To beat South Carolina, Clemson's offense must find its mojo

CLEMSON — – Here’s what I want to know about Clemson’s trip to Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday: which team shows up?

Is it the team that started 2011 8-0, with high-flying, efficient offense and passable defense?

Or the crew that shuffled through the last three games mistake-prone, and, at times, listless, particularly in a desultory 37-13 blowout defeat at N.C. State?

If it is the former, the answer is simple: Clemson will beat South Carolina.

If not, the Tigers are in serious, serious trouble.

Much has been made of Clemson’s crisis of offensive confidence; offensive coordinator Chad Morris said his unit might have become too confident, with players freelancing and operating outside the confines of a finely-tuned system.

Really, though, the answer is simple: hang onto the ball.

Clemson had eight turnovers through eight games.

The Tigers have 11 in their last three – four against Georgia Tech, three against Wake Forest, four against N.C. State.

Too many have put the defense in bad situations – D.J. Howard’s fumble at his own 19 at Georgia Tech and Tajh Boyd and Mike Bellamy’s fumbles inside the 20 at N.C. State.

Kevin Steele says his defense has to take a firefighter’s approach – put out the fire, anywhere, anytime, but no firefighter has a 100 percent success rate.

The turnovers also sap another key factor of Clemson’s offensive success: grinding an opponent into the dirt.

Through 11 games, the Tigers have already run 70 more plays than they did through 13 games a year ago. The ultra-quick, no-huddle tempo wears down opposing defenses, but that’s hard to do when you don’t have the ball.

Clemson has run more plays than its opponent six times this season; Virginia Tech and the Tigers ran 67 apiece in a game that, not coincidentally, featured the offense’s lowest total output of the season (323 yards).

The exceptions? The opener, when Troy had 78 to Clemson’s 69 (Troy led 16-13 at halftime), Georgia Tech (76-65) and N.C. State (74-69).

It’s not hard: hold onto the ball, move it consistently and this offense will succeed.

It helps immensely that senior left tackle Phillip Price is expected to play after missing last week with a sprained MCL in his right knee; without him, left tackle was a turnstile. Sophomore Brandon Thomas struggled mightily there; senior David Smith replaces him in the starting lineup at left guard, although Thomas is also nursing a knee injury.

South Carolina has a talented, tough defense full of future NFL players; the Gamecocks rank fifth nationally in total defense and 15th in scoring defense.

However, the Tigers’ offense has proven it can succeed against salty opponents.

Florida State ranks seventh nationally in total defense and scoring defense, allowing 282.2 yards and 15.9 points per game; Clemson rolled up 443 yards of total offense and 35 points.

Virginia Tech is 12th nationally in total defense and 10th in scoring defense (allowing 307.5 yards and 16.9 points); Clemson surpassed both averages in a 23-3 win.

If Chad Morris found the key to unlocking this offense’s potential, Clemson will erase the bad memories of the past two years.

If not, it could be a long evening in Columbia.