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Swinney gives his thoughts on Clemson’s 2022 schedule

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney joined the Packer and Durham show Tuesday on ACC Network and gave his thoughts on the Tigers’ 2022 schedule, which was released Monday during The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACCN. Clemson, which finished …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney joined the Packer and Durham show Tuesday on ACC Network and gave his thoughts on the Tigers’ 2022 schedule, which was released Monday during The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACCN.

Clemson, which finished the 2021 season 10-3 (6-2 ACC), will open its 2022 slate on Labor Day evening — Monday, Sept. 5 — when the Tigers face Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

It will mark the fifth time in the last seven years that Georgia Tech will be Clemson’s first ACC opponent of the season (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022). Clemson holds an 11-2 mark against Georgia Tech in ACC openers since the ACC’s first season in 1953.

The Tigers will then return to Memorial Stadium for their home opener against Furman on Saturday, Sept. 10, before playing Louisiana Tech at Death Valley on Saturday, Sept. 17.

“It’s really cool to start out obviously in an incredible venue, Labor Day night there in Atlanta playing Georgia Tech,” Swinney said. “That’s going to be a great opener for both teams and college football. We get to come home for a couple weeks, and then we’ve got to play five straight division games.”

Those five consecutive ACC Atlantic division contests will see Clemson play at Wake Forest (Saturday, Sept. 24), vs. NC State (Saturday, Oct. 1), at Boston College (Saturday, Oct. 8), at Florida State (Saturday, Oct. 15) and vs. Syracuse (Saturday, Oct. 22).

Clemson will play four of its first five ACC games on the road. It marks only the fifth time since the ACC’s first season in 1953 that Clemson will play four of its first five conference games on the road, joining the 1956, 1986, 1988 and 1990 seasons. Clemson posted a combined record of 11-4-1 in the four road games in the first five conference games of a season in those four years.

Overall, the Tigers will play eight straight games to open the season prior to their bye week on Oct. 29.

“First of all, we’re going to play eight straight before we have an open date,” Swinney said. “But five straight division games. At Wake, who’s had a heck of a run under Coach (Dave) Clawson. Obviously we got beat by NC State. They’ve got a lot of guys back. Man, at BC — we haven’t been to BC in a while (since 2018), but man, that’s always a tough place to play. My man Haf’s (Jeff Hafley) got those guys rolling. I mean, it’s going to be a challenging schedule. Back-to-back on the road, going to Florida State. Coming back at home versus Syracuse, and then we will get an open date. So, September and October, we’ve got a lot of football to play.”

Following the open date, Clemson will travel to South Bend, Ind., for a marquee road matchup at Notre Dame on Saturday, Nov. 5, before concluding the 2022 regular season with three home contests against Louisville (Saturday, Nov. 12), Miami (Saturday, Nov. 19) and, of course, the annual rivalry game against South Carolina (Saturday, Nov. 26).

Clemson’s three-game homestand to end the regular season marks its first time ending a regular season with three consecutive home games since 2012, when Clemson hosted Maryland, NC State and South Carolina to end the regular season.

“Eight straight, and then we come back and November, we’ve got three games at home to finish up there,” Swinney said. “With Louisville, we know who they are, and that quarterback they’ve got (Malik Cunningham) is special. Miami, I think is going to be really good under Coach (Mario) Cristobal. I think he’s going to do a great job there. And then how about the job (Shane) Beamer did this year down at South Carolina. Seven wins and going to the bowl game. I think he exceeded what a lot of people thought they were going to do. He’s done a great job, so you know that’s going to be a tough battle.

“So, it’s going to be a fun season, a challenging season, and we’re excited about it. It’s always fun when it comes out and you can kind of start mapping out what you’ve got to do to get your team ready.”

Clemson enters the season with an active winning streak against 10 of the 12 teams on its schedule. Clemson has active winning streaks against Furman (31), Wake Forest (13), Boston College (11), Georgia Tech (seven), Louisville (seven), South Carolina (seven), Florida State (six), Syracuse (four), Louisiana Tech (three), Miami (three) and Notre Dame (one). NC State won its most recent meeting with Clemson in 2021.

–Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story

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Swinney asked if he has any signing day surprises in store

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was a guest Tuesday on the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network. Swinney was asked if he and the Tigers have any surprises in store for Wednesday’s National Signing Day. “I mean, we signed our first portal guy,” …

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was a guest Tuesday on the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network.

Swinney was asked if he and the Tigers have any surprises in store for Wednesday’s National Signing Day.

“I mean, we signed our first portal guy,” Swinney said of transfer quarterback Hunter Johnson, who is returning to Clemson — the institution with which he originally signed as a five-star recruit in the class of 2017 — after playing in 12 games for Northwestern across the 2019-21 seasons.

“I don’t know if that’s a surprise. I think that’s news. He’s a boomerang portal guy. He’s coming back where he started, coming right back. So, that’s probably it.”

Heading into Wednesday’s National Signing Day, Clemson has 12 signees that inked with the Tigers in the December early signing period.

Clemson also has five verbal scholarship commitments — defensive backs Myles Oliver and Kylon Griffin, linebacker Kobe McCloud, defensive end Jahiem Lawson and wide receiver Cole Turner — all of whom are expected to sign with the Tigers on Wednesday.

In addition, Clemson is in contention for the signatures of several prospects who will announce their decisions on Wednesday — Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic Prepatory School four-star linebacker T.J. Dudley, Lanett (Ala.) High School four-star defensive tackle Caden Story, Parish Episcopal School (Dallas, Texas) three-star running back Andrew Paul and Pine View High School (Saint George, Utah) three-star running back Keith Adams, Jr.

“I don’t think I’m going to have any surprises,” Swinney said. “We’re going to sign a great class, some really talented players and meet all of our needs that we needed from a depth and talent standpoint. It’s exciting. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Clemson’s 2022 class currently ranks No. 11 nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite team recruiting rankings.

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Two analysts don’t pick Clemson to win Atlantic

During The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACC Network on Monday, show host Jordan Cornette and analysts Eric Mac Lain, EJ Manuel and Mark Richt made their picks for which teams they think will represent the Atlantic and Coastal divisions …

During The Huddle: 2022 Football Schedule Reveal on ACC Network on Monday, show host Jordan Cornette and analysts Eric Mac Lain, EJ Manuel and Mark Richt made their picks for which teams they think will represent the Atlantic and Coastal divisions in the 2022 ACC Championship Game, which will be played on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Richt, Mac Lain and Cornette all picked Miami to win the Coastal, while Manuel went with Pittsburgh.

As for the Atlantic, while Manuel and Mac Lain picked Clemson to win the division, both Richt and Cornette predicted NC State to represent the Atlantic in the conference title game.

Here’s what they had to say when making their predictions:

Mark Richt: “NC State. NC State I think is the most balanced team in the league. I think they’re going to win their side of the division, without any doubt. And then I’m taking the boys at The U. Again, usually it’s year two when a coach gets his act together. But I think Coach (Manny Diaz) left a lot of really good players, and Coach (Mario) Cristobal really understands the culture of that place. I mean, let’s face it – home run hire at the AD position (Dan Radakovich), home run hire at the head coaching position. A lot of momentum just going into the season. So, I think it’s going to be Miami.”

E.J. Manuel: “Coach, I gotta disagree on the Coastal side. I’m going to say the Pitt Panthers get another chance to get back there. Kedon Slovis, he’s going to make that move to help himself, move on to the draft. It’s a good team. If they had a quarterback versus Michigan State, they win that game. And I’m going to say on the Atlantic side, I think Clemson gets back. I think Clemson picks it back up, they’re going to be back dominant.”

Eric Mac Lain: “I agree with both of y’all. I think we could see easily, all those situations. I think it’s going to be Clemson and Miami. At the end of the day, I think both those teams are going to have unbelievable years, but would not be shocked by NC State or Pitt playing in that game.”

Jordan Cornette: “TVD (Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke) I think is the best quarterback in the conference next year. Of all the great quarterbacks, I think he’s going to be the best quarterback, so I agree with you guys there. I do think Miami gets there. As for the other side … I think NC State.”

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ACC analysts discuss which former Tiger would be the best addition to Clemson’s staff

On the Packer and Durham show on the ACC Network this week, Mark Packer and Wes Durham discussed which former ACC football players would be the best additions to the coaching staffs at their alma maters. When thinking about Clemson, their choice was …

On the Packer and Durham show on the ACC Network this week, Mark Packer and Wes Durham discussed which former ACC football players would be the best additions to the coaching staffs at their alma maters.

