Tigers Roar: Clemson Strong in Dominant, Eye-Opening Win

© Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

Entering Week 2, the 25th-ranked Clemson Tigers (1-1) hosted the Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-1) in the home opener for the Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney. In what was a wake-up call for the Clemson Tigers, they improved to 6-0 all-time against the Mountaineers with a dominant 66-20 win on Sept. 7.

For the Tigers, after a disappointing loss in Week 1 to the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, raised more questions than answers. Those questions were quickly answered as the Tigers roared out to a 35-0 lead after the first quarter. For quarterback Cade Klubnik and the Tigers offense, it showed what they are capable of and that rumors of the Tigers not being a force in college football were premature.

What Happened in theGame?

As the game quickly became out of reach, Klubnik and the offense turned in a stellar performance. Klubnik finished the day 24-of-26 for 378 yards and 5 touchdowns, he also added 2 rushing touchdowns in the first half. Running back Phil Mafah asserted himself in the onslaught with 118 yards and a touchdown of his own. As a team, the offense broke the 500-yard mark on offense in the first half en route to 712 yards of total offense in the game.

For the Tigers' defense, they held a quality Mountaineers offense in neutral with quarterback Joey Aguilar throwing for 214 yards and a touchdown. The defense kept the Mountaineers' offense and the preseason Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year in Aguilar in check. Despite only recording a single sack in the game by defensive lineman Stephiylan Green, the defense did record 10 pass breakups. When the final whistle sounded, the defense had intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble as they held the Appalachian State team to 363 yards.

Player of the Game

This game was over quickly, and it all started with the quarterback for Swinney and the Tigers, Klubnik. He completed 92 percent of his passes in his half of play before being replaced by Christopher Vizzina in the third quarter. Klubnik completed passes to various receivers in all areas of the field. Freshman Bryant Wesco led the game in receiving yards with an eye-opening 130 yards on 3 catches. This offense played with a chip on its shoulder from the opening kickoff and 712 yards of offense later, the Clemson Tigers got their first win of the season in convincing fashion.

What Does It Mean?

For the Tigers, Week 1 was a wake-up call. They got mauled by the Bulldogs. While some teams don't recover, the talent level and leaders for coach Swinney and the Tigers addressed the mistakes that were made and turned on the gas against the Appalachian State Mountaineers. It was a dominating win that Clemson needed. With their convincing win and other results in Week 2, the Tigers will see their position rise in the rankings, could they climb into the No. 10-15 range? They play conference foe and the 24th-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack on Sept. 21.

For the Mountaineers, while the loss was certainly possible, the way they lost wasn't. They are still a favorite in the Sun Belt and a birth in the College Football Playoff is a possibility. Running back Anderson Castle emerged and ran well against a stout defense with 80 yards and a touchdown. The Mountaineers travel to East Carolina for their next game on Sept. 14.