The No. 25 Clemson Tigers are set to host the Appalachian State Mountaineers this Saturday at 8 p.m. to open the season in Memorial Stadium. This will be the sixth matchup between the teams, with Clemson holding a 5-0 lead in the series.
The 0-1 Tigers will look to earn their first win of the season before starting ACC play against NC State in two weeks. Following Clemson’s 34-3 loss to the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, the Tigers are eager to turn their season around with a home win against the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers are historically one of the most successful underdogs in football, beginning back in 2007 with their 34-32 win over No. 5 Michigan.
Clemson is coming off the heels of a tough loss to the best team in the nation, while App State took down Eastern Tennessee State University to start their season 1-0. Regardless of the power rankings of their opponents, the playoff hopefuls are set for an exciting matchup.
App State showcased a solid passing attack in their 38-10 Week 1 victory. The Mountaineers’ starting quarterback, Joey Aguilar, passed for 326 yards and two touchdowns. He will look to replicate his success against a Clemson defense that struggled to shut down the passing attack of Georgia’s Carson Beck, who threw 278 yards and two touchdowns in the air.
Clemson’s rushing offense will be vital to the game, as the Mountaineers allowed 183 rushing yards in their Week 1 matchup. Although the Tigers were limited to 46 rushing yards last week by a stuffy Bulldog defense, they have been one of the best-rushing offenses in football in recent years, averaging 174.3 rushing yards a game last season. Clemson running back Phil Mafah was placed on the preseason watchlist for the Doak Walker Awards, awarded to the best running back in college football.
The Tigers will also look to continue the special teams success they established against Georgia, where punter Aidan Swanson punted seven times for 302 yards. More importantly, Clemson is working to reestablish its kicking game following a down year for the team. Against the Bulldogs, freshman kicker Nolan Hauser made his sole 26-yard field goal attempt, giving fans hope that head coach Dabo Swinney won’t have to turn to reserve players this year.
Saturday’s game could indicate what’s to come for the Tigers this season as they look to return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season. With Clemson ranked at No. 14 heading into the season, the Tigers are expected to be playoff contenders, as the ACC is wide open this season. The reigning conference champions, Florida State, started the season 0-2 in conference play against unranked opponents.
Saturday is Clemson’s final game before ACC play begins, when the question of playoff contender or pretender will finally be answered.
