Brandon streeter – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Like another former Clemson star, Streeter wants to get creative with Shipley

Brandon Streeter doesn’t have a specific number in mind when it comes to how many touches Will Shipley gets in the future. As Clemson’s offensive coordinator explained, that will largely depend on the opponent and how he feels the Tigers need to go …

But Streeter knows he wants to continue getting the ball in Shipley’s hands as much as possible.

Clemson did that more than any other time this season Saturday in its 34-28 win at Florida State. Shipley had a season-high 27 touches that totaled 238 all-purpose yards, earning him ACC running back of the week honors.

“I know that he’s going to make something good happen the more times he touches the ball, so, yes, we need to continue to get him the ball plenty of times,” Streeter said.

Other than a 69-yard kickoff return, all of his touches came on offense. Shipley averaged 6.1 yards on 20 carries and had a career-high six catches for 48 more yards. His 26 offensive touches were the second-most of his career, trailing only the 29 he had against FSU a season ago.

With Shipley, a former five-star signee, near the top of opposing defenses’ scouting reports, Streeter said getting creative in how the Tigers get Shipley the ball will be key moving forward the way Clemson did with another one of its former star running backs, Travis Etienne, who finished his four-year career at Clemson in 2020 as the ACC’s all-time leader in yards from scrimmage (6,107) and touchdowns (77).

Shipley has a ways to go to get to that level, and injuries cost him three games a season ago. Despite being available for every game so far this season, he hadn’t caught more than three passes before doubling that against the Seminoles over the weekend. And Clemson started varying the ways it got him the ball in the passing game, including leaking him into pass patterns out of some two-back sets.

“Just like we did with Etienne when he was here,” said Streeter, who was the passing-game coordinator during Etienne’s last season at Clemson. “Later in his career, we had to make sure we manufactured ways to get him the ball in different ways. That’s what we’re going to end up doing with Shipley is just continue to find ways to get him the ball.”

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Clemson feeds Shipley’s career appetite in latest win

D.J. Uiagalelei took Clemson’s first offensive snap of the night, faked a handoff to Phil Mafah and threw to Will Shipley, who leaked out of the two-back set for a 9-yard gain. It was a sign of things to come for the Tigers’ sophomore running back. …

D.J. Uiagalelei took Clemson’s first offensive snap of the night, faked a handoff to Phil Mafah and threw to Will Shipley, who leaked out of the two-back set for a 9-yard gain.

It was a sign of things to come for the Tigers’ sophomore running back.

Clemson got the ball to Shipley early and often in its win over Florida State on Saturday night inside Doak Campbell Stadium. In fact, the Tigers fed Shipley more than it has all season.

Shipley finished with 26 offensive touches. He caught five more passes, adding up to a career-high six receptions. But most of his production came on the ground where he matched a season-high with 20 carries.

He finished with 238 all-purpose yards, a career-high.

“We knew Shipley was going to have to be a huge factor in this game, and he was,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.

The primary reason for that, Swinney said, was because FSU dared the Tigers to run the ball. The Seminoles came into the game with the ACC’s top pass defense (x yards per game), often dropping more defenders into coverage and depending largely on their defensive line to slow down opponents’ run game.

That often meant either an equal number of defenders for Clemson to block up front or even times where the Tigers had a numbers advantage in the box. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei said that’s something he noticed in studying FSU on film during the week, and a running game that had averaged just 146 yards in the Tigers’ previous two games needed to be able to take advantage of that.

“If you can’t run the ball against those guys, you’re going to be in for a long night,” Swinney said. “I think they were the No. 1 pass defense in the league coming in. So they’ll give you some run boxes, but they’re pretty good (up front). Those dudes are big and strong, and they’ve had a lot of success slowing down the run game with light boxes and heavy coverage. We just felt like it was one of those games where we would have opportunities, but having opportunity and being successful are two different things.”

Said Uiagalelei, “That was a big deal for us to come out and be able to run the ball.”

That defensive approach from FSU also happened to play perfectly into offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter’s desire to get Shipley more involved. The former five-star signee had gotten more than 14 carries just once this season before Saturday, and he hadn’t caught more than three passes.

“One of my biggest goals was to get No. 1 the ball a lot more,” Streeter said, referencing Shipley’s jersey number.

