Second game's second half provides encouraging signs for Clemson |
An early fumble and pick-six made for an uneasy first half that ended with Clemson leading by just a touchdown at 24-17. The second half was a different story. The Tigers out-scored the FCS Buccaneers by 42 in the half en route to a 66-17 win. It was an up-and-down day, but in an X (formerly Twitter) poll, 61% of Clemson fans said they were “slightly encouraged” by the performance.
After watching the Charleston Southern game, how did the #Clemson Tigers’ play impact your perception of how good they are? Clemson QBs: 405 yards, 5 TDs, 1 INT Cade Klubnik struggled early with a fumble that set up the first Charleston Southern touchdown. He panicked under duress at least twice, with one resulting in a pick-six and one resulting in an intentional grounding that could have been much worse. To his credit, he settled in and finished with 315 yards and four passing TDs to one INT. When he has time and open receivers, he is accurate. He won’t be able to get away with sloppy starts against ACC opponents, but the strong finish was a strong positive. Beaux Collins: seven receptions, 137 yards, one TD A wide receiver — Beaux Collins — broke a tackle to make an explosive play (69 yards). It was the first — and only — explosive play from a Tiger WR through two games. It was especially interesting because he ran a great route, broke several tackles, and took off. Then a defender closed the gap on him, and when Collins slowed to celebrate (too early), he tackled him as he crossed the end zone. Collins doesn’t have great top-end speed, but if he can consistently run great routes like he did on that play, he and Antonio Williams will be Clemson’s top two receivers. Adam Randall had just seven yards. He didn’t get as much separation as I had hoped to see. On a positive note, Troy Stellato had five catches for 51 yards, and Tyler Brown looked great on punt returns. Hopefully, their roles will expand quickly. Clemson Defense: 73 yards allowed True freshman defensive end TJ Parker had three tackles for loss and has emerged as a major contributor to the defense. He should become a starter very soon. Xavier Thomas got his first sack of the year. Cornerback Nate Wiggins also got a sack, and cornerback Sheridan Jones played lockdown in coverage. The final score showing 17 points for the Buccaneers doesn’t look good for the defense, but 14 of those were due to the Clemson offense. The defense held them to 73 yards and scored a touchdown of their own when Wade Woodaz grabbed a loose ball and put orange in the end zone. The Tiger defense was dominant.
Around the Country
One Texas team is up, and another is down. Texas was the story of the weekend as they went into Bryant-Denny Stadium and beat the Alabama Crimson Tide. Having an elite quarterback goes a long way, and Quinn Ewers threw for 349 yards and 3 TDs. Miami scored a big win and looks much more formidable than expected after scoring 48 on Texas A&M. Notre Dame beat NC State in Raleigh. While the Irish look excellent, the Wolfpack have fallen short of the lofty expectations I had for them before the season.
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