Clemson Spring Football Game: 3 Things That Mattered

What three things mattered in the Clemson Tigers spring football game and what to take away from the scrimmage.

So close to winning the national title, the defending ACC champs looked like they were ready to roll from the start.

So what came out of the spring game? Did the Tigers show that they’ll replace the key parts? It was intense, it showed off Deshaun Watson being Deshaun Watson, and it was exactly what you were looking for if you were one of the over 50,000 fans who showed up.

They weren’t afraid to pop

The Tigers looked like they wanted to get Alabama back on the field and try the national championship all over again.

Almost all coaches say the same thing about spring football games – their No. 1 goal is to not let anyone get hurt. That’s why most spring finishes are nothing more than modified practices and light workouts.

But not Clemson.

The Orange and White sides were popping in a high-energy, high-tempo scrimmage that looked like the real deal with everyone going about 90% speed – even if Deshaun Watson was off-limits and the guys in the purple jerseys couldn’t be touched.

Call this the mindset and the attitude the program appeared to be taking from the moment the national title was over – it’s more serious now.

This was a real spring game. This was a real event. The fans showed up, the coaching staff treated it like it was Game On, and this was a chance for several players to try showing off what they could do.

Yeah, everything slowed down a bit and the intensity dropped off after the first quarter or so, but watch enough spring games and it became apparent from the start that this was different. Clemson is different than it was last season. With that in mind …

How far away is the defense?

There weren’t the changes needed like there were last season at this time, but there was still plenty of turnover this offseason after losing a slew of NFL talents. With the way the Orange and White game was played – again, the defensive intensity was there throughout – but when Deshaun Watson was playing, it didn’t matter what the defense tried to do.

Watson couldn’t be touched, and he was on hitting 7-of-11 passes for 141 yards and two scores in his four series of work. The defense didn’t even need to be there.

Even so, the defensive line showed it’s going to be an absolute killer once again.

Richard Yeargin hung out in the backfield, and the rest of the line more than held its own – at least when Watson wasn’t on the field.

The secondary is another story. Losing Adrian Baker to a knee injury early in spring ball was a killer in terms of options considering all the personnel losses. Going against Watson didn’t count – the secondary struggled against the other quarterbacks, too.

The Clemson quarterbacks didn’t have a problem on the midrange passes, even though they were under as much pressure as possible in their purple jerseys. The pass rush will be there, but the defensive backfield will be one of the focuses of fall camp.

The backup quarterback situation

Deshaun Watson would be one of the top five picks in the NFL draft this year, if not No. 1 overall. But what happens if the franchise gets banged up like he did in 2014?

That would mean more Wayne Gallman, who ran hard, fast and well in the spring game. He tore off a big run and pounded away with the pop he showed throughout last year. But who’d step in for No. 4?

Nick Schuessler is a senior with the poise and veteran backup look under pressure, leading the way to a nice first half scoring drive and making the throws that were there. He’s a good emergency option, and he’s a safe pick if disaster strikes, but Kelly Bryant has the potential to be the one who could not only take over if needed, but keep everything rolling.

He’s not as slippery as Watson as a runner, but he can move. He has the size, he has the presence, and he has the upside – he just needs the at-bats.

And that was the difference between the backups in the spring game – Bryant still needs plenty of work and needs more seasoning, while Schuessler is ready now.

The explosion wasn’t there when Bryant was in the game, but he’ll be fine in time. But Schuessler looked like the No. 2 – for now.