Dabo Swinney: 'Inconsistent' DJ Uiagalelei not meeting expectations

DJ Uiagalelei hasn’t met the expectations of Dabo Swinney and the Clemson staff after four games according to the Tigers’ head coach.

Swinney met with the media on Tuesday and was directly asked to describe the first-year starter’s play after four games.

The Clemson head coach gave a candid response.

“Inconsistent, just inconsistent,” Swinney said. “Not what he needs to be, not what he can be, not what he will be. At times, really good, wow, at other times you go, ‘daggumit.”

Expectations were high for the young passer coming into the season. Through four games, Uiagalelei has completed 56.3 percent of his passes with 586 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Clemson’s next opponent is Boston College who has caught the ACC off guard and surged to a 4-0 start. Ironically, this is the same team where DJ Uiagalelei had one of his best performances at Clemson with Trevor Lawrence sidelined.

The Clemson frontman made a point to recognize just that.

“I mean you go back and watch this game from last year and he was unbelievable,” Swinney said. “You watch the tape, and he was special. So he can do it; it’s just putting it all together.”

Clemson fell to an early 18-point deficit, but in just his second live-game action, Uiagalelei was outstanding. He finished the game 30-of-41 for 342 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions through the air. The dual-threat QB added another 6 carries for 25 yards and a score.

Swinney says it’s not all on DJ Uiagalelei

From the offensive line to the supporting cast, it’s clear Clemson’s offensive woes don’t all fall on the quarterback. Uiagalelei has been sacked nine times, and Clemson is averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Against Georgia, Georgia Tech, and NC State, Clemson has scored just 38 total points.

“We gotta be better around him,” Swinney said. “It’s not just DJ. Sometimes, he gets in a situation where he’s trying to do too much. He’s just got to be more consistent and he knows that. But let’s not just only focus on the bad. Again, it’s everyone around him and us as coaches too.”

Swinney made a point to recognize there have been plenty of positive strides from his young signal-caller, but consistency remains the focal point.

“He’s done some really really good things,” Swinney added when expanding on DJ Uiagalelei. “He’s made some plays where you just go ‘Holy Cow! There ain’t many people on the planet that can make that play. But then, some of the basics, we need him to be better. The fundamentals, like the layups, let’s make the layups all the time and then we will worry about the three-point line.”

If history repeats itself, the Clemson starting signal-caller will have a chance to find the same success against Boston College he did last season and right the ship. The surging Eagles will square off vs. the Tigers on Saturday night.