Biggest winners and losers from Clemson's dominating victory over Charleston Southern

Clemson was long overdue for a game like this. The Tigers put a whooping on the hapless Charleston Southern Buccaneers to the tune of 37-0. Clearly, the Buccaneers were outmatched in this one, but Clemson certainly put enough good tape out there to feel confident about its chances heading into the final six games of the season. It was a mostly dominant effort out of the Tigers, but not entirely.

No, Clemson is not going to play an easier opponent for the rest of the season. However, you could see this team finally playing with a level of confidence in all three phases that could translate to a stronger second half. Clemson loves to run the football and plays great special teams, but is only as good as its defense allows it to be. This passing game is still very much a work in progress right now.

With Virginia Tech up next, here is the best and worst from Clemson's win over Charleston Southern.

Winner: Chris Johnson Jr. perfectly complemented Gideon Davidson

If there was one thing Clemson did offensively that was a breath of fresh air from this game, it would have to be the terrific play of Chris Johnson Jr. While he has been a factor in the kickoff game all season long, he had yet to make a meaningful impact in a game on the ground. Well, he had seven carries for 34 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also had one catch for six yards as a receiver.

Johnson made the most of his touches, helping give Gideon Davidson the lift he needed in the backfield. While Chad Morris got well over 40 rushing attempts for his offense on the afternoon, it was nice to see Clemson's change-of-pace running back help keep the offense going whenever Davidson was off the field. Hopefully, this game is a big positive for him heading into the second half.

If Clemson wants any realistic shot of making it to Charlotte, Johnson needs to keep playing like this.

Winner: Tom Allen made Charleston Southern look like a bad FCS team

Shutting out anyone is hard. Tom Allen's defense came to play on Saturday at every level. While it did not force a turnover --the special teams unit sure did-- it kept the Buccaneers' offense out of the end zone for the entire game. With four sacks, Clemson really honed in on crucial down and distances. Charleston Southern was 0-for-11 on third down, and 0-for-2 when it went for it on fourth down.

Through six games, Clemson is at its best when it plays complementary football. The Tigers have been outstanding on special teams throughout. When they run the football effectively, they can hang with anyone. However, this team will only go as far as its defense takes it. Fortunately for the Tigers, they have a former Power Four head coach in Year 2 calling the defense. Allen was outstanding today.

The togetherness this defense played with all afternoon should have this team feeling so confident.

Loser: Tait Reynolds gave Clemson no vertical passing game whatsoever

Without question, Tait Reynolds' play through the air was Clemson's biggest concern on Saturday. He completed 17-of-26 passes for 127 yards. While he did not throw an interception, he did not throw for a touchdown either. The ground game, defense, and special teams won this game for Clemson, but you cannot have your starting quarterback averaging under five yards per passing attempt here!

Although Reynolds did make a few plays with his legs, it was against FCS competition. He might be a true freshman, but he has started enough games at this point to have a better feel for this offense. While Dabo Swinney was quick to defend Reynolds by saying his receivers dropped so many passes on the afternoon, it does not change the fact that Reynolds has only one touchdown pass this year.

Clemson might be 4-2, but it is not getting to Charlotte if Reynolds is this inert as a vertical passer.

Winner: Christian Bentancur made his presence felt as a pass catcher

After not being much of a factor in the previous two games, Christian Bentancur showed us all how explosive he can be when you throw him the football. He led the way for the Tigers with four catches for 76 yards, including a long of 32. Clearly, Morris needs to get this guy more involved once the field shrinks. It was one of those performances where you can tell this confidence will serve him later on.

Frankly, Reynolds needs this. A tight end should serve as a new starting quarterback's safety valve. While Reynolds preferred to target Tyler Brown, TJ Moore, and Bryant Wesco Jr. at wide receiver, we all saw on Saturday what can happen when you throw the football more in Bentancur's direction. Morris may want to run the up-tempo spread, but if he slows it down a bit, the tight ends can flourish.

Right now, Bentancur is the latest positive sign that maybe things can improve in the passing game.

Winner: Nolan Hauser remains one of college football's best kickers

This was a banner day for Rich Bisaccia's special teams unit. The Tigers not only forced a fumble that resulted in a scoop-and-score from Kylon Griffin, but Nolan Hauser continued to answer the bell whenever his number was called. The guy made a 59-yard field goal when few people thought he was actually going to attempt it. This just shows the kind of weapon Hauser can be in the kicking game.

While it has taken far longer than expected for the offense to even remotely round into form, the special teams has been better than advertised from Week 1 on. Hauser is not the only member of that unit making a difference, but he is regularly making one. Because he has been so reliable this season, Clemson is rarely out of games because of his powerful right leg. It cannot be overstated.

Through the first six games of the season, Hauser has made a dazzling 14 of his 15 field goal tries.

Loser: TJ Moore could not get any separation on his contested catches

Due in part to the fact that Reynolds did not play all that great, the Clemson receiving corps had one of its worst performances of the season. Clemson may have had 26 receptions go to 15 different receivers, but Moore did not elevate his game at all. He was regularly targeted by Reynolds in goal-to-go situations, and he could not deliver. Moore was never on the same page with his quarterback at all.

He had just two catches for nine yards on the afternoon. Moore does have a touchdown reception on the season, but that came way back in Week 2 from Christopher Vizzina before he got injured and eventually gave way to Reynolds. While Brown and Wesco have been able to at least occasionally get something going in the receiving game, this quarterback change has not been kind to Moore at all.

Clearly, he is going to have to grind it out to make the most of his trying situation moving forward.

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