Closer Look: Clemson-Syracuse playing time breakdown, notable PFF grades

TJ Parker continued a standout freshman season at Syracuse last week.

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Tue Oct 03 09:31:02 GMT-04:00 2023

Taking a look at the playing time and notable Pro Football Focus grades position by position from the 31-14 win at Syracuse:

Offense

(The number by a player's name initially is the game's snap count. The snaps are all offensive and defensive snaps and do not count special teams. Snap totals for scholarship players and depth chart members are listed in the feature. A full list of snaps by game is attached below.)

(PFF grades tend to run lower than school grades, so high 80 grades are on the high end and it's a harsher grade below 60 or so).

PFF unit performance grades: Offense - 65.3; Passing - 66.1; Pass blocking - 84.6; Receiving - 58.8; Running - 61.9; Run blocking - 67.1.

QB: Cade Klubnik 76, Hunter Helms NS, Paul Tyson NS, Christopher Vizzina NS. Notes: Klubnik had a season-high 3.21 average seconds to throw, and he used that time to record seven passes of 20+ yards statistically after just 11 total in the first four games, grading out at 81.3 on them with 20 yards per attempt (4-7-140-TD). Klubnik also drew multiple pass interference calls on throws down the field as well. Under pressure, Klubnik hit 4-of-7 passes for 61 yards and a score for his best grade of the season there (69.1 overall against pressure; 72 passing grade).

RB: Will Shipley 56, Phil Mafah 35, Domonique Thomas ST, Keith Adams Jr. NS, Jarvis Green NS (did not travel), Jay Haynes* NS (did not travel). Notes: Shipley tallied a rushing touchdown in a second consecutive game, but PFF rated him with his lowest grade as a starter yet (56.2). His pass blocking did improve from efforts in the previous three games however (71.8 grade; 26.9 v. FSU, 61.1 v. FAU, 1.3 v. Charleston Southern in those three other games).

WR: Beaux Collins 71, Tyler Brown 68, Troy Stellato 61, Misun Kelley 9, Adam Randall 7, Brannon Spector 7, Hampton Earle ST, Clay Swinney ST, Ronan Hanafin ST, Hamp Greene NS, Noble Johnson NS (did not travel). Notes: Brown’s playing time continued to go up in Antonio Williams’ absence, and he posted his best PFF grade as a starter and a unit-leading 75.6. Brown received 12 targets and caught the ball nine times for 153 yards. He has no drops in 25 targets.

TE: Jake Briningstool 58, Sage Ennis 13, Josh Sapp 3, Markus Dixon NS (did not travel), Olsen Patt-Henry NS. Notes: Briningstool was heavily knocked for his second-half fumble on a reception, and that landed him a starter-worst PFF grade (46.4).

OL: Will Putnam 76, Blake Miller 76, Marcus Tate 63, Mitchell Mayes 53, Tristan Leigh 39, Collin Sadler 37, Trent Howard 28, Harris Sewell 9, John Williams NS, Ryan Linthicum NS, Dietrick Pennington NS, Bryn Tucker NS, Zack Owens NS (did not travel), Ian Reed NS (did not travel). Notes: Clemson’s O-line was PFF’s national O-line of the week with a bevy of strong marks in pass protection (six at 78.6 grade and above), and Blake Miller was tagged with an offense-best grade (76.3). The Tigers did tinker at right guard after Mayes had some issues (28.9 pass-blocking grade) with Sewell (65.7 overall grade) and Howard (54.7) getting time there too.

Defense

PFF unit performance grades: Defense - 77.5; Run defense - 73.8; Tackling - 49.7; Pass rush - 76.6, Coverage - 73.5.

ED: Xavier Thomas 38, TJ Parker 32, Justin Mascoll 31, Cade Denhoff 21, AJ Hoffler 10, Zaire Patterson NS, Jahiem Lawson NS, David Ojiegbe NS. Notes: Parker paced Clemson defensively grades-wise (83.2) with a team-best five pressures (sack, four hurries). The fellow freshman Hoffler was also a standout in his time out there with a defense-best pass-rush grade (81.2), nabbing a QB hurry and a batted pass in five pass rush snaps. Thomas got in on three QB hurries with two stops and also had a missed tackle.

DL: Tyler Davis 36, Ruke Orhorhoro 27, Peter Woods 27, Payton Page 16, DeMonte Capehart 20, Caden Story 10, Stephiylan Green NS, Tré Williams* NS (did not travel). Notes: Davis was tied with Thomas for the second-most pressures, with two sacks, and posted his best pass rush grade of the season and the second-best of his career (77.6; 88.1 versus NC State as a freshman the best).

LB: Jeremiah Trotter Jr. 62, Barrett Carter 41, Wade Woodaz 36, Kobe McCloud 5, Jamal Anderson ST, Dee Crayton NS. Notes: Carter tallied the best grade among defensive starters (77.1) with a sack and six more tackles. Trotter was Clemson’s leader against the run (83.7 grade), but despite the second-half interception, Trotter was picked on for seven targets and five catches going 91 yards (55 after catch) and both Orange touchdowns for a 43.5 coverage grade. Carter had PFF’s top Clemson coverage grade (71.9).

DB: Jeadyn Lukus 56, RJ Mickens 55, Sheridan Jones 55, Jalyn Phillips 45, Andrew Mukuba 41, Khalil Barnes 25, Sherrod Covil 18, Toriano Pride 13, Avieon Terrell 12, Shelton Lewis 11, Kylon Griffin 4, Branden Strozier NS, Rob Billings NS (did not travel), Kylen Webb NS (did not travel), Myles Oliver NS (did not travel), Tyler Venables* NS (did not travel). Notes: The true freshman Barnes lodged the top coverage grade from the secondary (70.4) with two yards allowed in two targets his way. A week after FSU targeted him seven times with four catches for 68 yards, Lukus had one reception in four targets his away from the Orange for eight yards.