Clemson Might be the Nation’s Most Complete Team

Each of these last three years, Clemson has been questioned and doubted for its slow starts or sloppy performances early, and dropped a few spots in the rankings relative to its preseason position; that’s just fine with Dabo Swinney, who craves a chip to place on Clemson’s shoulder and liberally builds depth along the way, often to his statistical detriment. 2016 in particular found all sorts of restless natives and a September drop all the way to 5th before Clemson kicked it in gear on its way to the national title.

This year Clemson had to survive Kellen Mond’s game of his life in College Station with an unclear QB rotation, later chose one QB and lost the other to transfer a month into the season, only for the new starter to get knocked out of the next game a few days later and ride its previously 3rd QB to a comeback win over a pesky division foe. A week after that, recent graduate and 2014-2017 running back CJ Fuller passed away unexpectedly. The first half of the season brought the same doubts and questions, plus the quarterback drama and the death of a beloved former teammate. Late September and early October couldn’t have been any more tumultuous, yet Clemson entered the weekend 6-0 anyway.

Clemson entered the 2nd half of its season more battle-tested and forged by adversity on and especially off the field than perhaps any team in the country — certainly more than other elite teams — and was a qualitative reason why most here expected Clemson to beat NC State by roughly the spread (18 points) rather than labor through or even falter in another close game with the Wolfpack. What we witnessed was above and beyond merely covering that spread, it was evidence that the growing pains, improving depth, and leadership brought this team into postseason form by midseason.

Suffice it to say Saturday went about as well as most around Clemson expected, and then some. It was both gratifying and vindicating to see Clemson leave no doubt in another big game because we did in fact put our necks out here at STS with all of the Dave Doeren jokes. I personally don’t have any animosity for the man or his program (nor do I think many here actually do). He’s simply easy to label a villain since he’s one of the few coaches who have ever visibly fought hard for NC State — it’s why they justifiably love him so much — and has done a great job elevating State to respectability. I’d rather have this back and forth with a division rival than the boring alternative; remember when living corpses Chuck Amato and Tom O’Brien led the way in Raleigh? No thank you.

Clemson knew it would move the ball against State one way or the other, depending on how State chose to defend, and Trevor Lawrence responded to a loaded box with a sublime performance. State’s was a predictable strategy based on film but also a prudent one: sell out to contain Travis Etienne with aggressive safeties and linebackers, and force Lawrence to beat them. State completely took away the run, even Clemson’s previously unstoppable power and counter handoffs, but Lawrence picked on hapless man coverage outside with ease.

Throughout the first half it looked like Clemson was beating State at its own game on all the quick outs against soft coverage outside, and State couldn’t do a thing about it. THIS is taking what is given, and it’s why the QB change was made. The run game was disappointing, but since Clemson was able to move the ball in short yardage/goal line with ease I’m not overly concerned; State completely sold out against it but Clemson had four walk-in TDs inside the 5 yard line. When your running backs jog into the endzone untouched up the middle from a yard or two out, your running game is just fine.

Don’t look now, but Clemson’s performance in both passing offense (400 yards without a running game to support it; oozing with potential but previously yet to round into form) and passing defense (shut down the nation’s most efficiently methodical passing team; previously considered the team’s weakness at worst and unknown at best) strongly suggests this is suddenly a complete team. Dare I say — with Alabama’s own growing pains in its defense — the most complete team?

We said all offseason if Lawrence takes over by November and can develop in time for the postseason, Clemson has a better chance against Bama than anyone because it can beat teams in many different ways offensively and has a defensive line which might make Tua look mortal. Well here we just past the halfway point, and the Tigers are ahead of schedule with plenty more tuneups ahead. There should be no more doubters; Clemson has proven its mettle in addition to its talent.

1st Quarter Film Review

Etienne scores standing up 2 plays later.

Etienne gains 3 and a bubble screen to Thompson gains 13 as the 1st quarter expires.