When thinking about Clemson, their choice was a no-brainer — 2021 first-team All-ACC selection James Skalski, a two-year team captain who completed his decorated six-year career as a linebacker (2016-21) credited with 310 career tackles (20.5 tackles for loss), 10.0 sacks, 12 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries (including one he returned 17 yards for a touchdown) and a forced fumble in 1,920 snaps over 69 games (38 starts).

Check out the following dialogue from Packer and Durham about Skalski and why they think the five-time ACC Champion and two-time national champ would be a great coach:

Durham: “This guy’s gonna coach. I keep waiting to see, somehow, he’s involved for next year.”

Packer: “He’s going to be a coach.”

Durham: “He’s gonna be. He was a coach last spring.”

Packer: “He was a coach in his last game after he got hurt at halftime of the Cheez-It Bowl.”

Durham: “This is like the easiest one of all time.”

Packer: “James Skalski at Clemson, gotta be on the list. Has to be.”

Durham: “I just envision Skalski with a get-back coach. That’s the thing. Because (Brent) Venables… Skalski and those guys, Baylon Spector and that crowd, they used to laugh at Venables with the get-back coach, right. Well, see, I envision Skalski with a get-back coach, and Skalski and the get-back coach getting into it on the sideline because of how fired up he’ll be. And I told Dabo this last year, and I said this to Skalski when Roddy (Jones) and I did the spring game – I think he’ll be a terffic coach. I think he’ll be a terrific coach, because it means something to him.”

Packer: “True passion.”

Durham: “And he’s been to the top of the mountain. He knows what the price is you have to pay.”

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Packer calls out ESPN for knocking ACC, Clemson

On the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network on Wednesday, Mark Packer and Wes Durham discussed the final AP Top 25 Poll, which was released Tuesday. The final AP Poll features three ACC teams in the top 15 (No. 13 Pittsburgh, No. 14 Clemson, No. 15 …

On the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network on Wednesday, Mark Packer and Wes Durham discussed the final AP Top 25 Poll, which was released Tuesday.

The final AP Poll features three ACC teams in the top 15 (No. 13 Pittsburgh, No. 14 Clemson, No. 15 Wake Forest) and four ACC teams in the top 20 (No. 20 NC State).

“Wait a minute, (ESPN analyst) Joey Galloway said the league stinks,” Packer said, when Durham mentioned the ACC having three teams in the top 15. “I’m not going to let that go away, because he was wrong when he said it eight months ago, and he’s been proven wrong again. So, I’m just going to reiterate, they’ve got three in the top 15. The league stinks, right?”

Durham pointed out that this year marks the second time in the last six seasons the ACC finished with four teams ranked in the AP top 20 (2016).

“The league stinks, remember,” Packer sarcastically responded. “Four in the top 20, three in the top 15, and we’re just going to bury the league before we see any games this year. That’s what I learned this year at ESPN. OK, I keep saying, can we just play the games and see where this goes? I’m just asking. Just asking. We ended up having four teams in the final AP top 10 (No. 3 Michigan, No. 5 Baylor, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 9 Michigan State) that you couldn’t find them when the season started – four in the top 10. You gotta play the games. All that hype, all that nonsense, talking heads throwing stuff against the wall, wanting to be heard, put it on Twitter, social media, all that garbage – you’ve got to play the games, man. That’s why we love the sports.”

Durham also brought up the fact that Clemson (10-3, 6-2 ACC) finished No. 14 in the AP Poll despite a 2-2 start and three losses before the month of November, thanks to six straight wins to end the season.

Packer called out those at ESPN who said early in the season that Dabo Swinney’s dynasty at Clemson is over.

“Boy, the program’s dead, right? That’s what I heard on ESPN,” Packer said. “You’re afraid to say it. I’m going to say it. There were people on ESPN after the first week of the season that said, ‘It’s over.’ They finished what, Wes? How many wins they have? Double digits. ‘Program’s over. They stink. Forget about ‘em. Stick a fork in them, they’re done. Dynasty’s over.’ At some point, are we not held accountable for some of the garbage that’s spewed on radio and television? I’m just asking. I am asking that question. … I do have an answer. If I gave it to you, it’d be my last day at ESPN.”

