The Sons of Clem hop on I-85 for this matchup of National Championship winners 4 of the past 8 seasons. They’ve got a 5 star QB out of Texas, they return a ton of production at every single position, and it’s a nooner. Plus I don’t even get to yell “Shut Up, Gary!” What, me worry?
Here’s what I’m NOT worried about when we meet the Country Gentlemen:
1) Season Openers against ranked opponents in the Kirby Smart Era . It started with the Nick Chubb Welcome Back show against UNC in 2016. There was the dismantling of Arkansas, the rock-fight against Clemson, and the Dan Lanning Welcome to Head Coaching just a couple of seasons ago. Coach Smart is also 9-1 against the ACC and its been a minute since he lost one.
2) Matt Luke is now back in the coaching ranks. 2023 Clemson’s offensive line ranked 71st in sacks allowed and 100th in tackles for loss allowed – and even Dabo Swinney knew they had to go outside the program to fix this. And he found former Ole Miss Head Coach and UGA OL Coach Matt Luke. He’s a good recruiter, and a very good hire, but I don’t think he can fix the woes on the orange front line in one off-season.
If the general consensus is the UGA front aren’t as dominant as in year’s past, this will be a position group battle of the unknowns and untested. And considering our outside LBs and pressure from the star or corner, I actually like the matchup.
3) The Dabo Way. Just when it looks like Clemson is rebuilding the wide receiver room in the image of Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Justyn Ross, Tee Higgins, Mike Williams, and the like. Well, they made an off-season promotion for the assistant wide receiver coach.
Just like other fan favorite former Clemson players on staff such as Taj Boyd and Cole Stoudt, Drew Swinney now has his compensation reported to the IRS via a W-2. The former grad assistant is finally full-time and sure to bring his outside perspective and challenge the status quo, all while definitely churning out millionaires like the glory days of yore.
Now forgive me, as I was weaned at the nipple of Larry Munson’s scratch. So here’s what does worry me about facing Auburn-With-A-Lake:
1) A battle up front. If the aforementioned Clemson OL vs. Georgia DL clash is underwhelming or out-of-the-spotlight, there’s another that garners attention: Clemson’s DL vs. the Georgia OL. Both are widely considered top 5 of their respective position groups in the country.
They’ve got super soph defensive end TJ Parker, who registered double-digit tackles for loss as a backup. They’ve got Peter Woods at D Tackle, who subbed Jeremiah Trotter before he departed for the NFL. Similar to Georgia, Clemson rotated a lot of youth into their defense last year, and these guys are ready to be the starters.
2) Garrett Riley. Clemson was 50th in total offense last season in Offensive Coordinator Riley’s first year in the Upstate (60th passing, 42nd rushing). But the year before, he had the 27thh ranked total offense at TCU, and top 10 in scoring – which earned him the Broyles Award as the nation’s best coordinator. This was on the heels of back-to-back top 15 scoring and total offense rankings at SMU. All this while not exactly having a loaded cupboard of 4 and 5 stars. And now that he’s at Clemson, and has a 5 star QB in his 2nd season in the system, and one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country, they could be making a big leap forward executing Riley’s historically effective system.
He has the chops, it seems to have been a matter of inconsistency and execution holding them back. With a spring and summer camp to work out the kinks, this is not going to be the same pokey Clemson offense that only put up 7 points against Duke, 16 against South Carolina, and 17 against NC State.
3) Speaking of which, Cade Klubnik. Sure, his sophomore season behind center at Clemson was more like a slump. He only averaged 6.3 yards per passing attempt (about 33% less than Carson Beck) and 218 yards a game (about 25% less than Beck). That didn’t excite the fan base who were expecting the 2nd coming of Trevor Lawrence , and especially after the meh results of DJ Uiagalelei.
But you don’t win three 6A championships in Texas HS football without having some talent. He’s mobile enough, and can make all the throws. If Matt Luke’s charges can buy him some time, if the talented RB Phil Mafah can actually hold onto the ball, Klubnik is enough of a Jimmy/Joe to spark some explosiveness. And coaching staff aside, Clemson fans are excited about the talent catching the ball. Newcomers like TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco, plus several returning receivers should have built some rapport with CK at this point. I’ll be especially worried about Junior Antonio Williams, who had an excellent freshman campaign before injuries shortened his 2023 season. And word from camp is that Williams is running free and confident, and making wow plays when Klubnik throws it his way.
This is a motivated Clemson team. They’re facing the #1 team in the country on national television and are going to be locked in and focused. We can’t count on the Tigers looking past us on their calendar. I mean, the only ACC newcomer they face is woeful Stanford, and the Cardinal will be visiting. And now that FSU tripped over their own spear Elmer Fudd-style, this is the toughest test on the schedule.
Call me crazy, just don’t call me late for dinner. Sound off in the comments below what worries you about the Bulldogs of Georgia versus the Tigers of Clemson. And as always…
GO ‘DAWGS!!!