The Clemson Tigers defeated the Virginia Cavaliers by a score of 48-31 this past weekend. Once again, the explosive offense showed its strengths once again, and here are the grades for the offensive performance.
Quarterback: B+
If this was Cade Klubnik grading himself, this grade would be a lot lower. He was very hard on himself postgame, but although he did miss some throws, there was, once again, a lot of good from the win.
His play of the day was on the first drive, being able to deke out defenders and making a pass mid-hop to Cole Turner to make a 31-yard play. Fans continue to see the growth of the quarterback, who is improving as a dual-threat signal caller every week.
The interception was one of the main reasons for this grade, throwing a ball into triple coverage and then admitting that he didn’t see the defender he threw the ball directly to. He also missed Jake Briningstool on a later drive, who was wide open for a touchdown and he overthrew him. The low pass to Olsen Patt-Henry, who was able to make the snag, was a questionable throw as well.
It’s all a part of the process, though. The quarterback still finished with 308 yards and three touchdowns, running for 29 yards as well in the win. It wasn’t the perfect A+ Klubnik that we have seen over the last few weeks, but it was still an outstanding performance. His touchdown pass to T.J. Moore in garbage time was perfect as well.
Running backs: A
The running backs did not have an explosive 20+ yard play like the last few weeks, but they were consistent and efficient, which gives them a high grade.
Phil Mafah led this group Saturday, finding the end zone twice with 78 yards. What impressed me was that he averaged 4.3 yards per carry and his longest rush was nine yards. That spells consistency, which is good to see out of your running back.
Jay Haynes and Keith Adams Jr. saw several carries each, which was nice to see. The changes in tempo in the backs, like going from a power back like Mafah to a faster player like Haynes, could have an additional effect on this offense and these guys see the field more often.
The backs were consistent, and there is nothing bad about that at all. They did the job, and a lot of eyes will be on this group ahead of Clemson’s toughest three-game stretch of the year.
Wide Receivers: A+
Variety and consistency continue to headline this receiver room, and the group did it again last Saturday. No Tyler Brown and Bryant Wesco Jr., and it wasn’t a problem for this group.
It was Troy Stellato that led the group this week and he made the most of the opportunity as a starter last week. Seven receptions for 74 yards is a productive game, and he provides a different type of energy in the receiver room due to being more physical and older than the rest of the room.
Antonio Williams continues to shine, throwing for a pass, rushing for a touchdown and catching three balls for 44 yards. The movement out of the backfield that we have seen over the last few weeks, like the Cole Turner end-around touchdown as well, is exciting and fans can see how the downfield blocking has worked as well.
T.J. Moore is becoming a star before our eyes as well, catching the late touchdown to record 78 receiving yards in the win. He continues to have a lot of success with working in tight spaces, which is a credit to Klubnik too for finding those windows.
All of this was without Clemson’s leading receiver last season and one of the best freshman wideouts in the country. Who knows what could happen, and the varieties of personnel that are shown, once everyone is healthy.
Tight ends: A+
Tight ends stole the show last Saturday, with Jake Briningstool remaining as the safety valve for Klubnik, and another star emerging before our eyes.
Recording five receptions for 37 yards, Briningstool could have had a touchdown as well on two occasions, falling inside the 2-yard line and Klubnik missing the senior with a wide-open lane into the end zone. That pass will be fixed, dropping balls was a factor for the tight end and he was able to haul them in well when they were thrown on target.
Olsen Patt-Henry stole the show in the third quarter for Clemson, catching two touchdown passes including one on a 4th-and-1, catching an incredibly low pass and reaching the end zone untouched. We have heard about his abilities as a blocker, but he is continuing to blossom as a receiver in the passing game.
We didn’t see much out of Josh Sapp, but it will be interesting to see how he fits into the offense as well in weeks to come. Nevertheless, Briningstool and Patt-Henry make up a creative tight-end package that could help Clemson down the stretch of the season. If the Tigers want to make the ACC Championship, the tight ends will play a key role in that run.
Offensive line: A
No sacks, no problem for this offensive line, which looked identical to the performances of the line in Clemson’s home stretch in September.
The line also had no holding calls, just an illegal shift and an ineligible man downfield, which was not the line’s fault during the Klubnik run-turned-pass, which Blake Miller, who was penalized, did not know was happening.
The line has continued to make holes for the run game and provide protection for Klubnik, who can make a lot of plays with the time that he has been given.
The group will head into its toughest stretch of the season, with matchups like Virginia Tech and South Carolina coming up ahead. If Matt Luke can rally the players and continue to execute at a high level, Klubnik will have plenty of time to make the plays he desires.
