5 things to be thankful for this Clemson football season

The time has come for Clemson to wrap up its regular season with its annual rivalry tilt against South Carolina. That will happen Saturday at Memorial Stadium. But first, it’s Thanksgiving. So in the spirit of the season, here are five things the …

The time has come for Clemson to wrap up its regular season with its annual rivalry tilt against South Carolina. That will happen Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

But first, it’s Thanksgiving. So in the spirit of the season, here are five things the Tigers should be thankful for this season with some meaningful games still to play.

Improved quarterback play

There’s no reason to act like D.J. Uiagalelei has been perfect this season. That’s far from the truth.

But Clemson enters this week’s game still in the College Football Playoff mix (though in need of some help to get there) at least in part because he’s been better overall.

The primary reason Clemson was already out of the playoff picture this time last year was because he simply wasn’t good enough. It was a rough first outing against eventual national champion Georgia, and Uiagalelei (and, frankly, the rest of the offense) had a hard time recovering. Uiagalelei threw more picks than touchdown passes, and his completion rate hovered around a pedestrian 55%.

But Uiagalelei’s completion rate is nearly 10 percentage points higher than it was last year. He’s flipped his touchdown passes-to-interception ratio (21 to six) from last season and has accounted for nearly three times as many touchdowns (27) as turnovers (10) overall. He’s also been a newfound threat on the ground, using his legs to run for nearly 500 yards and six scores this season.

That doesn’t mean Clemson has always gotten what it needs from him. He’s been temporarily benched twice and has had at least one turnover in four straight games, which has kept Clemson’s offense from putting together that elusive complete game. The running game has been there to help when Uiagalelei struggles, but the Tigers will need more from him if they plan on winning the ACC championship and a playoff game, albeit that’s putting the cart well before the horse at this point.

But if you’re Clemson, you have to be thankful the quarterback play isn’t where it used to be.

Continuity up front

Speaking of the running game, the Tigers own the nation’s No. 46 rushing offense. It’s much closer to the kind of production Clemson had during most of the Travis Etienne era.

Clemson averaged at least 194 rushing yards from 2017-19. The previous two years, the Tigers’ per-game average dipped to 153.8 (2020) and 167.9 (2021). This season, the Tigers are rushing for 183 yards per game.

With Uiagalelei, Will Shipley and Phil Mafah, Clemson is taking more of a committee approach to getting it done on the ground this season. But an offensive line that’s stayed largely intact deserves a lot of credit as well.

Veterans Jordan McFadden, Will Putnam and Walker Parks joined sophomore Marcus Tate and true freshman Blake Miller as the starters up front in the opener against Georgia Tech. That’s been the starting five in all but one game to this point (Parks was held out of the Louisville game while in concussion protocol but has since returned).

Compare that to last season when a combination of mass attrition and a lack of production resulted in season-long musical chairs. The Tigers started eight different combinations on the offensive line in those 13 games. Not coincidentally, the offense finished outside the top 50 nationally in every major statistical category.

The line was hit with some permanent attrition last week when Tate went down against Miami with a knee injury that will require surgery. Mitchell Mayes will fill in at left guard for the rest of the season. It’s not ideal, but the core of a much improved group remains intact and playing at a high level.

1-2 punch at tight end

Perhaps Antonio Williams deserves a spot on this list somewhere. The true freshman has been a dynamic infusion of young talent into Clemson’s offense with a team-high 48 receptions.

But he’s the only receiver with more than 27 catches this season. It hasn’t helped that Beaux Collins (shoulder) has been on the shelf the last couple of games, but the consistency from the receiving corps has been hard to come by this season.

If not for the production the Tigers have gotten out of their tight ends, it might be worse.

Davis Allen and Jake Briningstool have been more than just safety valves for Uiagalelei this season. Featured often in the passing game, the duo has accounted for nearly a quarter (22.4%) of Clemson’s receptions. Allen is having a career year in what may very well be his final season in a Clemson uniform with 32 catches, second-most on the team.

Meanwhile, 20% of Briningstool’s catches have gone for touchdowns (4). Allen also caught his fourth touchdown of the season last week against Miami, making for the first time in program history that Clemson has had multiple tight ends with at least four touchdown receptions in the same season.

