Matt Bockhorst – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Mafah’s first career touchdown gets the Tigers on the board

After two uninspiring offensive drives, Clemson is finally on the board. On second-and-goal, Phil Mafah scored his first career touchdown from 1-yard out. B.T. Potter drilled the extra point to cap off an eight-play, 80-yard drive which took 3 …

After two uninspiring offensive drives, Clemson is finally on the board.

On second-and-goal, Phil Mafah scored his first career touchdown from 1-yard out. B.T. Potter drilled the extra point to cap off an eight-play, 80-yard drive which took 3 minutes and 29 seconds.

Though, the drive didn’t come without a tough blow. The team’s starting left guard Matt Bockhorst was severely injured on the play prior to Mafah’s rushing touchdown. Bockhorst limped off the field with the help of two trainers, putting no weight on his injured right leg.

Bockhorst’s replacement, true freshman Marcus Tate, paved the way for Mafah’s running lane, allowing him to go untouched into the end zone.

The drive was aided by a 36-yard catch and throw from D.J. Uiagalelei to Ajou Ajou on a crucial third-and-6 from their own 42-yard line. Additionally, Uiagalelei, Mafah and Will Shipley combined for 36 rushing yards on the drive.

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What It Means: It’s now or never for Clemson’s offense

Jordan McFadden’s comments are resonating, and not necessarily in the way his teammates, Clemson’s coaches and the Tigers’ fan base had hoped. “Our defense has done a great job having our back, and I feel like it’s time for us to have their back,” …

Jordan McFadden’s comments are resonating, and not necessarily in the way his teammates, Clemson’s coaches and the Tigers’ fan base had hoped.

“Our defense has done a great job having our back, and I feel like it’s time for us to have their back,” Clemson’s left tackle said last week ahead of the Tigers’ trip to Syracuse.

Technically, the offense helped enough, though the term “help” is being used fast and loose here. All of the points in the Tigers’ latest escape Friday were produced by the offense. Once again, though, they were few and far between.

The Tigers (4-2, 3-1 ACC) did have their highest-scoring first half of the season, but Clemson needed the assistance of a fake punt to pull that off. Clemson scored two touchdowns in the second quarter but went the other three quarters without any, using B.T. Potter’s 40-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to survive.

Even the Tigers’ ability to do that was in question late. Had Syracuse’s Andrew Szmyt, a former Groza Award winner, not pulled his kick in the final minute, Clemson would’ve needed overtime against a .500 Syracuse team that put up a commendable fight against unbeaten Wake Forest a week earlier but also lost by double digits at Rutgers earlier this season.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and some of his players have been telling whoever’s willing to listen for the last couple of weeks that this offense is close to breaking out, confidence seemingly birthed out of the Boston College win — one in which the Tigers had their second-highest yardage output of the season (438). But what transpired inside the Carrier Dome looked more like the offense that’s spent the season ranked near the bottom nationally in virtually every major offensive statistical category.

D.J. Uiagalalei’s accuracy was the best it’s been in almost a month from a statistical standpoint (62% completion rate), and it could’ve been a lot better if not for a handful of drops by his receivers. Davis Allen (eight catches for 49 yards) was as involved in the passing game as a Clemson tight end has been in almost a decade, but there weren’t many explosive plays to speak of. And the running game reverted to its pedestrian ways behind an offensive line that can’t seem to catch a break.

That unit continues to be in flux, though it seemed like Clemson had found its best combination up front against Boston College when Matt Bockhorst moved to guard to fill in for an injured Will Putnam and Hunter Rayburn took over at center. The coaching staff also felt Bockhorst worked better at his more natural position given he was back at left guard (where he played last season) against Syracuse with Putnam back in the lineup, but the group was forced to start its fourth different combination in six games when Rayburn was put in COVID-19 protocols late last week.

Rather than move Bockhorst back to center, sophomore Mason Trotter, whose playing time had been limited this season in large part because of a broken hand, got his first career at center. The push up front was inconsistent. Kobe Pace had 76 yards on 14 carries, but the Tigers averaged just 3.1 yards a tote. Even if you don’t count sacks and a snap over Uiagalelei’s head early in the second half that killed a promising drive, Clemson ran for just 149 yards.

The stat sheet shows Clemson gave up just two sacks, but Tigers’ offensive line repeatedly got beat in pass protection and failed to pick up free rushers at times. The only reason the Orange didn’t bring Uiagalelei down more behind the line of scrimmage was all Uiagalelei and his ability to shake defenders off. Trotter’s botched snap and more penalties (seven for 60 yards) only compounded the problem the Tigers have of getting out of their own way at times.

Add those self-inflicted miscues to the drops and, well…

“We don’t have that type of room for error. We just don’t,” Swinney said. “We’re not a team right now that has great room for error. We’re very inexperienced offensively, and it shows.”

