Finally rewatched Clemson

[Cuse House]

I was in the Dome Saturday, great atmosphere. Side note, I was watching ACC PM today and the sideline reporter for the game described the Dome as “deafening.” He said he was surprised we ever lose there. Anyway, I thought we played like the tougher team in the first half. Defense really laid some hits and held tough. Too many mistakes and some ticky tack flags thrown. It’s hard to see sideline plays from the stands, but that Wax flag was rough. He knows better, but I couldn’t believe a flag was thrown after watching on TV. Even the announcer seemed flabbergasted.

Villari looked excellent, could be a huge development moving forward. It’s a really frustrating loss because I really don’t think Clemson is better than us this year. We should have stuck with the ground game, it was working. Seemed like every time we’d break two runs, we’d revert to deep sideline throws.

I will say I’m slightly more encouraged after watching the replay than I felt leaving the Dome. I was also boozed up at that point and just pissed we blew that opportunity. I’m bullish on the D giving us a chance this week against UNC as I think we score 30 or more.

 

[MadNY3]

“Boozed Up and Pissed” is a great band name.

 

[Cuse House]

“Boozed Up and Pissed” is a great band name.

Usually I am pretty rational about losses, even when we should win. For some reason this game just hit different. This response made me chuckle.

 

[DPCuse]

I felt completely different after this loss. We beat ourselves. We had the talent and skill to win for the first time in a long time.

 

[upperdeck]

if you watched duke/clemson and su/clemson and reverse the turnovers we win and duke loses

Clemson turned it over going in twice. than ran for 5+ a carry and until the last real run of the game after the turnover decided it we held them to under 100 yds and less than 3 a pop.

stats between the 2 games are pretty close except the key one.. we dropped the 2-3 easy Picks that likely change the outcome of the game and we had the one fumble that was just a simple toss play.

 

[Cuse House]

I felt completely different after this loss. We beat ourselves. We had the talent and skill to win for the first time in a long time.

I think that’s why I feel better. I feel like we’ve gained some ground in talent. Watching the game back, I felt our athletes were just as good.

 

[upperdeck]

if we had DE that teams feared I think we would have something with this D. We woulnt have to blitz to get pressure and it would make the zone that much better

the whole game flipped because Clemson could rush 4 and get home too often.

 

[orangemass]

Torture to rewatch that fiasco

 

[FrancoPizza]

I think that’s why I feel better. I felt our athletes were just as good.

Clemson wasn’t world beaters but I still felt like we had a decided disadvantage at WR and couldn’t give GS enough time to get settled and make some of those deep outs. He’s not the best thrower but I think his accuracy really goes to hell when he’s hearing footsteps.

(Still better than taking sacks to avoid padding your stats).

 

[FrancoPizza]

if we had DE that teams feared I think we would have something with this D. We woulnt have to blitz to get pressure and it would make the zone that much better

the whole game flipped because Clemson could rush 4 and get home too often.

This.

We haven’t had a good pass rush from the front line since that 2018 season with Coleman and Robinson.

 

[Eric15]

If SU and Clemson play 10 times you'll get 10 different outcomes. I think what transpired Saturday was likely the worst possible outcome for us. We probably win 3 out of 10. It just wasn't our day.

 

[upperdeck]

That is the biggest take from the game.. In the past we had to play perfect and the couple we lost we made the mistake that mattered late..

In this one we played far from perfect for much of the game.. We didnt get gifts from Clemson and yet we still we hanging around in the 4th where a key drive would have made it a game late that was winnable.

Other than the PI calls Clemson really struggled most of the game to keep drives going.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I can see feeling both better and worse about the loss.

I find it discouraging that we shot ourselves in the foot a bunch. We didn't have a high margin for error coming in, and pretty much immediately squandered it.

That said, that game likely looks a lot different if we play just a little better and make a couple fewer critical mistakes.

We weren't outclassed by any means. I'm still confident in this group. The next two are tough, but if the group can hang together the last 5 on the schedule are really winnable. It would be fantastic to end a season on a winning streak heading in to a bowl.

 

[jr4750]

I can see feeling both better and worse about the loss.

I find it discouraging that we shot ourselves in the foot a bunch. We didn't have a high margin for error coming in, and pretty much immediately squandered it.

That said, that game likely looks a lot different if we play just a little better and make a couple fewer critical mistakes.

We weren't outclassed by any means. I'm still confident in this group. The next two are tough, but if the group can hang together the last 5 on the schedule are really winnable. It would be fantastic to end a season on a winning streak heading in to a bowl.

This is how I feel too. But it's also how I feel every Dino game goes. We just don't avoid the mistakes and play clean enough. It has cost us so many potential wins over the last 8 years. Program defining wins. Just not sure that will ever change.

 

[0.2 YNdeeR]

if we had DE that teams feared I think we would have something with this D. We woulnt have to blitz to get pressure and it would make the zone that much better

the whole game flipped because Clemson could rush 4 and get home too often.

and, I would add, Clemmy receivers were able to get open on QB scrambles. That second (and related) difference - being able (or not) to hit receivers under pressure - was the deciding factor. The announcers commented on it several times ... when Shrader was in trouble our WR's didn't scramble to get open. They just let him eat it. The 'good' news is that it's something that can be improved, along with (finally) a viable TE threat.

 

[qdawgg]

Side note with Villari. Love him breaking out and using him. He’s going to turn the ball over though. He needs to get the ball into his body. When he runs he tends to move his arms out with the ball and twice if a Clemson defender has swatted at it, he would have lost it.

 

[Goin' Deep]

and Clemmy receivers got open for Clubstick on scambles. That second (and related) difference - being able (or not) to hit receivers under pressure - was the deciding factor. The announcers commented on it several times ... when Shrader was in trouble our WR's didn't scramble to get open. They just let him eat it. The 'good' news is that it's something that can be improved, along with (finally) a viable TE threat.

