Clemson must commit to the running game

By Lee Roberts  |   Friday, February 27, 2009  |  Comments( 2 )

Clemson Tigers
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Clemson's 2008 football season could be described as turbulent, but that might be an understatement. Going from preseason national championship contender to firing your head coach to playing in a New Year’s Day bowl runs the gamut of success and failure as much as any team in the nation last season. Without the rumors of a coaching change, Clemson finally has some stability. It now needs to use this spring to find its identity.

Clemson struggled on both sides of the ball at times last season. One week, the Tigers would give up just 12 points and lose, only to score 27 points a few weeks later yet fall by two touchdowns. Some of this inconsistency can certainly be attributed to the midseason coaching change from Tommy Bowden to Dabo Swinney. However, the biggest problem is that Clemson never had a true identity on the field.

Entering the season, Clemson appeared to possess all the tools for an offensive juggernaut. Quarterback Cullen Harper was coming off a strong 2007 season and was even being mentioned in early Heisman discussions. The backfield was dynamic with the two-headed monster of James Davis and C.J. Spiller, while Jacoby Ford and Aaron Kelly were to be the playmakers in the passing game. But a funny thing happened on the way to Clemson’s pre-ordained ACC championship. It never figured out whether to focus on the run or the pass.

The three-game stretch of losses against Maryland, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech illustrated the inconsistencies in Clemson’s offense. Against Maryland, Clemson rolled out to a 10-0 first-quarter lead and a 17-6 halftime advantage behind 204 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In the second half, Clemson only ran the ball for 31 yards and eventually lost 20-17. Against Wake, Clemson ran for only 21 yards, while completing just 15 of 35 passes in a 12-7 loss. In the Georgia Tech game, the passing game was gain the focus as Clemson rushed for a mere 54 yards in another defeat.

Conversely, during the three-game winning streak to close out the regular season, Clemson focused on the run. Against Duke, the Tigers rolled up 140 yards. Versus Virginia, Clemson only ran for 56 yards but had 39 attempts, so it was clear what the game plan entailed. And against South Carolina, Clemson went for 184 yards on the ground.

So it seems obvious after looking through the numbers, but Clemson needs to use this spring to bolster its offensive line and make sure everyone is committed to its running game.
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About Lee Roberts

Born in Richmond, Va, I moved south to UNC-Chapel Hill for college and received a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. I currently live in Charlotte, NC and cover Auburn, LSU and the ACC.
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