As I sat in the stands in Death Valley, watching Clemson Kyle Parker miss pass after pass, and play calling that at best left me bewildered, I had to ask did Clemson really have a Bye week?
I give full credit to Miami they went on the road and did not play their best game and still won fairly comfortably. They came away with stops and plays that kept Clemson at arm's length most of the afternoon.
After Clemson took a 14-7 lead they were outscored 23-7. That was similar to two weeks ago when Auburn outscored Clemson 27-7 to end the game. Now that's a disturbing trend. What else is disturbing? Try this stat on for size...
Clemson QB Kyle Parker was 14 for 33 for 149 yards and 3 interceptions, and a lost fumble. Do the math and that's just a 42.4% completion percentage. That would be a great batting average for Parker, but as a completion rate not so much. Parker frequently threw behind or over receivers. In the first half with Clemson down only 20-14 and under a minute left Parker overthrew his intended target. It was intercepted by Miami and the Canes scored a TD before the half ended.
Watching Parker he looked like someone that missed all of spring practice and most of summer drills. Oh wait nevermind... he had that baseball thing going. If Dabo Swinney ever says again Parker has a shot at playing in the NFL just to keep his QB around you'll know he is lieing through his teeth.
That brings me to another point about Swinney. He often speaks about making Clemson tougher and more physical. With Clemson down 27-21 late in the 4th quarter, it was 3rd and 1. Physical tough teams get that yard Clemson didn't. Clemson ran a gimmicky play wide on 4th down that was stopped well short. Two plays and they couldn't get a yard. The Tigers also had 6 turnovers on the day.
That's not winning football. Swinney has to be questioned now, for a team that played so fundamentally poor after 2 weeks off. There was no timing in the pass game, and of course the 6 turnovers. Only one of which was truly forced by Miami. The great 1st half at Auburn is history, Clemson is on the ropes a little now at 2-2 and not a single quality. Please name a Clemson Wide Receiver that's made a difference. That's position has been virtually non-existent this season.
Swinney heads to a critical game at North Carolina next week. If Clemson falls to 0-2 any ACC hopes they had might be done with.
I give full credit to Miami they went on the road and did not play their best game and still won fairly comfortably. They came away with stops and plays that kept Clemson at arm's length most of the afternoon.
After Clemson took a 14-7 lead they were outscored 23-7. That was similar to two weeks ago when Auburn outscored Clemson 27-7 to end the game. Now that's a disturbing trend. What else is disturbing? Try this stat on for size...
Clemson QB Kyle Parker was 14 for 33 for 149 yards and 3 interceptions, and a lost fumble. Do the math and that's just a 42.4% completion percentage. That would be a great batting average for Parker, but as a completion rate not so much. Parker frequently threw behind or over receivers. In the first half with Clemson down only 20-14 and under a minute left Parker overthrew his intended target. It was intercepted by Miami and the Canes scored a TD before the half ended.
Watching Parker he looked like someone that missed all of spring practice and most of summer drills. Oh wait nevermind... he had that baseball thing going. If Dabo Swinney ever says again Parker has a shot at playing in the NFL just to keep his QB around you'll know he is lieing through his teeth.
That brings me to another point about Swinney. He often speaks about making Clemson tougher and more physical. With Clemson down 27-21 late in the 4th quarter, it was 3rd and 1. Physical tough teams get that yard Clemson didn't. Clemson ran a gimmicky play wide on 4th down that was stopped well short. Two plays and they couldn't get a yard. The Tigers also had 6 turnovers on the day.
That's not winning football. Swinney has to be questioned now, for a team that played so fundamentally poor after 2 weeks off. There was no timing in the pass game, and of course the 6 turnovers. Only one of which was truly forced by Miami. The great 1st half at Auburn is history, Clemson is on the ropes a little now at 2-2 and not a single quality. Please name a Clemson Wide Receiver that's made a difference. That's position has been virtually non-existent this season.
Swinney heads to a critical game at North Carolina next week. If Clemson falls to 0-2 any ACC hopes they had might be done with.
