Clemson Football: Ohio State QB Justin Fields doesn’t make mistakes
The Clemson football team will go up against an Ohio State quarterback who just doesn’t make many mistakes in Justin Fields.
The 2019 Clemson football team will take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first-round of CFB Playoff in just a few weeks.
The Tigers are making their fifth-straight CFB Playoff appearance and are looking to get back to the National Championship game for the fourth time in as many years.
Standing in the way of Clemson football? An Ohio State team that is considered by many to be the most complete team in the country.
The Buckeyes have a stout defense, but what has really been impressive is their offensive emergence, led by QB Justin Fields.
Fields was invited to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist and it’s clear that he’ll be the best quarterback the Tigers have faced to this point in the season. Of course, the same can be said about Trevor Lawrence against that Buckeyes defense.
As we began our film study of Ohio State, and Fields in particular, one thing became apparent: The transfer QB just doesn’t make mistakes.
Fields has thrown 40 touchdown passes to just one interception. That ratio is absolutely unheard of. When watching film of Fields, the overall theme is that he’s going to take what the defense gives him and he’s not going to force things that aren’t there.
A good example of this was in the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin. In the first half, Fields took several sacks because his receivers weren’t open. He decided to tuck and run instead of trying to force something into a tight window.
As you watch him play, you can see that progress.
Fields does a good job scanning the field and throwing accurate passes to open receivers. The one thing he’s not going to do, though, is trust his arm to make a throw into coverage. That’s why you just don’t see him throw interceptions.
Fields is more comfortable taking off and running rather than trying to thread the needle.
So, what does that mean for Clemson football?
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It means the Tigers have to do a good job in coverage and force him to throw into tight windows. In addition to playing elite coverage, Clemson is going to have to rely on the defensive line to get pressure and the linebackers to stay disciplined and not allow big holes up the middle for Fields to scramble- as we saw Bryce Perkins do on several occasions in the ACC Championship.