Tag: Furman Paladins

The 4-1-1 on Clemson’s win over Furman

No. 4 Clemson dispatched of Furman this afternoon at Memorial Stadium to improve its record to 2-0 on the young season. Here are four sequences that went a long way in determining the outcome, a turning point and a telling stat from the Tigers’ …

No. 4 Clemson dispatched of Furman this afternoon at Memorial Stadium to improve its record to 2-0 on the young season. Here are four sequences that went a long way in determining the outcome, a turning point and a telling stat from the Tigers’ 35-12 win.

  • Unlike its opener five days earlier, Clemson’s offense got off to a fast start when D.J. Uiagalelei went up top to connect with Beaux Collins for a 40-yard completion on the third play of the game. Three snaps later, Uiagalelei again exploited Furman’s man coverage when he found Joseph Ngata over the middle for a 26-yard connection to Furman’s 1-yard line. Running back Will Shipley capped a seven-play, 75-yard opening drive with a 1-yard scoring run on the next play to quickly put the Tigers ahead, 7-0, less than four minutes into the game.
  • The Tigers wasted little time answering Furman’s first points on their second possession. Clemson, behind four more completions from Uiagalelei, didn’t face a third down on the drive until it reached Furman’s 27. Uiagalelei then found freshman Antonio Williams on the money down for a 14-yard gain inside the Paladins’ 10. After Phil Mafah got the Tigers a little closer with a 6-yard run on the next play, Uiagalelei whipped a second-down pass out to tight end Jake Briningstool, who trotted untouched into the end zone for a 2-yard score to make it a 14-3 advantage for Clemson late in the opening quarter.
  • After getting Furman’s offense off the field for the first time early in the second quarter, Clemson’s offense again went to work adding to its lead, though it took a little more effort than the first two drives. The Tigers converted their initial third down of the possession when Uiagalelei found tight end Davis Allen over the middle for a 23-yard strike, but Shipley was later stuffed for no gain on third-and-short in Furman territory. Clemson elected to go, and Uiagalelei picked up 3 yards on fourth down to keep the drive going at the Paladins’ 28. A holding penalty on Ngata later pushed the Tigers behind the chains, but Shipley erased the miscue by weaving through Furman’s defense for a 17-yard touchdown run to give Clemson a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter.
  • Furman took the opening kickoff of the second half and used a big gainer on a screen pass to convert a long third down, which set the Paladins up with a fresh set of downs near midfield. But quarterback Tyler Huff tried to fit his next pass into a tight window underneath. Cornerback Fred Davis deflected the pass into the air and into the waiting arms of linebacker Barrett Carter for the interception. Clemson was in the end zone a few plays later on Uiagalelei’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Collins, giving the Tigers a comfortable 35-9 lead with 10 minutes, 8 seconds left in the third quarter.

Turning point

Furman continued its rather easy first half moving the ball on Clemson’s defense when Huff connected with Ryan Miller for a 25-yard touchdown to cut the Tigers’ lead to two scores late in the first half. But after a three-and-out with freshman Cade Klubnik at the controls of the offense the previous possession, Clemson reinserted D.J. Uiagalelei at quarterback and took back the momentum. Uiagalelei led the Tigers on their fourth touchdown drive of the opening half, which included a third-down conversion to Brannon Spector and a long completion to Antonio Williams on a broken play. Kobe Pace finished it with a 1-yard scoring plunge to give Clemson a 28-9 halftime lead, the start of 14 straight points scored by the Tigers to quell any thoughts of an upset despite some late miscues by the home team.

Telling stat: 77.7

That was Uiagalelei’s completion percentage, making for the highest completion rate of his career at Clemson when playing extended snaps. The Tigers’ starter set the tone for his strong day with six straight completions and went 15 of 18 on the first four drives he led, all of which ended in touchdowns. Two of his completions went for touchdowns, which included a well-placed ball over the shoulder of Beaux Collins near the front corner of the end zone. It continued a strong start to the season in the accuracy department for Uiagalelei, who has completed 67.7% of his passes through two games – 12 percentage points higher than last season.

 

Uiagalelei throws second TD of the day for 35-9 lead

Uiagalelei is 17-for-20 for 229 yards and two touchdowns into the third quarter.

After Barrett Carter’s clutch interception early on in the third quarter, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei put together yet another impressive drive for the Tigers, resulting in his second touchdown pass of the day, this time to wide receiver Beaux Collins.

