Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football team are firmly out of the College Football Playoff picture, but there is still a lot of season left for this team to prove themselves and what they are all about.
For Clemson (4-2, 2-2 ACC) to end the 2023 season on a high note, they may need to get through a very familiar face to do so… DJ Uiagalelei. According to Brett McMurphy and Action Network’s latest college football bowl projections, Clemson is projected to face Oregon State in the Holiday Bowl.
I know the Holiday Bowl is not a game Tigers fans were expecting, but if this does end up happening, it would be a wild matchup for a few reasons. The obvious reason is former Clemson starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.
Uiagalelei started two seasons for the Tigers with high expectations, taking over for Clemson great Trevor Lawrence. The young quarterback had his moments but didn’t live up to the hype. Swinney and the Tigers opted to go with now-starting quarterback Cade Klubnik, with Uiagalelei transferring to play for the Beavers.
He has had a solid start to his season as the No.15 Beavers sit at 5-1 heading into a Week 7 matchup against No.18 UCLA. So far, he has recorded 1,307 passing yards, 13 TD passes, 4 interceptions, 131 rushing yards, and 5 rushing TDs.
This matchup is mainly intriguing because of this, but it is also interesting because it would simply be a great matchup. Two great defenses taking each other on with all of the implications around both offenses would be a fantastic watch.