Now the defense wasn’t perfect either. The Tigers yielded 138 rushing yards in the first half alone. There was also that 62-yard bomb over the top that got Syracuse within one score midway through the fourth quarter, but the offense’s dysfunction at times continues to put all the pressure on the defense, which is looking more and more like a risky proposition given the frequency with which injuries are piling up on the defensive side of the ball.

It’s also not having their back the way the defense has for the offense all season.

The Tigers can’t wait around any longer for that to happen. Because the sand on Clemson’s talking hourglass is about to run out. Awaiting the Tigers next? A trip to Pittsburgh on Saturday for a game that, in all likelihood, isn’t going to be played in the teens. Not from the Panthers’ perspective, at least.

Pitt began last week as the highest-scoring team in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Panthers, led by fifth-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, have been scoring so much that their 28 points at Virginia Tech in a three-touchdown victory over the weekend actually dropped them to third in that category at 48.3 points per game.

Syracuse was averaging 31 points before scoring a little less than half of that against Clemson. But do the math on Pitt, and even if the Tigers were to hold the Panthers to half of their season average, that would still put Pitt in the mid-20s, a range that almost seems like a pipe dream for the Tigers at this point.

Clemson has only mustered 74 points against FBS opponents all season. That’s 14.8 per game. The Tigers’ highest point total against someone not named South Carolina State is 21 at North Carolina State, and Clemson needed overtime to get there.

The Wolfpack scored 27 points in that one, which, not coincidentally, resulted in Clemson’s second and most recent loss. Even if the Tigers can hold Pitt to 24 points on its home field, can they score enough for it to matter?

They’ll have to if they want any chance to keep themselves in contention of playing for a seventh straight ACC championship. N.C. State knocked off Boston College on the road Saturday to remain unbeaten in league play. It also helped the Wolfpack maintain what amounts to a two-game lead over Clemson since they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Tigers.

Of course, Wake Forest, with its perfect 4-0 conference record, is the team everyone is chasing in the Atlantic Division. Clemson will host the Demon Deacons, who are right behind Pitt in scoring at 38.7 points per game, in late November. The Tigers also have a trip to Louisville (32.3 points per game) looming Nov. 6, meaning Clemson still has to play three of the five highest-scoring teams in the league.

“We’re nowhere near what we thought we’d be, but we’re continuing to battle,” Swinney said of the offense. “We’ve got to continue to help them as coaches, keep them encouraged and continue to just coach our tails off.”

What Clemson needs more than anything right now is points. And they had better come in a hurry.

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Elliott recounts OL play, expounds on constant reshuffling

Coming into Friday night’s game against Syracuse, Clemson (4-2, 3-1 ACC) thought it was going to be able to run the ball effectively. Unfortunately, multiple factors prevented that from being the case in the Tigers’ 17-14 win. While there isn’t any …

While there isn’t any finger-pointing being done, there doesn’t need to be. Clemson’s problems start and end up front.

Clemson finished Friday’s contest with 116 rushing yards on 37 carries, averaging just 3.1 yards per touch. Kobe Pace led the way with 76 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown, while Phil Mafah, D.J. Uiagalelei and Taisun Phommachanh combined for just 58 yards on 21 carries.

Prior to Friday’s game, Syracuse was ranked No. 31 in the FBS in run defense, allowing 113.8 rushing yards per game. Clemson was looking to exploit that, but the Tigers were unable to avoid shooting themselves in the foot. Yes, there were personnel issues, but Clemson struggled on basic execution up front yet again, which is something that’s clearly wearing on the team’s offensive coordinator.

“I thought we were going to be able to run the ball, but we also cut some drives short too,” Tony Elliott said postgame. “We had a good drive coming out, snapped the ball over [Uigalelei’s] head and we lost 17 yards, now we’re playing catch up. That’s an opportunity right there to keep that drive growing. You’re gonna have an opportunity to pick up maybe 30-40 more yards rushing. And again, the biggest thing for us, is we gotta get out of our own way.”

“The numbers are not where they are, is a reflection of one guy over here having a holding penalty,” he added. “Then, we have a false start. Then, you have a guy who doesn’t execute his block the right way, forces the running back to stop his feet before he gets to the line of scrimmage. It’s just one thing after another. It’s not one guy in particular, but it just seems that at the most inopportune time, we’re having that one breakdown, which gets us out of rhythm, and therefore we’re not able to sustain drives, which is going to lead to the outcome or the production that people are used to for this offense.”

The Tigers, unfortunately, didn’t learn until about 10 a.m. Friday that they would be without Hunter Rayburn, who wound up entering the team’s COVID-protocol.

“It wasn’t a ton,” Elliott said when asked if Rayburn’s absence disrupted the offensive line. “I think the thing that disrupted us more than anything was just the penalties and the missed plays. A couple of missed blocks on the perimeter, we had a holding call on the big screen play to the tight end [Davis Allen] there. So, just those things probably disputed us more than Rayburn going into protocol this morning.”

