With the clock winding down on the fourth quarter in a rain-drenched Death Valley, the Clemson Tigers made the biggest stand of the season. With seconds left in the game, the Tigers defense stuffed Notre Dame's attempt at at two-point conversion to preserve the lead, and ultimately, the win. Now, with this marquee win over one of college football's winningest programs, the Tigers have risen to no. 6 in the college football polls and are starting to generate some serious championship buzz. But the road to gold doesn't get any easier from here and the Tigers are far from a perfect team. Here's where Clemson stands and what they need to improve on if they want a real shot at the National Championship.
Let's start with the defensive side of the ball, because that's where the Tigers have shined this season, especially last Saturday. Many predicted the Tigers' defense would suffer this season, having lost stars Grady Jarrett, Stephone Anthony, and Vic Beasley to the NFL. But despite losing these important players, the defense has not missed a step, continuing to rank amongst the best in college football. This is thanks in no small part to continued production from Mackensie Alexander, Ben Boulware, Jayron Kearse, and Shaq Lawson, as well as the emergence of guys like Scott Pagano, Carlos Watkins, and Christian Wilkins. The Tigers run defense has been especially stout. They surrendered only 116 yards on the ground versus the Fighting Irish. Now this isn't to say the Tigers defense has been perfect. Their secondary was exposed several times last week, especially when star cornerback Mackensie Alexander missed a few drives in the second half, but a few untimely Irish drops kept them from paying the price. If the Clemson Tigers want to compete for a national title, they'll need to shore up their secondary. Ultimately, defensive coordinator Brent Venables has himself another special defensive unit, one that has proven it can hang with the best teams in the nation. The scariest part is that this defense should only get better as the season progresses.
The Tigers offense has been slightly less consistent than the defense, thus far. Not bad, mind you, but inconsistent. There have been times where the offense has been nothing short of brilliant. Just check out the first drive of the season versus Wofford or the first two drives versus Notre Dame. Then there have been times where the Tigers have failed to generate much of anything, especially through the air. After those first two drives versus Notre Dame, Clemson failed to reach the endzone until the third quarter. The rushing attack has been great. After bursting onto the scene last season, running back Wayne Gallman has spent this season establishing himself as one of the premier rushers in the ACC, but the same can't be said of the passing game. The player most responsible for the passing game, star quarterback and fan favorite Deshaun Watson, has had everything working against him this season. He spent the end of last season and the majority of the offseason away from the field to rehabilitate a nasty knee injury. During that time, the Tigers lost longtime offensive coordinator Chad Morris to SMU and starting offensive tackle Isaiah Battle to the NFL.
This season, Watson lost one of his favorite targets, Mike Williams, to a nasty neck injury. It hasn't helped that the Clemson offensive line is an unsettling combination of inexperienced and injured. Watson and the Tigers will need to adjust to these changes if they want to contend in the postseason. The offensive line will only gain experience as the season goes on, which should help, and highly-touted freshman Ray Ray McCloud and Deon Cain will continue to learn the wide receiver position (Cain played quarterback in high school, while McCloud split time between receiver and running back), hopefully padding the loss of Mike Williams. If those things happen, expect to see the Clemson Tigers scoring with much more frequency. In the meantime, Deshaun Watson will continue to lead the Tigers on and off the field while Wayne Gallman will receive a healthy dose of carries.
The Tigers next game is against Georgia Tech on Oct. 10 in Death Valley. Don't let their three-game losing streak fool you, this Georgia Tech team is dangerous. The Tigers know this all to well: Georgia Tech defeated Clemson just last season, so expect them to play angry on Saturday. If the Tigers can improve on their early season success and fix the few flaws they have, don't be surprised to see them in the final four this season.
Update: The Tigers beat Georgia Tech in a 43-24 win.
