CLEMSON — Clemson is taking the show on the road. What kind of show the Tigers put on is yet to be determined.
No. 12 Clemson (1-1) will head to Bobby Dodd on Saturday to face off with unbeaten Georgia Tech (2-0). The Tigers last played at Bobby Dodd during the 2020 COVID season.
The game will be the 90th meeting between the two programs, dating back to 1898, the Tigers’ third year of football. The Yellow Jackets hold a 50-36-2 advantage in the series, while Clemson comes in riding a nine-game winning streak in the rivalry series.
5 Things to Watch For
1. A Lot On the Line: Having lost to LSU in the season-opener, Clemson’s shot at securing an at-large bid into the College Football Playoff took a serious hit. If the Tigers want in, that likely means having to win the ACC.
Losing to Georgia Tech would put Clemson behind the eight-ball after just one conference game. The Yellow Jackets have a very manageable ACC slate. They don’t play Florida State, Miami or SMU. Georgia Tech’s toughest ACC matchup after this week might just be a road trip to NC State in November.
If Clemson were to lose, they would need the Jackets to drop two ACC games to get back ahead of them in the standings, and there might not be two losses on their conference schedule. Obviously, anything can happen, but starting ACC play 0-1 after having already lost to LSU could possibly seal the Tigers’ playoff fate.
2. Find the Offense: Cade Klubnik and this offense have not even come close to living up to the lofty preseason expectations. The unit really labored over its first six quarters of the season before finally finding a little something in that second half against Troy.
Klubnik has looked like a quarterback afraid of making a mistake. Maybe he has been trying too hard to live up to the Heisman hype in the preseason. Now that he is completely out of that discussion, the hope is that it allows him to play more freely.
If Klubnik comes out tight against the Georgia Tech defense and isn’t seeing the field well, it could be a long afternoon in Atlanta. Maybe they can get him in a rhythm early.
3. Establish the Run: The Tigers absolutely can not afford to wait until the second half to get the running game going. That might work against the Troys of the world, but it will not suffice against the better teams on the schedule.
Adam Randall proved in the second half against Troy that he can be plenty serviceable at running back IF the offensive line can give him some room to run. If nothing else, that Yellow Jackets’ defensive front plays physical. Matt Luke’s group will need to step it up on Saturday.
Clemson needs that running game to help take some of the pressure off Klubnik. If the Tigers aren’t able to at least make Tech respect the ground game, they very likely won’t win.
4. Where’s the Beef: Speaking of the offensive line, that unit was supposed to be one of the strengths of this team. Four starters returned from last year, with two more who had started at least six games. That is a lot of experience. However, the group surely hasn’t looked like a unit full of wily veterans.
Instead, the pass protection has been leaky, and the run blocking has been nonexistent at times. If there is a flip to be switched, now is the time.
5. Defense Being Dialed In: While the defense has played well enough to win in each of the first two games, which is a marked improvement from last season, there are still some areas that need to be cleaned up, particularly out on the edges.
Tom Allen’s group will need to be disciplined and not get caught overpursuing, especially if Haynes King is back, which most assume he will. King has the ability to make a defense pay when you give him an open lane.
King missed last week’s blowout win over Gardner-Webb, with redshirt freshman Aaron Philo filling in admirably. Philo threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns in the 59-12 win.
In fact, with the way Philo played last weekend, Clemson will need to prepare for both quarterbacks. With King being more of a running threat, Tech could easily turn to Philo in certain passing situations.
Photo by Bart Boatwright