Shipley also made an impact on special teams, racing through FSU’s coverage unit and bouncing off a number of would-be tacklers on the opening kickoff of the second half for a 69-yard return. That set up the Tigers’ fourth and final touchdown of the night.

But Clemson found plenty of other ways to get the ball in Shipley’s hand, running him between the tackles, pitching it to him on the perimeter and even sending him out of the backfield as a receiver. He totaled 48 yards on his receptions and finished with 121 yards on the ground, good for 6.1 yards per pop.

He had a 36-yard burst up the gut late in the second quarter to set up Clemson’s final touchdown of the first half, but Shipley mixed in plenty of gritty runs, including an 11-yarder in a one-score game late in the fourth quarter for a fresh set of downs. It allowed the Tigers to take a few knees to run out the final minute and change on their latest win.

“That was big,” Swinney said. “He made a lot of runs, and he gets better as he goes. He’s just a tough cookie.

Shipley’s rushing output was his highest against a Power Five opponent this season, and his all-purpose yardage was the most for a Clemson player since Travis Etienne had 264 against Boston College in 2020.

“We got him the ball 25 or 26 times, and it just shows what he can do when you get him the ball that many times,” Streeter said.

Clemson patiently waits, cashes in on trick play

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Brandon Streeter had two thoughts when he dialed it up. “The first thing I yelled is, ‘I’m so glad we don’t have to practice it anymore,'” Clemson’s offensive coordinator said. That’s because Streeter said the Tigers had been …

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Brandon Streeter had two thoughts when he dialed it up.

“The first thing I yelled is, ‘I’m so glad we don’t have to practice it anymore,’” Clemson’s offensive coordinator said.

That’s because Streeter said the Tigers had been practicing a reverse flea-flicker for “five or six weeks at least.” And with Clemson having all the momentum coming out of the locker room for the second half against Florida State, Streeter finally called for it to be run in a game.

That’s the other thing Streeter had in mind when it came to the timing of reaching into his bag of tricks.

“We just wanted to keep the pedal to the metal and do a great job of continuing to attack like we did in the first half,” Streeter said.

Clemson did it on the first play of the second half, and it helped the Tigers pull out a 34-28 victory Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium. Before the call came in, Clemson had scored the final 17 points of the first half to take a 24-14 lead into the break.

Not wanting to let up, Streeter sent in the call the first chance he got after Will Shipley returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 69 yards into FSU territory. With Clemson at the Seminoles’ 31-yard line, quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei handed off to running back Phil Mafah, who gave it to freshman receiver Antonio Williams running in the opposite direction.

Williams then pitched the ball back to Uiagalelei, who waited for fellow receiver Joseph Ngata to clear out on the left side, leaving Davis Allen to operate alone down the sideline. Allen eventually slipped out and raced past linebacker Tatum Bethune.

Uiagalelei hit Allen in stride, and Clemson’s senior tight end took care of the rest, holding off Bethune on his way to the end zone. That extended Clemson’s lead to 31-14. The Tigers tacked on a field goal on their next possession to make it 27 unanswered points.

“I don’t know how many weeks we’ve been working that, but we’ve been working that,” Uiagalelei said. “Davis slipped out right there and did a really good job. The running back set it up, Antonio flipped me the ball, and I think (receiver) Joe (Ngata) won in the middle. I heard Beaux won on the outside. But right there, I was just looking for Davis, and he came wide open. He did a really good job of staying up and scoring a touchdown.”

Clemson bogged down for the majority of the second half offensively, totaling just 40 yards on its last three drives before running out the clock with a few kneel-downs on its final possession. But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said the coaching staff talked at halftime about wanting to pull the trick play out early in the half if things aligned.

They did, and the Tigers capitalized for what proved to be an important sequence in their latest victory.

“Everybody has specials in their inventory, and we’ve had that,” Swinney said. “It’s got to be the right situation, right hash, right timing. All those type of things. And we were ready for it. It was perfect.”

Streeter assesses Clemson’s running game, Uiagalelei’s role in it

While the relative improvement from D.J. Uiagalelei and his receivers in the passing game has helped spur Clemson’s offensive turnaround this season, the running game is still trying to find consistency in taking advantage of what the Tigers are …

Clemson has produced the third-most plays in the ACC of at least 20 yards this season (34) with all but eight of them coming through the air. The Tigers added to that total against Boston College with explosives such as D.J. Uiagalelei’s 38-yard touchdown strike to Joseph Ngata early in the second half of the Tigers’ 31-3 win.

