CLEMSON – After a week off, No. 11 Clemson returns to action on Saturday as Louisville visits for a primetime matchup in Death Valley.
While the Cardinals (5-3, 3-2) went on the road to Boston College last weekend and came away with a 31-27 victory, Jeff Brohm’s team is just 2-3 in its past five games, with losses to Miami, SMU and Notre Dame.
The Tigers (6-1, 5-0), who have won 15 straight at home coming off of a bye week, are in the midst of a six-game winning streak that has Dabo Swinney’s team right in the thick of the race for a spot in the ACC Championship. Clemson has also never lost to Louisville, with the Tigers holding an 8-0 advantage in the series all-time.
5 Things to Watch For
1. Defense Will Be Challenged: Make no mistake, this will be the best offense that Clemson has seen since the Week 1 loss to Georgia. Louisville employs a high-powered attack, led by veteran quarterback Tyler Shough, that averages 36.6 points per contest, good for 20th best in the country. Shough’s 293.50 passing yards per games ranks 11th nationally.
The Tigers’ defensive numbers have been skewed by how much yardage the backups have given up in garbage time. However, through the first seven games, there have been some inconsistencies. This defense has been solid when the starters are in, but I don’t know that I would say they’ve been great. The talent is certainly there, they’ve just yet to put it all together. Having an extra week to prepare should be advantageous, but if this group isn’t up to the challenge, this one might wind up being a shootout.
Shough threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns at Notre Dame. He then threw for 329 yards against SMU and 342 yards against Miami. He had four touchdown passes against the Mustangs and two more against the Hurricanes. However, the Cardinals dropped all three of those contests.
2. Start Fast: While the Cardinals offense has been extremely productive, the defense has been hit or miss. That group can be had and Clemson’s offense is more than capable of doing some damage against it. Getting out to an early lead could be pivotal.
The Cardinals are allowing more than 135 rushing yards and more than 220 passing yards per game. Lean on running back Phil Mafah and control the clock. That Louisville offense can’t score if they can’t get on the field. Then let that open up a passing attack that has proven to be extremely explosive over the past few weeks.
3. Control the Lines of Scrimmage: Speaking of leaning on Mafah, now feels like another opportune time to mention just how much better the Tigers’ offensive line has been under Matt Luke. Clemson has won the battle at the point of attack against better defensive fronts than this one this season. They must do so again on Saturday.
Where this really comes into play is on the other side of the ball. Wes Goodwin’s unit can not afford to allow Shough to have time in the pocket. The front four needs to be disruptive and make Shough uncomfortable. Try and force him into some mistakes.
4. Win the Turnover Battle: The last thing the Tigers can afford to do is give that potent Louisville offense extra possessions. Cade Klubnik has been really smart with the football for the most part. He has only thrown three picks all season. The junior quarterback must keep playing at that level on Saturday. Forcing a turnover or two would also go a long ways towards securing a win.
5. Keeping Pace: Last but certainly not least, the Tigers need this one. There are currently four teams in the ACC that have yet to suffer a loss in conference play. One of those will go down this weekend with Pitt traveling to SMU. Miami travels to Duke, where the Hurricanes are 20.5-point favorites. Clemson can ill-afford a slip up here with postseason implications on the line.
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
