Reportedly the offensive players flat loved Riley and were really excited about "modernizing" their offense, stretching the field vertically, a lot of RPO, getting the ball to playmakers in space, and using fast tempo to prevent defensive substitutions. Etc., etc.
Clemson had spent the entire time since they lost to Tennessee implementing this new offense and hyped these changes to their fan base all off-season.
The Clemson board last night was incredibly angry that, as they said, at the last minute Dabo pulled the controls back in a mixture of jealousy, fear, stupidity, and incompetence. It was not unfunny to read.
They claimed that when a reporter was asked in camp about "the Riley offense," Dabo got visibly angry (although he tried to hide it) and retorted that "this is the Clemson [Dabo] offense." They should have known right there what Dabo was going to do, they said.
Dabo had blamed all his failures on his coordinator and quarterback, ditched them both very publicly, and then brought in someone to do what Dabo himself had no idea how to do for himself. And then at last minute (so to speak) he "took his ball and went 'home'" like a petulant child to his "dumb" notions that he had made such a display of blaming on others. He called his own game, his own old way, they said.
One wonders if this plays a role in Klubnik's now famous "drive-by" last night when Dabo tried to shake his hand.
Yet after the loss Dabo subtly blamed Riley! " I liked [Garrett Riley’s] poise. He just kept going, and he stayed positive, and he kept encouraging the guys. And go right back down the field, and we’d have a miscue there."
Comedy gold.