Rayburn did an admirable job of filling in at center with Will Putnam sidelined during Clemson’s 19-13 win over Boston College back on Saturday, Oct. 2. He was expected to start at center with Putnam being re-inserted at right guard and Matt Bockhorst shifting over to left guard.

But, Clemson failed to catch a break. It was yet again another blow to a team that had 14 unavailable scholarship players Friday night, including Rayburn.

That gave way to Mason Trotter making his first career start. After fracturing his hand before the start of the season, Trotter had to fight his way back from injury.

He was unable to snap the ball with his hand clubbed up, but that changed Friday night. Getting his first game experience at the center position, Trotter’s right hand was heavily wrapped up, but he was ready to go and filled in for Rayburn.

“Fortunately for Mason, he had an opportunity to snap throughout the week,” Elliott said. “We had an option there with Bockhorst going back to center, but felt like the best thing to do was give Mason Trotter an opportunity and outside of his [bad] snap, I felt like Mason did a solid job of coming in and being ready with the next man up.”

Trotter, Bockhorst and Jordan McFadden were the only offensive lineman who played every snap Friday. The Tigers were substituting linemen in and out Friday and had a quick hook when doing so.

There were instances when Bockhorst played both left and right guard, Marcus Tate came in at right guard and Mitchell Mayes saw some time at right tackle. Not an ideal situation for a unit that was looking to build off its best performance of the season, which came nearly two weeks ago.

“Definitely, making sure that there’s accountability at every position,” Elliott said when asked about the shuffling upfront. “I guess the easiest thing to see is if a wideout drops a ball or has a bad play, you can see when a substitution is made. A lot of times you might miss it on the offensive line. We knew going into the game that we were going to have to shuffle some people around. Obviously, the plan was different than when we woke up this morning and then it changed, so we wanted to keep an eye on the situation.

“I thought they did a good job in establishing the line of scrimmage in the run game, but feel like we have to do a better job from a protection standpoint. There were a couple of 1-on-1s that we lost, that I thought we had a better matchup…I thought in the run game, they did some really good things, but in the pass game we have to do a better job protecting our quarterback.”

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Can Clemson’s running game build on breakout performance?

Clemson didn’t look like the same team running the ball against Boston College that it’s been for much of the season. That’s good news for the Tigers. After weeks of going virtually nowhere on the ground (not counting its meeting with a physically …

Clemson didn’t look like the same team running the ball against Boston College that it’s been for much of the season.

That’s good news for the Tigers.

After weeks of going virtually nowhere on the ground (not counting its meeting with a physically overmatched FCS opponent in South Carolina State), No. 25 Clemson (3-2, 2-1 ACC) finally found some consistency in the running game against the Eagles. The end result was the Tigers’ second 200-yard rushing game of the season.

After averaging 87.6 yards per game on the ground against its first three FBS opponents, the Tigers racked up 231 yards in their win over Boston College, which was allowing just 99.7 rushing yards coming in, a stat that ranked in the top 25 nationally. The S.C. State game (242) is the only one in which Clemson has rushed for more.

“We stopped the run and got the run game going,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “It was definitely the difference in the game.”

Clemson has dealt with attrition at running back throughout the season. First, it was senior Lyn-J Dixon deciding to leave the program three games in. Then freshman Will Shipley sustained a lower leg injury late against North Carolina State that will keep him out multiple games, but it was hard to tell against Boston College.

Kobe Pace had a career-high 125 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown that doubled as Clemson’s longest play from scrimmage this season. True freshman Phil Mafah got his first collegiate snaps because of that attrition and ripped off 58 yards on just eight carries. The Tigers averaged 5.8 yards per tote, easily the most against a team not named S.C. State.

Clemson will try to build on that performance its next time out Friday at Syracuse (3-3, 0-2). But to get a better idea of how the Tigers may try to go about doing that, it’s important to understand what led to the breakthrough against Boston College.

The first part of the equation isn’t complicated, Swinney said. The Tigers’ retooled offensive line tried a couple of different starting combinations through the first four weeks of the season and went with a third against the Eagles out of necessity. It was also the most effective one to date.

With right guard Will Putnam (toe) injured, the Tigers slid Matt Bockhorst over and inserted Hunter Rayburn into the starting lineup at center. Freshman Marcus Tate also got another start at left guard after being replaced by Paul Tchio there a week earlier.

It’s a group that’s struggled with sheer physicality as well as blocking assignments and communication at times with so many moving parts, but Swinney said none of that was an issue against the Eagles.

“The offensive line really played well,” Swinney said. “We didn’t have the critical errors. We didn’t have miscommunication. We weren’t turning guys that were supposed to be blocked loose. We really communicated well, targeted well and were very physical.”