Given the matchup problems they can cause for opposing defenses – Allen goes 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds while Briningstool comes in at 6-6 and 240 pounds – the argument can be made that both should be targeted even more, particularly in the middle of the field. But they’ve helped provide a much-needed boost to a passing game that’s been rather pedestrian (228 passing yards per game).

Second-level strength

The question was posed almost immediately once James Skalski and Baylon Spector exhausted their eligibility after last season: How is Clemson going to replace that kind of production at linebacker?

Skalski and Spector, more affectionately known as the Bruise Brothers during their time at Clemson, were veteran leaders at the second level of the defense that had the talent to go with it. They were multi-year starters who were at or near the top of the Tigers’ tackles list during that time.

That’s where this year’s group of linebackers finds itself, too.

The second level has been arguably the most consistent part of the defense, a strong statement considering all the talent and experience Clemson returned along a defensive line that’s been good but not always great this season. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Trenton Simpson and Barrett Carter are three of Clemson’s four leading tacklers, combining for 181 stops heading into the weekend.

Much was expected of Simpson as the lone returning starter among the group, but Trotter and Carter have started fulfilling their potential as former blue-chip recruits. Trotter has been a revelation as Skalski’s replacement in the middle with 65 tackles (second-most on the team) and six tackles for loss. Carter, meanwhile, has been used in a variety of ways at the Sam/nickel position. He’s second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and has four sacks and five pass breakups.

Simpson is a next-level talent that’s been steady at Will for most of the season (62 tackles), but the group has shown over the last couple of weeks just how versatile and athletic it is. When Simpson had to miss the Louisville game two weeks ago because of an ankle injury, Carter moved inside in his absence and responded with a career game.

Clemson has elected to keep Carter inside and move Simpson back to Sam for the time being. Regardless of where they’ve lined up, though, the linebackers have produced at a level that’s dissuaded any doubt about what’s next at the position.

The Syracuse penalty

Let’s revisit the Tigers’ game against Syracuse in mid-October, just a couple of weeks before that ugly loss at Notre Dame.

It was a sloppy one for Clemson, which found itself trailing the Orange 21-7 at one point and facing an 11-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter thanks in large part to a season-high four turnovers. Three of those were committed by Uiagalelei, who was benched midway through the third quarter for true freshman Cade Klubnik.

Klubnik’s first series wasn’t going well. He looked like a freshman on a second-down sack that came after he bailed from the pocket early and tried to unsuccessfully scramble away from Syracuse’s defense, setting up a third-and-25 at Clemson’s 43-yard line with time running out on the third quarter.

With Syracuse dropping eight into coverage, Clemson was going to have to punt again as Klubnik scrambled toward the sideline well short of the line to gain. Klubnik took another lick from Syracuse defensive lineman Elijah Fuentes-Cundiff. This time, it happened when Klubnik was already a couple of yards out of bounds.

That drew a penalty for a late hit, and it gave Clemson a fresh set of downs. The Tigers ended that drive in the end zone, giving them the momentum they needed for a thrilling 27-21 victory.

Could Clemson still have rallied without the benefit of that good fortune? Sure. The Tigers (who had a season-high 293 rushing yards that day) moved the ball consistently when they actually held onto it.

But Phil Mafah didn’t score the capper on that penalty-aided drive until more than a minute into the fourth quarter. If Clemson ends up punting on that possession, Syracuse might score again. At a minimum, the Orange milk a couple of more minutes off the clock before punting it back to Clemson, which would’ve had a little more than half a quarter left needing to score twice. In that scenario, the Tigers might have been forced to abandon the run quicker than they would’ve liked and start pitching it around with a young quarterback that hadn’t been thrown into that kind of do-or-die situation all season.

Who knows how things play out in that scenario? But one thing is certain: If Clemson is able to win out and wiggle its way back into the CFP, Dabo Swinney should add Syracuse to his list of Christmas card recipients.

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Our score predictions for Clemson vs. Miami

The staff made their score predictions for Clemson’s matchup against Miami.

Dabo Swinney and Clemson have a home matchup against Miami this Saturday, as the team is coming off a solid 31-16 win over Scott Satterfield and the Louisville Cardinals.

Clemson, 9-1 (7-0 ACC), will look to end the season strong as they are on the outside looking in of the College Football Playoff top four. Week 12 against Miami will be an easier matchup for the Tigers, but even so, it is not a game to take lightly.

