Clemson football does indeed have a weakness – special teams.
We all know that the 2020 version of Clemson football is the most talented team that has ever worn a Tigers uniform. However, there are still some big question marks about this roster and most of them are on special teams.
Over the last few years, Clemson fans have gotten to the point where we just hope and pray a turnover isn’t committed on special teams – a muffed punt return, missed chip shot field goal, muffed punt – you get the point.
As good as the Clemson offense and defense has been under Dabo Swinney, special teams have been anything but special.
Punting
Will Spiers is entering his redshirt senior year with Clemson football. While he is a great young man, his ability to punt a football has left a lot to be desired over his career.
In 2019, Spiers punted 53 times for 2,240 yards an average of 42.3 yards per punt, which was good for 66th best in the country. In 2017, Will Spiers was 83rd in average punt yards, and then in 2018, he was 103rd. This shows how dominant the Clemson defense has been as Spiers is rarely able to flip the field and pin opposing offenses inside their own 20.
If he can make another huge leap in 2020 as he did from 2018 to 2019 than the Clemson football punt team may not be such an eyesore.
Punt Return
In 2019, receiver and punt returner Amari Rodgers was 21st in college football with a return average of 8.4 yards, which also saw him ranked fourth in the ACC behind K.J. Osborn of Miami, Josh Blackwell of Duke and Sean Riley at Syracuse.
As great as that may be, every time there is a punt return, fans at home and at the game hold their breathe until Rodgers secures the ball. Over his three years returning punts, he has had several muffs that have put the Tigers in really bad spots.
Clemson football will have other options at runt returner in 2020 as well with Derion Kendrick, DeMarkcus Bowman, and E.J. Williams.
Since 2009 when Coach Swinney had the interim tag removed, the Tigers have had just five punt return touchdowns – C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford each had one in 2009, Adam Humphries in 2014, Ray-Ray McCloud in 2017 and Amari Rodgers in 2018.
Kicking
Junior B.T. Potter has been highly inconsistent during his first two seasons at Clemson. Potter came into Clemson as the top kicker in his class and has not been nearly as successful as anyone had hoped in the field goal department.
While he has never missed a PAT while a member of Clemson football, field goals are a whole other issue. In 2019, he was just 14 of 22 kicking field goals for the Tigers, which will not get it done for a team that has national title hopes.
In his final five games in 2019 – Wake Forest, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio State, and LSU, Potter was five of seven with his two misses coming in a blowout win over South Carolina and the other against Ohio State. The miss against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff could have been disastrous if not for the heroics of Nolan Turner and the Clemson football defense.
On the bright side, B.T. Potter has been money on his kickoffs and has done a tremendous job of not allowing too many returns from opposing teams.
Kick Returns
Clemson football had three players average more than 23 yards per kick return in 2019 – Joseph Ngata, Travis Etienne, and Derion Kendrick. Both Etienne and Kendrick averaged more than 25 yards per kick return; had either of them had more opportunities to return the ball, they would have both been in the top 20 of returners last season.
Since Dabo Swinney was hired as the full-time head coach of Clemson football, the Tigers have had just three players return a kick off for a touchdown – Sammy Watkins in 2011, Andre Ellington in 2010, and C.J. Spiller had four in 2009.
To go eight full college football seasons without a single kickoff return for a touchdown has to be unacceptable for a team that is the best college football program in the country.