Mafah echoed his coach’s sentiment when asked why he felt like the running game was more effective than it’s been for much of the season.

“As a team, we’ve just been talking about just really imposing our will on our opponent,” Mafah said. “Dabo is always talking about in practice that we need to bring that to the game field, and I just feel like the o-linemen and the offense, we just came with that intensity. I felt like the offensive line did a great job (last week), so I give a lot of props to them, (offensive line) coach (Robbie) Caldwell and our coaches for allowing us the opportunity to get that open.”

Clemson also made a point to get the backs out on the perimeter with stretch plays, pitches and options. Mafah’s longest run — a 26-yarder late in the first half — came on one of those stretch plays where he ran through an opening off tackle and wasn’t met by a Boston College defender until he was more than 5 yards past the line of scrimmage.

Mafah broke a couple of would-be tackles to help turn it into one of Clemson’s longest runs of the night, but Swinney said attacking the Eagles on the edge wasn’t necessarily about how Boston College was defending the Tigers. The stretch has been a staple of Clemson’s playbook this season, but Swinney again pointed to the group up front for the primary difference in its effectiveness this time around.

“We run the inside zone and the outside zone, but we just blocked it better the other night,” Swinney said. “When you block it well, good things happen. And we ran it well. Ran the right tracks. Again, we were able to get in rhythm and, all of a sudden, you start playing some complementary football as far as how you can complement plays and get in a rhythm as far as calling the plays.”

And, more heavily than he’s been all season, Clemson also got D.J. Uiagalelei involved in the running game again. The Tigers’ 6-foot-4, 247-pound quarterback had a season-high 12 carries for 50 yards, most of those coming on designed runs between the tackles. The Tigers also ran their share of zone reads, where Uiagalelei has the option to hand off or keep the ball based on how the defensive line plays it. Swinney said there were a couple of times where Uiagalelei could’ve likely picked up even more yards on the ground had he pulled the ball, but he largely made the right decisions to hand off to Pace and Mafah in those situations, Swinney added.

The Tigers’ success on the ground forced Boston College to commit an extra defender or two to the box and play more man coverage than Clemson has seen this season. Uiagalelei didn’t connect on any of those throws deep down the field, something Swinney said has to start happening if Clemson is going to make defenses pay for playing that way, but it’s largely up to the running game to keep giving the Tigers one-on-one matchups on the outside.

“We had to prove we can run the ball, and when you can do that, then you open things up in the passing game,” Swinney said.

As for which lineup the Tigers go with on the offensive line against Syracuse, that’s something that continues to be evaluated, Swinney said. Part of that depends on if Putnam is able to give it a go against the Orange, another defense ranked in the top 35 nationally in rushing yards allowed (114 per game).

If so, Clemson could move Bockhorst back to left guard, where he played last season, and keep Rayburn at center. Another option would be to stick with the same lineup as last week if Putnam has to miss another game.

Ultimately, the Tigers need the running game to continue doing its part if the offense is going to maximize its potential over the final seven games and help keep Clemson in the ACC title race.

“If the defense wants to give us a box to run on all day, we’ve got to do our best to run against it,” Rayburn said. “If they want to play a little light coverage and let us throw the ball, then let’s throw it. We’ve got to be ready for whatever defense we play and just take what they give us.”

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Rayburn staying ready wherever he’s needed up front

Hunter Rayburn has been waiting for an opportunity like the one he had last week for nearly three seasons. Clemson’s offensive lineman took full advantage of it. After spending much of his first two seasons in the program playing in mop-up duty up …

Hunter Rayburn has been waiting for an opportunity like the one he had last week for nearly three seasons.

Clemson’s offensive lineman took full advantage of it.

After spending much of his first two seasons in the program playing in mop-up duty up front, Rayburn got his first career start at center against Boston College. With right guard Will Putnam injured, Matt Bockhorst moved back to guard to fill in for him while Rayburn took over snapping duties, though Rayburn didn’t really care how his insertion into the starting lineup came about.

“It was special. It’s something I prayed about and that I’ve dreamed out. Getting to go out there and play was awesome and really rewarding. I hate to see that for Put because Puts a great guy and a great player. But I tried to be ready for my opportunity.”

Putnam helped pave the way for Tigers’ second-best offensive output of the season in terms of total yards (438) and rushing yards, the latter being one of the unit’s most glaring weaknesses this season. The Tigers entered their game against Boston College 99th out of 130 FBS teams in rushing but racked up 231 yards on the ground in their 19-13 win.

Rayburn attributed the increased production on the ground to improved communication among the starting five.

“That’s the biggest part of any play,” Rayburn said. “If we’re not all the same page and one guy messes up, it can be a bust.”

Rayburn’s assignments came at the position he admitted to being most comfortable with up front. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound sophomore played 97 snaps over 10 games the previous two seasons with most of that playing time coming at guard and even tackle. Rayburn said that was largely out of necessity as injuries piled up at those spots.

