Coming off of a bye, the Tigers are back in Death Valley this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. to play against the Seminoles.
The bye week could not have come at a better time. After barely beating UNC Chapel Hill in a game where the Tigers made a number of mistakes, Clemson needed the extra time to refocus, hold each other accountable and grow as a team. As Coach Dabo Swinney always says, “don’t have Clemson beat Clemson.” As can be expected with an elite program like Clemson, the players were eager to get back to work and learn from their mistakes. After their poor performance at Chapel Hill, the Tigers are eager to get back to the field and show the world who they really are.
Expect Clemson to play a much cleaner game this Saturday. In his weekly press conference, Coach Swinney emphasized the importance of the turnover margin for Saturday’s game, saying, “we win the turnover margin; we win the game.” Florida State is averaging plus five in the turnover margin, while Clemson is struggling to just break even in the games this season. The Seminoles have a solid, big, physical defense that can cause some disruption if Clemson is not careful. Defensive End Janarius Robinson is just one of the threats that Florida State has on defense. To protect the ball, Lawrence and his receivers are going to have to stay on the same page, and Travis Etienne and Lyn-J Dixon have to run hard and be physical.
Another factor that Clemson will have to watch for is that Florida State plays two different quarterbacks, James Blackman and Alex Hornibrook, giving them the opportunity to show Clemson’s defense two different offenses. Both quarterbacks are good, however their running back, Cam Akers, will be Clemson’s main concern. Akers is a great player and Florida State will be sure to utilize his skills during the game, so it is critical for them to stop the run, and as Coach Swinney said, “match his physicality.”
Although, Clemson is favored by about 94 percent according to ESPN, to win, the Tigers will have to show up and not have “Clemson beat Clemson” in order to keep their undefeated record. Being an ACC matchup makes this game all the more important. Furthermore, the Tigers are wanting to reassure their fans that they are still the No. 1 team in the nation. Coming off of the bye week and wanting to earn back that No. 1 spot, expect the Tigers to be prepared and put on a show this Saturday.
