Clemson’s O-line deserves blame for loss

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, October 01, 2007  |  Comments( 9 )

Clemson Tigers
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Entering this past Saturday's Clemson-Georgia Tech, it seemed as if things weren't going to be very pretty.

The Tigers, ranked 13th going in, seemed destined to be upset, and they were. After all, Clemson has always had issues when it's gotten close to or inside the top 10 in recent years. The chances of implosion increasingly became wide open. Something breaks, something goes awry. It's like the team suffers from an Icarus Syndrome.

And something did go wrong -- very wrong -- as Georgia Tech, in workmanlike fashion, methodically dismantled the Tigers' offense and defeated Clemson 13-3.

Judging from the few first plays from scrimmage, there appeared to be no emotion whatsoever from the Tigers. It was eerie in that this game, from its very onset, looked almost exactly like the Tigers' Virginia Tech matchup last season. If you remember, the Tigers were riding a high wave of popularity entering the contest against the Hokies, but there balloon was popped.

As for Saturday's loss, it's clear what the culprit was for Clemson -- the offensive line. The defense looked great. Fatigue didn't set in, and Tech never scored a touchdown after the first quarter. Unfortunately for the Tigers, the defense can't win games for the team; that's the offense's job.

Most members of the offense are seniors who have system experience, but only one, Barry Richardson, is a returning starter from last season. So there was a serious lack of game-day know-how going in, and apparently the situation reared its ugly head against the first solid team Clemson has battled this year. Utilizing various blitz and rush packages, Georgia Tech was able to shut down the Tigers' blocking almost effortlessly. Weighing what was seen on field with stats -- only 34 yards rushing, six sacks allowed and a blocked punt, zero touchdowns, etcetera -- it's clear the O-line really hurt Clemson.

After their defeat, Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden and offensive line coach Brad Scott will have to shore up those issues quickly. They were facing a stingy defense this past game, and it'll only get worse as they square off against an even stauncher defense, Virginia Tech, next Saturday in Death Valley. The Tigers have surrendered 16 sacks, and Hokie coach Frank Beamer definitely knows that and will try to exploit the Tigers' inability to block oncoming rushers.

The likelihood of the loss to Georgia Tech being the start of a Tigers slide is pretty high when you consider Clemson faces a much tougher team in just six days. But until that happens, there's no reason to panic just yet.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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CommentsComments: 9  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
jerry a marullo		10:29 AM
10/01/2007
Let us not forget the special teams problems either.The man has been with us for 9 seasons now and even after hiring a new coach...
No.2
Bob		12:28 PM
10/01/2007
Clemson got "Bowdenized" We all knew it was a matter of time before the Tigers lost a game that they had no business, on paper at...
No.3
FutureUser		02:05 PM
10/01/2007
Clemson has yet to learn -- whether from Bowden or from another source -- how to handle prosperity. The Tigers keep their focus...
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