Rayburn said he still reps at different positions during practice unless otherwise ordered by coaches. Before last week, though, his only game reps this season had come at guard.

But Rayburn was back at center against the Eagles, a position where he had competed with Bockhorst and fellow sophomore Mason Trotter during fall camp. As for his performance last week, Rayburn was satisfied with it outside of one low snap to D.J. Uiagalelei in the second half.

“I feel like I did all right,” Rayburn said. “That snap for sure could’ve been better. The ball, it was pretty wet. And my towel was pretty wet at that point. Other than that, I feel like I did all right.”

The way the line performed as a whole could prompt the coaching staff to keep Rayburn at center and move Bockhorst back to left guard, where he played last season, assuming Putnam is able to return for the Tigers’ next game Friday at Syracuse. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said all possible lineups up front would be evaluated before then.

“I was just just ready to play wherever they put me,” Rayburn said.

He’ll continue to stay that way going forward.

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Grading Clemson’s offense through the first half of the season

Clemson won’t officially hit the halfway point on its 12-game regular season until after its game at Syracuse next week, but it’s close enough. With an open date to take a step back and evaluate where the Tigers are as a team, TCI is handing out …

Let’s hand out some grades for each position on offense through five games:

Quarterback

D.J. Uiagalelei entered this season with plenty of hype taking over the offense after Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 overall draft pick. It came not only from the fact Uiagalelei was a former five-star recruit himself but also because of his breakout performances against Boston College and Notre Dame in his spot starts last season. But the first half of this season has served as a jarring reminder that he’s still a young player figuring things out just seven starts into his college career.

In terms of pure arm talent, Uiagalelei may be the best Clemson has ever had during the Dabo Swinney era. There’s not a throw on the field the 6-foot-5, 247-pounder can’t make, but consistently finding the mark on those throws has been another story. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been efficient at times (65% completion rate in wins over South Carolina and Georgia Tech), but Uiagalelei is last in the ACC — and 105th nationally — with a completion percentage of 54.3% largely because of a lack of accuracy and touch on the intermediate-to-deep throws. To be fair, the lack of a consistent running game has kept the pressure on Uiagalelei on the receivers to constantly produce, but Clemson ran the ball as well as it has all season last week against Boston College, resulting in more man coverage on the outside. But Uiagalelei misfired on every deep shot and left some points on the field.

Uiagalelei has gradually been used more in the running game and has provided a spark there (21 carries for 113 yards the last two games combined). But as Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said, Uiagalelei simply has to start connecting with his receivers down the field when those opportunities are there if the offense is going to do its part in keeping Clemson in the ACC title race going forward. Grade: C

Running back

Not only are the Tigers feeling the impact of Travis Etienne’s loss, but there’s attrition that’s affecting the backfield as well. There’s not a back on the roster with the same kind of skill set as Etienne, and the one that might be the closest, true freshman Will Shipley, is out for the time being. Meanwhile, Clemson’s most experienced back, Lyn-J Dixon, isn’t around anymore either after choosing to leave the program three games into the season.

That’s left sophomore Kobe Pace and another true freshman, Phil Mafah, as the primary backs. Darien Rencher and Michel Dukes are also around, but they haven’t been used much outside of the South Carolina State game. The blocking in front of them has been iffy, but the youth has shown up with some missed holes and cutbacks. The pass protection has been solid for the most part, though, and Pace had a career game with 125 yards on 18 carries against Boston College. Mafah also had 58 yards on just eight carries in his collegiate debut, an encouraging sign for a running game that needs to get going. Grade: C+

Receivers and tight ends

Justyn Ross hasn’t made every play (there was that drop in overtime against North Carolina Stated before that strange last play), but Clemson’s top wideout has been solid in his return from spinal fusion surgery. He leads the Tigers with 23 receptions, three of those going for scores. And a healthy Joseph Ngata has flashed all of that potential coaches have been talking about in the former five-star recruit. Ngata has been the Tigers’ most explosive pass-catcher at 19.6 yards per reception.

But nobody else still on the roster has caught a touchdown this season. Tight end Davis Allen is Clemson’s third-leading receiver, and the Tigers haven’t utilized their tight ends a ton in the passing game. Braden Galloway, known more as Clemson’s receiving tight end, has just four catches for 14 yards, and he’s now dealing with concussion. Receivers Frank Ladson (groin) and E.J. Williams (hand/knee) are also dealing with injuries. Blocking on the perimeter has been spotty, too.

