“That’s Definitely Not Our Standard”: Clemson’s Secondary Confronts Fourth-Quarter Letdown

Clemson’s secondary wants to be one of the best in the country. Its fourth-quarter performance against Florida State reminded everyone of the gap between that ambition and playing to that standard for an entire game.

The Tigers escaped with a 36-24 victory, but a 29-10 lead became a much tighter finish after defensive breakdowns gave the Seminoles a way back into the game.

For cornerback Ashton Hampton, the issue was straightforward: Clemson did not finish the way its defensive backs expect to finish.

“We've got to make sure that we're finishing the game for 60 minutes or however long it takes,” Hampton said.

“That's definitely not our standard in the back end.”

Head coach Dabo Swinney’s review was equally direct. He described two costly coverage breakdowns as “just almost catastrophic,” while acknowledging that the responsibility extended to the coaching staff.

“I don't think situationally we were as aware as we needed to be,” Swinney said. “That's where we got to be better as coaches in that.”

Swinney explained that one breakdown involved a half-field coverage in which the defense did not get the depth it needed through the middle. Another came when a defender reacted aggressively to what he believed was a screen, allowing a receiver to run past him.

With a three-score lead and time becoming an increasingly valuable part of Clemson’s defense, the priority should have been forcing Florida State to keep snapping the ball.

“So there was nothing wrong with the call. We just didn't execute well,” Swinney said.

For cornerbacks coach Mike Reed, the finish illustrated a lesson his group still has to learn about handling success.

“I don't think they got tight,” Reed said. “They got maybe kind of like, we've never been in this situation where we've been up.”

Reed said his players needed to understand that a favorable position did not change the work required to close out the game.

“As coaches, we gotta make sure that our kids understand, hey, you gotta keep your foot on the pedal,” Reed said.

That expectation fits the demanding approach Hampton described when discussing his position coach. A pass breakup does not automatically earn Reed’s approval. Neither does an interception.

“Guys in my room know, you can get an interception, but you can get a minus for the play, okay?” Reed said. “I mean, we're all happy; I love the interception. But the technique that was involved in getting the interception wasn’t good enough, so the standard for me is extremely high.”

Hampton sees the value in that scrutiny. Reed will celebrate a successful play, he said, while still identifying what needs to improve.

“Everybody needs that one person that you can trust and that's going to always be honest with you no matter what,” Hampton said.

Swinney also found an encouraging response within the difficult finish. After a costly mistake, Elliott Washington II came back to make a critical play on a two-point conversion attempt rather than allowing one bad snap to become another.

“That was a bad play, but the very next play, he makes a huge play on the two-point conversion,” Swinney said. “Huge play.”

That response mattered. So did the mistakes that made it necessary.

Clemson’s challenge heading to Syracuse is to apply both lessons: respond when something goes wrong, and recognize the situation well enough to prevent an avoidable breakdown in the first place.

“At the end of the day we want to be one of the best secondaries in the country,” Hampton said.

Against Florida State, Clemson’s finish fell short of that goal. The next step is carrying the same expectations through the final snap.