In the first three plays of the drive, running back Will Shipley ran the ball for a combined 41 yards. Just two plays later Uiagalelei connected with Collins for a 9-yard trip to the end zone.

Following his second passing touchdown of the day, Uiagalelei is 17-for-20 for 229 yards so far. The Tigers put together five plays for 52 yards in 2:21 en route to the Uiagalelei-Collins connection in the third quarter.

[mm-video type=video id=01gcjhfz5mgpv4kxmdfd playlist_id=01fvdd1xkgcx6zr5s5 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gcjhfz5mgpv4kxmdfd/01gcjhfz5mgpv4kxmdfd-e2b735b66a50c4484c5d42933d3269ae.jpg]

[listicle id=5603]

Briningstool extends Clemson’s lead to 14-3

Clemson now leads 14-3 into the second quarter.

After Will Shipleys one-yard rushing touchdown early in the first quarter, Clemson struck yet again this time thanks to tight end Jake Briningstool who caught a two-yard touchdown pass from DJ Uiagalelei.

Through two drives, Uiagalelei has completed 8-of-9 with 114 yards and one touchdown.

The Tigers now lead 14-3 entering the second quarter of play. Clemson scored its second touchdown of the day in 11 plays, 75 yards and 5:23 minutes.

[mm-video type=video id=01gchww41a1c4610vw8e playlist_id=01fvdd1xkgcx6zr5s5 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gchww41a1c4610vw8e/01gchww41a1c4610vw8e-b5e2b0144453a144d85658633b7c5ac0.jpg]

[listicle id=5689]

3 keys to a Clemson win against Furman

No. 4 Clemson will look to stay unbeaten on the young season when the Tigers host South Carolina State in their home opener today at Memorial Stadium. So what do the Tigers need to do to ensure themselves of a win? Here are three keys: Show up The …

No. 4 Clemson will look to stay unbeaten on the young season when the Tigers host South Carolina State in their home opener today at Memorial Stadium.

So what do the Tigers need to do to ensure themselves of a win? Here are three keys:

Show up 

The I-AA division in college football was formed by the NCAA prior to the 1978 season. It’s since been renamed the Football Championship Subdivision. Whatever you want to call it, Clemson’s rarely been tested against the lower level of the sport. The Tigers are 36-0 all-time against FCS teams with their average margin of victory north of 35 points in those games.

In other words, it would be easy for the Tigers to overlook this game. Even if Clemson was looking ahead to Louisiana Tech next week or that all-important ACC opener at Wake Forest later this month, it’s hard to envision a scenario where the Tigers lose to a team they’re far superior to in terms of sheer talent and will be able to physically overwhelm.

But Clemson has things it needs to work on following that opening win over Georgia Tech, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, so taking care of business while simultaneously building some more confidence will be important for the Tigers.

Execute offensively

Clemson’s offense will likely be able to name its score whether it leans on the run or the pass. After netting just 3 yards on the ground against the Yellow Jackets, establishing the line of scrimmage and building cohesion and confidence among the offensive line and running backs heading into ACC play would be ideal.

The same could be said for the passing game, which is still looking for a go-to receiver or two to emerge. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei figures to get most of the first-team reps as the starter, but is this the week freshman Cade Klubnik, after that seamless late-game drive last week with the twos and threes, gets an opportunity with the ones?

Regardless of how the Tigers decide to go about moving the ball, the execution needs to be better, particularly up front and out wide. Uiagalelei and the running backs didn’t have a ton of room to operate in the running game last week, and there were too many accurate passes dropped by the receivers.

Two of Clemson’s touchdowns against Tech came after blocked punts set the offense up with extremely short fields. The Tigers likely won’t have much problem winning this game, but how they look doing it — at least the first- and second-teamers — is worth monitoring. A cleaner performance would go a long way in helping the Tigers’ offense feel better about itself heading into the tougher games on the schedule.

Don’t be sloppy

No offense to Clay Hendrix’s program, whose coaches and players put just as much time and effort into their preparation as anybody else, but the Paladins simply don’t come close to matching Clemson’s skill level. But sloppiness from superior teams is a surefire way to help inferior ones hang around, particularly turnovers.

Granted, it would likely take a lot of turnovers by Clemson for this game to still be even remotely competitive come the fourth quarter, but, again, this is about finding rhythm and confidence if you’re Clemson. Throwing interceptions, fumbling the ball all over the place and racking up a bunch of penalties wouldn’t exactly inspire that heading into next week.