Uiagalelei’s inaccuracy at times has played a factor. So has the way defenses have played the Tigers. But Clemson has struggled to get other receivers involved, something that needs to change going forward. Grade: B-

Offensive line

Tackles Jordan McFadden and Walker Parks have been solid on the edges, but it’s been a rough go for Clemson’s retooled group as a whole through five games. With two new starters joining three returning starters — two of which (McFadden and Matt Bockhorst) are transitioning to different positions than they played last season — Clemson has yet to settle on a five it’s comfortable with. The Tigers have already tried three different starting combinations up front, but missed assignments and a lack of push in the running game have plagued the unit.

Clemson ranks 117th nationally in total offense and 83rd in rushing at 146 yards per game, a number that was below 127 on average before last week. The line had perhaps its best performance against Boston College, paving the way for 231 rushing yards and 438 total yards. With Will Putnam injured, the Tigers found maybe their best interior combination with Bockhorst moving back to guard and Hunter Rayburn repping at center.

Bockhorst could go back to left guard (where he played last season) when Putnam returns to the starting lineup on the right side, something Swinney is hopeful will happen when the Tigers return to action at Syracuse. There’s some time to evaluate that with that game not being played until Oct. 15, but the line improved its grade with its latest performance. Grade: C-

Overall

With some new players at key positions, Clemson’s offense has looked borderline dysfunctional at times, performing far below the standard set by many of the Tigers’ offenses over the last decade. Was Boston College a turning-the-corner moment? The offensive line needs to settle on its best five, the running game needs more consistency and Uiagalelei and his receivers need to make plays when they’re there through the air. There’s loads of talent and potential. Now it’s a matter of putting it all together. Grade: C

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Swinney ‘very encouraged’ by offensive line play in win over BC

Clemson’s offensive line has been a work in progress, to say the least. The unit had largely struggled coming into Saturday’s game against Boston College and turned in their best performance of the season during Clemson’s 19-13 victory. “We really …

Clemson’s offensive line has been a work in progress, to say the least.

The unit had largely struggled coming into Saturday’s game against Boston College and turned in their best performance of the season during Clemson’s 19-13 victory.

“We really played well up front,” Dabo Swinney told reporters Monday. “I can’t tell you how proud I was of those guys.”

Leading into this past Saturday’s game, Swinney indicated that Clemson was considering everything in terms of reshuffling things upfront. Instead of pulling a starter from the lineup due to poor play, Will Putnam did not suit up due to a toe injury.

With Putnam sidelined, Clemson reinserted Marcus Tate back into the starting lineup, shifted Matt Bockhorst to right guard and placed Hunter Rayburn at center.

While everyone graded out quite well, Clemson will likely have another different starting combination upfront against Syracuse. Swinney described Putnam as “a little better” and that he’s hopeful that by Sunday, he’ll be able to start practicing again.

While it came at the expense of an unfortunate injury, Clemson’s decision to make a change at center and move Bockhorst back to his natural position of guard, paid off immensely.

“Rayburn man, I was super proud of him,” Swinney said. “He did have that one little series down in the red zone, critical. We had the pick play, that was just a bad play by E.J. (Williams) and then we jumped offsides, and then we had the bad snap. It was like bam, bam, bam, right there in a row. But man, Rayburn played really well. I was super, super proud of him. He had a couple of plays where he got on the edge a little bit, but he was physical. The first time for him to go in there and play that amount of snaps and manage it.”

“Rayburn really did a nice job, really pleased with him,” he added. “I think that’ll be huge for his confidence to have that amount of experience.”

Bockhorst came into the season as Clemson’s most experienced offensive lineman, but the team’s vocal leader’s move to the center position has been inconsistent at best. He turned in his best performance of the season against Boston College.

“Bockhorst was our player of the game,” Swinney said. ‘He was just outstanding. He and Kobe (Pace). Bock was tremendous, by far his best game. (He was) physical, and did a great job of helping Rayburn.”

Overall, Swinney was impressed with what the entire unit was able to do up front all game. Clemson was finally able to run the ball efficiently and effectively. The Tigers gained 231 rushing yards on 40 carries, while D.J. Uiagalelei had ample time in the pocket.

“The whole group really played well. There was a lot of things on tape that was really good to see, that I’m very encouraged by,” Swinney added. “Marcus Tate looked like he took a step forward as well. The game slowed down just a little bit for him. (Jordan) McFadden has been solid as they come all year. The same thing with Walker (Parks), I thought he did a heck of a job for us too.”

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On Putnam’s injury and the offensive line situation going forward

Dabo Swinney remained tightlipped about the injury to one of Clemson’s starting offensive lineman throughout the week. The Tigers’ coach never mentioned Will Putnam’s toe injury leading up to Clemson’s game against Boston College. And Swinney wasn’t …

Dabo Swinney remained tightlipped about the injury to one of Clemson’s starting offensive lineman throughout the week.

The Tigers’ coach never mentioned Will Putnam’s toe injury leading up to Clemson’s game against Boston College. And Swinney wasn’t asked about it given the fact Putnam started and played the whole game last week against North Carolina State just like he usually does at right guard.

