Game Review: Clemson at Texas; CFP 1st Round
Clemson snuck into the first ever 12-Team Playoff hoping for a fresh start after a three loss regular season. However, woes that led to the three regular season losses also diminished the Tigers odds of winning against the Texas Longhorns. Clemson was unable to maintain offensive consistency with no rushing production, and the Tiger defense was unable to stop the Longhorn rushing attack leading to a 38-24 victory for Texas.
The Tigers came out swinging on offense, scoring on the first drive after a 22-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Williams. Yet, four straight non-scoring drives combined with Clemson’s defense not stopping the run allowed Texas to gain a 21-7 lead early into the second quarter. Texas QB Ewers proceeded to throw a pick-6 on the following Longhorn possession; however, a blindside block withdrew the touchdown giving Klubnik and his offense the ball on their own 46. This forced turnover led to just 3 points for the Tigers pushing their score to 10, but a lack of ability to stop Texas allowed an easy touchdown to TE Gunnar Helm right before half to stretch their lead to 18 going into the locker room. Coming out of halftime, Clemson fans did not have much hope and the season felt as if it was already over. However, the Tigers stayed in the fight despite giving up a field goal to start the second half. Quarterback Cade Klubnik began to throw the rock all over the field, and WR T.J. Moore quickly became the go-to guy during the second half ending the night with 9 catches, 116 yards, and 1 touchdown. Clemson then scored two straight touchdowns going into the fourth quarter to cut the Longhorn lead to just 7 points in a 31-24 game, and the Tigers needed a defensive stand. Texas came out to the next drive planning to keep the ball on the ground. Two plays into the drive, back-up RB Jaydon Blue broke free for a 77-yard touchdown, killing Clemson’s momentum. Just six plays later, Klubnik and Moore connected 3 times for 65 yards to put the Tigers on the Texas 5-yard line with plenty of time left. However, they were unable to punch it in the endzone after four tries, seemingly destroying any hope for a 21-point comeback that cemented Texas’ victory.
Clemson showcased a lot of good and bad during the contest against the Texas Longhorns, but many of these guys are coming back to Tiger Town hoping to return to the Playoffs. While Clemson may have finished 10-4 this season, there is a ton to look forward to going into next season being led by Quarterback Cade Klubnik.
Key Tiger Takeaways:
Klubnik Heisman Tour Incoming: Cade Klubnik threw for 336 passing yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT against a Texas Secondary that has only given up a season-high of 202 passing yards and 4 total passing touchdowns. Cade Klubnik finished the season with over 40 total touchdowns and just 7 total turnovers vastly improving from his mediocre campaign from the previous season. However, Klubnik was not given very much national attention most likely due to his lack of big time wins. Most of the Clemson offense is returning to Tiger Town for the 25-26 campaign, and I expect Cade Klubnik to finish the season building on what he has started this past year. Klubnik will be in New York at the end of next season because of his improvement and because of the help of the veteran offense from the Tigers.
Moore and Wesco: Both Freshman Receivers T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. has taken turns having huge games for Clemson in their final two games giving each of them an opportunity to grow as Receivers during their first seasons. Moore finished the day against Texas with 9 catches, 116 yards, and 1 TD matching Wesco’s 100+ yard game from the ACC Championship Game. These two guys were trouble for the best Secondary in the country this past weekend, and they will be trouble for the entire country the entire time they are in College Football. Moore and Wesco are the new building blocks in the Clemson Receiving Corp, and with the help of veteran Antonio Williams, they will be one of the best pass catching group in the country.
Defensive Failures: Clemson defense was extremely underwhelming this season compared to the standards we have come to know in the past decade of Clemson Football. They were just average in stopping the passing attack. They were horrendous in stopping the rush, and they were unable to consistently create pressure with just four pass rushers. The Tigers in the past have fed off of sacking the passer at one of the best rates in the country, but they were unable to create pressure or even finish sacks when they got to the Quarterback. This inability to create pressure worsen the Secondary’s ability to guard Receivers, and the defense this season was very forgettable. Clemson has a lot to decide in this coming off-season, but a lot will fall on the defensive side of the ball. While the offense has shown improvement under OC Garrett Riley, the defense has done nothing but gotten worse under DC Wes Goodwin. Clemson failed at the fundamentals this season, and it ultimately cost them their season.
Monumental Off-season: As I mentioned, Clemson will have a huge upcoming off-season. Coach Swinney has already taken two portal guys to help bolster a beaten up recruiting class, but will Coach Swinney also make changes within Clemson’s program. Many fans are wanting coaching changes to occur, and Coach Swinney is hearing the noise. The landscape of College Football has quickly shifted into how it is today, and the Tigers have slowly started to fall behind. Will Clemson make the necessary changes in their mindsets to propel the Tigers back into national spotlight?