The Tigers lead Appalachian State 56-13 at halftime. Below are thoughts from The Tiger’s sports desk:
Offense:
– On the first two drives of the game, quarterback Cade Klubnik set the tone for the half when he connected with true freshman Bryant Wesco Jr. on both drives for huge gains. The opening drive saw Wesco make a house call, and the following drive was a 52-yard gain inside the five yard line.
– The dominant offensive first quarter continued for the Tigers on the ground, with RB1 Phil Mafah able to get involved in the offensive surge with an 83-yard rushing touchdown. Mafah was able to establish himself in the run game thanks to the offensive line dominating the trenches, closing out the half with 10 carries for 118 yards.
– Clemson’s offensive line has been a key reason for Klubnik and Mafah’s successes. They have consistently been providing Klubnik a clean pocket throughout the half, while also providing gaps for Mafah to explode through. They have displayed that there are levels to football in the trenches, and have completely overpowered Appalachian State’s front seven.
– Senior tight end Jake Briningstool found the endzone multiple times – his first touchdown reception came off of a bobbled catch that he was able to regain possession of and take all the way, and Klubnik later found him again on a seam route deep in the red zone; he closed the half with six receptions and 95 yards.
– Klubnik continued to get his wideouts involved throughout the half. He connected with redshirt sophomore Antonio Williams multiple times, one being a 29 yard touchdown, got freshman TJ Moore in his groove and found Adam Randall and Cole Turner with some key targets that led to eventual touchdowns. Randall had a crucial catch in the red zone, where he was able to hold onto the ball after a huge hit.
– Clemson’s offense closed out the first half with 525 total yards.
Defense/special teams:
– The Tigers’ secondary is dominant – Khalil Barnes and Sherrod Covil Jr. each put up a pass breakup, Shelton Lewis two and Avieon Terrell added another four.
– The numbers don’t lie – Clemson’s defense held App State’s typically high-flying Joey Aguilar to just 96 yards in the air and a 32% completion rate. Last season, he threw for 3,757 yards and 33 touchdowns.
– Clemson’s defensive line looked battered and bruised against the Bulldogs last week, but today they look like an entirely different beast. They applied pressure early and often, holding the Mountaineers’ to -1 rush yards in the first quarter, 103 for the half.
– More Tigers were able to see the field as Clemson rotated past their starters following the first quarter blowout; Tyler Venables, Ronan Hanfin and freshman utility man Sammy Brown were able to contribute nine total tackles. Linebacker Barrett Carter, a typically dominant force, put up no stats as less experienced in his position room were able to prove themselves.
– Punter Aidan Swanson did not see the field once as the Tigers scored on all of their possessions, seeing no need for Swanson’s leg; Robert Gunn III seems to have solidified himself as a kickoff specialist.