That wasn’t much of a problem against Tech. Clemson committed just one turnover and was flagged just three times against the Yellow Jackets.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Clemson vs. Furman: Who has the edge?

Clemson will return to Memorial Stadium on Saturday for its home opener against Furman. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised by the ACC Network. Clemson’s defense vs. Furman’s offense: Furman put up 52 points in a rout of North …

Clemson will return to Memorial Stadium on Saturday for its home opener against Furman. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. The game will be televised by the ACC Network.

Clemson’s defense vs. Furman’s offense: Furman put up 52 points in a rout of North Greenville last week, but this isn’t North Greenville.

Clemson’s defense, led by its formidable defensive front, figures to make life difficult for lots of offenses this season. Georgia Tech got a taste earlier this week as the Yellow Jackets mustered less than 250 total yards and less than 4 yards per play against the Tigers. 

Furman racked up more than 500 yards last week, including 323 on the ground. But Clemson’s strength, speed and athleticism at each level of its defense is unlike anything the Paladins will see the rest of the season. It’s hard to envision much room for Furman’s running backs to operate or much time for either quarterback – Jace Wilson or Tyler Huff, who each played last week – to survey the field on dropbacks. Advantage: Clemson

Clemson’s offense vs. Furman’s defense: The offense took a while to get going against Georgia Tech. And with just two plays of more than 20 yards, there still wasn’t much explosion in the Tigers’ attack to speak of.

But quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei flashed improved accuracy with many of his throws despite not getting much help from the running game (3 yards per carry) or his receivers, who had multiple drops. With an overwhelming physical advantage in this matchup, the Tigers should be able to overwhelm the Paladins with their team speed and overall talent as long as they’re crisp with their execution. 

Perhaps the biggest area of concern for Clemson’s offense coming off the performance earlier this week is the lack of push from the offensive line, which contributed to the running game’s struggles. The bad news for Furman is the Paladins lost some of its most productive defensive linemen off last year’s team (Parker Stokes and Elijah McKoy). Cameron Coleman, a 300-pounder, is a solid nose guard, though. Advantage: Clemson

Special teams: Clemson has an all-conference caliber kicker in B.T. Potter, and Aidan Swanson’s debut as the Tigers’ starting punter was a rousing success. The Tigers’ primary kick returners, Will Taylor and Will Shipley, are also back in the fold. Oh, and Clemson is also coming off two blocked punts, the first time they’ve done that in a game since 2007.

As for Furman, the Paladins missed one of their two field-goal attempts in their opener and are replacing punter Timmy Bleekrode, who transferred to Nebraska. Ryan Leavy did average 47 yards per punt last week, though. Advantage: Clemson

Bottom line: Furman is a proud FCS program that comes in with a lot of confidence fresh off a blowout win and will play hard despite being physically outmatched. But if this is still a competitive game after the first two and a half quarters, something went terribly wrong for Clemson.

Prediction: Clemson 41, Furman 6

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Our score predictions for Clemson vs. Furman

The staff made their score predictions for Clemson’s matchup against Georgia Tech Furman.

We are a couple of days away from Dabo Swinney and the Tigers’ second game of the season in their Week 2 matchup at home against Furman.

Walking away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta last Monday with a win, the 2022 Clemson team had their fair share of positives along with some negatives. While the defense looked just as good as advertised heading into the season, the offense struggled to open the game though they got better throughout the game.

The Tigers head into Week 2 against Furman as the hefty favorite as Swinney should be able to get a lot of his guys playing time in their first home game of the season.

Here at Clemson Wire, the staff broke down their predictions for the Tigers’ matchup with the Paladins. Here’s a look at what we’re thinking.

3 defensive keys for a Clemson win vs. Furman

Three keys to defensive success for a Clemson win against the Paladins on Saturday.

Clemson heads into Week 2 following a 31-point win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets with a non-conference matchup in the Furman Paladins.

With just five days separating the two contests, the Tigers will be operating off of the quickest game turnaround since 2016 when the Tigers faced Georgia Tech on a Tuesday following a Saturday game against South Carolina State.

Clemson’s defense showed glimpses of dominance in Monday’s opening win, but the Tigers will need to continue bringing the pressure ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

Here are three defensive keys for a Clemson win against Furman.

