Clemson Football: 5 Takeaways from the Tigers' Bowl Game
The season ended on a positive note for the Clemson Tigers with a 40-6 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Russell Athletic Bowl, so itโs all smiles in The Upstate of South Carolina right now.
The Tigers were dominant on both sides of the ball, forcing five turnovers and totalingย 387 yards of total offense on Monday.
There were some key takeaways from the game, so here are five things you should have noticed.
Brandon Streeter Helped Cole Stoudt's Confidence
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The quarterback behind center for Clemsonโs bowl game was a completely different person. He looked confident throwing down the field and just more comfortable when the camera shot to him on the sideline.
Can we owe that all to Brandon Streeter?
The Tigers announced that Streeterย would be the quarterbacks coach in early December, and this was the first game for Clemson since he has been on the staff. Things looked better at quarterback, so the future is bright with the return of Deshaun Watson next season.
The Defense Is Legit
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We knew the Tigers defense was solid, but its performances against South Carolina and Oklahoma were reassurances that this unit is among the best in the nation.
The Sooners averaged 38.9 points per game coming into the contest, so holding them to six points was the cap on an impressive season for defensive coordinator Brent Venablesโ group.
Tigers Have a Dangerous Duo at Receiver for the Future
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Mike Williams and Artavis Scott have been reliable for the Tigers all season, and Monday night was a chance to show a national audience how special they really are.
Both wide receivers went over 100 yards for the game, and they were the primary targets for Stoudt on third down. Williams (sophomore) and Scott (freshman) will form one of the most dangerous receiver duos in the nation for at least one more season.
Losing Chad Morris Isn't the End of the World
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This isnโt a knock on former offensive coordinator Chad Morris at all. He did a lot of great things for the Tigers during his time at Clemson, but the offense appears to also be in good hands with new co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott.
Elliott and Jeff Scott will be the co-offensive coordinators for the future, but it is Elliott who will be calling the plays.
We got to see a glimpse of Elliottโs ability to operate the offense on Monday night, and 40 points represented a good start to his tenure at the position.
Dabo Swinney Is Doing Something Special at Clemson
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With the bowl win, the Tigers have now won 10 or more games in four straight seasons, which is a pretty impressive feat.
The Tigers have now won three straight bowl games over historically established football programs: LSU in 2012, Ohio State in 2014 and Oklahoma in 2014.
The future looks bright with the influx of talent the Tigers have coming in to complement the high level of talent that is already on the roster. Clemson's 2015 recruiting class is ranked sixth in the nation by 247Sports.
This bowl win will raise national attention to Swinney and the job he has been able to do at Clemson so far.
