Game Review: Clemson at Florida State
After a hard fought win against Stanford last week, Clemson struggled to finish opportunities against the Seminoles which led to just a 29-13 win. The Tigers took some steps back from their past performances as they were not able to take advantage of their redzone chances. However, the score does not tell the whole story of the game. The Tigers looked dominant from the start doubling the Seminole’s total yardage. Quarterback Cade Klubnik was also able to finally settle down on the road with help from WR Antonio Williams, and a firm run defense.
Key Tiger Takeaways:
2024 Cade Klubnik: I believe Cade Klubnik had the most to prove during this past game in Tallahassee. Klubnik was extremely poor on the road for the Tigers last season, and this game was his first true road test of this season. Despite all the struggles Clemson faced, Klubnik was a bright spot on Offense. Klubnik threw for 235 yards and 2 TDs while also rushing for 62 yards on 11 carries (ESPN). Klubnik accumulated all these numbers while being clean in the turnover category which was truly the most important aspect against this struggling FSU team. He took another step forward tonight, but more challenging road tests are ahead of Klubnik and the Tigers. It will be interesting to see Cade’s development throughout the season especially in future road games against Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh.
Bounce Back Run Defense: After Stanford ran the ball for 236 yards last weekend, Clemson was able to completely shut down FSU’s rushing attack limiting them to just 22 yards (ESPN). The Tigers walked into the game understanding that they needed to make Quarterback Brock Glenn beat them by limiting rushing opportunities, and they executed it perfectly. The Clemson Defensive Line was very disruptive early and often as the Seminole Running Backs were contacted at or behind the line-of-scrimmage. Clemson was bolstered by returning DL Peter Woods who was able to play all positions on the Defensive Line during this game, but the interior production across the board was terrific. Notable names are Demonte Capehart (Gr), Payton Page (Sr), and Vic Burley (RS/Fr).
Shaq Lawson 2.0?: While Clemson’s pass rush was not as effective as it can be, the Tigers finally had one of their depth Defensive Ends separate themselves. Younger brother of former Clemson Standout DE Shaq Lawson, RS/So Jahiem Lawson put on a clinic against a Veteran Seminole OL. Lawson’s performance was not shown on the stat sheet as he only had 2 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 pass deflection, but his constant speed on the edge created multiple QB hurries on Glenn (ESPN). Jahiem is a staple for the Swinney Theory of true development of players as well. The former Daniel High School 3-Star entered Clemson weighing only 215 pounds, and it looked as if he was never going to see important reps for the Tigers. However, Jahiem and the Coaching Staff stuck with the process, not grabbing someone from the portal, and Lawson now weighs 250 pounds. His performance and opportunities have continued to increase throughout the season, and Dabo and Co. are starting to reap the benefits of their watering of a young home-town recruit.
Offensive Stars: Clemson has had two Offensive stars along side Klubnik separate themselves from the rest: Running Back Phil Mafah and Wide Receiver Antonio Williams. Phil Mafah was bound to have a break out game. The Seminoles had Mafah’s number early into the game, limiting his carries to at most 4 yards, but slowly Mafah and the Offensive Line wore down the Seminole front. Mafah was finally able to get loose a couple of times during the 2nd Half breaking off 20+ yard runs accumulating 25 carries and 154 yards (ESPN). Mafah’s 25 carries were a season high, and it is still expected for the workhorse back to continue getting these opportunities in big time games. Fellow star Antonio Williams has been a consistent number one option for Klubnik all season long, and his big play ability showcased against FSU. Williams got the show going for the Tigers, as he caught a 57 yard TD pass breaking two tackles in the process. Williams finished the day with 157 all-purpose yards, impacting the game through the air, ground, and the return game (ESPN). Per Coach Swinney, that yardage total is Williams’ career high, and his ability is obvious on the field as he will continue to play a critical role in Clemson’s success.
Good and Bad of Field Goal Unit: The Clemson Field Goal Unit struggled mightily throughout last season in a hangover from the graduation from former Kicker B.T. Potter. True Freshman Kicker Nolan Hauser was expected to come in and fix those struggles from last season, and so far he has succeeded. Hauser single handedly outscored FSU making 5/7 field goals, and the two misses were both blocked kicks (ESPN). It was the first time since 2011 and Chandler Cantanzaro that the Tigers made 5 FGs in a game which is an impressive feat from the Freshman. Hauser would have had the chance for a school record without the two blocked kicks if he would’ve made both as well. Hauser has solidified his value on this team, and he looks confident so far with his opportunities. It will be interesting to see Hauser stretch the field as the season continues because as of now his longest field goal is only 38 yards. The downside of the Field Goal Unit from the Florida State game was the blocking of the left side of the unit. Coach Swinney mentioned his concerns for the unit in the future now that they have exposed a weakness on film, but he expressed that the coaching staff will whip them back into shape. Expect teams in the future to put lots of pressure on that side of the unit, so they will need to improve vastly to ensure that Hauser is given the opportunity to continue to knock down vital kicks.
Step Back from OL: The Tiger Offensive Line had an okay performance against Stanford last weekend, and this performance continued against the Seminole front especially during the 1st Half. Clemson’s rushing attack was carried by QB Cade Klubnik during the 1st Half on just scrambles because of the OL’s inability to create holes for Phil Mafah. However, as the game yearned on, the OL began to wear down the FSU front that they started to create bigger holes and opportunities for Mafah to break off a couple of big runs. Within the passing attack they only gave up 1 sack, but the pressure that Cade has had to evade these past two weeks cannot continue for the sustained success through the air to continue (ESPN). Klubnik has improved a ton in his pocket awareness, and his ability to move around has made the OL look a lot better on the stat sheet. However, their past two performances against top tier Defensive Lines within the ACC have not passed the eye test. It is still important to remember that Coach Matt Luke is still new to this Tiger roster, and his involvement will continue to be seen in our development throughout the season.
Redzone Chances: Clemson was one of the worst teams in the country last season when it came to Redzone Efficiency ranking 127th out of 133 teams, and shades of that shined against Florida State (“TeamRankings.com: Sports Predictions, Rankings & Stats”). Clemson entered the red area 6 times against the Seminoles, and they settled for field goals on each one of those opportunities. As mentioned earlier, two of those FGs were also blocked limiting Tiger points and upsetting many bettors. While Clemson did not haunt themselves with turnovers in this area like last season, they did haunt themselves by getting off-schedule. The Tigers were halted due to short run gains, sacks, or missed blocks. If Clemson just gets into the endzone twice, even with the blocked FGs, the end score for the Tigers is 37 rather than 29, and FSU would not have kept it as close as they did. These Redzone chances are vital in determining future success for Clemson. Against other competitive teams, they cannot survive with only FGs. Cade Klubnik’s reign so far as been characterized with slowing down in the Redzone even during his first start vs. Tennessee. Klubnik and Offensive Coordinator Garrett Riley need to find a solution to these missed opportunities quickly if Clemson wants to have sustained success and reach the team’s goal of the College Football Playoff.
Sources:
ESPN. “ESPN.” ESPN.com, 2019, www.espn.com/.
“TeamRankings.com: Sports Predictions, Rankings & Stats.” Www.teamrankings.com, www.teamrankings.com/.
“Clemson Tigers | Clemson University Athletics.” Clemson Tigers Official Athletics Site, clemsontigers.com. (for pic)