With those kinds of big gainers helping Clemson throw for nearly 255 yards a game, one would assume it can only help the running game since teams have to drop more defenders out of the box to give themselves a better chance to prevent those in coverage. But it’s been a mixed bag in that department for the Tigers’ running game.

After Clemson mustered just 119 rushing yards to start the season against Georgia Tech, things looked more promising on the ground two weeks later when the Tigers ran for a season-high 280 yards in a victory over Louisiana Tech. They kept that momentum going against a Power Five defense the following week with 188 rushing yards in their double-overtime win over Wake Forest, but Clemson hasn’t gotten above the 145-yard mark on the ground since.

Clemson got just 144 yards from its running game against Boston College, and 40 of those came on one play. The Tigers have now been held to 147 rushing yards or less in four of their first six games.

Offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter acknowledged things could be better but added he feels like the running game is in a “pretty good spot” halfway through the regular season. He also praised the efforts of all parties involved.

“There’s obviously corrections and things to improve on in both the running and passing game, and I feel like our offensive line is really getting better in a lot of areas in the run game,” Streeter said. “We missed a few things on Saturday that kind of slowed us down in the run game up front, but I’m very, very pleased with the toughness and the grit those guys have up front. And our running backs run the heck out of the ball.

“I feel like there’s always (room for) improvement. No doubt. But I do feel like we’re blessed in the way that we can do it in different ways.”

One of those avenues has been utilizing the legs of D.J. Uiagalelei.

Despite starting the same five offensive linemen in every game to this point – consistency up front that Clemson didn’t have last season when it started eight different combinations – the Tigers’ 170 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry rank in the middle of the pack in the ACC. They’re slightly ahead of the Tigers’ pace last season (167.9 yards per game, 4.4 yards per rush).

If not for the viable threat that a healthy Uiagalelei has become on the ground, those numbers might be behind. Will Shipley, Clemson’s leading rusher, went for a season-low 33 yards on 10 carries against Boston College as the Tigers’ running backs averaged 4 yards per tote, a number helped by Phil Mafah’s 5.1 per-carry average.

Clemson’s quarterback ended the night as Clemson’s leading rusher, something he’s done in back-to-back games now. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound signal caller ended up with 69 yards on 12 carries and ripped off that 40-yarder midway through the fourth quarter that set up Clemson’s final touchdown.

It came on a draw play, one of several designed runs that Streeter said he continues to feel comfortable calling for Uiagalelei now that he’s 30 pounds lighter and no longer dealing with the sprained knee that hampered his mobility late last season. Meanwhile, Clemson averaged just 3.3 yards on its other 31 rush attempts against the Eagles.

Uiagalelei’s 4.6 yards per carry trails only Shipley (5.9) as the highest on the team. He’s averaging 11.1 carries, also second-most on the team, and could get have his number called even more in the absence of Kobe Pace, who will miss at least a few weeks with a high ankle sprain he suffered against Wake Forest.

“We continue to find ways to be productive in different ways,” Streeter said. “I think that just makes us even harder to defend when you have multiple ways of attacking somebody.”

It’s been a boosting component to a running game that’s still trying to find more consistent footing. Streeter said he feels like the Tigers are close, but crisper execution is going to be needed to get there.

“Whether it be one or two guys maybe not doing their job or whether it be an offensive lineman not using proper technique,” Streeter said. “Or maybe it was a read once or twice on the quarterback’s part that maybe we could’ve pulled it one or two times. It’s just kind of one of those things where we were that close. We were really, really close on a couple of plays (against Boston College) that could’ve been maybe explosive plays, and we just didn’t get it quite done. It caused us to stumble a little bit and have a couple of too many three and outs that we’re not used to having.”

‘Heart’ of Clemson’s offense shines through at Boston College

One of the biggest differences in Clemson’s offense this season compared to the last is the unit’s ability to respond to adversity. After an interception and four consecutive punts following a successful opening drive, Clemson’s offense finally got …

One of the biggest differences in Clemson’s offense this season compared to the last is the unit’s ability to respond to adversity.

After an interception and four consecutive punts following a successful opening drive, Clemson’s offense finally got the momentum it needed right before halftime in the team’s 31-3 win over Boston College in Chestnut Hill on Saturday.

