Clemson Back In Win Column After Knocking Off Louisville: Rapid Reactions

It certainly wasn’t all pretty, but it was a far cry from what we saw last week in South Bend.

Clemson needed a bounce back win in a big way, and that’s what they got with a 31-16 win over Louisville.

Rapid Reactions

• Thought the defense responded nicely from the less than stellar effort a week ago. No, it wasn’t perfect by any stretch, and there were still some lapses, as the Cardinals ripped off four runs that went for 15 yards or longer, but overall much better. There was some intensity on the field that seems to have been lacking much of the time this season, and that was good to see. The defensive front, specifically, was much more aggressive than it was in South Bend.
• Barrett Carter is going to be a superstar. The former 5-star might have had his best performance of the season, moving inside in place of the injured Trenton Simpson. He had 8 tackles, 2 sacks and 3.5 TFL. He also added an interception and a pass breakup. More of this please.
• Throw the ball to Antonio Williams. The freshman had a career high 10 catches. It was nice to finally see him be targeted more than three or four times. The kid is dynamic and has earned those targets. He’s arguably the best playmaker on the offensive side of the ball, and your playmakers need to have the ball in their hands.
• Three straight weeks this team has lost the turnover margin. Somehow they have managed to go 2-1 in those games. DJ Uiagalelei, Will Shipley and even Williams put the ball on the ground and that kind of sloppiness needs to stop.
• Speaking of Uiagalelei, he was better than he was against Syracuse and Notre Dame, but he was still rather average. Would love to see the staff just open things up, let him sling it around the field and see what happens. At least we didn’t see two dozen passes at or behind the line of scrimmage. Was also good to see him being a factor with his legs, though.
• Today was the first time in a decade that Clemson wore the purple jerseys with the orange britches. Here’s to holing it’s another ten before we see them again.
• 185 rushing yards, with 11 runs going for 10 yards or more. More of that too.
• Phil Mafah doesn’t get the publicity that Shipley does, but he is the real deal. That run in which the pile moved several yards down the field shows how strong he is. His legs never quit pushing.
• Thought RJ Mickens and Jalyn Phillips both played well in this one.
• Remember when this offense was killing it on 3rd down? Yeah, not so much of late. Clemson was just 4-13.
• And last but not least, outside of Williams, where is Wide Receiver U?