Last week Clemson (2-1, 1-0) won it’s 800th game all-time. This week Dabo Swinney goes for his 100th win in Death Valley as Stanford (2-1, 1-0) makes its first ever visit to Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers are riding high after blowout wins over App State and NC State, with Cade Klubnik and the offense leading the charge. It’s hard to find a quarterback playing as well as Klubnik has over his last two games.
Part of what has allowed the Tigers’ starting quarterback to take that next step is the much-improved offensive line play Clemson is experiencing under Matt Luke. It’s obvious Klubnik has full faith in his pass protection. He now has the time to scan the field and step up in the pocket and make some throws.
The Tigers are going to need that offensive line on Saturday. Stanford comes in allowing just 2.2 yards per carry and have held each of their last two opponents under 30 yards on the ground. Phil Mafah is averaging over eight yards per carry, so something will have to give here.
Where Stanford has experienced some struggles is defending the pass. Teams have averaged almost 300 yards per game through the air against that defense. Last week they gave up 339 yards to Kyle McCord and Syracuse, while TCU’s Josh Hoover torched them for 353 yards in the season-opener.
With the success Klubnik and the Tigers have had passing the ball the past two games, there should be some opportunities for some big plays in this one. Just get the ball to your playmakers and let them do what they do.
On the other side of the ball, Clemson’s defense will need to be disciplined. Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels is one of those guys that can make plays with his legs. Three games into the season and he leads the Cardinal in rushing yards. The Tigers can’t afford to let him escape the pocket. Keep him contained.
The biggest key defensively might just be holding sophomore receiver Elic Ayomanor in check. He’s hit the seven catch mark in two of the first three games and has 187 yards against their two Power-4 opponents. This will be another big test for those Clemson corners.
All that said, this Clemson team should be up to the task. The Tigers are about a three touchdown favorite for a reason. Last week I was skeptical of the big spread, this week not so much.
This offense is playing with a lot of confidence right now and are executing at an extremely high level. Expect another efficient performance.
Antonio Williams is growing into the alpha of that wide receiver room and Jake Briningstool is having a really good start to the season as well. At the same time, Klubnik has done a really good job of spreading it around to all of his targets.
This is also the second week in a row that Stanford has traveled across the country to the east coast. Add in some travel issues on Thursday that will keep them from arriving until sometime Friday afternoon at the earliest, and this smells like a blowout. The Tigers cover the number on Homecoming and remain unbeaten in ACC play.
Clemson 45 Stanford 17
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
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