No.9 Clemson heads into another week as the betting favorite for the eleventh straight game this season, though we saw against Notre Dame that being the favorite doesn’t guarantee a win.

Here at Clemson Wire, the staff broke down their predictions for the Tigers’ matchup with Miami. Here’s a look at what we’re thinking.

3 offensive keys to a Clemson win over Miami

Here are three offensive keys for the Tigers to walk away with a win over Miami.

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program currently have a 9-1 (7-0 ACC) and are coming off a solid 31-16 win over Scott Satterfield and the Louisville Cardinals.

It was a great recovery win for the Tigers, who had a rough showing the week before against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Now ranked No.9 in the College Football Playoff rankings, Swinney and the Tigers continue their season at home this week as they take on the Miami Hurricanes Saturday, November 19th, in Death Valley.

A team with a lot of hype surrounding them heading into the season under new head coach Mario Cristobal, the Hurricanes have struggled much more than expected. This matchup with Miami is a game Clemson should have no problems with as they look to continue their undefeated run in the ACC.

Here are three offensive keys for the Tigers’ bounce back against Miami.

Williams on QB criticism: ‘He doesn’t deserve all that he’s getting’

Saturday was a big night for a number of players on Clemson’s roster and wide receiver Antonio Williams was no exception. The true freshman came away with the best game of his young Clemson career against a talented Louisville team, garnering a …

“I saw press man coverage, that’s a no-no,” Williams said regarding the touchdown play. “I just ran the slant, beat him inside and got the ball.”

While Williams had shown glimpses of greatness this season prior to Louisville, it all finally seemed to come together for the freshman, who credits his quick success to the offensive chemistry he has cultivated with starting quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei.

“D.J.’s just a dog,” the South Carolina native said. “I just respect him so much for what he’s went through and how he responded. I just try to make it easier for him and get open, and he gets me the ball when I’m open.”

Along with the utmost respect that he has towards Uiagalelei, Williams also feels some frustration for his teammate and the amount of criticism the quarterback has faced this season — criticism the freshman feels Uiagalelei doesn’t deserve.

“Yeah, I don’t think he deserves all that he’s getting, but it comes with the position playing quarterback and being at a school like Clemson,” Williams said. “He’s responded and played well.”

The looming criticism that has seemed to follow Uiagalelei all season is what Williams said made his own breakout performance in Saturday’s win that much more special.

“It makes me feel good,” he said, “and I know it makes him feel good to just compensate each other.”

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Recent turnover issues ‘tricky thing’ for Clemson’s offense

As Clemson’s offense continues its search for consistency late in the season, the Tigers aren’t doing themselves many favors in the turnover department. It’s something that’s gone from an outlier to a trend in recent weeks. Clemson outlasted …

As Clemson’s offense continues its search for consistency late in the season, the Tigers aren’t doing themselves many favors in the turnover department.

It’s something that’s gone from an outlier to a trend in recent weeks.

Clemson outlasted Louisville on Saturday despite committing three more turnovers, running their total to nine over the last three games. That’s in stark contrast to the way the Tigers’ turnover margin was trending through the first seven games. Clemson committed just five turnovers during that span with the offense being responsible for only three of those.

Then came Clemson’s four-turnover fiasco against Syracuse on Oct. 22, and the Tigers have turned it over multiple times in every game since. A pair of turnovers forced by Clemson’s defense helped shrink that margin against Louisville, but the Tigers have lost the turnover margin in all three of those games.

Clemson has now lost as many turnovers as it’s gained on the season, but there’s a balance that has to be struck between being aggressive and cautious within the offense, coordinator Brandon Streeter said. Despite putting the ball on the ground twice, Will Shipley combined with Phil Mafah and quarterbacks D.J. Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik to help the Tigers rush for 248 yards against the nation’s No. 25-ranked rush defense last week.

“It’s a tricky thing,” Streeter said. “Like a lot of things, it’s mental, too. If you over-talk about it, then I think sometimes it just continues to happen.”

The good news, at least in Streeter’s opinion, is that Clemson’s recent issues with holding onto the ball are easily fixable. Streeter pointed to the Louisville game as an example. Shipley and receiver Antonio Williams both lost a fumble while trying to fight for extra yards.

