Clemson report card: Grading how the Tigers performed in dominant win against The Citadel

It’s time to grade how the Clemson Tigers performed in their 61-3 win against The Citadel Bulldogs on Saturday:

Quarterback

Clemson had three quarterbacks top the 100-yard passing mark for the first time in school history. Kelly Bryant got off to a strong start, throwing for 230 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Zerrick Cooper and Hunter Johnson also had success as the three signal callers combined to complete 31 of 41 passes for 479 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.

Grade: A

Running back

Travis Etienne and Tavien Feaster had some of their most impressive runs of the season. Feaster bounced off tacklers to race 69 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second half, while Etienne scored twice to break C.J. Spiller’s freshman record for rushing touchdowns with 11.

Grade: A

Wide receiver

Clemson had 15 different players catch a pass, led by freshman Tee Higgins. Higgins had six catches for 178 yards and two scores, making a juggling catch in the end zone in the second quarter and pulling in a one-handed catch on a deep ball for a 78-yard score in the third.

Grade: A

Tight end

D.J. Greenlee dropped a wide open touchdown but did finish with one catch for 10 yards, which came on fourth down. Cannon Smith had one catch for four yards, while starting tight end Milan Richard barely played.

Grade: C

Offensive line

The Tigers rushed for 183 yards and Bryant was sacked only one time. The group dominated the trenches for the most part.

Grade: B+

Defensive line

Clemson did not have Dexter Lawrence but its defensive line still held The Citadel in check. Albert Huggins had 1.5 tackles for loss, Nyles Pinckney added 1 and Justin Foster finished with 0.5

Grade: B

Linebackers

The Tigers were down two starters and still played well. James Skalski had a game-high 9 tackles, Judah Davis and Dorian O’Daniel added 5 and Jalen Williams finished with 4. Skalski, Davis and Williams each had a tackle for loss.

Grade: A

Defensive backs

The Tigers finished with two interceptions to The Citadel’s one completion.

Grade: A

Special Teams

Clemson gave all of its kickers an opportunity as Alex Spence, Christian Groomes and Drew Costa got plenty of playing time. Costa missed an extra point but the group was overall solid. The Tigers also did a nice job on kickoff coverage, but Ray-Ray McCloud did fumble a punt.

Grade: B+

Overall

Clemson dominated an overmatched opponent the way it was supposed to and set up a showdown with South Carolina.

Grade: A