An Antonio Williams 20-yard punt return helped set up a Will Shipley one-yard score, which enabled Clemson to take a 10-3 lead over the Eagles headed into the break. Boston College’s defense clearly frustrated Clemson’s offense in the game’s first 30 minutes, but Brandon Streeter acknowledged that his unit has been able to respond time and time again this season.

“We felt like they did a good job of stopping the run early on,” Clemson’s offensive coordinator said postgame. “We felt like if we had a little bit of tempo, which we showed in that drive, it helped get our guys going a little bit more too. We got a little momentum going with that drive, especially in the run game, which we really needed to get done.”

On that final drive in question, Clemson drove the ball down the field in seven plays (six rushes) to find paydirt for the first time Saturday.

“That one drive was big for us,” Streeter continued. “We talk about the middle-eight, the last four minutes in the second quarter and the first four minutes in the third quarter. We’re doing a really good job in those scenarios.

Last week, in Clemson’s 30-20 win over NC State, the Tigers surged to a victory thanks to a 14-7 advantage in the “Middle Eight.” On Saturday, Clemson outscored Boston College, 14-0, in the Middle Eight and is now 60-2 since 2015 when outscoring opponents in that window.

The Tigers would never relinquish that lead, as they scored 21 unanswered points in the second half behind three D.J. Uiagalelei passing touchdowns.

“I think it just shows the heart,” Uiagalelei said postgame regarding the offense’s resolve. “I think it shows the heart of the coaches, the staff we have here, Coach Streeter and all the other position coaches. I think that it shows toughness in our players on offense…I think it shows the resilience we have…All the guys on offense, we all trust each other. No one’s pointing fingers on the sideline. No one’s complaining. Everyone’s just out there wanting to compete.”

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Clemson’s offense continues seeing red in latest win

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Saturday’s performance from Clemson’s offense wasn’t always aesthetically pleasing, but it was once again efficient when scoring opportunities presented themselves. The Tigers have been one of the best this season at coming …

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Saturday’s performance from Clemson’s offense wasn’t always aesthetically pleasing, but it was once again efficient when scoring opportunities presented themselves.

The Tigers have been one of the best this season at coming away with points once they reach the red zone. And Clemson has usually come away with the maximum amount of points in those scenarios.

In fact, Clemson entered its game against Boston College as one of the few teams in the country with no empty red-zone trips this season. Twenty-eight times the Tigers had driven inside an opponent’s 20-yard line. Each time, they’ve gotten points.

The trend continued in the Tigers’ 31-3 win at Alumni Stadium. After Clemson cashed in on all four red-zone trips against the Eagles, the Tigers are the only FBS team to come away with points each time on at least 30 such trips this season.

Clemson came in averaging 41 points per game, but the offense needed some time – and some help – to get going. Four of the Tigers’ first six possessions ended with a punt, and their second was halted after just three plays midway through the first quarter when D.J. Uiagalelei threw an ill-advised interception deep in his own territory.

“I got a little bit of pressure. Probably should’ve just got out of it and threw it away,” Uiagalelei said. “Tried to make a play right there and throw off my back foot. That wasn’t a smart decision right there.”

But special teams helped Clemson’s offense get a short field of its own midway through the second quarter when Aidan Swanson’s longest punt of the night pinned Boston College inside its own 10-yard line, resulting in a punt from its own end zone that Antonio Williams returned 20 yards to set the offense up at Boston College’s 28.

Clemson ran the ball on five of the next six plays to find the end zone for the first time on Will Shipley’s 1-yard touchdown run, giving Clemson a 10-3 lead at the half. The Tigers marched 73 yards on their opening drive of the second half to expanded their lead on Uiagalelei’s 38-yard scoring strike to Joseph Ngata, but the offense’s next red-zone opportunity came after a blocked field goal late in the third quarter.

The offense took over at its own 28 and drove to Boston College’s 12 in just five plays. Three plays later, Uiagalelei connected with a wide-open Beaux Collins for a 10-yard score.

“Hats off to the defense,” Uiagalelei said. “They gave us a chance each and every time making stops. Making turnovers. Sacks. Just giving us the ball back countless times.

”On offense, nobody panicked. We just kept playing and found our rhythm.”

