Heading into tomorrow night’s matchup in Death Valley, we caught up with our sister site, Rubbing The Rock, which specializes in Clemson athletics, to gain an inside perspective on the 5-2 Tigers.
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Check out the Q&A below:
ITLH: Starting off 5-2 with their only losses being against top ten opponents in Georgia and Florida State, the Tigers have put themselves in excellent position heading into the season’s second half. What’s been the key to their success so far?
RTR: Most of Clemson’s success this year can be credited to the defense. Even when Deshaun Watson was healthy and playing like a Heisman candidate, the defense was quietly dominating. Really, the only team to play well against the Tigers defense was Georgia. But since the opening-week loss to the Bulldogs, the Clemson defense has allowed a little under 15 points per game.
ITLH: In what ways does the absence of starting quarterback Deshaun Watson hinder the offense? What does he do with regularity that Cole Stoudt simply can’t?
Oct 18, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cole Stoudt (18) runs the ball against Boston College Eagles defensive end Kevin Kavalec (93) during the second half at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
RTR: I think the main thing separating Deshaun Watson from Cole Stoudt is that Watson just sees the field better. Stoudt is a pretty accurate passer, and he can throw the ball down the field, but when he is in the game the big plays just don’t seem to happen.
I think last week’s game against Boston College really demonstrated what Clemson lost when Watson went down. Stoudt completed a solid percentage of his passes (about 65%) and finished with 285 passing yards. But he didn’t throw for any touchdowns and it took 45 pass attempts to get those 285 yards.
If Watson had played, he might have finished with a similar number of passing yards but he most likely would have done it in fewer throws. He almost certainly would have put the ball in the end zone a couple times, as well. The Tigers just aren’t very explosive without Watson.
ITLH: How will the loss of running back Adam Choice hurt the offense heading into the game?
RTR: Adam Choice is a very good running back and, eventually, he could be a great one. But, for this week, I don’t think losing Choice is going to make much of a difference. He was the Tigers’ leading rusher but he only had 218 yards on the season because he split carries with three other backs.
Oct 4, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers running back Adam Choice (26) carries the ball during the second quarter against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
The Tigers have plenty of talent at running back, particularly with Tyshon Dye returning from an injury this week. The problem for Clemson’s running game has been the offensive line. The run blocking has been so poor, it almost doesn’t matter who is carrying the ball. I don’t expect that to change this week, either, considering Syracuse is usually very good at stopping the run.
ITLH: How will the Tigers contain freshman quarterback AJ Long, who will be receiving two of his most dangerous weapons this week at wideout, as Ashton Broyld and Brisly Estime return from multiple-week absences?
RTR: One of the problems Syracuse will face on Saturday is that Clemson’s defense is very flexible. The defensive line is good enough that Clemson can bring pressure on opposing QBs without blitzing, so Clemson can afford to drop everyone else into coverage. But, at the same time, the DBs are good enough to blanket most receivers in one-on-one coverage, so Clemson can also bring a variety of blitzes from all over the field.
Oct 18, 2014; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback AJ Long (4) looks to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
I think Clemson will really go after A.J. Long though. Expect to see seven or eight guys in the box for most of the night, along with a lot of blitzing. Even with Broyld and Estime back, Long is not in an enviable situation coming into Death Valley as a true freshman and facing Clemson’s defense. I will be shocked if he doesn’t get a bit rattled.
ITLH: What are your predictions? Will Clemson simply blow the Orange out of the water, or will this game be close?
RTR: Building on what I said about the defense rattling A.J. Long, I think the game could be fairly close if Long manages to take care of the ball. Clemson’s offense isn’t really lighting anyone up right now, and I don’t expect it to score more than two or three touchdowns. But if Long turns the ball over, and the Clemson defense puts points on the board, the game could get ugly fast.
Ultimately, I don’t expect the game to be particularly close. But I don’t expect Clemson to blow Syracuse out of the water, either. It will probably be somewhere in the middle.
The Tigers will probably continue to struggle on offense but they should be able to do enough to win by at least a couple touchdowns, assuming the defense continues to dominate.