“Shipley is working his tail off, but any time the wrist gets below the elbow, that means (the ball) is loose,” Streeter said. “If you don’t have it high and tight, then you don’t have as much strength around the ball. And obviously that’s the main objective of the defense is trying to get the ball back, so we’ve just got to continue to emphasize and then practice those fundamentals that can help prevent it.”

Uiagalelei also lost a fumble in the pocket while looking to pass during the first half after having the ball knocked from his grasp by defensive lineman Yasir Abdullah. He was holding onto the ball with just one hand, another fundamental mistake that Streeter believed would’ve been avoided had Uiagalelei protected the ball with two hands.

“D.J. took his front hand off the ball and the guy knocked it out in the pocket,” Streeter said. “Those are things we work every day, but we’ve got to enforce it on game day. He’s got to take that over to game day.”

Streeter said he doesn’t want to take his players’ aggressiveness away, but the fundamentals have to remain intact. Doing both, he said, would go a long way in helping the Tigers clean up their act.

“I think you’ve got to coach up the details of the fundamentals because you appreciate the guys that are working hard to get extra yards, trying to escape the pocket or whatever it is,” Streeter said. “Every single situation, just talking about Saturday, that happened is correctable based on fundamentals.”

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Analysts give their takeaways from Tigers’ win over Louisville

Clemson got back in the win column on Saturday, bouncing back from an upset loss at Notre Dame a week earlier. On ACC Network’s ACC Huddle show, analysts Eric Mac Lain, EJ Manuel, Mark Richt and Eddie Royal gave their takeaways from the 10th-ranked …

Clemson got back in the win column on Saturday, bouncing back from an upset loss at Notre Dame a week earlier.

On ACC Network’s ACC Huddle show, analysts Eric Mac Lain, EJ Manuel, Mark Richt and Eddie Royal gave their takeaways from the 10th-ranked Tigers’ 31-16 victory over Louisville at Death Valley, where Will Shipley highlighted the win with a 25-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that saw him hurdle a defender at the 10-yard line and then split two other defenders en route to the end zone.

The epic play put Clemson up 24-7 less than five minutes into the second half and sent the Tigers on the way to their 39th consecutive home win, tying the 2005-11 Oklahoma Sooners for the ninth-longest home winning streak in FBS history.

“Man, he’s just a special talent,” Mac Lain, the former Clemson All-ACC offensive lineman, said of Shipley. “Bursting through the hole and jumping over a guy, and then showing some power, staying in the end zone. That’s a bad dude right there.”

Shipley finished with 97 yards and the touchdown on 19 carries, fellow sophomore running back Phil Mafah picked up 106 yards and a touchdown on 10 totes and quarterback DJ Uiagalelei ran for 32 yards and another score as the Tigers racked up 248 rushing yards on the day.

Meanwhile, Antonio Williams recorded 83 yards on a Clemson-freshman-record-tying 10 receptions and caught his third touchdown of the season on a 4-yard slant from Uiagalelei in the second quarter.

“I loved what I saw from the running game … which was huge for DJ,” said Royal, the former Virginia Tech standout and longtime NFL wide receiver. “Take a little bit of pressure off of him, and then Antonio Williams stepping up and really becoming that number one receiver that they need today.”

Uiagalelei completed 19 of his 27 passes against the Cardinals for 185 yards, accounted for two touchdowns and totaled 223 yards overall including a 6-yard catch from Williams in the third quarter.

Clemson (9-1, 7-0 ACC) opened the game with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive, which Uiagalelei started with two runs for 11 yards. The junior signal-caller later finished the drive with an 11-yard rushing touchdown, his career-high fifth of the season.

“DJ for whatever reason – I think it’s probably true with a lot of quarterbacks – everybody has a little bit of butterflies,” said Richt, the former Miami and Georgia head coach. “Sometimes you got a lot of butterflies, and just to take a shot or deliver a blow as a runner, sometimes it relieves that pressure and all the sudden, things start going well for you.

“But he made a lot of great throws today, a lot of great decisions, and he had a good bit of time in the pocket. But I think he played one of his cleanest games of the year.”

Meanwhile, Clemson’s defense registered two takeaways, four sacks and nine tackles for a loss against Louisville (6-4, 3-4), in addition to forcing five three-and-outs.

Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. led Clemson in total tackles with 12, while linebacker Barrett Carter posted eight tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. Defensive end KJ Henry chipped in six tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries, and defensive tackle Bryan Bresee notched a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup.