But following Clemson’s 19-13 win over the Eagles late Saturday night at Memorial Stadium — a game the Tigers had to play without Putnam — Swinney revealed Putnam sustained the injury on the first series of Clemson’s loss to N.C. State. Yet Putnam never said a word about it despite his foot being “as black and blue as it could be” after that game, Swinney said.

“He couldn’t even walk hardly on Sunday,” Swinney said. “The whole bottom of his foot was black and blue, so he paid the price for it this week.”

Clemson had already made one change on the offensive line against N.C. State, inserting Paul Tchio at left guard in place of freshman Marcus Tate against. Leading up to the Boston College game, Swinney said he was “considering everything” when asked if he was contemplating any other changes to one of the more maligned position groups amid the Tigers’ sluggish start to the season offensively, but Putnam’s injury forced his hand.

With Putnam unavailable, Clemson slid center Matt Bockhorst over to fill in at right guard and plugged Hunter Rayburn in at center. Rayburn competed with Bockhorst throughout fall camp for the starting center job, but his only game reps before Saturday had come at guard. The Tigers also reinserted Tate into the starting lineup at left guard.

The shakeup helped Clemson turn in its best rushing performance of the season against an FBS opponent. The Tigers, which came in ranked 99th nationally in rushing, racked up 231 of their 438 yards on the ground, finishing just 11 yards shy of their top rushing performance through five games (242 against FCS member South Carolina State).

Aided by a 59-yard touchdown run from Kobe Pace — Clemson’s longest play from scrimmage this season, the Tigers averaged 5.8 yards per carry, getting as much push up front as they have all season.

“I thought (Rayburn) did a nice job, and I thought Bock did a great job, moving him over there to right guard with Putnam out,” Swinney said. “On the field, it looked like him and (right tackle) Walker (Parks) did a nice job on some double teams.

“Proud of Rayburn. He’s a young player, and that’s a big moment for him. So hopefully that’s something he can grow from with some confidence. And same thing with Tate.”

The question is, what does the offensive line look like once Putnam returns, particularly on the interior?

Swinney said he expects Putnam to be available again at some point this season, and it could be in time for Clemson’s next game at Syracuse on Oct. 15. An open date before then will give the 6-foot-4, 305-pound junior an extra week to rest, but whenever Putnam returns, he’ll slide back in as the starting right guard.

“Putnam has actually been very consistent for us,” Swinney said. “He’s played well.”

As for which direction the Tigers go at center and left guard, that’s less unclear. Bockhorst started the first four games at center but started every game last season at left guard. The fifth-year senior is also a far more experienced player than Tate and Tchio, who’ve combined for five career starts.

Might Clemson move Bockhorst back to his his more familiar left guard spot once Putnam returns and keep Rayburn at center? Swinney said the Tigers have some time to evaluate all of that.

“It’s nice that we’ll have more experience and a little bit more experienced options as we figure out how we’re going to go, so we’ll look at everything,” he said. “We’ve got an open date to figure out several things that we’re going to have to do from a personnel standpoint to give ourselves a good chance moving forward.”

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Clemson ‘considering everything’ to improve its offensive line

It took just four games for Clemson to make a change on its retooled offensive line, and Dabo Swinney isn’t shutting the door on the possibility of more coming. “We’re considering everything,” Clemson’s coach said. “There ain’t nothing we ain’t …

It took just four games for Clemson to make a change on its retooled offensive line, and Dabo Swinney isn’t shutting the door on the possibility of more coming.

“We’re considering everything,” Clemson’s coach said. “There ain’t nothing we ain’t considering because we’re just not very good right now.”

It’s been a rough start for a unit that began the season with two new starters and a pair of returning starters that are playing different positions than they did a season ago (former guard Matt Bockhorst at center and left tackle Jordan McFadden flipping over from the right side). One of the newbies, true freshman left guard Marcus Tate, was replaced by third-year sophomore Paul Tchio in the starting lineup against North Carolina State.

Fellow sophomore Hunter Rayburn also rotated in at that spot, but Swinney said the coaching staff is continuing to search for the right combination up front after the group again had issues with communication and blocking assignments in the Tigers’ 27-21 double-overtime loss.

The unit was physically overwhelmed by Georgia in the season opener with the Bulldogs holding Clemson to 2 net rushing yards while racking up seven sacks. But while the pass protection has gradually improved (just two sacks allowed since), a consistent lack of push up front still hasn’t given much room for the Tigers’ running backs to operate between the tackles.

No. 19 Clemson (2-2, 1-1 ACC) rushed for just 103 yards against N.C. State and was averaging less than 2 yards per carry before quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei broke free for a 37-yard run late in the fourth quarter. It dropped the Tigers to 98th out of 130 FBS teams in rushing yards (126.2 per game), which is actually one of their better statistical national rankings through four games. Clemson, which has yet to eclipse 14 points in regulation against an FBS foe this season, is 105th in scoring (21.5 points per game), 115th in passing and 121st in total offense.

