Tag: E.J. Manuel

Analyst on the key to Clemson returning to playoff

A former ACC standout and current analyst recently joined SportsCenter to discuss what Clemson must do in order to make it back to the College Football Playoff this season. Former Florida State quarterback and first-round NFL Draft pick EJ Manuel, …

A former ACC standout and current analyst recently joined SportsCenter to discuss what Clemson must do in order to make it back to the College Football Playoff this season.

Former Florida State quarterback and first-round NFL Draft pick EJ Manuel, now an ACC Network studio analyst, gave what he sees as the key to the Tigers returning to the playoff in 2022 after seeing their streak of six straight ACC titles and six consecutive CFP appearances come to an end last season.

“I think the key is going to be the players around D.J. Uiagalelei making plays,” Manuel said. “Everybody’s been talking about the lackluster season he had, and yes, he didn’t play well. He struggled with consistency, he struggled with interceptions. But I think the key for this Clemson Tiger team is not just gonna be on the quarterback – the players around him have to step up, and especially when you have a quarterback that’s struggling with his confidence.

“So, I’m counting on Will Shipley at running back, Joseph Ngata, Beaux Collins, E.J. Williams at receiver. He has weapons around him. So, I think the key is not just for D.J. to play well – the guys around him have to make plays, too.”

Come out to support Clemson softball at Dear Old Clemson’s second event which is set for August 27 at the Madren Conference Center.  Clemson returns one of the top teams in the nation and adds some new talent to the mix.   If you sign up for certain club levels you get free access to all Dear Old Clemson events or purchase your tickets today at Dear Old Clemson.

Analysts discuss Clemson’s QB situation, one says he’s ‘still a believer’ in Uiagalelei

During The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACC Network this week, when talking about Clemson, ACCN analysts Eric Mac Lain, E.J. Manuel and Mark Richt discussed the Tigers’ quarterback situation and the looming competition between rising …

During The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACC Network this week, when talking about Clemson, ACCN analysts Eric Mac Lain, E.J. Manuel and Mark Richt discussed the Tigers’ quarterback situation and the looming competition between rising junior D.J. Uiagalelei and five-star freshman Cade Klubnik that all eyes will be on this spring.

Manuel voiced confidence in Uiagalelei, despite the former five-star prospect’s struggles as Clemson’s starting signal-caller last season.

After throwing for a total of 781 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions while completing 69.4 percent of his passes across two starts against Boston College and Notre Dame as a true freshman in 2020, Uiagalelei had a 55.6 completion percentage, 2,246 passing yards and nine touchdown passes with 10 interceptions in 13 starts last season.

“I’m still a believer that D.J. can get himself out of that whole,” Manuel said. “He has all the tools. You can’t play that well, going back to the 2020 season against Notre Dame, against BC, and then not get back to that. So, I still believe that he can do it.”

Uiagalelei will be pushed this spring by Klubnik, a five-star prospect from Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, who enrolled at Clemson in January ranked as the top quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class by Sports Illustrated, PrepStar, Rivals and the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Klubnik, who earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Texas for 2021 and was named the All-American Bowl’s National High School Player of the Year, comes to Clemson with no shortage of accolades and hype.

But Richt expressed caution about Klubnik going into his freshman season, considering the struggles he witnessed from Matthew Stafford as a freshman at Georgia in 2006 when Richt was the head coach there.

That season, Stafford — who went on to be drafted 1st overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft — completed 52.7 percent of his passes for 1,749 yards and seven touchdowns with 13 picks.

“The thing about Cade – true freshman, right – it’s hard to be great as a true freshman,” Richt said. “I mean, Matthew Stafford, first pick of the draft, he struggled his freshman year. He did some great things, he did some not-so-great things. So, it’s hard to be a consistent winner when your quarterback is not consistent.”

Regardless of who takes the field as Clemson’s starting quarterback next season, Mac Lain acknowledged that the Tigers (10-3, 6-2 ACC in 2021) need more production at the position in order for Dabo Swinney’s program to return to the standard it is accustomed to after seeing its streak of six straight ACC titles and six consecutive College Football Playoff appearances come to an end last season.

“I think everyone can sit here and say that the quarterback position is going to have to be better. That’s not a knock, it’s not being rude, it just is what it is,” Mac Lain said. “And when you have the most important position on the field not meeting the level of expectation that has been set by others, you see a ‘down’ year. 10 wins, 11 straight seasons there.

