I’ve to start proudly owning my very own lack of foresight for final week’s opener vs. LSU. It wasn’t that I assumed LSU couldn’t win the sport, however HOW they managed to win the sport was not something like I anticipated. It wasn’t a shootout, with Clemson’s rebuilding protection not but in a position to execute on the wanted degree to maintain an electrical LSU offense down. It wasn’t an harm to Klubnik or a rash of turnovers or particular groups disasters that flipped the script. It was the supposedly absolutely weaponized Klubnik and his array of talent weapons being largely throttled by what had been LSU’s greatest weak point for a number of seasons.
Clemson misplaced its third opener in a row, and really scored the MOST factors in these losses at a measly 10. For no matter motive, Clemson’s plan of being “methodical concerning the fundamentals” as Offensive Coordinator Garrett Riley said ended up being one other case of “simply didn’t do the fundamental issues.” I believe it’s protected to say the shine of the Riley rent has all however completely worn off with Clemson’s fan base at this level. A few of Dabo’s straight pointed statements in his press conferences after the sport point out he’s completed taking part in good on this aspect of the ball as nicely. Now we have now to see how Riley, Klubnik, and the remainder of the offense responds in what, in idea, is about the one recreation they’ll fiddle and win in September. GT and Syracuse have each proven they’ve sufficient items to reap the benefits of this Clemson squad if it will possibly’t get its execution points corrected on offense.
Clemson Offense vs. Troy Protection: I’m beginning right here as a result of that is actually the place the rubber has to satisfy the highway. There may be actually no excuse for the way badly the Clemson offense performed on Saturday evening. Sure, LSU has some nice defensive expertise, specifically Harold Perkins, Whit Weeks, and Mansoor Delane, however they relied closely on blitzing to disrupt the Clemson offense and Cade (and also you assume Riley as nicely) repeatedly didn’t reap the benefits of what that opened up. Movie assessment has proven a number of instances of extensive open check-downs, normally the slot or the operating again, that ought to have burned these blitzes possibly to the purpose of forcing LSU to change its method. A senior QB shouldn’t be lacking these reads like we noticed Cade miss them. We bought 2023 Cade over again, with pointless scrambling, desperation heaves to lined WR, and a common vibe of being in over his head. When Cade DID step up and ship what we anticipate, like that dime to Bryant Wesco on a slot fade, it bought dropped.
Cade rebounded very nicely from a poor recreation towards UGA final 12 months, so the precedent is there that good Cade will return and hopefully keep within the constructing for the rest of 2025. It will probably occur even to the very best, and we noticed uncharacteristic issues from even DeShaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence at occasions of their illustrious careers. The issue Clemson has is the workforce isn’t fairly adequate to finish overcome that. IMHO, Trevor’s final recreation as a Tiger was one in every of his worst performances, coincidentally additionally towards LSU. LSU was mega-elite on offense as we all know, however Clemson’s offense was absolutely able to taking part in tit for tat if Lawrence had been extra like himself that evening. He wasn’t and pressed and bought flustered when LSU’s offense bought going, and the remainder was historical past. Cade had a really comparable kind of recreation the place he simply didn’t get management over what was happening. Dabo claims the workforce and employees now “has the solutions to the check.” The jury is out to how nicely they’ll present that going ahead.
Troy definitely doesn’t have the identical personnel that LSU has, however they may doubtless make use of the same method of making an attempt to ship numerous and disguised pressures at Clemson. I absolutely anticipate Clemson to be bullheaded about making an attempt to run the soccer on this recreation as a result of they should develop a point of belief and confidence in that side earlier than heading to Atlanta. The problem they’ve is having the ability to hope to match up on the skin with Clemson’s WR. LSU had adequate corners, specifically Delane, to take their probabilities one on one on the skin. Clemson ought to have murdered them with the slot, and maybe would have had Antonio Williams not gotten damage, however as Dabo identified, Tyler Brown “ought to have had two touchdowns” and possibly may have had nicely over 100 yards had he been hit on sizzling reads vs. the blitzes like he ought to have been. Adam Randall just isn’t Phil Mafah, and whereas which may have an effect on the will handy him the ball 20+ occasions in a recreation, it must also be far more inviting to examine a ball right down to him as an outlet, which Klubnik did simply as soon as all evening in an virtually desperation determination.
