Clemson returns to the field on Saturday, as the eighth-ranked Tigers will host Troy.

Dabo Swinney’s team is coming off its third consecutive season-opening loss, this one 17-10 to an LSU team that currently ranks inside the Top 5.

The offense never could find its footing, but as ineffective as it was, the game ended with Clemson in the LSU red zone looking to tie it up. Much of the credit goes to Tom Allen’s defense, as the unit limited the high-powered LSU passing attack to just 354 yards of total offense.

Now Clemson looks to rebound against a Troy team that had some struggles of its own in the Week 1 win over FCS Nicholls. The Tigers are 37-10 in games following a loss during Swinney’s tenure.

5 Things to Watch For

1. Death Valley Success: Going back to last season, Clemson has now lost two straight at home. The last time they lost three consecutive home games came way back in 2001. With the Tigers coming in as a more than 30-point favorite, this is a game the team should win.

Clemson comes in 2-0 all-time against Troy and 13-0 all-time against teams from the Sunbelt Conference, but the previous two games against the Trojans weren’t easy ones. Troy actually took a lead into halftime during the first contest back in 2011. It was Chad Morris’s first game as offensive coordinator. The Tigers pulled away in the second half and won 43-19.

During Clemson’s 2016 national title run, Troy came into Death Valley and battled the Tigers for four quarters before falling 30-24. However, at least on paper, this Troy team isn’t as solid as some of the Trojans’ teams of years past.

2. Klubnik Must Bounce Back: There is just no way to sugarcoat it; Klubnik did not play well against LSU. For whatever reason, he just struggled to see the field. Multiple times, he failed to go through his reads. There were several occasions where all he had to do was hit the hot route for a big play.

Klubnik also reverted back to some bd habits, mostly seen during his sophomore year. Several times, he would instantly scramble to his right when all he had to do was step up into the pocket. Make no mistake, the left side of the offensive line did not hold up all that well in pass pro, but Klubnik seemed to get spooked and started feeling pressure that wasn’t there. Just not the kind of performance you’d expect from a senior quarterback.

If this team has any chance of rebounding and having the kind of season they want to have, it all starts with Klubnik.

3. Run the Ball: Clemson inexplicably just stopped running the ball against LSU. Even before the Bayou Bengals had taken the lead. Swinney raved about his running backs all through the spring and then again in camp, but we never had an opportunity to see what they could do.

Swinney has been pretty critical of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley after there was no effort made to run the ball, pretty much most of the second half, so that should change on Saturday. Expect heavy doses of Adam Randall, David Eziomume and even Gideon Davidson. This game should provide the perfect opportunity to get the freshman back rolling.

4. Get Tristan Smith Involved: Speaking of getting someone rolling, Smith should have more opportunities in this one. He only logged three snaps against LSU. There is a reason why Swinney added Smith out of the portal over the offseason. At 6-foot-5, Smith has more length than any receiver in that room and should be a valuable asset, particularly in the red zone, where the field is shortened. He just needs chances.

5. Another Step for Defense: All in all, it was a pretty good debut for Tom Allen’s unit. Was it perfect? No. But when you hold LSU to 17 points, that is probably a game you should win. Obviously, there are some things that still need to be cleaned up, but LSU averaged just 3.5 yards per rush and only 2.5 after halftime.

The secondary did have a couple of costly penalties in pass coverage, but those things are correctable, and let’s not lose sight of the fact of exactly how good that LSU wide receiver room is.

While this will be a step down in competition, the offense Troy runs should provide Allen’s unit with a chance to take that next step, especially with the run defense.

“They will probably have more personnel groupings than anybody we play,” Swinney said earlier this week. “They are 11, 12, 13, 22… multiple tight ends, a million formations, shifts and motions. This is a team that runs the football. It is an old-school approach. This is a game from a defensive standpoint; you’d better want to tackle.”

Photo by Bart Boatwright