The Clemson Tigers defeated the Appalachian State Mountaineers by a score of 66-20 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. Here are the grades for the various position groups on offense, which are a lot better than those a week ago.
Clemson Offense Shines: Position Grades Show Big Improvement
Quarterback: A+
Ā The best statistical quarterback in the country last week will get this rating, of course, as Cade Klubnik had his best game as a Clemson Tiger on Saturday night.Ā
378 yards and seven total touchdowns for Klubnik is something that many Clemson fans did not think they would ever see, especially in only one half of football. When not playing one of the top defenses in the country, the junior shined, especially in the pocket.
One of the most immediate things that one can see in watching Saturday nightās game is the calmness that he played with. This was something that we did not really see a season ago or last week, with the improved offensive line giving him more time to look down the field. It showed as early as the third play of the game, where he sent Bryant Wesco Jr. into the end zone on a 76-yard touchdown.
He would do it again a drive later with a 50+ yard pass to Wesco again. Something that Klubnik lacked last season, which I said last week, was his arm, being one of the least experienced quarterbacks with throwing the ball downfield. Heās getting more confident and he put the ball in great spots and his receivers were able to make plays.
The first touchdown to Briningstool was placed well. The same goes for the one to Williams, putting it in a space between defenders. The confidence is rising, which is coming at a great time to begin ACC play.
Something else that Klubnik wanted to improve on, which he said in press conferences earlier in the week, was his ability to use his legs. A read option for his first rushing touchdown and a designed run for his second, he found so much success with his legs on those two plays.
Christopher Vizzina played the majority of the second half, and did a great job with his legs as well. He was also able to score his first rushing touchdown of his career, which is only something to build off of in seasons to come.Ā
Klubnik had the game of his life, and there were bits and pieces of his performance that we saw against Georgia. We were waiting for him to put it all together: the pocket presence, the ability to use his legs and the deep ball. Yes, it is Appalachian State, but he goes into ACC play with the most confidence since his freshman yearās ACC Championship game.
Running backs: A
While the receiving aspect of the Clemson offense was seen the most, the Clemson running back room was also incredibly successful, especially with the number of touches that different tailbacks received.Ā
Phil Mafah was bound to have a big game, and his 82-yard house call in the first quarter was something that fans were waiting to see. 11.8 yards per carry is always something to smile about if you are Mafah, and he made some solid runs. There wasnāt a bad play on the ground for him last Saturday.Ā
What excited me on Saturday was the usage of different younger backs. Jay Haynes had a few drives. True freshman David Eziomume had five carries for 33 yards as well and was able to get some more reps in actual games. I was only upset with the amount that Keith Adams Jr. received. With talks in fall camp being that Adams was going to be the RB2, I was disappointed to see his usage but hope that he gets more touches in weeks to come.
I like a mix between Mafah and Haynes. Mafah is more of your power back while Haynes can fly. Iām interested to see how running back coach C.J. Spiller uses this running back group in ACC play, especially with how the room will react when Mafah leaves next season to go to the NFL Draft.
A lot of good, again. Just a little disappointed that Adams only had three carries.
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Wide Receivers: A+
What a turnaround for this group, where I debated giving them an F last week.Ā
The receivers showed out on Saturday night, with the catalysts of TJ Moore and Wesco being the reasons for it, in my opinion. However, everyone who touched the field as a receiver made plays, giving them an A+ for their performances.Ā
Wesco has arrived, making elite plays on the first two drives to put the TIgers up early and give them all the momentum. The 52-yard play on the second drive was the most riveting to me, being able to track down a high pass from Klubnik to put them on the goal line.
Moore got a good amount of touches, which I loved. With 44 yards and a touchdown, I loved seeing him as that WR-X that Randall played last week. I just thought Moore did it better and found the space needed.
Antonio Williams had a similar performance to last week, only building off of what he can do in the future. Losing the fumble was the only downside. Cole Turner had a bounce-back game with an impressive catch in the second half from Vizzina. Adam Randall made some nice receptions as well to recover from the Georgia game as well.
For offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, leaving Wesco and Moore on the first team is essential now. They were able to make some of the biggest plays in the contest, and they are truly the real deal and will only build off of these performances.
The only question from this game was Tyler Brown, who rolled his ankle on the first drive. The receiving room is in good hands, but having Brown back will make it even better when he recovers.
Tight Ends: A+
Similar to the receivers, the tight ends showed out, especially Jake Briningstool, who added two touchdowns to the total score on Saturday night.Ā
Briningstool continues to add his presence as a receiver, especially in the red zone. More specifically on the second touchdown, he cemented his ability to be the threat that many people believed that he could be on Saturday night with the frame that he holds. He also had a great game from a blocking standpoint.
I was excited to see Josh Sapp and Olsen Patt-Henry in the mix as well in the second half. Sapp is more of the receiver and I want to see his ability to block more, but Patt-Henry did a great job on all aspects, including blocking and receiving. Iām interested to see them be included more in this offense, especially Patt-Henry, who could be an incredible blocker on 2 TE sets.
Briningstool is the safety valve for Klubnik, as it looks to me, and as long as he continues to progress and be a red zone threat, good luck to opposing defenses.
Offensive Line: A+
All the success on the Clemson offense came from the offensive line. Giving Cade time, giving the offense the holes needed and no penalties in the first half make it nearly a flawless performance.
You can tell the confidence that Klubnik now has in the pocket is coming from the protection he has gotten at the line. The offensive line allowed no sacks on Saturday night, which is an incredible difference compared to last season. It has begun a domino effect of so many different things, as you saw on Saturday night.
It was also important to give the younger players snaps on the line, which was great to see as well. The position is one of the most developmental positions in football, and getting any play time in a real game goes a long way, especially for coach Matt Luke to bring it to film.
The Tigers were also able to hold OL Marcus Tate from the game, which was important in terms of recovering. Tate was injured against Georgia, and Swinney held him from the game due to the score.
The offensive line has continued to look great, which has helped out the backfield immensely. Despite an upgrade in competition with NC State in two weeks, Luke and the line should continue to hold these great performances and continue to revolutionize the Clemson offensive line.