My greatest guess as to final week’s letdown is that what Cade and Riley anticipated being LSU’s weak point had been certainly not weaknesses. That they had a wholesome Perkins to assault protections (which discovered Clemson making an attempt to dam him with a operating again on a couple of event) and to spy Klubnik. They didn’t have Perkins wholesome final 12 months when Texas A&M put in a operating QB and tore them aside. Delane had a stellar evening matching up with Wesco and Moore on the skin, as neither had been in a position to win on sideline routes or slants past Wesco’s juggling again shoulder fade catch. Neither Riley nor Cade successfully adjusted to what LSU was having to surrender so as to disrupt the run recreation and out of doors WR. Once they did have the appropriate name on, just like the QB draw for Cade, a guard not doing his job correctly allowed a terrific participant to react and save the day.
Clemson has to indicate folks it will possibly and can run the soccer. There is no such thing as a doubt they are going to be cussed on this entrance on Saturday. A lot of Clemson’s offense is constructed on play actions coming off the bottom inside zone runs and GT counters, however these actions turned a waste of time towards LSU who had no intention of honoring the run risk. Adam Randall deserved higher, and Dabo mentioned as a lot, as he was powerful and decisive on his only a few operating alternatives. A minimum of Clemson confirmed it will possibly line up in I formation and run an influence lead when Keith Adams, Jr. threw a large lead block and Randall powered by the contact to attain.
I doubt Antonio Williams will play on this recreation even when he’s near prepared. The employees will doubtless look to get him proper for GT and past, and I don’t blame them. We will solely surprise at what may need been had Williams not gone out. It was very evident he was an enormous a part of the preliminary recreation plan, and Cade’s points may need additionally been tied to dropping that issue. Nonetheless, a senior QB of his stature has to have the ability to modify method higher than that.
I used to be very vital of the OL play final week in actual time. They really weren’t as unhealthy total because it appeared, however Tristan Leigh WAS that unhealthy. Leigh is such a high quality man that you simply hope he can rebound and play quite a bit higher, however it’s a must to surprise if the transfer to Brayden Jacobs will occur sooner or later in any other case. Clemson’s makes an attempt to run left had been typically an entire catastrophe, which clearly can’t proceed going ahead. Most of Perkins’s disruption got here coming off that left aspect.
Issues are hardly ever pretty much as good or unhealthy as they appear within the second with regards to soccer. You must tip your cap to LSU and their employees as a result of their game-plan and execution on either side of the ball had been simply higher. I don’t actually purchase right into a “bodily superiority” narrative as a lot, aside from their prime guys like Perkins and Nuessmeier performed nearer to their functionality than guys like Klubnik and T.J. Parker.
Clemson merely has to indicate progress this week. That definitely occurred final 12 months when the workforce got here out and lit up the scoreboard on Appalachian State. Now, that App workforce turned out to be one in every of their worst groups in a decade, however it helped the Tigers get rolling till that bye week. Clemson wants constructive mojo on this aspect of the ball and followers will likely be anxious till that occurs.
My Offensive X-Issue final week was Tyler Brown, and that definitely confirmed up when Williams went out and ought to have been stable gold had Klubnik hit Brown just a few extra occasions when he was operating extensive open. This week I’m going with Adam Randall due to the necessity to get the operating recreation going.
Clemson Protection vs. Troy Offense: Clemson’s protection in some ways was a sight for sore eyes vs. LSU. I’m significantly impressed as a result of generally if a DL simply overwhelms the opponent, it will possibly cowl for points in different areas that later get uncovered. I’m sufficiently old to have gone by the 2000 season, when Clemson’s protection was throttling folks with heavy blitzing. Then they bumped into groups who may punish the blitz like NCSU, GT, and particularly FSU, and it turned apparent that Clemson had critical issues matching up at nook and security. LSU had an amazing recreation plan to offset Clemson’s highly effective entrance seven and executed it at a fairly excessive degree, significantly for per week 1 recreation. Regardless of that, Clemson’s protection held up very nicely total and confirmed particular enchancment in physicality and pursuit from final season. The 2 turnovers had been a direct results of bodily hits by pursuit gamers. It is vitally unlucky that the one DPI flags thrown that evening had been towards Clemson, not that Clemson didn’t earn them, however that LSU managed to get away with some bodily secondary play with no flag when greater than as soon as it appeared like a DPI might be warranted.