“I felt like the Clemson defense really stepped up in this game because everybody watching the Notre Dame game, giving up over 200 yards rushing – extremely uncharacteristic for this Tiger defense,” said Manuel, the former Florida State and NFL quarterback. “But really just seeing KJ Henry get active, Bryan Bresee get active, and if they weren’t able to get home for sacks, knocking the ball down was huge, especially against (Louisville quarterback) Malik Cunningham.”

“Going back to the defense just for a moment, the good news was when they did get hit in the mouth, when they did get embarrassed, they turned it on and kicked some tail today, which was great to see,” Richt added.

Mac Lain added that Clemson’s defensive showing was the most important piece of Saturday’s game in his eyes.

“That was the aspect that we thought was going to be very dominant, elite, one-of-a-kind type stuff that quite frankly we have not seen this year yet,” he said. “They’re getting better, they’re figuring out, they’re putting stuff together. But why does it take a loss, why does it take an embarrassing loss to step up and show great effort and to show that you want to be there and dominate, but that’s what they did.”

Clemson clinched the ACC Atlantic Division outright with the victory, and while the Tigers are currently on the outside looking in at the College Football Playoff, another playoff appearance this season isn’t out of the question for Dabo Swinney’s team just yet.

After concluding the regular season with back-to-back home games against Miami and South Carolina over the next two weekends – beginning with Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. contest against the Hurricanes on ESPN – the Tigers will take on North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte on Dec. 3 (8 p.m., ABC).

“At the end of the day, a lot of goals still out there for Clemson,” Mac Lain said. “Chaos can happen, and who knows what you get. But I thought it was also great to see the confidence from DJ, to run him early, which really affected him in a positive way.”

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Clemson bounces back with a win over Louisville

Swinney and the Tigers bounce back with a win over Louisville.

Clemson had a nice bounce-back win this week as Dabo Swinney’s team took down Scott Satterfield and Louisville 31-16 in Death Valley this Saturday.

It was a good performance across the board for the No.10 Tigers, with the only issue they dealt with being three turnovers that, in a close game, could have cost them more. Other than that, Swinney’s team put forth a great performance.

Starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei looked much better this week than the last couple, completing 19-27 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown adding 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Freshman wide receiver Antonio Williams continued his progression into Clemson’s number one receiver, catching 10 of 11 targets for 83 yards and a touchdown.

The Tigers’ run game was electric in Death Valley this Saturday as both Will Shipley and Phil Mafah had highlight-reel runs. Shipley took 19 carries for 97 yards and a 25-yard touchdown, while Mafah took 10 for 106 yards and a 39-yard touchdown. The team ended the game with 248 total rushing yards.

On defense, Clemson’s defensive line looked excellent in the win as the unit caused Louisville quarterbacks problems all night. Linebacker Barrett Carter had a career night with eight tackles, two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, and an interception.

Clemson looked like a much better football team this week against Louisville.

We will next see the Tigers Saturday, November 19th, when Clemson hosts Miami.

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Williams shines with career day in victory

What a day it was for wide receiver Antonio Williams. In Clemson’s latest 31-16 win over Louisville, the freshman put together the best performance of his Clemson career, leading the way for Tyler Grisham’s wide receiver room on Saturday. Williams …

What a day it was for wide receiver Antonio Williams.

In Clemson’s latest 31-16 win over Louisville, the freshman put together the best performance of his Clemson career, leading the way for Tyler Grisham’s wide receiver room on Saturday.

Williams came in clutch on the first drive of the matchup with a big deep ball grab and never looked back, finishing the day with an impressive 10 receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown, besting his previous career highs of five receptions and 76 yards receiving in a single game.

Williams’ career day came at a time when the Tigers needed it most. Following the loss to Notre Dame in South Bend where Clemson’s offense struggled to gain momentum and move the sticks, the Tigers were in need of an offensive difference maker versus Louisville — a role Williams was more than ready to fill.

Highlighted by his third career touchdown — a 4-yard reception in the second quarter — Williams proved that he could provide the explosiveness that both Clemson’s offense and the Tigers’ wide receiver core were missing en route to the win.

Despite Williams having a small hiccup in the third quarter with an unlucky fumble, the South Carolina native left today’s matchup as Clemson’s leading receiver on the season with 43 receptions for 473 yards and three receiving touchdowns.

