Tigers need open week after ugly night in Atlanta

Allen: "All the goals are still there"

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CLEMSON — Even before Saturday night’s visit to Georgia Tech, Clemson badly needed an off week. That’s the product of playing eight consecutive weeks of ACC football, a year after playing just three weeks before an open date.

Following a disappointing 31-17 loss to the Yellow Jackets – which ended the Tigers’ unbeaten season and outside shot at the BCS title game – they need it even more.

This team is weary both mentally and physically, and badly needs a week off to heal those wounds. Tight end Dwayne Allen’s turf toe needs time off, and so does Andre Ellington’s injured ankle, to name two of the assorted bumps and bruises that pile up in a long season.

And Clemson must refocus on clinching the ACC Atlantic Division title and punching its ticket to Charlotte for Dec. 3’s ACC title game.

What else did we learn Saturday night?

1. Clemson better hope Virginia Tech takes care of business in the Coastal: If Clemson rebounds and beats Wake Forest to clinch the Atlantic in two weeks – as it should – it’d be smart to root for the Hokies to beat Georgia Tech in two weeks and represent the Coastal Division. Although Virginia Tech isn’t an easy out, they’re a much better matchup than Paul Johnson’s bunch. Clemson doesn’t have answers for the flexbone offense, even after tweaking its system to use Coty Sensabaugh and Xavier Brewer as safeties instead of corners. Tech rushed for 384 yards, echoing a pair of 2009 wins that saw them average 317 yards on the ground. The Jackets have won seven of nine against Clemson dating back to 2004, and it’s fair to assume that Johnson is in Kevin Steele’s head, at this point.

2. Mobile quarterbacks are death for Clemson’s defense: This shouldn’t be new news, but Georgia Tech’s Tevin Washington certainly made it seem so Saturday. Washington ran all over the Tigers’ defense, gaining 176 yards on 27 carries, including runs of 44 and 56 yards. It continues a trend of mobile quarterbacks doing what they want against Clemson, dating all the way back to TCU’s Andy Dalton.

Washington and Johnson said afterward that his two biggest plays were designed draws, a nod to what Maryland quarterback C.J. Brown did – 162 yards, two touchdowns on 22 carries. Tech saw a flaw and weakness in Clemson’s linebackers and safeties, and exposed it.

3. Turnovers are deadly: Entering Saturday, Clemson had eight turnovers in 626 snaps. In 65 snaps, they had four – a pair of Tajh Boyd interceptions and fumbles by tailbacks Mike Bellamy and D.J. Howard, filling in for Ellington, who missed the game with an ankle injury. With Georgia Tech’s clock-draining offense (the Jackets held the ball for 39 minutes, including a game-clinching 9:04 in a fourth-quarter drive), an opponent can’t afford to give them extra opportunities, and that’s exactly what Clemson did.

4. A healthy Andre Ellington is crucial to Clemson’s success: Last season, the Tigers’ offense floundered down the stretch without the speedy tailback, who injured his foot at Boston College and missed virtually all of the final six games. Clemson has far more offensive weapons this season, but Ellington was sorely missed as he watched from the sidelines Saturday. Bellamy and Howard combined for 89 yards on 15 carries, but they had two crucial fumbles. Howard fumbled at the Clemson 19; Tech converted it into the game’s first touchdown. Bellamy fumbled at the Tech 39, killing a possible scoring drive. And neither was as effective in pass protection as Ellington.

5. Sammy Watkins can do it all: Plenty went wrong for Clemson Saturday, but you can’t blame Sammy Watkins. Watkins had 10 receptions for 159 yards and a 48-yard touchdown. He’s already the ACC all-time freshman leader in receptions, yardage and touchdowns, with 64 catches for 978 yards and 10 scores. He had 290 all-purpose yards, fifth-best in Clemson history; his 345-yard day at Maryland two weeks ago is the record, of course. He also already owns the record for most 150-yard receiving games in Clemson history. And to top it off, he had a nine-yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins. Watkins touched the ball four different ways. He probably won’t catch Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree, who owns the national freshman records of 134 receptions for 1,962 yards in 2007, but he should win virtually every freshman of the year honor out there.