EXACTLY!!! A few times they showed endzone shots looking up the field when SHrader was forced out of the pocket and the receivers were totally ineffective in getting open...they finished running a route and pulled up...

 

[SWC75]

This.

We haven’t had a good pass rush from the front line since that 2018 season with Coleman and Robinson.

Jared Verse - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[MGDCuse]

EXACTLY!!! A few times they showed endzone shots looking up the field when SHrader was forced out of the pocket and the receivers were totally ineffective in getting open...they finished running a route and pulled up...

I wonder if some of that is they are trying to figure out if he's running or not and they get stuck between getting open or throwing a block. Gotta be tough with a QB as mobile as Schrader.

 

[upperdeck]

The bigger deference is that when the Clemson QB ran he had time to move and look and make throws.. Shrader often is runnin for his life and little time to check over the field.

Pass routes help too.. Clemson had a lot of slow crossing routes and those are mostly what broke open on the scramble plays.. We run far less of those type plays.

 

[kcsu]

Missed opportunities. Missed two interceptions, Missed two wide open catches.

Penalties not being reviewed and Dino not asking for a review. Three were probably going to go our way.

Shrader not being accurate with the ball.

Turnovers

Poor coaching decisions by Babers most notably not challenging and the horrible series that led to the 57-yard attempt.

 

[CbusCuse]

I'm encouraged by not having serious injuries coming out of the Clemson game. That is big. A big part of the perception of what transpired in this game came down to big plays. They made some and we didn't even when we had the opportunities to make many pics by our DB's and LB's. We basically just gave them 7 points on the fumbled pitch to Lequint. Our turnover to start the game by Shrader was BS as you clearly see a helmet to Shraders chin. The fact that was reversed is absolute crap. And we had way too many penalties at the worst times, namely 3rd down. I think we are a solid team. But there are certainly things that need to improve.

Shrader's accuracy isn't perfect but its not all that bad other than he needs to learn to throw the side line throws not so far outside. I think he pretty much has always done this. often Alford can make a spectacular catch but sometimes its out of bounds. He needs to put the pass in a more catchable spot in bounds and give his WR's a chance to make a play. Seems to bee too conservative in that he is worried about getting picked off in those situations. Its more of the receivers job to make sure that doesn't happen. But really if you put it to where your guy can go up and make a play in the field of play good things likely happen like PI's on DB's which happened to us ALL GAME. The chance DB's make a pic in these scenarios is very small. And if they happen to once in a while at least its way down field.

DL and LB played pretty well. But 3rd downs just killed us mainly because of DB play. If it wasn't a pass interference it was a reception on good scramble drills by Clemson WR's. There will be lots of discussion in the DB room this week about looking back for the ball when defending a deep ball. They failed to do this every time, probably about 6 times total. If the DB doesn't look back and there is any contact the Refs throw the flag, even if the WR initiates the contact. You have to turn your head. There will always be at least some minimal amount of contact. A good amount of these PI's can be fixed.

The D looked much better on some 3rd downs at times late in the game when we rushed just 4 and the DE's kept their contain on the outside to no let Klubnick escape the pocket and have the interior rushers continue to just push up the middle in there lanes. This allowed to have enough DB's to cover receivers. Some DB's really need to not bite short on some situations Including safeties when they are matched up on receivers without help over the top. And some like Gould need to make sure they are tighter in coverage on long 3rd downs late in the play when the QB is scrambling.

I'm guessing Bellamy and Farmer will start to get a larger share of minutes.

SU receivers need to better learn to adjust routes and come back to help their QB. They just look like they have no urgency to get open and don't know how to find open spots. Alford is terrible at this and this is one of his biggest weaknesses. A good example of this is the last offensive play with Shrader on 4th down. You could see Sharader was frustrated about it on that play.

OL has some work to do and mainly in respect to pass blocking. Hopefully Ellis can get in better shape soon and part of the reason he is not was his health but I'm skeptical on that happening.

Coaches need to review plays that may go our way including one sure Alford sideline catch where he got a toe in and another possible one by Hatcher where he may have touched down. Both would have been big plays. Would like to see some more creative routes over the middle and some routes that should be open more immediately when we know teams are bringing the rush. We can't just rely on Shrader's ability to scramble.

 

[upperdeck]

Missed opportunities. Missed two interceptions, Missed two wide open catches.

Penalties not being reviewed and Dino not asking for a review. Three were probably going to go our way.

Shrader not being accurate with the ball.

Turnovers

Poor coaching decisions by Babers most notably not challenging and the horrible series that led to the 57-yard attempt.

what did he not challenge that he could?

 

[SuFTW]

I wonder if some of that is they are trying to figure out if he's running or not and they get stuck between getting open or throwing a block. Gotta be tough with a QB as mobile as Schrader.

They need to get open, blocking for a run comes after.

 

[Killdozer]

Missed opportunities. Missed two interceptions, Missed two wide open catches.

Penalties not being reviewed and Dino not asking for a review. Three were probably going to go our way.

Shrader not being accurate with the ball.

Turnovers

Poor coaching decisions by Babers most notably not challenging and the horrible series that led to the 57-yard attempt.

Just to give an FYI from what Dino said in the pre game for NC. One reporter (Emily) asked about not challenging and Dino indicated that he always ask the official if they are reviewing the play. If the official says yes then there is no reason to waste a timeout. He indicated that all the plays in questioned were being reviewed so he never called a TO to ask for a review. Anyway, take it with a grain of salt. I am more curious was to why they threw three straight sideline bombs before the long FG attempt? All they need was another 10 yards to get into an acceptable FG distance. Dino and staff are really bad at game day management .