Here's how Clemson football's offense has improved dramatically on third downs
CLEMSON – Through four games, Clemson football has shown dramatic improvement on third downs.
The Tigers ranked 87th in the country in that stat last season, converting only 37.1 percent, a factor in why it was such a struggle to win 10 games. Five of those victories, including the Cheez-It Bowl against Iowa State, were by seven points or fewer. Two of the three losses were by a single possession, including the double-overtime loss at N.C. State.
Clemson’s offense is clicking now. The Tigers have scored 175 points in four games, the second-most in program history since 1900. One of the biggest reasons is that Clemson is sixth-best team at converting third downs. The Tigers are at 54.7 percent (34-for-64).
Fifth-ranked Clemson (4-0, 2-0 ACC) plays Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC) against No. 10 N.C. State (4-0, 0-0) at Memorial Stadium. The Wolfpack's defense against third downs ranks seventh nationally,
“Is there like a magic wand we’ve wave to do that? No,” Clemson passing game coordinator Kyle Richardson said. “But we have gone about it differently in how we prepare.”
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"We made an emphasis when we got together as a quote-unquote new offensive staff (under first-year coordinator Brandon Streeter). We looked at everything and talked about where we wanted to make some tweaks. We didn't overhaul or bring in a new offense. There's not a new passing game. There's not a new run game. It's just we cleaned some things up, maybe eliminated some things that we haven't run in a while. We had an emphasis on red zone and third down improving."
Richardson is in charge of red zone and wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham is in charge of third downs. They meet separately each Tuesday with their own staffs and bring ideas to the collective group of coaches on Wednesdays. Clemson is perfect in red zone scoring: 24-for-24 with 18 touchdowns and six field goals.
"I've got a pretty good one in Tajh Boyd (former Clemson quarterback and now offensive player development assistant) who helps me," Richardson said. "He know a little bit about scoring. Tyler Grisham has done an awesome job with third down and that's kind of his baby. He's got his crew, they go study it and get a plan together and come back and we all get together and say, 'All right, this is what I see.' Then we kind of dial it all into something."
It's not just the planning, though. It's the execution.
"We're better up front, better at quarterback and better at skill players," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "It's not complicated. It's really not. I wish I could tell you it was magic, but it ain't."
Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei in the past three games has completed 68 percent of his third-down passes. Last week in the 51-45 double-overtime win against Wake Forest, he was 9-for-14 for 211 yards and two scores when facing third downs.
"Third down is a down where you have to go out there and get it," Uiagalelei said. "It's a down that you have to wan to go out there and execute. Each and every practice, we focus on third down. Every time we practice third down, we take it serious. It's a down that's going to make or break you. I feel like what makes great teams is being able to keep drives going."
Todd Shanesy covers Clemson athletics for the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How Clemson football's offense has improved dramatically on third down