“So, for Clemson to be able to get back to where they expect to be, where they want to be, where the fans want to be, something is going to have to happen at the quarterback position – whether it’s D.J. Uiagalalei increasing his play to the flashes that we saw in 2020, or is it a change? Is someone else going to make the most of their opportunity and be able to get Clemson back to where they need to be?”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

Two analysts don’t pick Clemson to win Atlantic

During The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACC Network on Monday, show host Jordan Cornette and analysts Eric Mac Lain, EJ Manuel and Mark Richt made their picks for which teams they think will represent the Atlantic and Coastal divisions …

During The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACC Network on Monday, show host Jordan Cornette and analysts Eric Mac Lain, EJ Manuel and Mark Richt made their picks for which teams they think will represent the Atlantic and Coastal divisions in the 2022 ACC Championship Game, which will be played on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Richt, Mac Lain and Cornette all picked Miami to win the Coastal, while Manuel went with Pittsburgh.

As for the Atlantic, while Manuel and Mac Lain picked Clemson to win the division, both Richt and Cornette predicted NC State to represent the Atlantic in the conference title game.

Here’s what they had to say when making their predictions:

Mark Richt: “NC State. NC State I think is the most balanced team in the league. I think they’re going to win their side of the division, without any doubt. And then I’m taking the boys at The U. Again, usually it’s year two when a coach gets his act together. But I think Coach (Manny Diaz) left a lot of really good players, and Coach (Mario) Cristobal really understands the culture of that place. I mean, let’s face it – home run hire at the AD position (Dan Radakovich), home run hire at the head coaching position. A lot of momentum just going into the season. So, I think it’s going to be Miami.”

E.J. Manuel: “Coach, I gotta disagree on the Coastal side. I’m going to say the Pitt Panthers get another chance to get back there. Kedon Slovis, he’s going to make that move to help himself, move on to the draft. It’s a good team. If they had a quarterback versus Michigan State, they win that game. And I’m going to say on the Atlantic side, I think Clemson gets back. I think Clemson picks it back up, they’re going to be back dominant.”

Eric Mac Lain: “I agree with both of y’all. I think we could see easily, all those situations. I think it’s going to be Clemson and Miami. At the end of the day, I think both those teams are going to have unbelievable years, but would not be shocked by NC State or Pitt playing in that game.”

Jordan Cornette: “TVD (Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke) I think is the best quarterback in the conference next year. Of all the great quarterbacks, I think he’s going to be the best quarterback, so I agree with you guys there. I do think Miami gets there. As for the other side … I think NC State.”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

Analysts discuss Clemson’s looming QB competition

Following the Cheez-It Bowl last Wednesday, a few ACC analysts gave their takeaways from No. 19 Clemson’s 20-13 win over Iowa State. On The Huddle on ACC Network, former Clemson All-ACC offensive lineman and current ACCN analyst Eric Mac Lain said …

Following the Cheez-It Bowl last Wednesday, a few ACC analysts gave their takeaways from No. 19 Clemson’s 20-13 win over Iowa State.

On The Huddle on ACC Network, former Clemson All-ACC offensive lineman and current ACCN analyst Eric Mac Lain said one thing that stood out to him was the “lack of offensive explosion from the quarterback position.”

Following a month of bowl prep, Mac Lain expected to see more from D.J. Uiagalelei and his receivers against the Cyclones. The sophomore quarterback went 21-of-32 passing for 187 yards with an interception, while freshman Dacari Collins was Clemson’s leading receiver in the Cheez-It Bowl with 56 yards on six catches.

“I thought that this month of practice would do Clemson really well, and especially D.J. Uiagalelei, just to get back with those receivers,” Mac Lain said. “You had a couple of young guys that really hadn’t been there all year long. So, to have a full month in the bowl season where you have the Collins guys, with Beaux Collins and Dacari Collins, thought that we would see more chemistry, thought that we would see more things down the field, and he didn’t show it.”

Mac Lain also talked about the quarterback competition the Tigers will have this spring, with five-star signee Cade Klubnik set to enroll at Clemson this month and take part in spring practice.

