This weekend, the No. 25 Clemson Tigers will host the Appalachian State Mountaineers in their first home game of the season. Coming off a tough loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, Clemson will look to make a statement against an Appalachian State team that won its first game of the season.
1. Establishing the Run Game
While Appalachian State’s primary offensive attack is through the air, the Mountaineers are still productive on the ground. Last week, they rushed for 174 yards en route to a total of 500 yards.
This performance is consistent with last season, when the Mountaineers averaged 445 total yards per game.
Clemson struggled to run the ball last week, finishing with just 46 rushing yards. The Tigers will look to improve in that area this week, led by veteran running back Phil Mafah.
2. Defensive Line
It will be crucial for Clemson’s defensive line to pressure Appalachian State quarterback Joey Aguilar. The Mountaineers rely heavily on the passing game, which accounted for nearly 330 yards in their last game. If Clemson can apply early pressure on Aguilar, it could be a long day for Appalachian State’s offense.
On the other side, Clemson’s offensive line struggled last week, failing to open up the run game, which led to a stagnant offensive display. If Appalachian State wins the battle at the line of scrimmage, it could be another slow day for the Tigers in the scoring column.
3. Turnovers
Turnovers are major momentum shifters in college football. Last week, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik threw one interception. Coming off a 2023 season in which he threw nine interceptions, it’s crucial for Klubnik to avoid major mistakes this week.
4. Passing Game
As mentioned, Appalachian State relies heavily on the passing game. Last week, Aguilar completed 22 of 37 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns.
Death Valley will be a tough environment for Aguilar to replicate that production. However, the Mountaineers will look to establish their passing game early and often.
For Clemson, Klubnik will seek a better performance than last week. Against Georgia, he completed 18 of 29 passes for 142 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. Expect Clemson to take more shots downfield this week, with less conservative play-calling, which could lead to a big day for Klubnik and his receivers.
5. Penalties
Penalties killed multiple Clemson drives last weekend against Georgia. It’s not uncommon to see these types of mistakes early in a season, but the Tigers need to limit penalties and find ways to overcome them when they occur.
Appalachian State also struggled with penalties in their opener, with six flags costing them 61 yards. While those penalties didn’t hurt them last week, they could be costly against a stronger opponent like Clemson.
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