Tchio is still listed as the starter at left guard heading into Saturday’s game at Boston College (4-0, 0-0), though that’s the only change on the depth chart for now. Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said Monday another move the Tigers are contemplating up front is whether or not to move backup tackle Mitchell Mayes inside, a strong indication of how the coaching staff feels about the production — or lack thereof — it’s getting from its interior linemen.

“Tchio did OK. Rayburn got a few plays here and there,” Swinney said. “It’s something we’re constantly evaluating, working on and trying to find the right combination. Just looking for consistency.”

The Tigers are also dealing with attrition in the backfield with Lyn-J Dixon (transfer) and freshman running back Will Shipley (leg injury) both out of the equation for now. Swinney said it will likely be at least a few weeks before Shipley returns, which will force fellow true freshman Phil Mafah into action. Swinney had hoped to be able to redshirt the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder, but the attrition has likely taken that option off the table. Mafah is listed as the No. 2 back on this week’s depth chart behind Kobe Pace.

Regardless of who’s getting handoffs, though, they’ll need more help from a line that’s clearly working through some growing pains. But just because Swinney has decided to go with a more experienced player at Tate’s position for the time being doesn’t mean he’s necessarily down on the newcomer.

Swinney compared Tate’s situation to that of one of his former kickers, Chandler Catanzaro, who made just 63% of his field goals as a freshman before leaving Clemson as the program’s all-time leading scorer and kicking five seasons in the NFL.

“We’ve got some kids that are kind of in that situation right now, that when it’s all said and done, the story is done and written, the date is on the other end of the dash and they’re out of here, they’re going to leave their mark,” Swinney said. “A kid like Marcus Tate, he’ll be as good as we’ve had roll through here. He’s going to be a great one.

“Same thing with Tchio and all these guys, these young bucks that are trying and getting their nose bloodied a little bit in the meeting room, on the practice field and in the game.”

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

GameDay crew dishes on state of Clemson’s program: ‘These guys are pissed’

On the first hour of this Saturday’s version of ESPN’s College GameDay, the trio of David Pollack, Desmond Howard and Kirk Herbstreit each dished their thoughts out on the state of Clemson’s program and where the Tigers go from here. Leading up to …

Leading up to today’s game against NC State, ESPN set forth a segment that showed Matt Bockhort’s fiery comments from earlier this week. It resonated with the crew and summarizes the level of frustration that has boiled up until this point.

“If I’m Dabo, all these years I’ve had to manufacture so many bad things against me like these guys are pissed now,” Pollack said. “These guys are literally upset. They have something to be upset about. Usually, it’s like ‘Hey we’re gonna go to the natty. We’re gonna be in the final four, the ACC stinks.’ Dabo’s got everything he needs right now. Listen, do they need to get some things fixed? 100 percent. The offensive line has to get better. I think the quarterback run game will be more and more a part of this offense. But right now, the best thing about this team is they’re gonna be pissed off.”

As for Howard, the former Heisman winner believes that D.J. Uiagalelei “almost refuses to run.” That he’s hesitant and won’t tuck the ball and run unless instructed otherwise by his offensive coordinator, Tony Elliott.

Howard has been concerned with Clemson’s offense and he hasn’t been shy about sharing that opinion throughout. However, he does love what he’s seen from Bockhorst and his willingness to hold others around him accountable.

“I just love the way that Matt Bockhorst said, ‘Listen, I’m not here to make friends.’ He’s now starting to hold his teammates accountable,” Howard said. “When Dabo Swinney did a press conference he said, “Yeah, he’s playing a lot of football here. He’s seen the way we win. He knows the standard.’ So now, he’s gonna hold his teammates accountable. I love that. I hope he shows himself today when they play NC State, though.”

As for Herbstreit, he believes Clemson’s issues offensively go beyond this season and into last, where they were masked by two first-round picks, who now play for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“Clemson’s had some years where they’ve struggled early,” Herbstreit said. “I think Tony Elliott, what I’ve seen him do, is they go back to the practice and simplify, help the offensive line out and they go fast. I think we’ll see more tempo, more to try to accelerate, try to get NC. State on their heels.

“But there are real issues here with this offensive line. This was an issue last year. It was hidden because you had Travis Etienne, you had Trevor Lawrence and they threw the ball out more than they were able to run. They cannot run the ball for the second year in a row as we sit here right now. You got NC State, if they’re smart, they’re gonna set back and coverage and not let [Joseph] Ngata…make them beat you vertically and just see if they can run the ball and move the ball down the field.”

Clemson’s offense will try to right the ship when the Tigers take on NC State (2-1, 0-0 ACC) today at 3:30 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.

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