“It might just be to the point of where you have a young freshman coming in this spring that wants to play, and it’s going to be a quarterback competition from day one,” Mac Lain said.

Former Georgia and Miami head coach and current ACCN analyst Mark Richt, also a former quarterbacks coach at Florida State, agreed with Mac Lain about Clemson’s looming quarterback battle.

“There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “And really, for me, as a quarterbacks coach my whole career, it was a painful game to watch, and it was on both sides. Three points, three points, missing field goals. Just guys couldn’t make enough plays and couldn’t finish drives. But as the game went on, quarterback play got a little bit better. But it’s absolutely going to be a competition at Clemson.”

ACCN analyst E.J. Manuel, FSU’s starting quarterback from 2009-12 and a former first-round NFL Draft pick of the Buffalo Bills, believes this will be a big offseason for not only Uiagalelei — but also for head coach Dabo Swinney.

“Like, what decision do you make now because DJ, based off how he played in that freshman year, it’s still the biggest question mark for me is how do you go from playing that well your freshman year to now your sophomore year, you’re just not the same guy,” Manuel said. “I just feel like that’s going to be the toughest thing to try to figure out for Coach Swinney. I’m sure he’s scratching his head, too.”

After completing 78-of-117 passes (66.7 percent) for 914 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions as a freshman in 2020, Uiagalelei went 208-of-374 passing (55.6 percent) for 2,246 yards and nine touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 13 games this season.

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

Analysts weigh in on Clemson’s blowout win over South Carolina

Clemson blanked South Carolina, 30-0, on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium to win its seventh straight game over the Gamecocks and improve to 72-42-4 all-time against its Palmetto State rival. Clemson’s 72 all-time wins against South Carolina are …

Clemson blanked South Carolina, 30-0, on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium to win its seventh straight game over the Gamecocks and improve to 72-42-4 all-time against its Palmetto State rival.

Clemson’s 72 all-time wins against South Carolina are the program’s most against any opponent, and with Saturday’s victory, the Tigers matched the longest winning streak in the series by either team all-time (Clemson, 1934-40).

After the game, on The Huddle on ACC Network, ACCN analysts Eric Mac Lain, E.J. Manuel and Mark Richt reacted to the Tigers’ dominating win over the Gamecocks.

Mac Lain, who played at Clemson from 2011-15 and was a first-team All-ACC selection in his final season as a Tiger, talked about D.J. Uiagalelei’s 22-yard run on third-and-11 on Clemson’s opening possession that led to Will Shipley’s 29-yard touchdown run one play later.

“Using his legs, makes a little cut, gets a guy on the ground, picking up about 20 yards,” Mac Lain said. “Talk your talk on third-and-11. Big-time play.”

Richt, the former Georgia and Miami head coach, continues to be impressed by Shipley, who rushed 19 times for a career-high-tying 128 yards and the touchdown against South Carolina.

“The guy is amazing,” Richt said. “Week after week, he keeps delivering, getting better and better. I can’t imagine what he’s going to be in his senior season.”

Defensively, junior cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. shined, recording two interceptions to become the first Clemson player with multiple interceptions in a game since Mario Goodrich (two) against Pittsburgh on Nov. 28, 2020.

Booth recorded Clemson’s first takeaway of the game, picking off a Jason Brown pass in the first quarter.

“Booth ran a route for him right here,” said Manuel, FSU’s starting quarterback during the 2009-12 seasons and a former a former first-round NFL Draft pick. “He broke on that thing. It was pretty much read it and weep. Easy interception right there.”

The game was Clemson’s 23rd shutout of South Carolina all-time and its first since Danny Ford’s Tigers shut out South Carolina, 45-0, in 1989. All 23 of Clemson’s shutouts in the series have come in Columbia.

“You know what, they’ve had a couple of opportunities to have more (shutouts) than that,” Mac Lain said. “But South Carolina will get down there, there’s three seconds left, they kick a field goal. They didn’t do that this time, get the shutout.”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

Is this season one of Swinney’s best coaching jobs? Analysts weigh in

Even in a “down” season for Clemson – relatively speaking for a program that has won six straight ACC Championships and made six consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff – Dabo Swinney has still managed to lead his team to eight wins …

Even in a “down” season for Clemson — relatively speaking for a program that has won six straight ACC Championships and made six consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff — Dabo Swinney has still managed to lead his team to eight wins thus far in 2021 and keep the Tigers’ hopes of reaching a seventh straight ACC Championship Game alive.

