Tigers have too many problems, and that's a problem

There isn’t one thing you can point to as THE overwhelming problem. And that’s a big problem.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sun Oct 22 09:47:53 GMT-04:00 2023

MIAMI GARDENS, FL – Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was wrestled to the ground to end the game, and two Miami defenders ran wild through Clemson’s bench, jumping up and down and celebrating the death of the king.

Clemson is no longer the championship-caliber program that dominated the ACC and was a contender for the College Football Playoff every season for almost a decade. The Tigers, especially offensively, are a shell of their former selves, losing the turnover battle, the battle at the line of scrimmage, a 10-point lead, and the game to a backup freshman quarterback on a hot night in Miami.

Clemson was whipped, and I mean dominated, on both lines of scrimmage. Most of the night, the Tigers failed to sack quarterback Emory Williams, or really put much pressure on the quarterback. Offensively, the Tigers were stunted in the running game, averaging 0.9 yards per carry (that’s right, less than a yard). Clemson carried the ball 34 times for 31 yards, and with the game on the line late, the lack of confidence in the offensive line was evident.

The Tigers faced a 4th-and-inches at the goal line, and instead of putting quarterback Cade Klubnik under center and pushing from behind (or running the bigger back in Mafah), the play ended up having Klubnik run outside, where he was tackled for a loss and the end of the game.

But that one play is just part of the bigger picture. The offensive line is not good – seeing a safety come in and stiff-arm a bigger tackle without slowing down and then put pressure on the quarterback is more than concerning. The offense as a whole? Not good. The Tigers gained just five total yards in the fourth quarter but only had the ball for a little over a minute. Why? The defense was getting bullied by Miami’s offensive line, and the Canes kept the ball for 13:40 of the final quarter.

The issues are plentiful. Turnovers. Red zone problems. Players not running the plays that are called. The team was whipped on both lines of scrimmage. There are questions about why power back Phil Mafah is not on the field in short yardage. The Canes were reeling from two consecutive losses and had a freshman quarterback making his first start. We know what the outcome would have been four or five years ago. The outcome we saw is now all too common, and Clemson has lost five of its last 10 Power Five contests.

Head coach Dabo Swinney, looking haggard, said this season reminds him of 2010. That season ended with a loss to South Florida in a bowl that no one wanted to attend in Charlotte. With Clemson’s myriad issues – and they are plentiful – could something like that be on the horizon again?

Right now, the stark truth is that the Tigers are 2-3 against conference foes. The wins are over bad Wake Forest and Syracuse teams. The losses? Critical mistakes at critical times, coupled with schematic breakdowns, have cost this team dearly.

There isn’t one thing you can point to as the overwhelming problem. And that’s a big problem.