D.J. Uiagalelei evaluates play, minor setbacks for Clemson offense
Clemson escaped its Friday night matchup against Syracuse, despite another shaky start from the offense. Sneaking by with a 17-14 win after the Orange missed a potential game-tying field goal left many wondering about this Clemson team. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei evaluated his own play and the setbacks for Clemson’s offense following the game.
“I thought I played OK,” Uiagalelei said during his postgame interview. “I thought it was probably the best game I played this season but still a lot to go. Still a lot I know I can get better at and still nowhere where I want to be at. It was definitely getting better.”
During the win, Uiagalelei went 21-for-34 with 181 passing yards and a touchdown. He added 11 carries for 26 rushing yards throughout the game. Despite the decent showing from their starting quarterback, Clemson’s offense continued to stall out. Eight Clemson drives ended with a punt, including five in the second half.
When asked about the building frustration, DJ Uiagalelei broke down Clemson’s struggles on offense.
“You always want to make those plays and just having those little setbacks right there,” said Uiagalelei. “Just those things that we can overcome and be able to take away and not shoot ourselves in the foot. That was a big thing talking about in the locker room. We just clean up on them stuff right there. … If we don’t have to deal with that stuff right there, I don’t know, who knows, how many points we put up.”
David Pollack critical of Clemson
After a sluggish start to the season, Clemson’s bye week promised to bring renewed energy to the ACC title race. Instead, the struggle continued with a 17-14 road win over Syracuse. ESPN football analyst and College GameDay host David Pollack has seen enough, providing a grim outlook for the back half of 2021.
“We keep saying, Clemson’s the most talented team, they’re going to win the ACC,” Pollack said Saturday morning on College GameDay. “They’re not going to win the ACC, they’re not good enough to win the ACC. They’re not. I’ve seen enough now.”
The general consensus, shared by Pollack, stated that Clemson needed time to reset. Their Week Six bye came and went, but the problems remain.
“I said to myself, bye week, everybody doubting (Clemson), they’re going to be pissed off, they’re going to come out and play,” said Pollack. “They’re just not very good, they’re not. They’re not offensively going to scare anybody. I don’t see them beating Pitt, I think Pitt can score (on Clemson). I know Pitt is going to give up points but I don’t think Clemson can score enough.”