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Packer reflects on Clemson’s beatdown of Bama, how media was stunned

Today, Jan. 7, marks the three-year anniversary of one of the most memorable nights in Clemson football history – Jan. 7, 2019, when the Tigers defeated Alabama, 44-16, to win their second national championship in three seasons. On the Packer and …

On the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network this morning, Mark Packer reflected on that night three years ago when Dabo Swinney’s team dominated Nick Saban’s squad at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., and Packer brought up what he heard from some Alabama media members in the buildup to the game.

“There were more than just stunned Bama players. There were stunned media members, too, I might add, from that game,” Packer said. “Hard to believe that was three years ago today. Because being out there, I mean, I got to tell you – the lead into that, all I heard was ‘the greatest Alabama team of all time. Poor Clemson, this freshman quarterback’s never seen anything like it. Don’t they know this is Alabama football. We saw what happened at the Sugar Bowl. Why is this game going to be close. Alabama’s destroyed the Southeastern Conference. It’s the greatest league since sliced bread. Clemson doesn’t play anybody, yada, yada, yada, yada, yada.’

“And Clemson beat the living daylights out of them that night. I mean, that was an absolute woodshed job to the point where Dabo’s taking a knee to make sure they didn’t put half a hundred on Nick Saban. That was an absolute time-to-go-to-bed, night-night, sleep-tight game. It was unbelievable.”

Clemson’s 28-point win against Alabama that night marked the worst loss of Saban’s Alabama tenure, while the 28-point victory over the Tide is tied for the largest margin of victory in a College Football Playoff title game (Alabama defeated Ohio State, 52-24, in 2021).

“I’m not going to tell you who said it. But I was told before the game from some members that I respect immensely, before the game, from Clemson, that they thought they were going to beat the you-know-what out of Alabama,” Packer recalled. “They had kind of a mindset that they thought they were the better team. Now, I know you’re going to say, ‘Oh, every coach thinks that before they go into the game.’ Yeah, there’s one thing that you hear lip service. But the way it was mentioned was, ‘You’re going to be surprised how easy this is going to be,’ and it was.

“This game, it was just ‘we’re better than you,’ and everybody after the game had all kinds of excuses. I heard Alabama players afterwards talking about, ‘Aw man, he was just lucky, throwing balls up.’ Hey, they kicked you all over the yard. This was men versus boys… I just got a kick out of some of the stuff I heard before the game from some media members that acted as if Clemson doesn’t even play football, and it was like, you know, there’s a reason we keep score. You may be right – Alabama may be the greatest team. But this other group over here, let’s not pretend like they’ve never beaten Alabama before in the national championship game.”

Clemson, of course, also defeated Alabama in the 2016 national championship game to win its first national title at the time since 1981.

Clemson’s 2018 team became the third team in history to go 15-0 in a single season (1st since Penn in 1897). The Tigers’ offense led by Trevor Lawrence averaged 44.3 points per game that season (No. 4 in the FBS), while their defense allowed just 13.1 points per game (No. 1 in the FBS).

“With that defensive front, you knew they had a shot, and Trevor Lawrence that night was great,” Packer said. “Of course, he turned out to be a pretty good player. First pick in the draft last year. Great wide receivers, great staff. I mean, that was just one of those things that sometimes folks in the media get carried away with what they think and start just throwing stuff up against the wall, and then they don’t like when they’re held accountable when people bring up what they said prior to, and then they make vendettas and go after people after the fact, and that happened with Clemson.”

Packer added that the thing he remembers most about Clemson’s beatdown of Bama was the Tigers’ final possession – a 14-play, 94-yard drive that exhausted the final 10 minutes and two seconds of game clock and ended the contest, which really wasn’t much of a contest.

“I don’t think I have ever seen Alabama football throw the white flag,” Packer said. “That was one of those, hey, we just want to get out of here. I can’t remember another time watching a Nick Saban team just get manhandled. I mean, at the point of attack, they were embarrassed… And that was a quote, according to some who follow the SEC religiously, ‘the greatest college football team ever.’ You almost had to laugh, like dude, how embarrassed are you. Because that was an absolute woodshed job.”