On The Huddle on the ACC Network following Clemson’s 48-27 victory over No. 10 Wake Forest on Saturday, ACCN analysts Mark Richt, Eric Mac Lain and E.J. Manuel weighed in on whether this season represents one of the best coaching jobs of Swinney’s career, considering the offensive struggles, the injuries that the Tigers have endured and the fact they still have the chance to get 10 wins in spite of all that.

Richt: “He’s definitely had to coach harder. Every time you coach a game that’s a close, tight game, there’s a lot of tight decisions that they have to make. He’s had to spend time defending his coaches, he’s had to spend time defending his players. He’s stayed true to everybody on the staff, everybody on his team, stayed positive. It just takes a lot more energy to play those types of games that they’ve been playing. So, I would have to agree with that statement (that it’s one of the best coaching jobs of Swinney’s career).”

Mac Lain: “Coach, you brought that up early in the year. You said listen – this staff, these players, they’re going to be in really uncomfortable situations that they quite frankly have never been in before. So, I don’t think (the statement), when you really dive into it, I don’t think it’s too far off.”

Manuel: “I don’t think it is either. Look, sometimes you can’t be perfect, and I actually think this might be the best thing for this program to understand hey, look, we can be down but we can still fight and get wins and maybe even still squeak a way into the ACC Championship. Imagine that, guys. We talk about the start of the season, the first four or five games for this team, would they be in the ACC Championship? I don’t think anybody thought that. But there’s still a chance.”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

Does this analyst think Uiagalelei is still ‘the guy’ for Clemson at QB?

On The Huddle on the ACC Network, former Florida State quarterback and current ACCN analyst E.J. Manuel gave some thoughts on Clemson’s quarterback situation following the Tigers’ 44-7 win over UConn on Saturday at Death Valley. Starter D.J. …

On The Huddle on the ACC Network, former Florida State quarterback and current ACCN analyst E.J. Manuel gave some thoughts on Clemson’s quarterback situation following the Tigers’ 44-7 win over UConn on Saturday at Death Valley.

Starter D.J. Uiagalelei completed 21-of-44 passes for 241 yards with one touchdown and one interception in Saturday’s game. His 241 yards were a season high and his 44 attempts tied his career high set at Notre Dame last season.

Backup Taisun Phommachanh came in for one possession in the first half and provided Clemson’s offense with a spark, completing his lone pass attempt for 33 yards and recording three carries for 16 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown run that marked his first career rushing touchdown.

That was the only series Phommachanh played, though, because of a shoulder injury.

“I think it was a good changeup to have him come in and obviously do a little bit throwing the football,” Manuel said. “But I think that’s part of this package that they have for him — go in, do some runs. He’s athletic. But I still think DJ’s the guy.”

In 10 games this season, Uiagalelei has completed 54.9 percent of his passes for 1,752 yards and eight touchdown passes with seven interceptions. He has also rushed for 241 yards and four touchdowns on 85 carries, averaging 2.8 yards per attempt.

Phommachanh, meanwhile, has played in five games this season and completed 57.9 percent of his passes for 131 yards and one touchdown with one interception, while rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown on 11 totes.

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

Analysts react to Clemson’s win over Louisville, Uiagalelei’s performance

Following Clemson’s 30-24 win over Louisville on Saturday night at Cardinal Stadium, a few analysts reacted to the Tigers’ victory and the performance of quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. E.J. Manuel, Eric Mac Lain and Eddie Royal all weighed in Saturday …

Following Clemson’s 30-24 win over Louisville on Saturday night at Cardinal Stadium, a few analysts reacted to the Tigers’ victory and the performance of quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei.

E.J. Manuel, Eric Mac Lain and Eddie Royal all weighed in Saturday night on The Huddle on the ACC Network.

Manuel: “Toughing it out with some of the injuries, with a lower leg injury, that’s the toughness that you want to see from your starting quarterback. Your team feeds off of that. … To see that their quarterback, hey, if he’s leaving it all on the line, we’ve got to do our part as a defense, and obviously they came out with the win.”

Mac Lain: “I thought this was the third week in a row now that we’ve seen D.J. play his best game. Now, it’s still not what we saw (last season), but he’s playing much better. He’s playing freer. I thought he really took command of the offense. … When you saw this young man, I thought the composure was there, I thought the leadership was there and the ownership of the offense where it’s third-and-2, I’m calling my own number, pick it up. It’s 8 yards to score a touchdown to win the game, I’m calling my own number, I’m getting in there.”

Royal: “He showed toughness. And whenever your quarterback is playing like that, guys like Will Shipley don’t want to come out of the game as well. We saw him hobbling. He made some plays on kick return. He was trying to stay in the game because he saw his leader doing the same thing. And then like you said, that defensive line stepped up at the end of the game. I thought they were getting dominated for the majority of that game, but they stepped up when they needed to.”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

‘I don’t know if Clemson can keep pace’: Analysts weigh in on Clemson-Pitt game

After escaping Syracuse with a 17-14 win on Friday night, Clemson will face its next test at 3:30 p.m. this coming Saturday against Pittsburgh and its high-powered offense at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. On the ACC Network on Saturday, ACCN analysts …

After escaping Syracuse with a 17-14 win on Friday night, Clemson will face its next test at 3:30 p.m. this coming Saturday against Pittsburgh and its high-powered offense at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

On the ACC Network on Saturday, ACCN analysts Mark Richt and E.J. Manuel discussed the upcoming matchup between the Tigers (4-2, 3-1 ACC) and Panthers (5-1, 2-0).

Pittsburgh, which won at Virginia Tech, 28-7, on Saturday, is ranked third in the FBS in scoring offense at 48.3 points per game. Meanwhile, Clemson’s defense ranks second nationally (behind Georgia) in scoring defense, allowing just 12.5 points per game.

Clemson’s offense, on the other hand, is averaging just 20.5 points per game, and Richt believes the Tigers will need to put up more points than that in order to come away from Pittsburgh victorious against the Panthers.

“That’s going to be a lot of fun,” Richt, the former UGA and Miami head coach, said of the Clemson-Pitt game. “Will that offense do anything against Clemson’s defense? Their defense has been so strong. I’ve got a feeling they’ll put at least 28 on Clemson, and I don’t know if Clemson can keep pace.”

Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett went 22-of-37 passing for 203 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech. Through six games this season, the senior has completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 1,934 yards and 21 touchdowns with just one interception.

The Panthers are fifth in the country in total offense, averaging 533.5 yards per game. In comparison, the Tigers are averaging only 322.3 yards per game — 115th in the FBS.

“Pitt is going to challenge Clemson offensively, so they’re going to have to find ways to score points, whether they do it on the defensive side or on special teams,” said Manuel, the former Florida State and NFL quarterback. “But Clemson’s not going to win that game by just scoring 28 points, especially if Kenny Pickett gets hot.”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

Former ACC, NFL QB has some advice for Uiagalelei

Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has not gotten off to the start he would have hoped for in 2021, and his struggles to this point in his sophomore season have been well documented. After completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 781 yards and …

Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has not gotten off to the start he would have hoped for in 2021, and his struggles to this point in his sophomore season have been well documented.

After completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 781 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions in his two starts against Boston College and Notre Dame while filling in for Trevor Lawrence as a true freshman last season, Uiagalelei has completed 54.3 percent of his passes for 793 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions through five games this season.

Former Florida State and NFL quarterback, and current ACC Network analyst E.J. Manuel joined the Gramlich and Mac Lain podcast with Kelly Gramlich and Eric Mac Lain and talked about the advice he would have for Uiagalelei amid his struggles this season.

“My biggest advice, Kelly, would be to relax,” Manuel said. “I’d tell D.J. to breathe, man. Like for one, because he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. You know, you’re the quarterback taking over for a true legend of Trevor Lawrence, a team that has the expectation that carried a torch for the ACC. Let’s be honest. It was kind of Clemson and everybody else for a long time.

“And here’s the funny thing, too — and I’ve heard Dabo say this multiple times — if they go out and make one or two plays in that Georgia game and they beat Georgia, the narrative’s completely different. That’s just true. Whether D.J. played well or not, if they won that game, the narrative is still different. And so I feel like for him, just get back in the saddle. You know, what that means is just get back up on the horse. You might be knocked down a little bit, but you’ve got a lot of football left to play.”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks