One of the biggest cliché’ in football says a team’s biggest improvements occur from Week 1 to Week 2. For 12th-ranked Clemson, that is definitely the case in terms of whom it is playing.
The Tigers will host Appalachian State on Saturday in Death Valley, a team, at least on paper, appears to be more of a formidable opponent then Wofford was a week ago.
The Mountaineers, once the class of the FCS ranks, opened its second season as a FBS school with a 49-0 victory over Howard. They have won seven games in a row, dating back to last year, and enter the 12:30 p.m. kickoff playing with an extreme amount of confidence.
“They’re a very good football team,” Clemson nickel back Travis Blanks said. “One of the things Coach (Dabo) Swinney talks to us about is that every week we don’t change what we do based off who we play. We are going to prepare the same and do everything that Clemson does. So honestly, from a preparation standpoint, nothing changes for us.”
There are a few things that will change about the opponent. First off, Wofford had a triple-option attack on offense that ran clock and huddled. Appalachian State is a more multiple offense that can run power running plays or spread defenses out with four-wide receiver sets. They also play with a fast tempo.
On defense they will be more aggressive than Wofford, who sat back in soft coverage most of the day. The Mountaineers like to attack the quarterback and disrupted things in the backfield, while also jamming the receivers at the line in hopes of messing up the timing of a route.
Appalachian State is also better athletically than Wofford. It may be from the Sunbelt Conference, but its team is comprised of FBS athletes and it has 85 scholarship players just like Clemson.
“This is a very confident football team,” Swinney said. “They have nineteen-plus starters back. Winning breeds that confidence. You really see that in these guys. We know we’re going to have to play very well against this football team. It’s a team that will show up expecting to win.”
And why not? Appalachian State will not be intimidated by Clemson’s 82,000 fans in Memorial Stadium. Let’s not forget it was not too long ago, when they were an FCS school, the Mountaineers went into the Big House in Ann Arbor and beat a top 5 Michigan team.
“This is a good football team and when you watch them it’s really easy to see why they’ve had the success that they’ve had. And each week, as they’ve gone on this run, you’ve seen their confidence has grown,” Swinney said. “We’re excited to be back in Death Valley. We appreciate the crowd we had last week and hope everybody will show up with the same type of fervor because we certainly feel like Death Valley is a great advantage for us.
“But they’re not scared to come in here and play in Death Valley,” Swinney continued.
Quarterback Taylor Lamb is one reason why Appalachian State will not be scared. The sophomore led the Mountaineers on their six-game winning streak to close last season, and in the season opener against Howard, he completed 16 of 21 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
“He’s got instincts and great pocket presence and just knows what he’s doing,” Swinney said.
Lamb of course is the son of former Furman head coach Bobby Lamb, who is now the head coach at Mercer.
“He’s a good athlete. He makes plays. He’s a crafty little guy,” Swinney said. “He’s a good football player. He’s very smart and knows where everybody is on the field. You can tell he’s the son of a coach.
“He’s a guy that we will have to really affect. We have to make it a very uncomfortable day for him and not let him get in any type of rhythm. They’ve got a good supporting group around him and the offensive line will get after you. You can tell they like to play the game. As a group, they have a chemistry that jumps out on tape.”
And that’s a big improvement from Week 1 to Week 2.