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ACC analysts weigh in on Clemson’s ‘home run hire’ of Eason

On Friday, head coach Dabo Swinney and Clemson Football announced that Nick Eason has been named defensive run game coordinator/defensive tackles coach. The hire was officially approved by the Clemson University Board of Trustees Compensation …

A veteran of 17 combined NFL seasons as a player and coach, Eason will join defensive ends coach Lemanski Hall to give Clemson’s talented defensive line group the guidance of a coaching duo with 26 combined seasons of NFL experience.

On the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network, Mark Packer and Wes Durham gave some thoughts on Clemson’s hire of Eason, a four-year letterman for the Tigers from 1999-2002 whose playing career included 117 NFL games over 10 seasons from 2003-12 with the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals.

“This guy was a monster as a player,” Durham said. “Suffice it to say, if they play like he played, it’s over up front. Holy cow.”

Eason transitioned to coaching in 2013 as a coaching intern for the Cleveland Browns, for whom he had previously played three seasons from 2004-06. In 2014, he was hired by the Tennessee Titans and helped oversee Tennessee’s transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 front. He spent two seasons as an assistant defensive line coach from 2014-15 before becoming the Titans’ defensive line coach in 2016-17, helping defensive tackle Jurrell Casey to the first three of his five career Pro Bowl selections to date in those four years.

From 2019-20, Eason served as defensive line coach for the Cincinnati Bengals. In his first season, Eason led significant improvement in the Bengals’ defensive line as the season progressed, notching an 11-sack improvement and an 84.1-yard reduction in yards per game in the second half of the season. Under Eason’s guidance, defensive tackle Geno Atkins earned his eighth Pro Bowl selection.

Most recently, Eason served as defensive line coach at Auburn, helping the Tigers to their largest sack total since 2018 in his first season. Auburn allowed the third-fewest yards per carry in the SEC and finished fourth in the conference in tackles for loss in his debut campaign on the Plains.

Packer believes Swinney and the Tigers hit it out of the park by bringing Eason aboard their coaching staff as the replacement for Todd Bates, who spent the last five seasons as Clemson’s defensive tackles coach before recently leaving to join Brent Venables’ staff at Oklahoma.

“I think it took Dabo Swinney six minutes to make this phone call… I think this is a great hire, for a lot of reasons,” Packer said. “I think one of the things Dabo wanted was a guy with NFL experience. He played in the NFL for 10 years. He knows Clemson. Of course, he was at Auburn last year, for getting into the college coaching ranks. Todd Bates has moved on to Oklahoma. But I think everybody within the Clemson circle thought this was a absolute home run hire.”

In spite of all the injuries Clemson endured on the defensive side of the ball in 2021, the Tigers still managed to rank second nationally behind only Georgia in scoring defense (14.8 points per game allowed) and eighth in the country in total defense (305.5 yards per game allowed).

Packer thinks with better health, the Tigers’ defense could be even nastier next season, and says that’s a positive for Eason as he joins the staff.

“Here’s the good news for Nick Eason,” Packer said. “When you realize what Clemson lost as far as injuries go and yet that defense was still pulverizing people — defensively next year, knock on wood that they stay healthy, that is going to be one talented group on the defensive side. They were really good this year. They have a chance to be spectacular in ’22.”

–Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story

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ACC analyst bullish on Clemson heading into 2022 season

On the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network this week, Mark Packer and Wes Durham discussed which ACC teams they believe have the most reason for optimism heading into the 2022 season. Durham posed the following question to Packer – if he had to …

On the Packer and Durham show on ACC Network this week, Mark Packer and Wes Durham discussed which ACC teams they believe have the most reason for optimism heading into the 2022 season.

Durham posed the following question to Packer — if he had to pick a winner for the Atlantic and Coastal divisions, right now, who would he pick?

“I would go Clemson in the Atlantic,” Packer said. “I’m going to go Miami in the Coastal.”

Durham then asked Packer if it’s fair to say that while the Tigers showed enough in their Cheez-It Bowl win over Iowa State to get excited about where they are defensively entering next season, they still have “this outlier there with the quarterback spot.”

“Yeah, but I will tell you this — I think at the end of the year, I think Clemson was playing better than anybody in the league,” Packer said.