After the defense forced its eighth punt of the night midway through the fourth quarter, Clemson’s offense put the punctuation mark on a dominant final two quarters with its longest scoring drive of the night. Uiagalelei’s 40-yard scamper covered most of the 88 yards, getting the Tigers to Boston College’s 13. Clemson scored its third red-zone touchdown of the night on the next play when Uiagalelei fired a fastball to Brannon Spector over a linebacker and between a pair of defensive backs for a 13-yard score, capping a 21-0 second half for the Tigers.

“D.J. put it where it needed to be, but there was a lot of traffic there as well,” offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said. “Brannon did a great job of finishing. Really, really positive right there.”

B.T. Potter’s 35-yard field goal on the game’s opening possession was the only time the Tigers didn’t come away with six in the red zone. Clemson has now reached the end zone on 75% of its red-zone trips (24 of 32).

“Love how we finished,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. “It was a little bit of a struggle here or there, but I thought offensively we finished the way we (wanted).”

Latest block sends Clemson’s special teams out on high note

Boston College had some momentum and, more importantly, a chance to close the gap against the fifth-ranked team in America Etinosa Reuben had other ideas. Despite Clemson’s offense still trying to find its footing, the Tigers led Boston College 17-3 …

Boston College had some momentum and, more importantly, a chance to close the gap against the fifth-ranked team in America

Etinosa Reuben had other ideas.

Despite Clemson’s offense still trying to find its footing, the Tigers led Boston College 17-3 midway through the third quarter. But after forcing consecutive punts, the Eagles appeared on the verge of giving themselves and many of the burgundy-and-gold clad fans inside Alumni Stadium some hope of making things interesting.

Boston College’s star receiver, Zay Flowers, returned the latter of those two punts deep into Clemson territory, giving the Eagles’ offense its second-best starting field position of the night. Boston College lined up for a 39-yard field-goal attempt seven plays later.

Connecting on it would get Boston College the closest it had been since trailing by a touchdown late in the second quarter, but it never got the chance. Reuben, Clemson’s 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle, muscled through the interior of Boston College’s line enough to get his left hand in the way of the trajectory of Connor Lytton’s kick.

The block gave Clemson’s offense the ball back at its own 28-yard line. Eight plays later, D.J. Uiagalelei found Beaux Collins for a 10-yard touchdown connection, and the second-half rout was on in a 31-3 win that kept Clemson among the ranks of the unbeaten and improved the Tigers to 4-0 midway through their ACC slate.

“That was a huge turning point right there,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Great, great effort right there.”

It was the highlight of a rollercoaster night for Clemson’s special teams, which also had its shaky moments.

Punter Aidan Swanson got his share of work and averaged 41.6 yards on his seven boots, but he had a couple of low liners, including a 36-yarder that helped set up Boston College’s threat in the third quarter. Flowers fielded it on the run near midfield and returned 16 yards to Clemson’s 36-yard line.

“We were trying to rugby it and dadgum if we didn’t kick a line drive right in the middle of the field,” Swinney said. “That was a nightmare, but we got him down.”

Reuben eventually kept the Eagles from cutting into Clemson’s two-score lead with his surge. It was the Tigers’ fourth blocked kick of the season..

“To get another one tonight, I’m just really proud of (defensive tackles) coach (Nick) Eason,” Swinney said. “He’s done a great job and put a lot of emphasis on that. Those guys have really bought in. There have been a few more that we’ve been close on because they’re just really playing with a lot of pride and a lot of effort in that phase of the game.”

B.T. Potter missed his second field goal in as many weeks when he pulled his 42-yard attempt midway through the fourth quarter, though a 35-yard make in the first quarter contributed to a 24-3 lead that wasn’t in any real jeopardy for Clemson at that point. It might have been a different story had the Tigers lost a pair of punts that were muffed by Will Taylor earlier in the game, but Clemson retained possession both times to keep its turnover count in the single digits.

But the Tigers also got a spark in the return game from freshman receiver Antonio Williams, who, for the first time this season, dropped back deep with Taylor at times and fielded two punts. One of those went for a 20-yard return that set up Clemson’s offense with a short field at Boston College’s 28 late in the second quarter. Seven plays later, Clemson was in the end zone for the first time on Will Shipley’s 1-yard plunge, which gave the Tigers a 10-3 lead at the half that they never relinquished.

“Any way we can create momentum,” offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said, “our guys feed off of that.”