Halftime report: Clemson leads Louisville by two touchdowns

Swinney and the Tigers lead Louisville at the half.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers had a solid first half as the team heads into the locker room with a 17-7 lead over Scott Satterfield and the Louisville Cardinals.

It has been a solid recovery game for Clemson so far, as Swinney’s team looks much improved from their 35-14 loss to Notre Dame last week. Though the first half wasn’t perfect, the Tigers have looked like the better team so far Saturday.

Starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has had a much-needed bounce back, completing 14-20 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. He has been effective on the ground, taking nine carries for 28 yards and a touchdown. Freshman wide receiver Antonio Williams has been his top target, with six receptions for 59-yards and the last touchdown of the first half.

Starting running back Will Shipley has been good but hasn’t seen a full workload, as it looked like he got banged up on a pass block in the first half. Clemson’s defense has been solid but once again has struggled against the run.

Louisville will start the second half with the ball as they trail the Tigers by ten.

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Who’s up next for Clemson at receiver?

Clemson’s receivers have seen their production drop off dramatically in recent weeks. Now the group is missing one of its top playmakers. Beaux Collins will miss Saturday’s game against Louisville with a separated shoulder he sustained in the second …

Clemson’s receivers have seen their production drop off dramatically in recent weeks. Now the group is missing one of its top playmakers.

Beaux Collins will miss Saturday’s game against Louisville with a separated shoulder he sustained in the second half of the Tigers’ loss at Notre Dame last week. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said this week he’s hopeful the sophomore wideout can return against Miami next week, though there’s at least a chance the Tigers will have to make do without him for multiple games.

It’s a significant blow for a receiving corps that’s still searching for consistency. With at least three catches in four of Clemson’s first six games, Collins emerged as Uiagalelei’s go-to target during the first half of the season. But Collins has just two receptions over the last three games, a microcosm of the group’s collective involvement – or lack thereof – in the offense lately.

“We keep telling our guys that you don’t know when your number is going to be called,” passing-game coordinator Kyle Richardson said. “But at some point, your number is going to be called. And you’ve got to go out there and execute and you’ve got to make plays.”

In a group that also includes a healthy Joseph Ngata and juniors E.J. Williams and Brannon Spector, true freshman Antonio Williams has emerged as the primary target lately with five receptions in three of the last six games. No other receiver on the roster has caught more than four passes in a game all season, and, other than Collins (team-high five), none has more than two touchdown receptions.

Tight ends Davis Allen (three TD catches) and Jake Briningstool (four) have provided a boost to the passing game. But who are the Tigers looking at to not only fill in for Collins but also kickstart what’s been a largely dormant group wideouts of late?

E.J. Williams and Spector are now listed as co-starters at the outside receiver position opposite Ngata on Clemson’s updated depth chart. The pair has combined for just 17 catches this season. Williams doesn’t have a reception in the last four games.

“This is a great opportunity for both of those guys to step up and take advantage of it while Beaux is out,” Swinney said. “Excited for them. They’ve had a good week of practice. Ready to go.”

And don’t be surprised if another true freshman, Adam Randall, continues to see his reps increase.

Clemson has been gradually working Randall back into the mix after the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder spent the summer recovering from ACL surgery. He didn’t play more than 19 snaps in any of his first three games back, but he’s been averaging more than 26 over the last four. Randall caught two passes against Notre Dame, matching his season total going into that game.

“He’s a big-time playmaker for us in practice,” Richardson said of Randall. “He’s gotten more reps in a game and will slowly get more reps there.

“Spector is kind of a glue guy. He can go to any of the three positions, play any of the positions and be really consistent there. I think with Davis and Briny (Briningstool), you’ve got two guys there that can also plug and play. I know just because they have tight end beside their name, they don’t necessarily get lumped into that receiver group. But when you get into these types of situations, it’s about getting your best players on the field and getting your best players on the field surrounding your quarterback, especially when your quarterback is struggling a little bit.”

With that in mind, Richardson suggested being down one of its primary receivers for the time being may force Clemson to have to get more creative with how it uses its available pass-catchers.

“I won’t get into depth with it. I know Louisville is probably listening,” he said. “But we’ll have a plan with how we’re going to carve up our personnel packages moving forward.”

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