App State has Clemson's Full Attention - The Tigers are just 2-3-2 vs. FBS opponents following a Georgia loss since 1978

CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney says Saturday’s home opener against App. State is no different than any other week.

“This is the biggest game of the year. Nothing matters except this week. Nothing,” Clemson’s head coach said.

The 25th-ranked Tigers are coming off a tough opening loss to top-ranked Georgia, a game in which the Bulldogs dominated them in the second half. Historically, Clemson has struggled the week after losing to Georgia when it plays FBS opponents.

The Tigers are just 2-3-2 vs. FBS opponents following a Georgia loss since 1978.

“I am just worried about beating App State. That is all I am worried about,” Swinney said. “I do not have any more sense of urgency than if we had won the game last week.”

Clemson (0-1) did not do much right in its 34-3 loss to the Bulldogs. The offense tallied just 188 total yards, while the defense gave up four touchdowns on Georgia’s first five drives to start the second half.

“Let’s just go get better this week,” Swinney said. “Let’s get ready to see if we can go win a game this week. It is no different than any other week, regardless of what anybody else did.”

App State (1-0) is coming off a 38-10 victory over East Tennessee State in its first game. The Mountaineers gained 500 yards of total offense, including 326 yards from quarterback Joey Aguilar.

He completed 22 of 36 passes and had two touchdowns.

“They are good football team,” Swinney said. “When you talk about App. State, they are just who they are programmatically, culturally, three years in a row they have had a top 25 win. This is what they expect to do. That is what is woven into the DNA of App State.

“It does not matter where they go. They expect to win. That has been instill in them for a long time.”

Though App State is 0-5 against the Tigers’ all-time, the program has some of the biggest David vs. Goliath wins in the history of college football. When they were still an FCS school, they went to Michigan and knocked off a top 10 Michigan team in the Big House.

The Mountaineers also have wins at Texas A&M, North Carolina and South Carolina.

“They have our full attention,” Swinney said.

Saturday’s game at Memorial Stadium is schedule to kick off at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACCN.