Clemson and Miami are locked in a defensive stalemate here at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. If you like offense, maybe this is not the game for you. Once again, the self-inflicted mistakes on offense have doomed the Tigers. And again, the defense has given all it has and then some to keep Clemson in the game. Miami is playing without starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, and as a result, the Tigers’ defense has feasted. Turnovers have hampered the Clemson offense again, despite a strong effort from quarterback Cade Klubnik. It is anyone’s game with 30 minutes to play. Here are five reactions from a wild first half in Miami.
Red zone futility
At this point it is a broken record, only it is stuck in a loop. Clemson is struggling mightily in the red zone again. On the Tigers’ second possession, inside the Miami 5-yard line, Will Shipley appeared primed to score. However, the junior running back had the ball stripped at the goal line in what has been one of three Clemson turnovers in the first half. The Hurricanes recovered for a touchback, and on the very next play hit on their only big play, an 80-yard touchdown run, to take their first lead. Clemson has ventured inside the Miami 30 four times. They have seven points to show for it. That is not going to get it done.
Hello, Jake
Tight end Jake Briningstool has been largely absent from the Clemson offense over the past two games but has broken out in the first half tonight. Jake has hauled in three receptions for a game-high 57 yards. Briningstool collected the Tigers’ only score of the first half with a diving grab under duress early in the second quarter. He has proven himself a match-up problem for the Hurricanes, so it would be nice to see Klubnik continue to feed him the ball in the second half.
Turnover terrors
When looking at the first half offensive totals, if you were denied knowledge of the score beforehand, you would probably assume Clemson is winning this game handily. The Tigers have consistently lived in Miami territory offensively, but a litany of self-inflected mistakes have kept Clemson out of the endzone on all but one trip down the field. Dabo Swinney has preached about having to win the turnover battle for the Tigers to be successful. Miami is plus two in the turnover margin tonight and the game is tied 7-7 at the half. Clemson can thank their lucky stars they are in this game and figure out a way to hold onto the ball over the final 30 minutes.
Defense rules
The Clemson defense is really something to watch. When the offense gets stuck in reverse, the Tigers’ defense is there to keep the ship afloat long enough to plug the holes. The Clemson defense has held Miami to 139 yards of offense in the first half. 80 of those yards came on one play. It has been a dominating effort on that side of the ball, and it has kept the Tigers in it. The general feel is, if Clemson can get the offense going in the second half, Miami has not proven they will be able to consistently move the ball. The fact remains, though, that the Tigers cannot keep relying on its defense to bail out the offense. Variety is good, and it is time to chance records and listen to something else.
Lucky break
Clemson was less than an inch away from trailing at halftime. Literally. Following a Sheridan Jones interception that gave the Tigers the ball back at their own 10 with under a minute to play in the first half, Klubnik was sacked right on top of the goal line. Cade was ruled down at the 1, but replays seemed to show it should have been ruled a safety to give the Hurricanes a 9-7 lead. Instead, the call was thankfully, if not incorrectly, upheld. Sometimes you need a few breaks to go your way in a close game. That play, perhaps, could loom large later tonight.
