So those good vibes didn't last long. A few thoughts on what was almost exclusively a one sided affair:
- When you go to Clemson, or any road game against a team that talented, you need a historic performance. One of the biggest reasons we won last time was Peterman throwing 5 TDs and no picks. This was probably Pickett's worst performance of the year and it just came at a bad time, and the competition obviously drove the results. I would like to see if a team ever came back from down 31-0.
- I think we saw a turning point in the Narduzzi tenure this year and it wasn't a good one. It's ok to lose to Clemson and ND, and often it's expected. But to lose to both by over 5 TDS, which could have easily been more if both teams didn't take their foot off the gas, in year 6, shows we aren't where we need to be. We had a nice stretch in the middle part of the game where we outscored Clemson 17-14 in the second and third quarters, but moral victories are for first year, undermanned squads. Take a look at UNC - Mack Brown had his team in the game until the very end in what is only his second year. That program is on the rise and we are stuck in neutral, rolling backwards down hill.
- Trevor Lawrence is the best QB I've seen since Andrew Luck. Uiagalelei isn't as good but he's pretty solid himself. Lawrence's athleticism is pretty under rated too. He ran and evaded tacklers on numerous occasions for first downs.
- I would love to see how the game goes if we don't get the BS penalty after we got a first down in the third quarter at midfield. ACC refs making sure we don't get within 2 TDs. It didn't make much difference in this game but others it has.
- I thought Hamlin and Weaver both had good games but the rest of the defense was mostly meh.
- Nothing we can do at this point except hope we beat GT. Could be a long winter with how the bball team looks too.
