I’ve to start proudly owning my very own lack of foresight for final week’s opener vs. LSU. It wasn’t that I believed 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 capable of execute on the wanted stage 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 largest weak point for a number of seasons.
Clemson misplaced its third opener in a row, and truly 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 acknowledged ended up being one other case of “simply didn’t do the essential issues.” I believe it’s secure 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 achieved enjoying good on this aspect of the ball as properly. Now we have now to see how Riley, Klubnik, and the remainder of the offense responds in what, in concept, is about the one sport they will fiddle and win in September. GT and Syracuse have each proven they’ve sufficient items to make the most of this Clemson squad if it may 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 fulfill the highway. There may be actually no excuse for a way badly the Clemson offense performed on Saturday night time. Sure, LSU has some nice defensive expertise, particularly 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 properly) repeatedly didn’t make the most of what that opened up. Movie evaluate has proven a number of circumstances of vast open check-downs, normally the slot or the working again, that ought to have burned these blitzes perhaps to the purpose of forcing LSU to change its strategy. A senior QB shouldn’t be lacking these reads like we noticed Cade miss them. We acquired 2023 Cade over again, with pointless scrambling, desperation heaves to coated WR, and a basic vibe of being in over his head. When Cade DID step up and ship what we count on, like that dime to Bryant Wesco on a slot fade, it acquired dropped.
Cade rebounded very properly from a poor sport in opposition to 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 might occur even to one of the 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 crew isn’t fairly adequate to finish overcome that. IMHO, Trevor’s final sport as a Tiger was one in all his worst performances, coincidentally additionally in opposition to LSU. LSU was mega-elite on offense as we all know, however Clemson’s offense was absolutely able to enjoying tit for tat if Lawrence had been extra like himself that night time. He wasn’t and pressed and acquired flustered when LSU’s offense acquired going, and the remainder was historical past. Cade had a really related sort of sport the place he simply didn’t get management over what was occurring. Dabo claims the crew and employees now “has the solutions to the take a look at.” The jury is out to how properly they will present that going ahead.
Troy definitely doesn’t have the identical personnel that LSU has, however they’ll possible make use of an analogous strategy of attempting to ship numerous and disguised pressures at Clemson. I absolutely count on Clemson to be bullheaded about attempting to run the soccer on this sport as a result of they must develop a point of belief and confidence in that facet earlier than heading to Atlanta. The difficulty they’ve is with the ability to hope to match up on the surface with Clemson’s WR. LSU had adequate corners, particularly Delane, to take their possibilities one on one on the surface. 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 doubtless may have had properly over 100 yards had he been hit on scorching reads vs. the blitzes like he ought to have been. Adam Randall shouldn’t be Phil Mafah, and whereas that may have an effect on the need at hand him the ball 20+ occasions in a sport, it also needs to be far more inviting to examine a ball right down to him as an outlet, which Klubnik did simply as soon as all night time in an nearly desperation resolution.
My greatest guess as to final week’s letdown is that what Cade and Riley anticipated being LSU’s weak point have been certainly not weaknesses. They’d a wholesome Perkins to assault protections (which discovered Clemson attempting to dam him with a working again on multiple event) and to spy Klubnik. They didn’t have Perkins wholesome final 12 months when Texas A&M put in a working QB and tore them aside. Delane had a stellar night time matching up with Wesco and Moore on the surface, as neither have been capable of 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 with the intention to disrupt the run sport and outdoors WR. After they did have the precise name on, just like the QB draw for Cade, a guard not doing his job correctly allowed an awesome participant to react and save the day.
Clemson has to indicate folks it may possibly and can run the soccer. There isn’t any 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 grew to become a waste of time in opposition to LSU who had no intention of honoring the run menace. Adam Randall deserved higher, and Dabo stated as a lot, as he was powerful and decisive on his only a few working alternatives. No less than Clemson confirmed it may possibly line up in I formation and run an influence lead when Keith Adams, Jr. threw a large lead block and Randall powered via the contact to attain.
I doubt Antonio Williams will play on this sport even when he’s near prepared. The employees will possible look to get him proper for GT and past, and I don’t blame them. We are able to solely surprise at what might need been had Williams not gone out. It was very evident he was an enormous a part of the preliminary sport plan, and Cade’s points might need additionally been tied to dropping that issue. Nevertheless, a senior QB of his stature has to have the ability to modify means higher than that.
I used to be very essential of the OL play final week in actual time. They really weren’t as dangerous general because it appeared, however Tristan Leigh WAS that dangerous. Leigh is such a high quality man that you simply hope he can rebound and play lots higher, however you must surprise if the transfer to Brayden Jacobs will occur in some unspecified time in the future in any other case. Clemson’s makes an attempt to run left have been typically a whole catastrophe, which clearly can’t proceed going ahead. Most of Perkins’s disruption got here coming off that left aspect.
