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The Florida State Seminoles face off against the Clemson Tigers this Saturday at 3:30.
This season has not gone to plan for the Tigers of Clemson, South Carolina. There was some drop-off to be expected when they lost Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne to the draft but no one expected Icarus to topple back towards earth so swiftly.
Clemson boasts a 4-3 record and several of those four wins weren’t convincing. Most of that can be blamed on their offense which currently ranks 114th out of 130 teams in points per game.
If you are more of a visual learner there is a preview video embedded below. Make sure to check it out and come back for more FSU related film content.
For those who prefer a written format here are the main points in the video:
Offense
- Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has raw talent but struggles with consistency
- There are massive holes in the offensive line which will only be exacerbated by the loss of Matt Bockhorst
- The wide receivers, while talented, don’t block well on the perimeter and have had issues catching the ball
- None of these factors have been helped by Offensive Coordinator Tony Elliot who doesn’t appear to have a cohesive identity set for this group
Defense
The defense is another story altogether and one of the main reasons that this Clemson team can be dangerous on any given Saturday. They have a ton of talent on that side of the ball and one of the best Defensive Coordinators in the game in Brent Venables.
- They base out of a 3-3-5 which is effective in shutting down spread offenses and gives a ton of flexibility
- They employ three safeties at once to play games with the quarterback’s eyes and can change coverages post-snap
- Venables is one of the best in the game at designing defensive line stunts to get advantageous matchups in the pass rush
Conclusions
Clemson is both an immovable object and a very stoppable force. If FSU is able to move the ball and keep their defense off of the field then they have a chance to win this game, but if their offense stagnates then the chances are bleak for the ‘Noles. Either way, this figures to be a game where FSU has at least a chance of taking home some sod.