Clemson Football: Final Report Card for 2020 season

Overall Offensive Grade: B+

How do an offense that averaged nearly 44 points and over 500 yards of total offense get a B+? When you are four touchdowns better than every team in your conference.

Clemson’s offense has to be evaluated by its performance against the elite of college football. That is how far the Tigers have distanced themselves from the rest of the ACC. In other words, their performance against Ohio State is a better measure of who they are offensively than Georgia Tech.

That said, the offense dominated who they were supposed to dominate. Despite the injuries at wide receiver, Trevor Lawrence had another good season on his way to being the first overall pick in the draft.

Etienne did not have the rushing numbers from the previous two seasons but proved himself to be a receiver threat. Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell stepped up at receiver with injuries to Frank Ladson, Joseph Ngata and Justyn Ross.

Outstanding Offensive Players

• Trevor Lawrence QB: 69.2 Completion percentage, 3153 yards, 24 touchdowns, five interceptions, 203 rushing yards, eight touchdowns

Lawrence is one of the great quarterbacks in college football history. The Clarksville, Georgia native played for a National Title all three years at Clemson. He was everything a number one recruit should be. He was the centerpiece of a class that featured Xavier Thomas and Justyn Ross.

It was that class that began Clemson’s run of number one classes. If Deshaun Watson put Clemson on the national stage, Lawrence kept them there.

• Travis Etienne, RB: 914 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns, 48 receptions, 588 yards, two touchdowns

Etienne was a player that proved that Clemson’s developmental system works. Etienne got bigger, stronger and faster while at Clemson. Though Etienne did not break 1,000 yards this season, but led the Tigers in rushing for the third straight year and became the ACC’s all-time leading rusher. Etienne also was third on the team in receptions, improving his skills as a pass-catcher this year.

• Cornell Powell, WR: 58 receptions, 882 yards, seven touchdowns

Though Amari Rodgers led the Tigers in receptions and yards, Powell developed into a reliable second option at wide receiver. Powell was second on the team in receiving tied for the lead in touchdown passes. Powell became the big-bodied downfield target Lawrence likes to throw to, leading the team in yards per catch.

Quarterback: A

Not only was Trevor Lawrence outstanding again this season, solidifying his place as the number one pick in the draft, but D.J. Uiagalelei also played well when Lawrence missed two games because of COVID-19 protocols.

Uiagalelei threw for 781 yards and four touchdowns in two starts. What is most remarkable about Lawrence is the transformation from a more traditional pro-style quarterback who could move and run into a legitimate running option on zone-read and RPO plays.

Running Back: B+

The running game was not as dominant this year as in years past. Defenses loaded up to stop the running game because of the injuries at wide receiver. Also, the offensive line did not play as well this season as it had in years past.

Travis Etienne had a career-low in yards per carry (5.4) and did not break 1,000 yards for the first time since his freshman season. Both Lyn-J Dixon and Lawrence rushing numbers were down as well.

Wide Receiver/Tight End: B

Injuries played a massive role with the receiver group. Clemson’s top three receivers were all hit with injuries that kept them out most of (and all) of the season. Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell stepped up and had stellar seasons. The tight ends, Braden Galloway and Davis Allen, combined for 43 receptions and six touchdown passes. When the Tigers played Ohio State, the wide receivers were a limiting factor in Clemson’s ability to score against the Buckeyes.

Offensive Line: B-

Anchored by Jackson Carman, this was supposed to be the best offensive line the Clemson Tigers had under Swinney. The line was not as good as it was a season ago.

Three of Clemson’s worst rushing performances came against two of the better run defenses they faced. They did split with Notre Dame; one good performance and one bad one. Against the Ohio State, however, the Tigers’ offensive line looked overmatched and overwhelmed.