Key events:
- Greg Huegel missed a 39-yard field goal that would have put the Tigers up on the board with five minutes left in the first quarter.
- Clemson’s second score of the game was a 57-yard strike from true freshman Trevor Lawrence to true freshman Justyn Ross. The pass put the Tigers up by two scores just minutes after breaking the 0-0 tie.
Positives:
- Clemson’s defense is stifling Georgia Southern’s offense by daring Georgia Southern to throw. The Tigers bring the safeties down and stack the box to stop the run and the Eagles aren’t countering.
- Despite the offensive struggles, Clemson is outgaining the Eagles 383 yards to 30 total yards. Clemson’s dominance on the defensive line allowed the offense to struggle before finding their groove.
Areas for Improvement:
- The Tigers are moving the ball well but they struggled to finish drives early on. On the first two drives the Tigers had 116 yards with no points – while the Eagles had 11 yards and no points.
- Clemson’s performance at the goal line was underwhelming. It took four runs to gain the two yards necessary for the first score of the game, and almost every play was a run up the middle.
Things to Look For:
- As the defensive line rotates more later in the game, see if the defense is still dominating the Eagle’s offensive line and giving the Tigers offense more time to operate.
- Although the Tigers are winning, pay attention to their use of tempo. The Tigers normally run at least 80 plays but only ran 55 in last week’s win at College Station. They already have 50 through one half of football.