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Tight ends becoming bigger part of Clemson’s passing game

First-year position coach Kyle Richardson scoffed at the notion this offseason that Clemson seldom uses its tight ends, explaining there’s a lot more to the position than simply being bigger pass-catchers. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney smiled while …

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney smiled while saying this week that his program has always valued the position. He pointed to a couple of his former players at the position, Mackey Award winner Dwayne Allen and Mackey semifinalist Jordan Leggett, as a couple of examples.

While the Tigers’ tight ends may not have been as involved in the passing game in recent years as some of their predecessors, Swinney said the objective is to have the most well-rounded players at the position, something, he added, that’s not easy to find.

“I think it’s the hardest position to play in our offense outside of quarterback from a schematic standpoint because there’s a lot (to the position), and sometimes it just takes some guys a while to do it,” Swinney said. “Some years, you get a guy who’s a better route runner, but he can’t block nobody. Some years, this guy is a better blocker, and you have to kind of piece it together. So it’s nice when you’ve got some guys that can really do it all, and everybody is trying to find those guys and recruit those guys.”

Swinney believes his program’s wait for the complete package to come along again is over with Davis Allen and Jake Briningstool. And while Swinney touted the Tigers’ top two tight ends as players who’ve progressed to the point they can do a little bit of everything at the position, they’ve seen their roles in the passing game increase significantly as of late.

After a three-catch freshman season that Briningstool used primarily to get his feet wet playing behind Allen and then-senior Braden Galloway, the 6-foot-6, 235-pounder has already caught 14 passes as a sophomore, tied with receiver Beaux Collins for second-most on the team. Briningstool has had touchdown receptions in back-to-back games for the first time in his career and had a career-high 72 receiving yards against Wake Forest two weeks ago.

Briningstool, a blue-chip recruit in the 2021 recruiting cycle, was considered one of the nation’s top pass-catching tight ends coming out of Ravenwood (Tennessee) High while Allen has put in four years of work to become the weapon he’s proven to be for first-year offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter. The senior’s 13 receptions through five games are nearly half the amount he had all of last season. Two of those went for touchdowns in the double-overtime win over the Demon Deacons.

Allen and Bringinstool have combined for 18 receptions in the last two games alone, nearly half the amount Clemson’s tight ends had as a whole last season (37). Injuries played a part in that, but Streeter said making a concerted effort to take advantage of man coverage given Allen and Briningstool’s size at the position has also contributed to the increased production.

“It’s a combination of finding matchups, and it’s a combination of having confidence in those guys and lining them up in different ways,” Streeter said.

Clemson has sought out those matchups more often the closer it’s gotten to the end zone. None of the tight ends’ touchdown grabs have been longer than 12 yards the last two weeks. And there have been numerous times when Allen and Briningstool have been on the field simultaneously in 12 personnel – sometimes lining up in the slot at the time – in order to increase the chances of the offense finding a mismatch with at least one of them.

“Whether they’re coming out of the backfield making plays in the passing game or they’re lined up out wide making plays in the passing game, my confidence just continues to grow in that room and what they’ve become as players,” Streeter said.

And because Allen and Briningstool are proving to be more than capable pass-catching threats wherever they line up, Swinney and Streeter both said it’s opened things up for a passing offense that ranks 49th nationally at 261.8 yards per game, nearly 70 yards more than what Clemson averaged last year in that department.

It’s helped the Tigers increase their scoring average from 26.3 points a season ago to 41 this season, second-most in the ACC.

“When you’ve got a guy like (Allen) at the (tight end) position that’s a real factor in the run game and a real factor in the pass game, it opens up everything for everybody else because somebody has got to cover 80 (Collins), 10 (Joseph Ngata) and 0 (Antonio Williams),” Swinney said. “That’s when we’re at our best is when we can do that.”

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Newfound confidence creating ‘positive atmosphere’ for Streeter, offense

The confidence with which Clemson’s offense is operating five games into the 2022 season is on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to where it was for much of last season. With that has come more assurance as a play caller for Brandon …

The confidence with which Clemson’s offense is operating five games into the 2022 season is on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to where it was for much of last season.

With that has come more assurance as a play caller for Brandon Streeter, who’s in his first year as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator. Coming off a 30-point performance against NC State’s top-10 defense, Clemson ranks in the top 51 nationally in rushing, passing, total yards and scoring.

