Clemson report card: Defense continues to lead the way

Grading how the Clemson Tigers performed in the 28-14 win against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday.

Quarterback

Kelly Bryant got off to a fast start, leading Clemson to touchdowns on its first two drives, but had two turnovers before leaving the game with an ankle injury in the second half. Zerrick Cooper replaced Bryant and had an up-and-down outing. Hunter Johnson led the Tigers on a touchdown drive and finished 5-for-5 passing.

Grade: C+

Running back

Running backs Tavien Feaster, Travis Etienne, Adam Choice and C.J. Fuller each received a carry in the first quarter. Etienne had 67 yards and a touchdown, while Feaster added 54 yards. Clemson’s backs rushed for 153 yards on 35 carries but pass protection remains a work in progress

Grade: B

Wide receiver

The group has tons of talent but is still struggling with consistency. Eight different wide receivers caught a pass with Hunter Renfrow leading with six catches for 61 yards. True freshmen Tee Higgins and Amari Rodgers combined for five receptions. Deon Cain had a 28-yard touchdown catch but also dropped a well-thrown pass.

Grade: B+

Tight end

Cannon Smith was the only tight end with a catch, hauling in a 13-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Johnson. Milan Richard was targeted but the ball went off his fingertips. Clemson’s tight ends continue to be used mostly as blockers.

Grade: C

Offensive line

The Tigers rushed for 190 yards and only allowed Kelly Bryant to be sacked once, although he was pressured on several other occasions. Overall the unit did a solid job against a Wake Forest team that led the nation in tackles for loss.

Grade: B

Defensive line

Clemson held Wake Forest to 133 rushing yards on 35 attempts with nearly half of the yards coming on three plays. The Tigers finished with seven tackles for loss. Six of them were by the defensive line. Austin Bryant had 2.5, while Dexter Lawrence had .5. Nyles Pinckney, Clelin Ferrell and Xavier Kelly each had one.

Grade A

Linebackers

The Tigers continue to show their versatility at linebacker as run stoppers and in pass coverage. Dorian O’Daniel allowed a 43-yard reception to Greg Dortch in the first quarter and Wake tried to pick on O’Daniel. It didn’t work out as the senior played great coverage for the rest of the game.

Grade: A-

Defensive backs

The starters deserve an A, but there was some miscommunication late in the game that led to a couple of busts in the secondary. Wake Forest was without its starting quarterback and Kendall Hinton got the start instead. The junior passed for 203 yards and a pair of scores.

Grade: B

Special Teams

Alex Spence missed a field goal, but the Tigers did a nice job in punt coverage and kickoff coverage. Ray-Ray McCloud averaged almost 15 yards per return on four punts. He would have had an even better day if not for a pair of penalties on returns.

Grade: B+

Overall

Clemson got off to a fast start but did not do much offensively for the final 3.5 quarters. The defense played stellar until late in the fourth quarter when it allowed a couple of touchdowns. It was a nice win for Clemson over a solid Wake Forest team, but the Tigers were far from dominant against an overmatched opponent.

Grade: B