CLEMSON — Saturday’s game against The Citadel will be Clemson’s 31st Military Appreciation Day.
The history of the special day dates back to 1994 when Clemson had a special flyover for the Clemson vs. Georgia Tech game on Nov. 12, just one day after Veterans Day.
Clemson has celebrated its military history every year since during games held in November or when the Tigers play host to a school with its own military heritage. The Clemson Football team started the tradition of wearing the purple uniforms (or jersey) for Military Appreciation Day back in 2013 in reverence to the Purple Heart, the oldest United States military decoration.
Former Clemson wide receiver and war hero Daniel Rodriguez inspired the all-purple uniforms on Military Appreciation Day in honor of his service to our country while in Iraq and in Afghanistan. Rodriguez received the Purple Heart for his service in the line of duty.
Rodriguez lettered at Clemson from 2012-’14 after walking on to the team.
Clemson has a 26-4 record in the previous 30 Military Appreciation Day games. The Tigers have won 16 such games in a row, with the last loss coming against Virginia Tech in 2007.
The Citadel (5-6) at No. 17 Clemson (8-2)
Kickoff: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
TV: CW
Spread: Clemson -49.5
Over/Under: 58.5
Series: Clemson leads series 33-5-1
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
It is the last game of the regular season for The Citadel, while Clemson hopes to come out of the game as healthy as it can be before playing archrival South Carolina next Saturday in Death Valley. The Tigers will also be scoreboard watching as they see what Miami and SMU are doing in their respected games. Clemson needs Miami to lose one of its remaining two games to get into the ACC Championship Game, while it needs SMU to lose both of its final two games or to Virginia, coupled with a Pitt win over Louisville and a Cavaliers win over Virginia Tech next week.
KEY MATCHUP
The Citadel defense has managed to come into its own over the course of the season, evolving into a pretty good defense. Notably, the unit ranks amongst the Top 20 (FCS) nationally in three key categories, including 16th for third-down defense (.331, 44-of-133) as well as 19th for both red zone defense (.722, 27-of-36) and overall scoring defense (20.5 ppg).
Clemson’s offense ranks 10th nationally (FBS) in total offense (460.7 ypg) and 14th in scoring (36.3 ppg). The Citadel has not faced anyone with the offensive firepower or the speed the Tigers have. Quarterback Cade Klubnik and the Clemson wide receivers should put up big numbers.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
The Citadel wide receiver Dervon Pesnell leads the SoCon with an 18.5 yards per catch average. He has hauled in 24 passes for 443 yards and 1 TD.
Clemson running back Phil Mafah needs two yards to become the 18th player in Clemson history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The senior is averaging 99.8 yards per game, which ranks fourth in the ACC. He is averaging 5.61 yards per carry and has scored 8 TDs.
THIS AND THAT
The Citadel, ranked second in the country in the FCS, has blocked six kicks this year, while Clemson, ranked last in the country in the FBS, has had six kicks blocked. This should make for an interesting matchup when the Tigers line up to kick or punt anything on Saturday afternoon.
FINAL ANALYSIS
The Citadel might block a kick. The Bulldogs might get into the end zone once or twice. However, Clemson has too much speed, firepower and depth for The Citadel to compete for four quarters. This should be an easy win for the Tigers, and they should be able to get their starters out of the game before the start of the second half.
PREDICTION
Clemson 56, The Citadel 3