Durham agreed with Packer’s pick of Clemson as the 2022 Atlantic Division champion to a certain extent, but added, “I’m going to hold just a couple of edges on the Clemson pick here for a spot with Wake and for a spot with potentially NC State.”

“Because I think NC State is bringing back a lot, a whole lot,” Durham explained. “But I want to see what it looks like on paper before I commit fully to the Wolfpack here.”

Still, Durham is high on NC State, which went 9-3 (6-2 ACC) in 2021 and finished second in the Atlantic behind Wake Forest (11-3, 7-1).

“Wake’s going to lose some people in the offensive line, they’re going to lose some pieces on defense,” Durham said. “But this crowd (at NC State) right here, now… (Running back) Bam Knight’s going to go to the NFL. Got it. (Wide receiver) Thayer Thomas is back, (quarterback) Devin Leary’s back. I know they lost (Ikem) Ekwonu on the offensive line, but (Grant) Gibson I think is coming back. Defensively, they’re bringing back all the tacklers.

“I mean, it just seems like there’s a lot more on the table in Raleigh right now than people realize. And as you said — and I believe you’re exactly right on this — the biggest loss for NC State not playing the Holiday Bowl is that people nationally didn’t get to see just how talented they were this year, because I think a lot of that talent carries over to ’22. So, I’m going to give you Clemson, yes. But I’m going to hold edges for both NC State and possibly Wake Forest.”

Packer pointed out that NC State, which edged Clemson in double-overtime in Raleigh in September, has to play at Death Valley in 2022.

The Wolfpack haven’t beaten Clemson at Death Valley since 2002.

“Number one, NC State’s at Clemson next year in The Valley. That’s a problem. That’s been a problem,” Packer said.

Packer also believes Boston College should be mentioned as a contender for the Atlantic crown in 2022.

“If you don’t put Boston College in the conversation in the Atlantic, I think you’re making a mistake,” he said. “I think the fact that (quarterback Phil) Jurkovec is back, (wide receiver) Zay Flowers is back, Jeff Hafley’s recruiting extremely well, he’s a defensive-minded coach… Again, we don’t know what the schedules look like and when you play. But anybody that’s got to go to Boston late October, November, that’ll be a nice chilly road trip.”

Packer is excited to see how the Atlantic Division unfolds next season with what he believes will be a four-team race between Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest and Boston College.

But Packer is bullish on the Tigers heading into 2022.

“Clemson, again, I think that quarterback competition’s going to be real,” he said. “People don’t have any idea what they went through injury wise, and they still won 10 games. They’re going to get rebooted and healthy and they’re going to be a joke, how good they’re going to be.

“I think the Atlantic race is going to be a blast… I think the top half of the Atlantic next year with Boston College, Wake Forest, NC State, Clemson will be thoroughly, thoroughly entertaining.”

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Analysts discuss Clemson’s looming QB competition

Following the Cheez-It Bowl last Wednesday, a few ACC analysts gave their takeaways from No. 19 Clemson’s 20-13 win over Iowa State. On The Huddle on ACC Network, former Clemson All-ACC offensive lineman and current ACCN analyst Eric Mac Lain said …

Following the Cheez-It Bowl last Wednesday, a few ACC analysts gave their takeaways from No. 19 Clemson’s 20-13 win over Iowa State.

On The Huddle on ACC Network, former Clemson All-ACC offensive lineman and current ACCN analyst Eric Mac Lain said one thing that stood out to him was the “lack of offensive explosion from the quarterback position.”

Following a month of bowl prep, Mac Lain expected to see more from D.J. Uiagalelei and his receivers against the Cyclones. The sophomore quarterback went 21-of-32 passing for 187 yards with an interception, while freshman Dacari Collins was Clemson’s leading receiver in the Cheez-It Bowl with 56 yards on six catches.

“I thought that this month of practice would do Clemson really well, and especially D.J. Uiagalelei, just to get back with those receivers,” Mac Lain said. “You had a couple of young guys that really hadn’t been there all year long. So, to have a full month in the bowl season where you have the Collins guys, with Beaux Collins and Dacari Collins, thought that we would see more chemistry, thought that we would see more things down the field, and he didn’t show it.”

Mac Lain also talked about the quarterback competition the Tigers will have this spring, with five-star signee Cade Klubnik set to enroll at Clemson this month and take part in spring practice.

