC?
tigerdrummer®
spacer Has anyone besides me noticed that
jtig
spacer Re: Here's the way to fix it.
Dahamp2003
spacer Re: Here's the way to fix it.
svaughan
spacer Clemson needs to be a cut throat offense!!!
bigb71089
spacer Re: For a moment, I thought I was reading a quote from Tommy
svaughan
spacer Re: For a moment, I thought I was reading a quote from Tommy
rampeyboy
spacer Re: For a moment, I thought I was reading a quote from Tommy
tigersnake1954