CLEMSON – Let’s call this matchup against The Citadel what it is, a tune-up before Clemson hosts rival South Carolina next week in Death Valley.

The Tigers come in as more than a 50-point favorite, despite being so banged up along the offensive line that Dabo Swinney has already said fans might see walk on players taking the field against the Bulldogs.

Clemson currently has at least five offensive linemen that are out for the season, several of which were being counted on to be key reserves. They also have two starters in Tristan Leigh and Marcus Tate that have basically missed the past two games and are questionable for this one. It is literally a MASH unit right now.

The Tigers are also a little beat up on the other side of the ball with starters Wade Woodaz and R.J. Mickens both nursing injuries.

That means the best case scenario for the Tigers on Saturday is to jump up big early and get the reserves on the field as quickly as possible. This team can ill-afford another injury at this point and a lot of the backups haven’t had the opportunity to play much since the bye week last month.

Having said that, this isn’t your typical Citadel team. Gone is the old school option offense and in its place is a more traditional system that heavily relies on dual-threat quarterback Jonathan Bennett. He has more than 1,600 passing yards, more than 500 rushing yards with 11 total touchdowns.

Bennett is the kind of athletic quarterback that has presented some issues for this Clemson defense. Keeping him contained will be key. It will also be good practice for what the Tigers will see a week from now in Gamecocks’ quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

With Jahiem Lawson settling in at the end position opposite of T.J. Parker, and Peter Woods moving back inside, this defensive front should be able harass Bennett early and often.

The Bulldogs defense has also been pretty stout this season, albeit against lesser competition. The Citadel is allowing 20.55 points per game, good for 19th in the FCS. Do the Bulldogs have enough up front to beat the Tigers’ patchwork offensive line at the point of attack?

Winning that battle at the line of scrimmage is likely The Citadel’s only shot. If Cade Klubnik has time, he and his group of wideouts should be able rip the Bulldogs secondary to shreds. I’m not sure The Citadel has anyone that can consistently cover Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco or T.J. Moore. Not to mention the matchup nightmare Jake Briningstool presents against an FCS defense.

The Tigers should also be able to run the ball better than what was seen last week in Pittsburgh. However, let Phil Mafah get the two yards he needs to hit the 1,000 yard mark and let him sit the rest of the day. Get some of those other backs some work, including David Eziomume, who is redshirting this season, but has only played in two games. The Tigers have leaned heavily on Mafah the past three weeks and he could use the extra rest.

Expect the Tigers to roll and stay unbeaten against FCS teams. However, I’m not sure they cover the big number. The backups will start rolling in early and the Bulldogs will score a couple of touchdowns.

Clemson 51 The Citadel 14

A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!