CLEMSON – With the calendar now having turned to November, what Dabo Swinney terms the “championship phase” of the season now begins.
No. 11 Clemson (6-1, 5-0) will welcome Louisville (5-3, 3-2) to town for a primetime matchup in Death Valley. The Tigers come in fresh off a bye week, giving Clemson an extra week to prepare. The Cardinals, though, are playing their seventh consecutive game.
Louisville also comes in just 2-3 in the past five games, with two of those defeats coming at home. The Tigers come in riding a six game win streak, with Cade Klubnik and the offense having found its footing since laying an egg in the season-opening loss to Georgia.
In fact, this is another chance for the Tigers to flex some muscle on the offensive side of the ball, particularly Phil Mafah and that running game. The Cards’ defensive front is susceptible to the run, ranking outside the Top 50 in rush defense.
Mafah is averaging 15 carries per game and has gone over that number in each of the past three games. Expect another heavy dose of the senior back on Saturday.
That will open up some things in what has become an explosive passing attack. While Klubnik has been really good at spreading the ball around this season, Antonio Williams and Jake Briningstool have both emerged as two of his favorite targets. The Tigers might very well have freshman wideout Bryant Wesco and his 23.8 yards per catch back this week too. And Louisville’s pass defense has been leaky at times. Scoring enough points shouldn’t be an issue, as long as there aren’t multiple turnovers.
Slowing down the Louisville offense just might provide the biggest challenge. Make no mistake, this is the best offense Clemson has seen since Georgia. While some of the Tigers’ defensive statistics have been skewed by the reserves giving up tons of yards and points in garbage time, there have also been some inconsistencies with the starters.
The Cardinals are Top 20 in scoring offense and led by quarterback Tyler Shough, they are Top 10 in passing offense. Shough isn’t much of a threat to beat you with his legs but Clemson’s secondary will be tested. While Louisville did lose all three games, Shough torched the defenses of Notre Dame, SMU and Miami.
Getting pressure on Shough will be key. He is a wily veteran and can not be allowed the time to sit in the pocket and scan the field. Make him uncomfortable and see if you can force him into a mistake or two.
One battle worth keeping an eye on is cornerback Avieon Terrell covering veteran receiver Ja’Corey Brooks. The redshirt senior already has 44 catches for 799 yards with eight touchdowns.
Louisville can run the ball too. Running back Isaac Brown comes in averaging 7.5 yards per carry. The front seven must play disciplined and with gap integrity.
At the end of the day, this one comes down to which defense plays the best. Advantage Clemson. While it certainly hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows for the Tigers on that side of the ball, Clemson just has more talent, especially up front. While Shough is undoubtedly going to make some plays, it won’t be enough.
The Tigers have not lost a night game at home since 2013, and that streak will not be broken this weekend. Clemson controls both lines of scrimmage and continues the march to Charlotte.
Clemson 34 Louisville 24
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
