Painter’s Preview: Clemson vs. App. St.
After a disappointing loss to start the season, The Clemson Tigers look to protect their home turf against an Appalachian State team that is built for upsets like these. The Mountaineers are coming into this game looking to repeat 2007 when they upset No. 5 Michigan and 2022 when they upset No. 6 Texas A&M (Smith and Kruger). The Tigers are looking to avoid a David vs. Goliath story in next week’s paper.
Clemson Preview:
Dabo is hoping to make good on his apology to Clemson Fandom after a very disappointing attempt to overthrow the dominant regime in College Football. After much offseason hype, the Tiger Offense looked atrocious against the UGA defense apart from a couple big plays. With a lot of blame to go around, Clemson might look to try some new things out against the Mountaineers. Since 2021, Clemson is 6-0 against Non-Power Conference opponents with an average margin of victory of 36.2 points (ESPN). While many are expecting the Tigers to be on upset alert, I expect the Tigers to settle in at Death Valley during their first night game of the year. Quarterback Cade Klubnik is looking to regain the trust of fans after another poor performance against a top tier team, but he cannot do that without some help. Expect Star Running back Phil Mafah to carry the ball a lot more than 16 times against the Mountaineers and look for key pass catchers Antonio Williams, Tyler Brown, and Jake Briningstool to be Klubnik’s top targets (ESPN). I expect Clemson to give true Freshmen Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore an opportunity against the Non-Power 4 Conference Mountaineers because of poor performances from starting outside Receivers Adam Randall (Jr) and Cole Turner (RS/So). New faces and the revamped Offensive Line can allow Cade to produce more in his bounce back game against App. St.
As expected the Tiger Defense looked much better than the offense; however, they are also looking to avenge the 28 points they gave up in the second half. The lack of depth in the Secondary and the Linebacker Corps led to an exhausted-looking Tiger Defense in the second half. The Defense will need a quick turn around as the Mountaineers will most likely come out with the same scheme as the Bulldogs had during the second half. Clemson’s most glaring advantage will be their dominant Defensive Line as they caused Georgia to scheme around them in Week 1. Despite the loss, Peter Woods had a strong showing in his first game at Defensive End, and Wade Woodaz looked comfortable in his new role. Yet, the question marks for Clemson lie in the Secondary and other Linebacker positions. During the game, only one meaningful sub was made in the Linebacker and the Cornerback Corps. Expect Clemson to give opportunities to their young pieces in an effort for them to earn meaningful playing time. Some names to look for are true Freshmen LB Sammy Brown, CB Ashton Hampton, CB Corian Gibson, and RS/Sophomore LB Kobe McCloud. I expect the Tiger D to bounce back strong against the Mountaineers and resume the dominance they had during the first half vs. UGA.
Appalachian State Preview:
Appalachian State is coming into Tiger Town 1-0 after beating East Tennessee State 38-10 in Week 1. Led by Senior Quarterback Joey Aguilar, App. St. is looking to break into the playoffs this season headlined with a signature win at Death Valley. Aguilar ended his first starting campaign last season with 3,757 passing yds, 33 TDs, 10 INTs, and a 63.7 completion percentage. After a strong Week 1, Aguilar is looking to improve his 2023 numbers as he threw for 326 passing yds., 2 TDs, 0 INTs, and a 61.1 completion percentage (ESPN). App. St.’s balanced offensive attack is looking to use its veteran presence against a tough Clemson defense; on the offensive side of the ball, the Mountaineers are starting only 2 underclassmen (“NFL Draft Guide, Mock Drafts, News | Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services”). App. St.’s game against ETSU was evenly distributed between running and throwing the football, however, expect the Mountaineers to put their faith in their Veteran QB and Receiving Corps during their game against the Tigers. Some names to look for during the game for App. St. are WR’s Kaedin Robinson (RS/Sr), Christian Horn (RS/Sr), and Makai Jackson (Jr). The Mountaineers are expected to use their dynamic WR’s in the running game as well as in the pass in an attempt to get them in space. Appalachian State will have to be explosive through the air to compete with the Tiges on the road.
