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 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 totally weaponized Klubnik and his array of ability weapons being largely throttled by what had been LSU’s largest weak spot 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 acknowledged 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 immediately pointed statements in his press conferences after the sport point out he’s carried out taking part in good on this facet of the ball as properly. Now we’ve got to see how Riley, Klubnik, and the remainder of the offense responds in what, in concept, is about the one sport they’ll 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 might’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’s actually no excuse for a 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 properly) repeatedly didn’t make the most of what that opened up. Movie overview has proven a number of circumstances of vast open check-downs, often 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 obtained 2023 Cade yet again, with pointless scrambling, desperation heaves to lined WR, and a normal 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 obtained dropped.
Cade rebounded very properly from a poor sport in opposition to UGA final yr, so the precedent is there that good Cade will return and hopefully keep within the constructing for the rest of 2025. It could actually occur even to the most effective, and we noticed uncharacteristic issues from even DeShaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence at instances of their illustrious careers. The issue Clemson has is the group 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 totally able to taking part in tit for tat if Lawrence had been extra like himself that evening. He wasn’t and pressed and obtained flustered when LSU’s offense obtained 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 happening. Dabo claims the group and workers now “has the solutions to the check.” The jury is out to how properly they’ll present that going ahead.
Troy actually doesn’t have the identical personnel that LSU has, however they’ll doubtless make use of the same strategy of making an attempt to ship numerous and disguised pressures at Clemson. I totally anticipate Clemson to be bullheaded about making an attempt to run the soccer on this sport as a result of they need to develop a point of belief and confidence in that facet earlier than heading to Atlanta. The problem they’ve is with the ability to hope to match up on the surface with Clemson’s WR. LSU had adequate corners, specifically Delane, to take their probabilities 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 which may have an effect on the need at hand him the ball 20+ instances in a sport, it must also be far more inviting to test a ball right down to him as an outlet, which Klubnik did simply as soon as all evening in an virtually desperation determination.
My finest guess as to final week’s letdown is that what Cade and Riley anticipated being LSU’s weak spot 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 working again on multiple event) and to spy Klubnik. They didn’t have Perkins wholesome final yr when Texas A&M put in a working QB and tore them aside. Delane had a stellar evening matching up with Wesco and Moore on the surface, 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 with a purpose to disrupt the run sport and out of doors WR. Once they did have the suitable name on, just like the QB draw for Cade, a guard not doing his job correctly allowed an incredible participant to react and save the day.
Clemson has to point out individuals it might 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 grew to become a waste of time in opposition to LSU who had no intention of honoring the run risk. Adam Randall deserved higher, and Dabo stated as a lot, as he was powerful and decisive on his only a few working alternatives. A minimum of Clemson confirmed it might 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 workers will doubtless look to get him proper for GT and past, and I don’t blame them. We are able to solely marvel at what may 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 may need additionally been tied to shedding that issue. Nonetheless, a senior QB of his stature has to have the ability to alter approach higher than that.
I used to be very crucial of the OL play final week in actual time. They really weren’t as dangerous total 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 loads higher, however it’s a must to marvel 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 had been typically an entire catastrophe, which clearly can’t proceed going ahead. Most of Perkins’s disruption got here coming off that left facet.
Issues are hardly ever nearly as good or dangerous as they appear within the second in the case of soccer. It’s a must to tip your cap to LSU and their workers as a result of their game-plan and execution on each 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 point out progress this week. That actually occurred final yr when the group got here out and lit up the scoreboard on Appalachian State. Now, that App group turned out to be one in all their worst groups in a decade, however it helped the Tigers get rolling till that bye week. Clemson wants constructive mojo on this facet of the ball and followers will likely be anxious till that occurs.
My Offensive X-Issue final week was Tyler Brown, and that actually confirmed up when Williams went out and ought to have been stable gold had Klubnik hit Brown just a few extra instances 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 typically if a DL simply overwhelms the opponent, it might 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 individuals 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 severe 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 reasonably excessive stage, significantly for per week 1 sport. Regardless of that, Clemson’s protection held up very properly 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 rather unlucky that the one DPI flags thrown that evening had been in opposition to Clemson, not that Clemson didn’t earn them, however that LSU managed to get away with some bodily secondary play and not using a flag when greater than as soon as it regarded 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 irrespective of how good your entrance is. YouTube the 1985 Bears vs. Dolphins sport, and you will note 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 loads to love with how Clemson carried out contemplating the standard of LSU’s offense AND how cleanly they performed underneath the circumstances. I might have taken 17 factors surrendered all day if supplied earlier than that sport. This group ought to win 9 out of 10 instances holding anybody underneath 20 factors.
The trick is now how a lot consistency Clemson can present defensively. We obtained some moments of nice protection final yr, even within the first half of that 2024 UGA sport. Nonetheless, 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 might, and for essentially the most half, they held up. That was much more spectacular after the most effective security on the group, 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 most important constructive was Ronan Hanafin’s impression. 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 important so long as Barnes is having to recuperate.
Linebacker play was positively higher total from what we had been left seeing final season. The sport did begin with Wade Woodaz lacking a deal with, however total they regarded 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 properly, so it’s a good check for this unit to proceed to show it might deal with the run sport. 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 give you 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 alter to, which all of us need to assume he’ll do a very good 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 large within the 2023 upset in opposition to ND for that very motive.
Particular Groups: This part was adequate to win on Saturday evening, with Nolan Houser’s missed FG being the worst half. That kick was properly protected and properly struck, in order unlucky it was underneath 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, however it was a moot level on Saturday as all of the kicks went for touchbacks. Bryant Wesco obtained 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 large upsets virtually all the time function some large particular groups play going in opposition to the favourite. Clemson actually doesn’t want to permit some fiasco on this part get Troy going.
Total: I used to be as upset and disillusioned as anybody after yet 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 finest soccer however the group nonetheless had an opportunity to tie the sport on the finish is a bit of encouraging. Clemson was out of the sport in opposition to Duke on the finish in 2023, and definitely out of the sport in opposition to UGA by the fourth quarter final yr. 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 pieces 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 loads on the schedule to point out redemption, and properly past final yr IMHO. FSU’s win was a boon to that upcoming sport so long as the Seminoles don’t flounder earlier than then. Miami actually seems to be a group to take critically. I do assume this sport will begin a bit of slower than Clemson followers would really like, 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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