Dave Clawson Credibility Watch

[freakadeac]

This is pure speculation but maybe Clawson was overly focused on improving the D so he eased up on managing the O

Ruggiero and Clawson are smart dudes, I’m confident they’ll figure it out

 

[wufu bufu]

This is pure speculation but maybe Clawson was overly focused on improving the D so he eased up on managing the O

Ruggiero and Clawson are smart dudes, I’m confident they’ll figure it out

Except the most critical change was painfully obvious at any point this season yet he doubled down on his serious errors

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Interesting discussions. A couple of thoughts.

Any comparisions on success being measured by inclusion in a bowl game and a team going to the Dance are ridiculous. There are 133 D1 football programs competing for 82 bowl berths. There are 362 D1 basketball teams competing for 68 invites to the Dance. Adding the NIT as a reward makes it 100 out of 362. NO comparision.

At midseason I suggested that if Clawson continued to start Mitch Griffis at QB and the Deacs continued to lose, Clawson would begin to feel the heat. He did and his suitability as the head coach at WFU is being questioned. Another 4-8, 1-7 finish in 2024 and the fire is visible. I like Dave Clawson. He is a good match with Wake Forest. His defined success over the past seven years has earned him the opportunity to return Wake to a wining football team. He would be best served to do so next year.

DO IT, DAVE! YOU HEARD THE MAN.

 

[freakadeac]

Except the most critical change was painfully obvious at any point this season yet he doubled down on his serious errors

True. But Clawson and Ruggiero are incredible and they had one bad year. They could’ve pulled an Elko and left (after ‘21) for more $$$ but they didn’t. Their main error IMO was not hitting the portal for a QB once they knew Sam was gone.

I don’t think we as Wake fans will ever see as steep of a drop off at the QB position YOY as we did with Sam to Mitch. We were expecting a drop off but we got the Mariana Trench. DeacInVermont compared Mitch to Joe Dukes, which is a beautiful comparison because we as Wake fans will never see as steep of a drop off at the PG position YOY as we did with CP to Dukes. Who will Clawson and Ruggiero find as our next Ish / Teague at the QB position?

 

[PhDeac]

Joe Dukes was a lightly recruited freshman who barely played. Mitch Griffis had been groomed to be Hartman's replacement for years.

JGray was the starting PG and was 2nd team All-ACC.

 

[JKW385]

Joe Dukes was a lightly recruited freshman. Mitch Griffis had been groomed to be Hartman's replacement for years.

Yeah I get what you’re going for here but not a fair comparison. Joe Dukes was a last minute addition April 2005 after CP left - we needed a warm body. CP was a 5 star recruit and a first ballot NBA hall of famer. Joe Dukes wasn’t even an D1 level PG- not even ACC. I love Sam but he’s not CP level talent and will be lucky to get a cup of coffee in NFL. Drop off shouldn’t have been nearly this steep. Only comparison here is that Joe Dukes and Mitch Griffis aren’t ACC level talent.

 

[Haros]

Dukes was D1 level. But should have played at a low major.

 

[JKW385]

This is pure speculation but maybe Clawson was overly focused on improving the D so he eased up on managing the O

Ruggiero and Clawson are smart dudes, I’m confident they’ll figure it out

Do we think mesh is dead or were we just ineffective at running it all year? In years past - if it wasn’t working - felt like WR’s could still get open for quick outs here and there to keep sticks moving. That obviously didn’t work this year.

 

[deacdixieboy]

Do we think mesh is dead or were we just ineffective at running it all year? In years past - if it wasn’t working - felt like WR’s could still get open for quick outs here and there to keep sticks moving. That obviously didn’t work this year.

It worked against Cuse because Kern could actually run it. It hasn’t ever really worked against teams whose DLines overpower our OLine or against a heavy pass rush.

 

[ddeacs98]

Clawson is hellbent like Charlie Brown attempting to kick a football. Good attempt and form, but rest of the league is like Lucy.

 

[arthurdawg]

Do we think mesh is dead or were we just ineffective at running it all year? In years past - if it wasn’t working - felt like WR’s could still get open for quick outs here and there to keep sticks moving. That obviously didn’t work this year.

It seemed like the short and intermediate passing game was just not there as much this year. More long routes that took way to long to develop, and the OL struggled to hold their blocks long enough.

 

[Deaconblue]

It seemed like the short and intermediate passing game was just not there as much this year. More long routes that took way to long to develop, and the OL struggled to hold their blocks long enough.

QB and WRs need to be on the same page with respect to the pass routes to run. When LB or safety blitzes, WR has to go to where they were and QB has to throw there quickly. That reading didn't happen a lot this year.

 

[Deacsfan27]

I think Clawson just thought the QB was a plug and play situation where the continuity would be there. Griffis obviously showed enough in practice to make the staff believe he was at, the very least, serviceable. Obviously that was a gross miscalculation.

 

[wufu bufu]

I think Clawson just thought the QB was a plug and play situation where the continuity would be there. Griffis obviously showed enough in practice to make the staff believe he was at, the very least, serviceable. Obviously that was a gross miscalculation.

It's like everyone thinking the Pats system would've been plug and play with Brady gone, and the Deacs ended up getting Mac Jonesed.

 

[TimmyClutch]

It's like everyone thinking the Pats system would've been plug and play with Brady gone, and the Deacs ended up getting Mac Jonesed.

I understand that this is a very painful time for Panthers fans, but there is no need to throw stones.

 

[PhDeac]

Clawson touted his 80% practice completion percentage as the highest in his time at Wake, compared him to Wolford, and didn’t replace him when it was clear he couldn’t do the job.

So Clawson didn’t think Griffis was just serviceable or that any QB could run the system.

 

[Colonel Angus]

I don't think it's a stretch to believe Griffis had success throwing against the 1st string defense in camp and practice.

Allowing opposing QB's to look good and rack up stats is something a Brad Lambert defense actually does well.

 

[Buttermaker]

You are a BIG Brad Lambert fan, aren't you? D actually played pretty well earlier in the season but certainly got worse later.