Against, we were able to see an offensive outburst from the Clemson football offense in their most recent win against NC State. Here are my grades for the offensive position groups:
Quarterback: A+
Cade Klubnik looked great once again, playing as well as any quarterback in the ACC over the last two games, unless your name is not Cam Ward. Fans continue to see the confidence in the quarterback, and what many people saw that stood out on Saturday was his ability to use his legs. The junior logged in 21.0 mph when running for his 55-yard touchdown run in the opening frame.
The other big play he made was the first touchdown pass to Williams, where he was able to remain calm on the run and make an incredible throw off of his back foot to find the fellow junior’s hands. He continues to make smart decisions, go through his reads, and if he uses his legs like he did against the Wolfpack, this is an incredible sign for the offense.Â
Running backs: A-
Again in the backfield, the running back room looked phenomenal, led by Phil Mafah. The offensive line did a great job giving the tailbacks space, and they made the most of it. Mafah had a long touchdown once again but had little usage in the game, which is understandable given the blowout that was at halftime. Jay Haynes showed flashes of potential and got in the end zone as well from a great play. David Eziomume and Keith Adams Jr. got touches as well. There’s a lot to like about this room, and we saw it once again last Saturday.Â
Wide Receivers: A+
It was great to see the depth from the wide receiver once again, as well as the starters playing at an elite level. Antonio Williams caught two touchdowns and almost had a long catch in the red zone before dropping it. Troy Stellato and Cole Turner made meaningful plays, with Turner rushing for a touchdown on a great play. TJ Moore had a big catch, and most important Adam Randall scored his first touchdown of his career on a broken toe, which was an incredible sight to see. Bryant Wesco did not see the field, which raises a concern but the coaching staff believes he will be okay. The biggest thing that defined the game, however, was the downfield blocking. It continues to be a recurring event in the Clemson offense, and it has allowed so much success.Â
Tight End: B+
The tight end room looked great once again, despite being quiet with receiving yards. Jake Briningstool caught two balls and Josh Sapp caught one. What really stood out has been, again, the blocking. Briningstool and Olsen Patt-Henry were big on the Cade Klubnik touchdown as well as the Phil Mafah and Cole Turner runs. Patt-Henry has been impressive and Swinney said is now the TE2 on the depth chart. What makes it more exciting will be to see how he grows as a receiver, and Jake Briningstool hit a huge accolade, being one of five 1,000-yard receivers as a tight end. Briningstool in the end zone more will be something that could be advantageous in the future as well.Â
Offensive Line: A+
The offensive line continues to look like one of the best in the ACC, which was visible with so many plays last weekend. The Klubnik run with the GT counter, the Mafah play and the amount of times that Klubnik was able to go through his reads. No penalties by the first line and no sacks either, and it has been a monumental switch in how the offense has been looking. It was nice to also see the second and third lines, especially the freshman, receive real-game snaps as well. The evolution of the line under OL coach Matt Luke has been exciting to watch.