Nuessmeier was extraordinarily spectacular, significantly in avoiding placing the ball in jeopardy. He was decisive and on time virtually each time, which is extraordinarily onerous to defend regardless of how good your entrance is. YouTube the 1985 Bears vs. Dolphins recreation, and you will notice how that all-time nice Bears protection was undone by Dan Marino’s fast and decisive throws. I’m not saying Nuessmeier is Marino or Clemson has the 85 Bears protection, however in relative phrases, I can see a little bit of the resemblance of situation. There was quite a bit to love with how Clemson carried out contemplating the standard of LSU’s offense AND how cleanly they performed underneath the circumstances. I’d have taken 17 factors surrendered all day if provided earlier than that recreation. This workforce ought to win 9 out of 10 occasions holding anybody underneath 20 factors.
The trick is now how a lot consistency Clemson can present defensively. We bought some moments of nice protection final 12 months, even within the first half of that 2024 UGA recreation. Nonetheless, we clearly noticed the protection couldn’t preserve that degree for no matter motive over a 4 quarter recreation. Clemson noticed LSU go after the safeties like most of us anticipated they’d, and for probably the most half, they held up. That was much more spectacular after the very best security on the workforce, Khalil Barnes, left the sport with a hamstring harm. My X-factor alternative was Ricardo Jones, and he confirmed up early with that fumble return (although it was very disappointing he didn’t take that each one the best way.) The largest constructive was Ronan Hanafin’s affect. Hanafin brings a measurement/pace/vary/physicality mixture to that spot that frankly has been uncommon since Jayron Kearse was on the town. Hanafin is much more very important so long as Barnes is having to recuperate.
Linebacker play was undoubtedly higher total from what we had been left seeing final season. The sport did begin with Wade Woodaz lacking a sort out, however total they appeared higher and had been put in some very difficult eventualities by the LSU play designs. These guys are going to be important when groups like GT and FSU come round with what they love to do on offense. Troy is constructed on a heavy run-based offense now as nicely, so it’s a good check for this unit to proceed to show it will possibly deal with the run recreation. A few of the edge protection nonetheless must get higher, and LSU did little or no to assault the A and B gaps, however groups will likely be onerous pressed to provide you with extra distinctive methods to come back at Clemson’s edge and bottom hole protection than LSU. Tom Allen now has that to show from and modify to, which all of us should assume he’ll do a very good job of like Brent Venables famously did.
My X-Issue for this recreation defensively is DeMonte Capehart. Capehart ought to be ideally suited to disrupt an influence operating recreation like Troy tries to have. Capehart was so big within the 2023 upset towards ND for that very motive.
Particular Groups: This section was adequate to win on Saturday evening, with Nolan Houser’s missed FG being the worst half. That kick was nicely protected and nicely struck, in order unlucky it was underneath the circumstances of a recreation like that, the execution half was fairly good. I needed to say I used to be shocked to see Adam Randall again as major kick returner contemplating his function as RB1, however it was a moot level on Saturday as all of the kicks went for touchbacks. Bryant Wesco bought the nod as punt returner, although you work Antonio Williams would have been there if not for his harm. Wesco had a stable return to arrange the ultimate drive of the evening. Kickoffs had been good and punt protection was stable, with LSU’s good returns there negated by holding penalties. Jack Smith seems to have gained the punting job with a pleasant first main outing.
I all the time say massive upsets virtually all the time characteristic some massive particular groups play going towards the favourite. Clemson definitely doesn’t want to permit some fiasco on this section get Troy going.
Total: I used to be as upset and disenchanted as anybody after one more dud opener and massive recreation loss. The truth that Clemson couldn’t/didn’t run the ball in any respect and Cade Klubnik performed C- at greatest soccer however the workforce nonetheless had an opportunity to tie the sport on the finish is a bit encouraging. Clemson was out of the sport towards Duke on the finish in 2023, and positively out of the sport towards UGA by the fourth quarter final 12 months. This recreation is as a lot concerning the offense getting its act collectively as anything. Troy is a heavy underdog for a motive, and something nearer than a 3 rating win will pontificate tons of alarms.
The excellent news is Clemson has all the things to play for on the desk. Texas and Alabama and different groups who’ve misplaced already do as nicely, however how groups reply is the important thing. Clemson has loads on the schedule to indicate redemption, and nicely past final 12 months IMHO. FSU’s win was a boon to that upcoming recreation so long as the Seminoles don’t flounder earlier than then. Miami definitely seems to be a workforce to take severely. I do suppose this recreation will begin a bit slower than Clemson followers would really like, significantly with the emphasis on operating the soccer I anticipate, however the Tigers will draw back to win comfortably sufficient.
Clemson 40-Troy 14
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