Know The Foe: Furman an experienced FCS squad

This summer, The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at Clemson’s opponents heading into the 2022 season. The series will be rolled out in the order in which each opponent appears on the Tigers’ schedule. After previewing Georgia Tech, Furman is …

This summer, The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at Clemson’s opponents heading into the 2022 season. The series will be rolled out in the order in which each opponent appears on the Tigers’ schedule.

After previewing Georgia Tech, Furman is up next.

Furman is the latest in-state FCS program to come back on Clemson’s schedule.

The Paladins will be heavy underdogs, but they won’t be without experience when they visit Memorial Stadium on Sept. 10. Furman is in line to return 15 starters and 42 letterwinners from a team that finished in the middle of the pack in the Southern Conference a season ago, which the Paladins will look to help them make a jump in their league this fall.

Offense

Jace Wilson returns as Furman’s starting quarterback after taking over that role midway through his freshman season last year. The dual-threat signal caller finished the year with 1,020 passing yards and six passing touchdowns and added 101 yards and two scores on the ground in seven games, but he’ll need to improve on his 51% completion rate in order to keep defenses honest. If not, former Presbyterian starter Tyler Huff could push for the starting job.

The quarterbacks will have help from the return of two of Furman’s top three running backs, Dominic Roberto and Devin Abrams, who combined for more than 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground a season ago. Tight end Ryan Miller (43 catches, 749 yards, 7 TDs) is also back as the Paladins’ top pass-catcher, and James Madison transfer Kyndel Dean should be a boost to the receiving corps. 

Defense

The Paladins have a wealth of seasoning on this side of the ball starting with safety Hugh Ryan, their leading tackler a season ago. At the second level, linebacker Braden Gilby is back after recording 59 tackles in 10 games last season. Meanwhile, cornerback Travis Blackshear is back for his senior season after pulling down a team-high five interceptions and breaking up five passes last season.

The front four is where Furman has the most questions entering the new season. The Paladins have some key pieces to replace up front in interior lineman Parker Stokes (7.5 tackles for loss, six sacks) and edge rusher Elijah McKoy (7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks), but senior nose guard Cameron Coleman, an all-conference caliber player, is back after starting 15 games over the last two seasons.

Special teams

Furman’s kicking units will look a little different with Timmy Bleekrode no longer with the program. Bleekrode transferred to Nebraska after serving as the Paladins’ punter and kicker last season, leaving Furman in need of at least one new specialist. Sebastian Stubblefield and freshmen Noah Rios and Dawson Jones are among the candidates to replace Bleekrode, who averaged 42 yards per punt and converted on 15 of 18 field goals for the Paladins last season.

Paladins at a glance

Head coach: Clay Hendrix (sixth season)

2021 results: 6-5, 4-4 Southern Conference

Last meeting: Lost to Clemson, 48-7, in 2018

Key departures: RB Devin Wynn, P/PK Timmy Bleekrode

Key returners: QB Jace Wilson, RB Dominic Roberto, RB Devin Abrams, TE Ryan Miller, WR Joshua Harris, S Hugh Ryan, LB Braden Gilby, CB Travis Blackshear

Key additions: QB Tyler Huff, DE Mac Albert, CB Jalen Gummer, WR Riley Clark

Photo credit: Jessica Gallagher/Staff/USA Today Network

No. 18 Tigers outlast Paladins in doubleheader sweep

Following a thrilling 3-2 walk off win in game one, Clemson came back in winning fashion to take game two by a score of 8-0. In the doubleheader sweep, the Tigers outscored the Paladins by eleven runs and were 7-for-7 in stolen bases. Clemson ace …

Following a thrilling 3-2 walk off win in game one, Clemson came back in winning fashion to take game two by a score of 8-0. In the doubleheader sweep, the Tigers outscored the Paladins by eleven runs and were 7-for-7 in stolen bases.

Clemson ace Valerie Cagle earned the win in the circle for the Tigers in game one and left-hander Millie Thompson tallied the win in game two for the first solo no-hitter of her career.

In the first of two games, Clemson was the first to strike. In the bottom of the first following back-to-back batters hit by pitch along with a walk to load the bases, Marissa Guimbarda was walked, scoring Cammy Pereira from third to give the Tigers the 1-0 lead.

Furman gave their answer in the fourth with infielder Natalie Morgan’s two-run homer to left field to put the Paladins up 2-1 through four. The Paladins held their lead into the seventh, but the Tigers struck with a vengeance to ultimately take the win thanks to Guimbarda’s two-run walk off home run for a final score of 3-2.

