LINK
Notre Dame will beat Clemson! THIS is why.
By: Kyle Gibson
This Summer we’ve been giving you a preview of each opponent that the Irish will face in the upcoming 2015 season. At this point in the year many teams still have a lot of questions to be answered but we have a general idea of what each will bring to the table. Helping you get through these long months when our football blues hit us hardest, we’ll take a look at how each team is shaping up. Let’s continue our preview series with the Clemson Tigers.
When: October 3rd – Time: TBD
Where: Memorial Stadium- Clemson, SC
2014: (10-3) Beat Oklahoma 40-6 in Russell Athletic Bowl
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney (8th Year) (61-26)
Series: (1-1) Last met in ‘79
Returning Starters: 9- 6 Offensive, 3 Defensive
Notre Dame’s fifth game of the season takes them on the road to face one of their toughest opponents in 2015, the Clemson Tigers. Clemson has recently risen to be one of the more consistent programs in the country as they look for a 5th straight season with 10+ wins. Included in this rash of success have been some big wins over powerhouse programs not only in the regular season but some impressive major bowl victories as well. This year, however, figures to be the largest reloading and rebuilding year the Tigers have faced since emerging as one of the better teams this decade.
The biggest losses come on the defensive side of the ball. Clemson finished 2014 ranked 1st in total defense but are near last in the country in returning defensive production. They lose 8 starters on defense, 6 defensive linemen and 4 of their top 5 tacklers. The Tigers will be looking to replace over 66% of their total tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks from 2014. They have done very well in recruiting the last few cycles and certainly possess some very talented youngsters but they’re relatively untested and inexperienced which will result in a bit of mystery heading into the season in terms of what we should expect. Regardless, it figures to be a decent drop off from the defense that carried the team last season.
The next biggest concern for Swinney’s team is the offensive line. It’s a unit that had some struggles last season as they shuffled players around trying to find the best configuration for a solid starting 5 but they’ve lost 4 of their most experienced linemen including the late departure of their starting Left Tackle who decided to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft last month. In his place could be a true Freshman protecting the QB’s blindside and it’s a unit that will feature a good bit of inexperience and lack of chemistry due to limited time playing together. After having some issues run blocking last season and having the task of protecting a mobile and injury prone QB, this unit may be a larger red flag than the vastly depleted defense.
That’s due to the fact that Clemson’s season pretty much hangs entirely on the health of true Sophomore QB Deshaun Watson. He’s a dynamic dual-threat QB with Heisman potential but he’s suffered 3 injuries in the past 12 months including an ACL tear near the end of the season and he’s never stayed healthy enough to start more than 3 games in a row. In total he has just 5 starts to his name and only finished 2 games of those he started. When healthy, Watson’s numbers and efficiency were off the charts but you have to take into consideration how small of a sample size there is and with the exception of Florida State, he played very sparse minutes against the better teams on Clemson’s schedule. In fact, the Tigers won only one game of four against teams that finished the season ranked in the final top 25 (Lost to Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Florida State). The one win came against Louisville who snuck in at 24th in which Watson only played a few downs before injuring his hand and missing the next 3 games.
This is no knock on Watson, at 100% he may very well end up being the best QB that the Irish face in 2015. His success was not a fluke, just watching him it’s obvious that he’s extremely gifted and dangerous both on the ground and through the air but it’s tough not to wonder if he’ll maintain that efficiency when playing and starting for a full season. Right now the Tiger nation is banking more on the potential and flashes they saw last year from Watson in between injuries and hoping that he will produce the same results on a consistent basis while enduring the endless grind of a full slate of games. If Watson were to struggle or succumb to injury once again it would be a very scary scene for Clemson fans as the only other options are a former walk-on transfer with minimal experience and two Freshmen with zero playing time under their belts. Hence the potential of this offense and in effect the whole season really riding on Watson’s health and performance.
But no matter who lines up behind Center, the Clemson QB will be loaded with experience around him at the skill positions. The WR corps returns nearly fully intact and should be one of the better receiving units in the country. To reach their full potential however, they’ll need better production than last year from their rushing attack to complement them and prevent the offense from being too one dimensional. Watson is a factor in that attack as he can hurt you with his legs but his longevity and the entire offense would strongly benefit with improved play from their stable of RBs. It’s primarily a young group with a trio of Sophomores at its core but they should all improve after getting valuable playing time as Freshmen. How much they improve will hinge on the development of the new offensive line in front of them. Last year’s rushing numbers were in the lower percentile of the country largely due to the struggles of the big men up front. If they can evolve into at least a somewhat decent and reliable ground game it will take a lot of pressure off of Watson and keep defenses honest which will aid in freeing up those talented WRs.
Another variable in Clemson’s offensive puzzle is the departure of Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris. RB Coach Tony Elliot and WR Coach Jeff Scott were promoted and will share the Offensive Coordinator duties this season in what will likely be a continuation of Morris’ hurry up, no huddle spread style of offense. There are a lot of pieces that need to settle into place for this Tiger offense but if it all pulls together it has the potential to be a very dangerous and high scoring attack.
Overall the 2015 Clemson Tigers are a bit of a wait and see situation. The program’s recent success and the dynamic ability of Deshaun Watson has aspirations sky high for the team but from the outside looking in you just can’t help but notice some key concerns that could result in some struggles, especially early in the season. They say games are won in the trenches and both lines on either side of the ball are currently unknowns. The offensive line plugs in new pieces and needs to show vast improvement while the defensive line 2-deep is practically an entirely new and unproven crew. Away from the line, the offense is loaded but may be just one injury away from complete disaster and unlike last season, they won’t be able to lean on their defense to bail them out.
Notre Dame will beat Clemson! THIS is why.
By: Kyle Gibson
This Summer we’ve been giving you a preview of each opponent that the Irish will face in the upcoming 2015 season. At this point in the year many teams still have a lot of questions to be answered but we have a general idea of what each will bring to the table. Helping you get through these long months when our football blues hit us hardest, we’ll take a look at how each team is shaping up. Let’s continue our preview series with the Clemson Tigers.
When: October 3rd – Time: TBD
Where: Memorial Stadium- Clemson, SC
2014: (10-3) Beat Oklahoma 40-6 in Russell Athletic Bowl
Head Coach: Dabo Swinney (8th Year) (61-26)
Series: (1-1) Last met in ‘79
Returning Starters: 9- 6 Offensive, 3 Defensive
Notre Dame’s fifth game of the season takes them on the road to face one of their toughest opponents in 2015, the Clemson Tigers. Clemson has recently risen to be one of the more consistent programs in the country as they look for a 5th straight season with 10+ wins. Included in this rash of success have been some big wins over powerhouse programs not only in the regular season but some impressive major bowl victories as well. This year, however, figures to be the largest reloading and rebuilding year the Tigers have faced since emerging as one of the better teams this decade.
The biggest losses come on the defensive side of the ball. Clemson finished 2014 ranked 1st in total defense but are near last in the country in returning defensive production. They lose 8 starters on defense, 6 defensive linemen and 4 of their top 5 tacklers. The Tigers will be looking to replace over 66% of their total tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks from 2014. They have done very well in recruiting the last few cycles and certainly possess some very talented youngsters but they’re relatively untested and inexperienced which will result in a bit of mystery heading into the season in terms of what we should expect. Regardless, it figures to be a decent drop off from the defense that carried the team last season.
The next biggest concern for Swinney’s team is the offensive line. It’s a unit that had some struggles last season as they shuffled players around trying to find the best configuration for a solid starting 5 but they’ve lost 4 of their most experienced linemen including the late departure of their starting Left Tackle who decided to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft last month. In his place could be a true Freshman protecting the QB’s blindside and it’s a unit that will feature a good bit of inexperience and lack of chemistry due to limited time playing together. After having some issues run blocking last season and having the task of protecting a mobile and injury prone QB, this unit may be a larger red flag than the vastly depleted defense.
That’s due to the fact that Clemson’s season pretty much hangs entirely on the health of true Sophomore QB Deshaun Watson. He’s a dynamic dual-threat QB with Heisman potential but he’s suffered 3 injuries in the past 12 months including an ACL tear near the end of the season and he’s never stayed healthy enough to start more than 3 games in a row. In total he has just 5 starts to his name and only finished 2 games of those he started. When healthy, Watson’s numbers and efficiency were off the charts but you have to take into consideration how small of a sample size there is and with the exception of Florida State, he played very sparse minutes against the better teams on Clemson’s schedule. In fact, the Tigers won only one game of four against teams that finished the season ranked in the final top 25 (Lost to Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Florida State). The one win came against Louisville who snuck in at 24th in which Watson only played a few downs before injuring his hand and missing the next 3 games.
This is no knock on Watson, at 100% he may very well end up being the best QB that the Irish face in 2015. His success was not a fluke, just watching him it’s obvious that he’s extremely gifted and dangerous both on the ground and through the air but it’s tough not to wonder if he’ll maintain that efficiency when playing and starting for a full season. Right now the Tiger nation is banking more on the potential and flashes they saw last year from Watson in between injuries and hoping that he will produce the same results on a consistent basis while enduring the endless grind of a full slate of games. If Watson were to struggle or succumb to injury once again it would be a very scary scene for Clemson fans as the only other options are a former walk-on transfer with minimal experience and two Freshmen with zero playing time under their belts. Hence the potential of this offense and in effect the whole season really riding on Watson’s health and performance.
But no matter who lines up behind Center, the Clemson QB will be loaded with experience around him at the skill positions. The WR corps returns nearly fully intact and should be one of the better receiving units in the country. To reach their full potential however, they’ll need better production than last year from their rushing attack to complement them and prevent the offense from being too one dimensional. Watson is a factor in that attack as he can hurt you with his legs but his longevity and the entire offense would strongly benefit with improved play from their stable of RBs. It’s primarily a young group with a trio of Sophomores at its core but they should all improve after getting valuable playing time as Freshmen. How much they improve will hinge on the development of the new offensive line in front of them. Last year’s rushing numbers were in the lower percentile of the country largely due to the struggles of the big men up front. If they can evolve into at least a somewhat decent and reliable ground game it will take a lot of pressure off of Watson and keep defenses honest which will aid in freeing up those talented WRs.
Another variable in Clemson’s offensive puzzle is the departure of Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris. RB Coach Tony Elliot and WR Coach Jeff Scott were promoted and will share the Offensive Coordinator duties this season in what will likely be a continuation of Morris’ hurry up, no huddle spread style of offense. There are a lot of pieces that need to settle into place for this Tiger offense but if it all pulls together it has the potential to be a very dangerous and high scoring attack.
Overall the 2015 Clemson Tigers are a bit of a wait and see situation. The program’s recent success and the dynamic ability of Deshaun Watson has aspirations sky high for the team but from the outside looking in you just can’t help but notice some key concerns that could result in some struggles, especially early in the season. They say games are won in the trenches and both lines on either side of the ball are currently unknowns. The offensive line plugs in new pieces and needs to show vast improvement while the defensive line 2-deep is practically an entirely new and unproven crew. Away from the line, the offense is loaded but may be just one injury away from complete disaster and unlike last season, they won’t be able to lean on their defense to bail them out.
