THURSDAY FOOTBALL NUGGETS
The video-review portion of this article is going to focus largely on the multitude of open receivers last week against Charleston Southern, just as a week ago today we showed you examples of open receivers against Duke.
That is probably going to create the impression that we're putting this all on the quarterback.
So a disclaimer: We're not putting this all on the quarterback.
Cade Klubnik certainly has some rough edges he needs to smooth out as he prepares for his fourth collegiate start. And certainly Dabo Swinney's blaming the lack of preseason games for some of Klubnik's rough edges doesn't make a ton of sense to us given that Klubnik entered the season having played in 10 games, thrown 100 total passes, played 224 snaps, and basically started the ACC championship and Orange Bowl last year.
But folks, it's more than just the quarterback. Until this offense gets some legitimate, consistent, fear-inducing playmaking from the outside and backfield it's simply not going to be easy.
How many times during the brilliant run from 2015 to 2020 did you feel like the offense could score at any time, from anywhere?
How many times was there either a penalty or tackle for loss that put the offense behind the chains to face, say, second-and-17 and you felt like that was nothing?
How many times did you feel like you kind of liked the odds of conversion on even, say, third-and-12?
A lot.
Compared to almost never now, when it feels like even second-and-7 is a major chore.
When you have not just a great quarterback but great playmakers around him, you usually don't have to methodically piece together drives down the field.
When you're just better than everyone else at every position, you're usually crushing explosive plays.
And we absolutely need to include Travis Etienne in this discussion, because he was just as big a part of it as anyone.
In 2018, Clemson had 44 runs of 20 yards or more and 13 runs of 40 yards or more over 15 games.
Over 13 games in 2021 the Tigers had 16 runs of 20 yards or more and three of 40 yards or more.
In 14 games last season Clemson had 17 runs of 20 yards or more and four of 40 or more.
In 2018 and 2019: 75 runs of 20 yards or more and 21 of 40 yards or more.
In 2021 and 2022: 33 runs of 20 or more and seven of 40 or more.
These numbers tell the story before we even get into the gaping decline of playmaking on the outside.
The Tigers have five passing plays of 20 yards or more this season.
Take a look at what these teams have collected thus far in that statistic:
South Carolina 14
Vanderbilt(!) 13
Georgia 12
Georgia Tech 12
Colorado 12
Virginia Tech 12
Florida State 11
Louisville 11
Miami 10
Oklahoma 10
The longest pass play at Duke was a 21-yarder to Tyler Brown.
The offense finally, mercifully broke out of its big-play funk Saturday when Klubnik found Beaux Collins for a 69-yard catch-run-jog touchdown.
And in the first quarter Collins was close to a 99-yard catch-and-run (he stepped out of bounds at his own 18).
But this offense needs more instances of quick-strike touchdowns, or just quick-strike explosive plays.
Last year, Clemson's yards-per-catch leader was Joseph Ngata with 12.83 per grab. That ranked 22nd in the ACC. Next in line was Davis Allen, whose 11.36-yard average ranked 30th.
Last week's 69-yarder pushed Collins' average to 15.58, which ranks 18th. Next is Antonio Williams, whose 10-yard average per catch ranks 40th in the ACC.
That's not going to cut it.
Klubnik needs to be better, as we'll show below. But he also needs better playmaking around him.
-- Here I'd wonder if Klubnik is doing a half-field read, and the half he's reading is pretty covered up with two receivers running into a triangle of three zone-covering defenders.
Looks like the advantageous numbers are on the left half:
-- Here are the bottom of the screen you can see Collins saying: "DUDE! No one is on me!"
Klubnik looks preoccupied with the running back shift and doesn't see it.
-- The throwaway-pick-6 has been beaten into the ground at this point. Earlier this week we showed you the freeze-frame of open receivers he could've thrown to.
Keep in mind there are two deep safeties off the screen. But still plenty of open targets that he apparently just didn't see.
Including Troy Stellato basically jumping up and down at the first-down marker to get his attention:
But Tristan Leigh wasn't exactly great shakes on this play either:
-- We entered the season knowing Leigh was going to be a work in progress, and footwork seems to be where he needs the most work.
Not a great rep for Marcus Tate here either:
-- Swinney has said Klubnik needs to improve his decision-making on the zone-read, and this looks like a chunk run for Phil Mafah if he gives:
-- Another "take your pick" of open receivers here. This might be nit-picky, but looks like the seam route to Adam Randall is the optimum choice:
-- Klubnik checks down here, but Brown is open:
-- Does Klubnik need to, once again, just take a sack here instead of just throwing the ball up? Of course!
But what were his passing options here? Who was the hot read in the event of pressure?
Looks to me like it's three verticals, Will Shipley staying in to block, and the only possible option a difficult opposite-hash throw.
My view of it is you need to give your quarterback a better option in this situation, facing third-and-long and deep in his own territory.
-- Here Jake Briningstool gets lit up when Williams has found a big open spot in the middle of the zone:
-- Klubnik air-mails this one, but I'm not sure that's the thing that stands out about this play.
With a bigger, faster safety triggering on that route and taking the right angle it's trouble.
Take the check-down to your running back who has a 1-on-1 matchup:
-- There's a deep safety here who's off the screen but he's playing middle-field coverage, and I don't think he has a shot at Tyler Brown if Klubnik throws to him instead of taking off.
Really love the concept of the route, and how damned fast Brown looks running it:
You have to think Brown could be a big part of the answer in unlocking some explosive plays that will make things easier.
Yeah he's a freshman and you don't want to put too much pressure on him. But he's fast, he's live and he's hungry.