Clemson continued to stay hot at the plate into game two. The Tigers struck in the first once again, this time with McKenzie Clark scoring on the Paladin throwing error following Cagle’s single back to the pitcher.

The Tigers tacked on another two runs in the second all thanks to a monster home run to right field by Arielle Oda, the first of her career, for the 3-0 lead through two.

The third inning was huge for Clemson, scoring five more runs, good for a final score of 8-0 and the shutout win through five innings.

The Tigers are back in action this weekend, traveling to Pittsburgh for a three-game series versus the Panthers, good for their fifth ACC series of the season. Game one is scheduled for Friday, April 8, with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. on ACCN.

Ranking the difficulty of Clemson’s 2022 schedule

Clemson’s 2022 football schedule was unveiled Monday, which includes a Labor Day matchup with Georgia Tech to get it started, three straight home games to end it and an open date before the Tigers’ highly anticipated trip to Notre Dame. Which games …

Clemson’s 2022 football schedule was unveiled Monday, which includes a Labor Day matchup with Georgia Tech to get it started, three straight home games to end it and an open date before the Tigers’ highly anticipated trip to Notre Dame.

Which games will be the toughest for the Tigers in their quest to not only get back to the ACC championship game but also return to the College Football Playoff?

The Clemson Insider has ranked the most difficult games on the Tigers’ schedule based on the where each game is being played, the caliber of opponent and each team’s personnel as of early February.

Notre Dame

When: Saturday, Nov. 5

Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana

Why: The Fighting Irish have a new coach following Brian Kelly’s departure for LSU, though there’s some familiarity still in place with former defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman’s promotion. And Kelly didn’t exactly leave the cupboard bare. Notre Dame does have to find a new starting quarterback, but there’s still plenty of talent (including the entire starting offensive line) returning from a team that finished No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings this past season. When both teams made the playoff in 2020, Notre Dame beat Clemson at home in a double-overtime thriller. The Tigers will be looking to avenge that loss, but it won’t be easy in a game that could have playoff implications depending on the seasons these teams are having when they meet.

Wake Forest

When: Saturday, Sept. 24

Where: Truist Field, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Why: The Demon Deacons are the defending Atlantic Division champions and have quarterback Sam Hartman (and record-setting receiver A.T. Perry) back to lead what was one of the ACC’s most potent offenses this past season. Now Wake gets its shot at Clemson at home after the Tigers handled the Demon Deacons with ease a few months back at Memorial Stadium. Wake has questions on defense, but Clemson’s offense, particularly at quarterback, has its share, too. This starts a crucial stretch of division games for the Tigers, and it’s hard to envision this one not being more competitive this time around.

North Carolina State

When: Saturday, Oct. 1

Where: Memorial Stadium

Why: N.C. State handed Clemson one of its three losses this past season as part of its runner-up finish in the Atlantic Division, and the Wolfpack have some significant contributors returning from that team. None is more important than quarterback Devin O’Leary, who threw for four touchdowns in that overtime win. N.C. State is losing some key pieces, too, namely star offensive tackle Ikem Ekownu, leading receiver Emeka Emezie and leading rusher Zonovan Knight. But the Wolfpack should still a contender in the division, so getting this game at home, where Clemson has won 34 straight games, certainly helps the Tigers.

Miami

When: Saturday, Nov. 19

Where: Memorial Stadium

Why: Miami rotates back on Clemson’s schedule as a cross-divisional opponent at a time when the Hurricanes may be figuring some things out. They’ve also got a new coach in Mario Cristobal, who turned Oregon into one of the Pac-12’s top programs during his five-year tenure in Eugene and now takes over a Miami program that won five of its final six games this past season. The most significant development on the field was the emergence of Tyler Van Dyke, who stepped in for an injured D’Eriq King and became one of the ACC’s best quarterbacks in the second half of the season. Van Dyke, who threw for 2,194 yards, 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions in the last six games, should make Miami a contender in the Coastal Division this fall. This game could very well turn into a matchup of division title hopefuls come mid-November.

Florida State

When: Saturday, Oct. 15

Where: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida

Why: Florida State has still yet to make a bowl game under Mike Norvell, but the Seminoles showed some progress in Year 2 of his tenure, increasing their win total by two. And FSU gave Clemson as much of a scare as anybody last season at Memorial Stadium before a late touchdown drive helped the Tigers escape. Now Clemson will make the trip to Tallahassee, which isn’t an easy place for anyone to play. The Tigers are just 2-4 in their last six games at Doak Campbell, though the two wins came in their most recent trips in 2016 and 2018. FSU has its quarterback back, too, in Jordan Travis, who completed nearly 64% of his passes and threw two scores against Clemson this past season.