Issues are not often nearly as good or dangerous as they appear within the second in relation to soccer. You need to tip your cap to LSU and their employees as a result of their game-plan and execution on either side of the ball have 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 crew got here out and lit up the scoreboard on Appalachian State. Now, that App crew turned out to be one in all their worst groups in a decade, nevertheless it helped the Tigers get rolling till that bye week. Clemson wants optimistic mojo on this aspect of the ball and followers will probably 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 strong gold had Klubnik hit Brown a number of extra occasions when he was working vast open. This week I’m going with Adam Randall due to the necessity to get the working sport 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 may possibly cowl for points in different areas that later get uncovered. I’m sufficiently old to have gone via 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 grew to become apparent that Clemson had critical issues matching up at nook and security. LSU had an incredible sport plan to offset Clemson’s highly effective entrance seven and executed it at a fairly excessive stage, significantly for every week 1 sport. Regardless of that, Clemson’s protection held up very properly general and confirmed particular enchancment in physicality and pursuit from final season. The 2 turnovers have been a direct results of bodily hits by pursuit gamers. It is extremely unlucky that the one DPI flags thrown that night time have been in opposition to 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 regarded like a DPI could possibly be warranted.
Nuessmeier was extraordinarily spectacular, significantly in avoiding placing the ball in jeopardy. He was decisive and on time nearly each time, which is extraordinarily arduous to defend irrespective of how good your entrance is. YouTube the 1985 Bears vs. Dolphins sport, 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 state of affairs. There was lots to love with how Clemson carried out contemplating the standard of LSU’s offense AND how cleanly they performed beneath the circumstances. I’d have taken 17 factors surrendered all day if provided earlier than that sport. This crew ought to win 9 out of 10 occasions holding anybody beneath 20 factors.
The trick is now how a lot consistency Clemson can present defensively. We acquired some moments of nice protection final 12 months, even within the first half of that 2024 UGA sport. Nevertheless, we clearly noticed the protection couldn’t preserve that stage for no matter motive over a 4 quarter sport. 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 one of the best security on the crew, Khalil Barnes, left the sport with a hamstring harm. My X-factor selection was Ricardo Jones, and he confirmed up early with that fumble return (although it was very disappointing he didn’t take that every one the way in which.) The largest optimistic was Ronan Hanafin’s influence. Hanafin brings a dimension/pace/vary/physicality mixture to that spot that frankly has been uncommon since Jayron Kearse was on the town. Hanafin is much more important so long as Barnes is having to get well.
Linebacker play was positively higher general from what we have been left seeing final season. The sport did begin with Wade Woodaz lacking a deal with, however general they regarded higher and have 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 properly, so it’s a good take a look at for this unit to proceed to show it may possibly deal with the run sport. Among the edge protection nonetheless must get higher, and LSU did little or no to assault the A and B gaps, however groups will probably be arduous pressed to give you extra distinctive methods to return 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 must assume he’ll do an excellent job of like Brent Venables famously did.
My X-Issue for this sport defensively is DeMonte Capehart. Capehart needs to be ideally suited to disrupt an influence working sport like Troy tries to have. Capehart was so enormous within the 2023 upset in opposition to ND for that very motive.
Particular Groups: This part was adequate to win on Saturday night time, with Nolan Houser’s missed FG being the worst half. That kick was properly protected and properly struck, in order unlucky it was beneath the circumstances of a sport like that, the execution half was fairly good. I needed to say I used to be stunned to see Adam Randall again as major kick returner contemplating his position as RB1, nevertheless it was a moot level on Saturday as all of the kicks went for touchbacks. Bryant Wesco acquired the nod as punt returner, although you work Antonio Williams would have been there if not for his harm. Wesco had a strong return to arrange the ultimate drive of the night time. Kickoffs have been good and punt protection was strong, with LSU’s good returns there negated by holding penalties. Jack Smith seems to have received the punting job with a pleasant first main outing.
I at all times say massive upsets nearly at all times characteristic some massive particular groups play going in opposition to the favourite. Clemson definitely doesn’t want to permit some fiasco on this part get Troy going.
General: I used to be as upset and upset as anybody after one more dud opener and large sport 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 crew nonetheless had an opportunity to tie the sport on the finish is a bit encouraging. Clemson was out of the sport in opposition to Duke on the finish in 2023, and positively out of the sport in opposition to UGA by the fourth quarter final 12 months. This sport is as a lot concerning the offense getting its act collectively as the rest. Troy is a heavy underdog for a motive, and something nearer than a 3 rating win will hold forth 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 properly, however how groups reply is the important thing. Clemson has a lot on the schedule to indicate redemption, and properly past final 12 months IMHO. FSU’s win was a boon to that upcoming sport so long as the Seminoles don’t flounder earlier than then. Miami definitely seems to be a crew to take critically. I do suppose this sport will begin a bit slower than Clemson followers would love, significantly with the emphasis on working the soccer I anticipate, however the Tigers will draw back to win comfortably sufficient.
Clemson 40-Troy 14
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