Appalachian State’s Veteran Defense will attempt to keep the Tiger Offense stalled just as the Bulldogs had done. The Mountaineer Defense is starting only one underclassman, Sophomore and Gaffney native Nate Johnson. Johnson is hoping to continue to dominant after a stellar Freshman season, leading the Mountaineers in sacks and tackles for loss (College Football Reference). The Mountaineers are also expecting key transfers Joshua Donald (Jr) and Avarion Cole (Jr) and key former depth pieces to step up as the Mountaineers return only 1 of their top 6 tackle leaders from last season (College Football Reference). Expect new starting Mike Linebacker Kyle Arnholt (RS/Jr) to make his presence felt on a Tiger uniform (“NFL Draft Guide, Mock Drafts, News | Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services”). I believe Appalachian State’s key to a victory is their defense. The Mountaineers will look to follow a similar formula to UGA as they will give their defense the opportunity to slow down the Clemson Offense as the Mountaineers slowly wear down the powerful Clemson Defense.
Keys to a Tiger Victory:
Baaaddd Mafah:
RB Phil Mafah was not featured enough against the top ranked Bulldogs because of their prominent Defensive Line; however, expect Mafah to get involved early and often against the Mountaineers. While the passing game is a question mark for the Tigers, Mafah has proven he can handle a ton of carries and the weight of leading the Tigers to a victory. I expect Mafah to easily reach the 100 yard mark for the first time in his Senior Campaign.
Secondary:
Clemson is going against no slouch at QB. Joey Aguilar is proven and experienced. With the help of his dynamic Wide Receiving Corps, Aguilar is looking to continue his statistical dominance as the Mountaineers enter the Valley. The Sophomore Cornerback duo for the Tigers will attempt to slow down the Veteran Mountaineer WR’s, as Shelton Lewis is most likely going to come back on Saturday after not playing against UGA. The Tiger Secondary will also need to be physical on the edge, so App. St. will not dominate the edge of the field as the Bulldogs had done. Look for R.J. Mickens (Gr) and Khalil Barnes (So) to make their presence felt on the edge for Tigers to limit the Mountaineer WR’s.
24’ Blue Chip Recruits:
Coach Swinney is known for getting their young guys involved against weaker competition, so expect the former blue chippers to get their opportunity against App. St. Whether its the two Freshman Wideouts or top rated Linebacker Sammy Brown, expect for them to get their chance on Saturday Night.
Tiger Watch: Phil Mafah
After a quiet Week 1, expect the star Tiger Running back to impose his will against the Non-Power 4 Conference Mountaineers. I expect Mafah to raise his limited 16 carries from last week to over 25 unless the Tigers control the game early. Mafah will play a big part for Klubnik to open up the passing game as he takes the Mountaineer’s attention.
Painter’s Prediction:
I expect the Clemson to start slow, but pick up the pace as the game continues. It would not surprise me if the game is tied during the second quarter; however, as the game continues the Tigers will pull away. As mentioned earlier, Clemson is 6-0 against Non-Power Conference opponents with an average margin of victory of 36.2 points (ESPN). I expect the Tigers to win 45-20. At the moment the spread is (-17) in the Tigers favor, so I would take Clemson to cover that number.
Sources:
ESPN. “ESPN.” ESPN.com, 2019, www.espn.com/. (For Picture as well)
Smith, Ethan, and Sarah Kruger. “10 Historic Moments in App State Sports History – the Appalachian.” The Appalachian, 14 Aug. 2023, theappalachianonline.com/10-historic-moments-in-app-state-sports-history/. Accessed 2 Sept. 2024.
“NFL Draft Guide, Mock Drafts, News | Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services.” Ourlads.com, 2024, www.ourlads.com/.
College Football Reference. “Gardner-Webb @ Appalachian State.” College Football at Sports-Reference.com, 2023, www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/appalachian-state/2023.html. Accessed 2 Sept. 2024.