Game Review: Clemson vs. N.C. State
Wow… Clemson opens up ACC play with a dominant 59-35 win over N.C. State. The Tigers started the game out strong with a 28 point first quarter that follows their 35 point first quarter against App State. Clemson proceeded to hold a dominant lead for the rest of the way, while giving an opportunities to almost every player on their roster. Our Tigers were expected to win this game; however, after watching this new explosive offense, I believe we pass the eye test as well. Star Quarterback Cade Klubnik finally looks settled into college football, and he is looking to lead the Tigers back to the ACC Championship game and the College Football Playoff.
Key Tiger Takeaways:
Matt Luke Effect: First Year OL Coach Matt Luke has greatly improved Clemson’s Offensive Line unit, and they have quickly became a strength for this roster. Not only does the new OL give Cade Klubnik the time and confidence he needs, but they have also enabled the Tigers to rush for over 250 yards in their past two games (ESPN). I have praised this hire in the past and will continue to praise Coach Luke for this turnaround that has been performed in less than just one year. Clemson’s new offensive rhythm has been backed by stellar Offensive Line play, and as long as Clemson’s OL continues their great play, this team can return the Tigers to their normalized success during the Playoff Era.
Cade Klubnik: Cade Klubnik has performed at an incredibility high level for the Tiger’s past two games recording 587 passing yds, 11 total tds, 80% completion percentage, 6 carries, and 75 rushing yds (ESPN). Klubnik has showcased his 5-star ability these past two games, and it has Clemson fans excited about the rest of the year. Cade looks comfortable and is throwing with anticipation because of help from his revamped Offensive Line and new-look Receiving Corps. Klubnik has led this offense back to a 2020-esq form. He is propelling himself into a college football house-hold name, and Klubnik will look to continue building momentum as Clemson churns on through ACC play.
Clemson Secondary: Clemson’s Secondary was posed with a difficult task against the Wolfpack: slowing down former ACC Freshman of the Year, K.C. Concepcion. Concepcion tormented the Clemson Secondary one year ago in their match-up catching 5 passes for 83 yards and 2 tds. Concepcion added 2 rushes for 51 yards (ESPN). Despite this difficult challenge, Clemson’s Secondary was able to avenge last season’s loss, limiting Concepcion to 5 catches for just 40 yards whilst also causing him to fumble due to the efforts of CB Avieon Terrell (ESPN). The Tiger Secondary was also able to get their depth pieces into the game near the end of the third quarter that will prove vital in their development. The Tiger’s reserve Cornerbacks were called for multiple pass inference penalties that will need to be addressed in future practices; however, there were signs of hope with true Freshman Ashton Hampton getting his first interception in the form of a Pick-Six. These reps for the future stars of Clemson Football are vital for our current depth and for the future for a team that does not reach into the portal often.
Tiger Defensive Depth: Despite the great win Clemson was able to obtain in their ACC opener, the Tiger Defensive Depth continues to be a concern. While Clemson won the game 59-35, 21 of N.C. State’s points came during garbage time against the Tiger defensive back-ups. Outside of former 5-star Linebacker Sammy Brown, the back-ups struggled to slow down the Wolfpack. Clemson’s Linebacker depth has been a concern for the Tigers since the start of the season, especially with the early loss of depth piece RS/So Kobe McCloud. Other than Linebacker, the Clemson Defensive Line depth was tested during this game against the Wolfpack due to Peter Woods being held out for injury reasons. The Tigers decided to give RS/Jr Cade Denhoff, RS/So Jahiem Lawson, and So A.J. Hoffer opportunities at Defensive End. Clemson still has not had one of these players to stand out among the rest, and questions still remain about the depth because of their in-game output. Hopefully, we will continue to see these depth pieces get valuable in-game reps that are so important to their development for our Tigers in the future.
Sources:
ESPN. “ESPN.” ESPN.com, 2019, www.espn.com/.
“Clemson Tigers | Clemson University Athletics.” Clemson Tigers Official Athletics Site, clemsontigers.com. (Picture)