“It might just be to the point of where you have a young freshman coming in this spring that wants to play, and it’s going to be a quarterback competition from day one,” Mac Lain said.

Former Georgia and Miami head coach and current ACCN analyst Mark Richt, also a former quarterbacks coach at Florida State, agreed with Mac Lain about Clemson’s looming quarterback battle.

“There’s no doubt about it,” he said. “And really, for me, as a quarterbacks coach my whole career, it was a painful game to watch, and it was on both sides. Three points, three points, missing field goals. Just guys couldn’t make enough plays and couldn’t finish drives. But as the game went on, quarterback play got a little bit better. But it’s absolutely going to be a competition at Clemson.”

ACCN analyst E.J. Manuel, FSU’s starting quarterback from 2009-12 and a former first-round NFL Draft pick of the Buffalo Bills, believes this will be a big offseason for not only Uiagalelei — but also for head coach Dabo Swinney.

“Like, what decision do you make now because DJ, based off how he played in that freshman year, it’s still the biggest question mark for me is how do you go from playing that well your freshman year to now your sophomore year, you’re just not the same guy,” Manuel said. “I just feel like that’s going to be the toughest thing to try to figure out for Coach Swinney. I’m sure he’s scratching his head, too.”

After completing 78-of-117 passes (66.7 percent) for 914 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions as a freshman in 2020, Uiagalelei went 208-of-374 passing (55.6 percent) for 2,246 yards and nine touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 13 games this season.

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ACC analyst talks Cheez-It Bowl, important streak at stake for Tigers

A significant streak is at stake for No. 19 Clemson (9-3) when it battles Iowa State (7-5) in the Cheez-It Bowl this evening. The Tigers are vying for their 11th consecutive 10-win season to join Florida State (14, 1987-2000) and Alabama (14, …

A significant streak is at stake for No. 19 Clemson (9-3) when it battles Iowa State (7-5) in the Cheez-It Bowl this evening.

The Tigers are vying for their 11th consecutive 10-win season to join Florida State (14, 1987-2000) and Alabama (14, 2008-21) as the only schools to reach double-digit victories in at least 11 straight seasons.

ACC Network analyst Kelly Gramlich, who co-hosted the Packer and Durham show on the network this morning, talked about the streak that’s on the line for Clemson and previewed its Cheez-It Bowl matchup vs. Iowa State.

“That’s a big deal. The 10-win streak is a huge deal,” Gramlich said, “and I think Iowa State is also very motivated — trying to get to eight wins, trying to get a big win over Clemson. This is a marquee opponent for Iowa State. At 7-5, they probably didn’t think they’d get a chance to play this kind of a program in a bowl at 7-5. So, it’s huge for both teams. And I think the 10-win mark — I know how important that is for Clemson, having covered this program pretty closely over the last 10 years.”

Gramlich compared Clemson’s season this year to the 2014 campaign, when the Tigers earned their 10th win with a 40-6 victory over Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl on the same date that the Cheez-It Bowl is being played today — Dec. 29.

“You look back at a season like 2014, where they also found a way to get 10 wins — nine wins in the regular season, then the win over Oklahoma in the Russell Athletic Bowl, which is what this bowl used to be,” Gramlich said. “And then that season really propelled you to the 2015 playoff, and Clemson fans still take a lot of pride in winning 10 games in that year where you had a lot of injuries, at quarterback specifically. So, I know that’s a big deal.”

Gramlich also believes the consecutive 10-win seasons streak is a big deal to Clemson’s seniors, who are hoping to go out on top with a victory over the Cyclones.

“I know it matters so much for these seniors,” she said. “They didn’t have the season they wanted, but to go out and say I never had a year where I didn’t at least win 10 games, even a COVID year, that’s huge for (James) Skalski and (Nolan) Turner and (Darien) Rencher and all of these guys who have been at Clemson for it seems like decades.”

The Cheez-It Bowl will kick off at 5:45 p.m. at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., and be televised on ESPN. Clemson is a 1.5-point favorite.

“When you look at bowl games, you look at motivation and you look at location,” Gramlich said. “The location doesn’t really affect either of these teams, it being in sunny Orlando. But I think both teams are highly motivated, so I expect a really fun and exciting game in the Cheez-It Bowl.”

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