Clemson Football: Why close can feel so far away

Clemson football is 3-0 through the first quarter of the 2022 season. Why doesn’t it feel better? While there have been plenty of things that have improved, overall Clemson is still experiencing periods of stagnation on offense and weakness on defense.

The performance against Louisiana Tech this past Saturday is a great case study. Clemson got off to a good start in the first quarter, building a 10-0 lead. Then in the second quarter, the offense sputtered and the defense began to show soft spots that allowed Tech to move the ball and put some points on the board.

The second half started off brilliantly. The Tigers’ offense was on fire, and the defense played inspired ball, pulling in multiple interceptions. Then in the fourth quarter the defense began to wear out, allowing two Bulldog touchdowns.

The talent is there, we can see it. The improvement in several areas is there. Why can’t this team put together an entire game?

The concern is justified. These opening games were against the easiest opponents that Clemson was facing this season. No insult intended to Georgia Tech, but they were picked as 6th or 7th in the Coastal by almost everyone. None intended to Furman and Louisiana Tech either, but the FCS and Conference USA teams aren’t of the caliber that Power Five teams should have trouble putting away if they are true contenders.

Clemson isn’t a bad team – they are doing too many good things. There is one explanation I can think of that fits the outcomes we are seeing, and I have high school band class to thank for it.

The band director explained the process of putting together a performance of a piece of music. What one hears during that process can be somewhat counter-intuitive. He explained that sometimes the music sounds better to the ear at an earlier point in the rehearsal than it sounds after the band has been practicing for a while.

This is because at the beginning, everyone is kind of off. There are missed notes and incorrect rhythms all over the place, so none of the mistakes really stand out. As most of the performers begin to play the piece better, you can pick out the mistakes easier. They stand out like a sore thumb. There are fewer mistakes being made, but because they stand out, the whole performance can sound worse to the casual observer, even though the band as a whole is much better playing the music than they were at the beginning.

The takeaway from this in band is to not give up or lose your focus on the end goal. You will find when those last few mistakes are corrected, the performance suddenly becomes very good. I think we can make the argument that the Tigers are at that point where the mistakes are standing out and making it look like the whole is not progressing.

On offense, the area that still needs improvement is blocking, both by the linemen and the support players: the receivers and the running backs. When DJU gets time in the pocket, he is going through his progressions and finding receivers. When he is pressured, he still tends to lock in on receivers and miss open guys.

On defense, the backfield lacks experience and is still learning. When the front seven can put pressure on the opponent, the backfield is satisfactory, and has brought in a decent number of interceptions as a team through three games. When the front seven can’t quite get there, the quarterback is finding the soft spots in the pass defense and making the Tigers pay.

It can feel excruciating when the offense is stagnant and can’t move the ball. It can feel excruciating when the defense is being picked apart by competition we feel is naturally inferior. If a few wrinkles are ironed out, this becomes a different team.

Clemson football has talent, we can see it. The improvement in several areas is there. Why can’t this team put together an entire game?

When the O-line and skill players can hold their blocks, this offense led by an improved & confident DJU is very good, especially in the red zone. When the defensive line gets the push that everyone expected, the backfield is not only competent but also brings in the turnovers.

I understand how a lot of fans feel right now. We see Georgia beat South Carolina 48-7, Ole Miss whip Georgia Tech 42-0 and Ohio State torch Toledo 77—21. We see those teams just rolling and it just doesn’t feel like Clemson is in that league right now.

It might feel like they are a long way off from those teams, but I don’t think they are as far away as we might think. I think they are close enough that a few improvements can put Clemson in a zone where they can grab control of a game and put it away in short order, instead of allowing teams to stick around.