Boston College

When: Saturday, Oct. 8

Where: Alumni Stadium, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Why: To say Clemson has dominated this series in recent years would be an understatement. The Tigers have won 11 straight games over Boston College and 13 of 14 dating back to 2008. But the last two meetings, decided by a total of 12 points, haven’t been easy wins for Clemson, and Boston College gave the Tigers a scare last season without quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who’s returning for another season after an injury sidelined him for much of 2021. And that makes Boston College a major wild card in the Atlantic Division. Clemson still holds an overall talent advantage over the Eagles, but Jurkovec is a next-level signal caller. If the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder returns to his pre-injury form, this could be a tricky game for the Tigers on the road.

South Carolina

When: Saturday, Nov. 26

Where: Memorial Stadium

Why: This is another series Clemson has dominated of late with seven straight wins over its in-state rival. The Tigers most recently pitched a shutout on the Gamecocks’ home field. Yet South Carolina surpassed expectations in Year 1 under Shane Beamer, who got the Gamecocks to a bowl game following a 2-8 season in 2020. The optimism in Columbia has only grown with some of the talent Beamer has brought in this offseason, including transfer Spencer Rattler. The former Oklahoma quarterback was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2020 and a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite before getting benched in favor of Caleb Williams midway through this past season and ultimately transferring. If Rattler stays healthy and returns to some semblance of his 2020 form, this could turn out to be the most interesting Clemson-Carolina matchup in years. 

Georgia Tech 

When: Monday, Sept. 5

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Why: The Geoff Collins era hasn’t gone well so far for Tech, which has yet to win more than three games each of the last three seasons. Losing star running back Jahmyr Gibbs (transfer to Alabama) doesn’t make things any easier heading into the fourth year of Collins’ tenure. But opening games on the road can always be tricky as teams try to work out the kinks. On paper, it’s a game Clemson should win rather comfortably, but if the quarterback play isn’t better, it could make for another interesting game against Tech, which gave Clemson all it wanted last season in a six-point loss.

Louisville

When: Saturday, Nov. 6

Where: Memorial Stadium

Why: Clemson has never lost to Louisville, which has yet to have a winning record under third-year coach Scott Satterfield. But like most teams on the Tigers’ schedule, Louisville is getting its quarterback back for another season, which, as Clemson found out last season, makes the Cardinals dangerous. Malik Cunningham passed for more than 2,700 yards and ran for more than 970 a season ago. Louisville’s dual-threat signal caller torched Clemson’s normally stout run defense for 134 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, most of that coming in the first three quarters before he was injured in a narrow victory for Clemson that required a late goal-line stand. If the Tigers weren’t playing this game at home, it might be higher on the list.

Syracuse

When: Saturday, Oct. 22

Where: Memorial Stadium

Why: Syracuse has its quarterback (Garrett Shrader) and the ACC’s leading rusher (Sean Tucker) returning next season, but there just isn’t much more there from a talent standpoint for a program that’s won just 11 games the last three seasons. And Shrader, who completed a league-low 52% of his passes last season, is primarily a runner in an offense that’s largely one-dimensional, which, as the Orange found out this past season, doesn’t really work against a defense as talented as Clemson’s. That will need to change under new offensive coordinator Robert Anae, who directed the conference’s top passing offense at Virginia last season, if Syracuse hopes to be more competitive this time around at Memorial Stadium, where the Orange have lost by an average of 23.5 points in their last four trips.

Louisiana Tech

When: Saturday, Sept. 17

Where: Memorial Stadium

Why: Louisiana Tech is starting over under first-year coach (and former Texas Texas offensive coordinator) Sonny Cumbie, so perhaps the Bulldogs will be better than some expect next season. But it’s been a major struggle the last two seasons in Conference USA for Tech, which won just three games this past season and is 8-14 in its last 22 games. The talent discrepancy between these two programs is a wide one.

Furman

When: Saturday, Sept. 10

Where: Memorial Stadium

Why: This is Dabo Swinney’s annual nod to an in-state opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision, which gets a sizable payday in exchange for the Tigers getting to name their score. If Clemson isn’t able to do that against the Paladins, who went 6-5 this past season, something went terribly wrong.

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks