CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
Clemson's O-line has been under the microscope this week after struggles at Notre Dame.

Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week


by - Staff Writer -

Replacing four starters on the offensive line was an understandable offseason focus, but the underlying issue there is a real problem through eight games according to Clemson’s head coach.

All four players who moved into starting roles -- (l-r) redshirt junior Matt Bockhorst, graduate Cade Stewart, sophomore Will Putnam and redshirt sophomore Jordan McFadden -- played key roles in the action last season with an O-line group that aided strong efficiency numbers on the ground and protecting the QB.

But with that experience moving up, the trends in roster makeup on the O-line have left the No. 4 Tigers with all underclassmen among the trusted options off the bench -- and that trust is still wavering at this point.

Clemson’s second-string there averaged about 20 snaps per game last season, while the listed second-team this season has seen half that -- and that’s with averaging six more plays a game in 2020 (78 vs. 72).

Compound things with the struggles creating movement upfront featured once again in the 47-40 double OT loss at Notre Dame -- and a useful bye week could be as vital as ever in trying to find a midseason solution.

“That’s one of our issues right now,” Dabo Swinney said of their O-line depth earlier this week, “to be quite frank with you, in the past years we have been playing a lot of guys on the OL and we’re just really young (now) and just don’t have the depth there right now in a game like that. That’s one of the things we have to spend the time with the young guys this week. We love the guys we have.

“We just have got a gap from a knowledge standpoint. (The starters) are playing a lot more plays than we normally play with that group and hopefully we develop as we go.”

Swinney didn’t use those issues as an excuse for the performance at Notre Dame, where he acknowledged his group was “just beat” as the Irish bottled up the run game. The starting right guard Putnam said he was disappointed they couldn’t move the line like they wanted to and was thankful to have the bye week to work on the issues surrounding technique, hand placement and building knowledge.

“As a group, obviously we did better in the techniques and were a little more proficient in the pass blocking than we were in the run blocking,” he said, “but it's good that we have the bye week and have extra time to work and hone in on our skills.”

Clemson led the nation in yards per carry (6.37) and ranked 13th in rushing yards (240) per game last year. They sit in 72nd (4.08) and 77th (150) in those spots respectively so far this season.

True freshman Walker Parks and redshirt freshman Mason Trotter were two backups who played double-digit snaps at Notre Dame and Swinney is eager to see them and more Tiger linemen down the depth chart grow into bigger roles this season.

“For Walker and for Trotter to get some really quality experience in a critical situation -- and do a nice job -- bodes well,” he said. “Our pass protection was awesome (at Notre Dame). I mean awesome, until right there at the end in the second overtime and we gave up our first sack. Should have thrown away the ball on the first one but gave up our first sack the whole game (on the OL). I was really pleased with our pass pro. Did a really nice job with that against a really good front.

“Getting Mason in there and getting Walker in there is definitely going to help us. That is definitely an area that we’re thin at.”

Clemson’s remaining scheduled opponents run the gamut on effectiveness against the run, with two among the worst in Florida State (91st; 200 YPG; and now down All-ACC DT Marvin Wilson) and Virginia Tech (97th; 202.86) and another leading the Power 5 (Pitt, 78.6 YPG).

Putnam promises the O-line will work to improve down the stretch in response to whatever challenges come up.

“We've always been a very tight-knit group,” Putnam said. “And whenever we practice, everyone gets reps throughout the week when we practice. We've always been a tight-knit group win or lose and I don't think that's ever going to change for us. And we're always looking to improve, whether we win by a lot or we lose -- we're always looking to improve on every aspect of our game.”

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Subject (Replies: 34) Author
spacer TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
TigerNet News®
spacer Not just the backups and depth that is at issue.
kbtiger®
spacer Yeah it's kind of a tough sell to frame this as a
TigersAndCubs
spacer Re: Not just the backups and depth that is at issue.
treetiger
spacer Not just the backups and depth that is at issue.
kbtiger®
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
9 Lives
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
Valley Boy
spacer Regarding the QB run game at ND - Dabo said earlier in the
tabbyplague®
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
deleted
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
Valley Boy
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
westerntigerfan
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
smillsap1
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
footballmanager
spacer We are inexperienced and have zero depth
TigerDominance
spacer Re: We are inexperienced and have zero depth
slycat®
spacer Re: We are inexperienced and have zero depth
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer I wouldn't trade Dabo for any coach in America.
Smiling Tiger®
spacer I wouldn't trade him for anybody either, but that doesn't
CM Shack®
spacer Re: Not to beat a dead horse but, it's pretty obvious this
Ridgeland Booster®
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Pretty Much Can Only Get Better***
morbidtiger®
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
74TIGER
spacer Its been a good run
hungrytowin
spacer Re: TNET: Clemson O-line depth, effectiveness was under microscope in bye week
LeonTrotsky
spacer I would expect a team that has been recruiting in the Top 10
CM Shack®
spacer How did we even get behind schedule on OL recruiting to
CM Shack®
spacer I would love to see the OC take some of the pressure off
7173TIGER®
spacer I am a huge Tony Elliott Fan; but
HillRockTiger®
spacer The fumble return for a TD vs ND happened on a designed
CM Shack®
spacer downvote my statements all you want coward, but you can't
CM Shack®
spacer Thank you for proving my point, you thin-skinned chicken
CM Shack®
spacer Re: I would love to see the OC take some of the pressure off
Tigerlife2005
spacer Re: I would love to see the OC take some of the pressure off
BloodbeOrange®
spacer Saying "depth" is the problem on the O-line
MoCity
spacer It is a depth issue, in that if we had better depth, some of
CM Shack®