Though Clemson playing UConn at Noon Saturday at Memorial Stadium may not get the blood boiling for football fans, the Tigers are glad to be back in Death Valley.
Clemson has played three of its last four games on the road, including last week’s thrilling 30-24 victory over Louisville. The Tigers needed a goal-line stand with 10 seconds to play to down the Cardinals.
Do not expect such drama this week, as Clemson enters its first meeting with the Huskies as a 41-point favorite, according to Vegas. Saturday’s game will mark the first of two straight games in the Valley, as the Tigers close the home part of the regular season against Wake Forest on Nov. 20.
“It is our last two home games of the year,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “We all get excited about the season every single year. There is always so much enthusiasm and energy. We got two more home games. Man, I hope our fans will come out and really support this team, who is focused on having a great finish.”
UConn should not be much of a challenge for the Tigers (6-3). The Huskies have one of the worst offenses and defenses in college football, ranking no higher than No. 84 in any statistical category on either side of the football.
They rank No. 126 in total offense (279.9 yds/game) and No. 124 in scoring (16.2 points/game). They also rank 107th in total defense (437.4) and 119th in scoring defense (36.0).
UConn is a team in transition with a coaching change. Lou Spanos is the interim head coach after Randy Edsall stepped down as head coach on Sept. 6. However, on Thursday, Jim Mora was named its new head coach.
Mora will be designated as an assistant coach through the end of the 2021 UConn football season, allowing for him to carry out various duties, including recruiting responsibilities, through November 27. He will officially begin his tenure as head football coach on Nov. 28.
“They are a very young team. They are probably one of the youngest team in college football,” Swinney said. “They have a lot of young talent, and they have some South Carolina kids that I know will be super excited to play against us, as well.”
The Huskies (1-8) got a win over Yale on Oct. 16 and then lost, 44-13, to Middle Tennessee State on Oct. 22. They have had the last two weeks off.
“They are competing. Against Middle Tennessee they were right there in the game until the middle of the quarter,” Swinney. “You can see they are buying into what Coach Spanos is trying to do.”
UConn is led by quarterback Steven Krajewski, along with running back Nathan Carter and wide receiver Keelan Moore. Carter has 469 yards and a touchdown, while Moore has 23 catches for 420 yards and five touchdowns. He is averaging 18.2 yards per catch.
“They have some nice skill (players), they are just young,” Swinney said. “They have some injuries at quarterback, but (Krajewski) has come in and done a nice job for them. I look forward to competing against these guys.
“The biggest thing I can say about them is the unknown. They have not played a game since October 22, which is incredibly unusual for November football. It is basically like an opener. You get three weeks off, there is a lot you can do in three weeks from a football standpoint. That is spring practice, basically. There is a lot of unknown, and that makes you a little uneasy because that is a lot of time for one team to prepare for one opponent. In the meantime, we have four days to get ready, so it will be a little bit of a challenge.”
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
