Aggressive offense invigorates Clemson

CLEMSON — Clemson interim football coach Dabo Swinney says Billy Napier is "like a kid in a candy store" as he embraces and shapes his new playcalling role.

The Tigers have been far from a point-a-minute juggernaut in the two games since Napier replaced Rob Spence as the primary play caller, but a more aggressive offensive direction has left a much sweeter taste in the mouths of the coaches and players.

"We're still making mistakes," Swinney said. "But I think the energy has been different."

Negative energy was increasing on the offensive side of the ball as Clemson bottomed out over a six-quarter stretch in losses to Maryland and Wake Forest.

After piling up 260 yards in the first half against Maryland while building a 17-6 lead, the Tigers produced just 112 yards in the second half and lost 20-17 at home. In the next game, Clemson looked inept at Wake Forest while totaling 198 yards and scoring one touchdown in the 12-7 defeat.

And four days later, 10th-year coach Tommy Bowden resigned under pressure. Swinney's first move upon being named interim coach was to get rid of Spence.

Heading into Saturday's game at No. 24 Florida State, Clemson's offense is feeling good about itself. It's averaged 294 yards in the last two games while committing nine turnovers, but a new approach appears to have inspired a new sense of vigor.

"We go over a lot of plays in practice," said senior receiver Aaron Kelly, who has three touchdown catches in the last two games after totaling zero over the first six games. "The coordinator says that we're going to call them, and then we get into the game and everything is called — anything that he put in, the big stuff. He doesn't hold anything back. If he says he's going to call it, he's going to call it.

"It just gives us confidence to know that we're going to do everything we can to go out and win."

Spence ushered the Tigers (4-4, 2-3 ACC) to some notable statistical gains in his three-plus years in Clemson, but he drew increasing criticism for conservative playcalling.

Swinney addressed offensive direction in his first meeting with the team Oct. 13. An inexperienced and injury-plagued offensive line has been by far the Tigers' most glaring weakness, but evidently Swinney thought the problems went deeper than that.

"As we told these guys the very first day: 'We're going to give you a chance to win the game,' " Swinney said. "I think our players believe that, and they've bought into that. We've been aggressive with what we've done, and we're going to continue to be aggressive. I just think that when you have good players, you ride them and give them a chance to win.

"And they need to know that you're going to give them a chance to win."

C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford were the beneficiaries in the 27-21 win at Boston College. Returning from a hamstring injury, Spiller had six catches for 105 yards while toting the ball eight times for 55 yards. Ford had a season-high seven catches for 72 yards.

Up 7-0 in the first quarter, Napier and Swinney forced the issue when Clemson took over at its 29-yard line. On the first play, Cullen Harper threw to Tyler Grisham on a wheel route down the right sideline for a pickup of 23 yards. On the next play, Harper threw to Spiller for 45 yards on a similar play. Harper then took it in from 3 yards out to put the Tigers up 14-0.

Swinney said he has strong chemistry with Napier, to the point where they'll find themselves blurting out the same play call over the headsets during games.

"We think a lot alike," he said. "We have very similar mentalities. He knows exactly what I want, how I want to do it. He listens ... That's really a good thing, when you've got two guys thinking the same way. And I think the kids have fed off of that."

The 29-year-old Napier, formerly the Tigers' tight ends coach, said his only prior play-calling experience came at South Carolina State in 2005. Matching wits with opposing defensive coordinators takes him back to his days as Furman's quarterback.

"It's fun, man. I ain't going to lie," he said. "As the game progresses, you're kind of getting a feel for how they're playing you and deciding what you're going to go with. It's the closest thing to playing quarterback ... You get that feeling back, what it's like."

The 38-year-old Swinney, who served as Clemson's receivers coach since 2003, said the offensive staff has also been rejuvenated by more collaborative game planning.

"As a group, we go through our thoughts. So I think there's a lot of ownership in that room. And it's been fun. Everybody feels like they have some input. I've been really pleased with the energy that everybody has brought."