Clemson's perseverance to be tested

CLEMSON - Five games into the season, the Clemson football team again finds itself in survival mode.

A year ago, consecutive losses to Maryland and Wake Forest left Clemson at 3-3, and four days later Dabo Swinney was named interim head coach. Clemson then lost narrowly to Georgia Tech, before winning four of its last five games.

Battling back in the face of adversity was one of the traits of Tommy Bowden's teams, and Swinney needs to know - now - whether the Tigers are cut from similar cloth. With Wake Forest (4-2) then nationally ranked Miami (5-1) next on the schedule, Clemson doesn't have much wiggle room.

Based on results thus far, Clemson would be the underdog in at least three of its final seven games, with Florida State, N.C. State and Virginia likely being tossups.

The three losses are by a total of 10, and Swinney needs to find a way to squeeze a few more points from any source until the offense engages. Clemson is 102nd nationally in total offense, 90th in pass offense, 73rd in rush offense and 83rd in scoring, which places inordinate pressure on the defense and kicking game.

Opponents have averaged 289 yards per game against the Clemson defense (23rd nationally), kicker Richard Jackson leads the nation with 14 field goals - including three from at least 50 yards - and C.J. Spiller is among the leaders in kickoff returns, punt returns and all-purpose yardage.

The immediate landscape became more treacherous over the weekend when Wake jumped to a 25-point lead and cruised to a 42-32 win over Maryland, a team that beat Clemson by three, a loss that has Swinney more determined to turn the tide.

A sustained passing game rather than depending almost exclusively on big plays would be a start, but it's going to require somebody stepping up and providing an alternative to Jacoby Ford. Offensive coordinator Billy Napier is exploring ways to take advantage of his sure-handed tight ends. Contributions from some of the speedsters at receiver would help.

Despite issues with a turf toe and hamstring, Spiller has tried to load the team on his shoulders. The offensive line is better than a year ago, but it's not moving mountains. Parker's hair-trigger release and ability to move in the pocket have helped, but the team needs a more sustained run game.

The natives are restless, and nearly every one of them seems to think they know better than Swinney how to go forward. He knew there would be moments like this, although he hoped they wouldn't come them until late in his career.

"I've been in a fishbowl for a long time, even as an assistant coach to a certain degree," he said during an interview in late August.

"I've seen up close head coaches at Alabama, head coaches at Clemson and all that they go through from a public perspective - the good, the bad and the ugly."

The issues are fairly transparent, so it's crucial for Swinney to follow his own advice: to not panic, to keep working and to follow the script as he wrote it.