CLEMSON – Clemson travels to Pitt for just the second time ever this weekend as the No. 20 Tigers will face off with the Panthers at noon.
Pat Narduzzi’s team comes in reeling, having lost two straight. The latest came at home to Virginia, a game in which several Pitt players left with injuries, including starting quarterback Eli Holstein. It marked the second straight game in which Holstein has left with a head injury.
The Tigers come in pretty banged up themselves. At least along the offensive line. Marcus Tate missed last week’s game and Tristan Leigh left injured after playing just nine snaps. Both are questionable this week, with Tate probably being the one closer to making it back. Although, they are expected to get Peter Woods back on the other side of the ball.
This is a game Clemson absolutely has to have in order to keep their ACC Championship hopes alive. A loss would eliminate the Tigers from contention.
5 Things to Watch For
1. Rinse and Repeat: Clemson needs another defensive outing like it had last week in the win over Virginia Tech. That was the type of defense that was expected of this team. While it took until game nine to put a complete performance together, that group now knows what it looks like. There is no reason not to expect a similar type of performance this week, especially with Woods on track to return to the field against Pitt.
2. What is Sammy Brown’s Role: The true freshman made his first career start against the Hokies and he did not disappoint. Due to the type of offense that the Hokies run, Wes Goodwin chose to run a more traditional 4-3 look. However, with Pitt mostly lining up in 11 personnel packages, that isn’t likely to be the case this week. It is more likely the Tigers go back to the 4-2-5 look we have seen much of the season.
So what does that mean for Brown? The true freshman led the team in tackles last week, had half of their tackles for loss and recorded the Tigers only sack of the game. Goodwin has to find a way to get him on the field. Whether that means rotating more between the two linebacker spots or possibly moving Woodaz outside, there is no way Brown can go back to the bench after that performance.
3. Cleaning Up the Special Teams: Let’s face it, the Clemson special teams have not been very good. Nolan Hauser had another field goal blocked against Va Tech, his fifth of the season. While Dabo Swinney put some of the blame on a low kick, it was a 49-yarder and those are always going to come off the foot a little lower. Either way, the protection once again broke down in front of Hauser. Only this time, it came straight up the middle. The previous four had come due to breakdowns on the left side. If Woods is indeed back, that should help tremendously. He is part of the protection. All five blocks have come when he is out.
However, the blocked kicks haven’t been the only issue. The Tigers just have not been very good in the return game this season. Kickoffs or punts. Against the Hokies, Antonio Williams fair caught a a punt when he had plenty of open space in front of him. This team is also only averaging 17.4 yards on kickoff returns this season. Even Cade Klubnik shanked a pooch punt last weekend.
4. Klubnik Needs to Be Better: In the first half against Virginia Tech, Klubnik looked too much like the quarterback we saw a season ago. He made several questionable decisions that helped lead to some stalled drives. To his credit, he cleaned a lot of that up in the second half, but this team needs him to perform at a high level for four quarters.
5. Catch the Football: Over the last two games, the Clemson pass catchers have suddenly started to struggle to just catch the ball. Klubnik saw six of his passes dropped in the win over the Hokies. At least one would have gone for a touchdown. And at least five were very catchable balls. If this offense is going to play up to its potential, the number of drops needs to drastically decrease.
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