A season ago, Clemson scored more than 19 points in regulation just once through its first five games, and that was against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent (49 against South Carolina State). The Tigers, who’ve already played a pair of top-15 teams, haven’t scored fewer than 35 so far this season and own the nation’s No. 14 scoring offense at 41 points per game – 14.7 points higher than last season.

While D.J. Uiagalelei’s improvement has been notable – the Tigers’ quarterback is completing better than 65% of his passes and has already accounted for more touchdowns (14) than he did all of last season (13) – Streeter noted the offense is simply making plays more consistently as a whole than it did a season ago, pointing to the continuity the Tigers have had on that side of the ball as a primary reason why.

One example: The Tigers have started the same five offensive linemen in every game so far after having eight different starting combinations up front last fall.

“We had changes every week whether it be at receiver or offensive line,” Streeter said of last season. “That has been a constant, which has allowed some confidence for the quarterback and for other positions as well. Any time you have that constant, you’re going to be able to be more confident and you’re going to be able to make more plays, and that’s what those guys are doing.”

As a result, Streeter said he’s got more conviction in calling more high-risk, high-reward plays that usually take a higher level of execution to pull off, which have also hit with more regularity than at any point a season ago. Clemson already has 29 plays of at least 20 yards – third-most in the ACC – after tying for the league’s fewest such plays last season (49).

“Any time guys are not making any plays and it’s just hard to get it going, it’s hard to call some of the shots down the field because then you’re getting even more backed up and you’re not on schedule on second down and third down,” Streeter said. “And then we all know when you get into third-and-long, that’s a hard situation.

“It starts with the players. Getting the right players the ball, No. 1. And then by making those plays, it gives me confidence to call those down-the-field plays a lot more. It allows our staff to be even more creative to find ways to get those guys the ball. And then it really comes down to the quarterback. Is he confident? And is he giving those guys a chance to make plays on the ball? And DJ’s been able to do that for the most part this year.”

One example of that creativity came late in the Tigers’ win last week when Clemson called an impromptu bootleg for Uiagalelei, who faked a handoff and came out the back side untouched for a 9-yard touchdown run that iced Clemson’s 30-20 victory. Head coach Dabo Swinney heavily consulted on the play call, but it’s not one Clemson likely dials up 12 months ago.

“You’re just seeing an offense that’s continuing to gain more and more confidence, and that also is a reflection of coaches being able to have confidence in them,” Streeter said. “It’s been fun. It’s been a lot of fun. The demeanor has been really good, and our leadership has been really good. It’s just been a positive atmosphere.”

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Swinney grades Clemson’s coordinators through five games

For the first time in a long time, Clemson is going through a season with first-year coordinators. Brandon Streeter is calling the offensive plays while Wes Goodwin is the play caller for the defense, a role he’s serving in for the first time in his …

For the first time in a long time, Clemson is going through a season with first-year coordinators.

Brandon Streeter is calling the offensive plays while Wes Goodwin is the play caller for the defense, a role he’s serving in for the first time in his coaching career. Both were promoted by head coach Dabo Swinney following the head-coaching departures of Brent Venables (Oklahoma) and Tony Elliott (Virginia).

Five games in, the Tigers are averaging 41 points, 15 more than their scoring average a season ago. Meanwhile, the defense is allowing 21.4 points per game, good for 42nd nationally.

Following the Tigers’ most recent win over NC State over the weekend, Swinney assessed the performance of each through Clemson’s first five games.

“I give them an A,” Swinney said. “We’re 5-0. We haven’t been perfect, but the name of the game is to find a way to win. And we’ve been able to do that. We’ve been able to come up with a crucial stop when we’ve had to have it and the crucial score when we’ve had to have it. That’s ultimately what it’s all about. We are really settling in and growing. It’s not just Wes, Street or (co-defensive coordinator) Mickey (Conn). It’s our whole support staff. We have a lot of moving pieces in our support staff on offense and defense, and those guys are doing a fantastic job week in and week out with game planning. Everybody is really invested, but Street and Wes have done an excellent job.

“Sometimes you make a bad call, and you don’t get hurt with it. Somebody makes you look good. Sometimes you make a perfect call and somebody busts and you look bad. There’s a lot that goes into it that people don’t really necessarily know or see, but those guys have done a great job . And then what I see during the week as far as our structure, our organization and our communication. I really like how we’re practicing. There’s just a lot of positives with those guys.”