The Other Side of the Wall: Clemson
Let’s get it out of the way. Junior Gnonkonde should have taken a fumble back for a touchdown.
That was a garbage call, and I’ve seen similar plays happen way too often in the time since for me to have any sort of closure.
Either way, Troy went to Death Valley and punched the eventual national champions in the mouth, setting up a much sweeter performance the following year.
Oddly enough, it’s also the second time a Kentucky alum led Troy into Clemson the season after he went 4-8.
The point is, I’m feeling nostalgic. How long will that last though?
| Opponent | Clemson |
|---|---|
| Time/Network | 2:30 PM ACC Network |
| Overall Record | 0-2 |
| Last Matchup | L 24-30 (2016) |
| Opponent’s FPI/Difference | 22 (-72) |
| Betting Line | Clemson -33.5 |
Clemson is without a doubt one of the best teams in the country. The Tigers took LSU to the wire last week in a defensive slugfest.
Problem is, we only have that one game of data to work with… and we don’t have context for it just yet.
Dabo’s crew held LSU to just 108 yards rushing and forced two fumbles. The only feat more impressive is LSU holding Clemson to just 31 yards on the ground.
Neither side really dominated the trenches, but then again it wasn’t a run-heavy game. Both quarterbacks passed for around 225-250 yards a pop.
Rewatching highlights, I got the sense that LSU’s spread offense was the difference. One play it was pulling the entire front seven to one side and the speedy back dancing around the other end, or it was absorbing the overwhelming rush and dumping it off to a guy wide open in the flat.
That’s an approach that could work for Troy, and it did last week, even in early drives that eventually stalled.
The other option is to just dominate the trenches against a team that matched up evenly with LSU. Surely the orange Tigers are far and away giants compared to Troy, right?
Oh.
Offensively, Troy matches up not only with Clemson’s defensive line, but also its offensive line. That’s promising for a Troy team built around the run game and struggled with pass rush pressure.
On the other side, Clemson got a blessing in disguise with basically no run game last week. Rush defense is Troy’s strength, but explosive run plays are the reason Nicholls stayed in the game.
All we do know is a win would require pressure on Cade Klubnik. Troy’s defensive front has historically and recently made up for height with speed, and if nothing else was the highlight of last week.
That’s all pointing back to the line of scrimmage.
Hmm.
I want to make sure I’m not missing anything, so I reached out to Grayson Mann with TigerNet to see how else Troy stacks up against Clemson.
- What song title best describes this season’s expectations?
“Don’t Stop Believing.”
If there were a song to describe Clemson heading into the Troy matchup, it would be to keep the faith. Before, I would’ve selected a song that had “now or never” as a theme, given Clemson’s offseason hype and praise, but one week can change a lot.
Dabo Swinney still believes this is a quality football team, and to an extent, I agree with him. For the Tiger fans, the faith will have to be strong the rest of the way.
Trust me when I say that’s on the Wiregrass playlist too.
- Who would play Coach Swinney in a movie about his life?
The potential role of a lifetime.
Swinney’s rags-to-riches story is well known across the nation, and this question might be one of the more fascinating on this list to dive into.
If we could throw a younger Kevin Costner into the mix, I believe he’d be the perfect fit for the role. He embodies Swinney’s southern charm, along with that mix of stern leadership that’s needed to fit the “Clemson way.” We’ve seen Alfred Molina de-aged to revive his role as Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man; why not Costner for Swinney?
Alfred Molina reference in the football preview? I know I picked the right source for this one.
- What is the best moment for this program in the last 24 years?
Easily, Deshaun Watson’s pass to Hunter Renfrow to win Clemson’s first national title since 1981 will live on for generations, and perhaps, that’s low-hanging fruit for this question.
One that surfaces as a top candidate is the hurricane game in 2015 against Notre Dame, where another signature win for Swinney provided his infamous “Bring your own Guts” quote as Clemson reached the National Championship in Arizona.
That second link is a full game on YouTube from an official account, just a heads’ up.
- What game are fans looking forward to most?
I think Clemson fans are looking forward to a shot at redemption. South Carolina marched into Death Valley and squashed Clemson’s momentum, leaving Syracuse to provide the Tigers with a backdoor path to the playoffs.
Certainly, LaNorris Sellars and the Gamecocks will be a challenge once again, but if Clemson is where most expect it to be in November, a win over the in-state rival might be one that clinches a spot for the Tigers in the 12-team playoff.
Rivalry games are pretty easy picks, but I completely understand when it means more.
- What game are fans looking forward to least?
College football on a Friday night is always tricky.
Add a team that beat you last year into the mix, and this Louisville matchup is one that will have fans bracing for impact. The Cardinals will host the Tigers late into the year on Friday night for a strange, and late conference clash.
Louisville pulverized the Tigers last fall, and now holds the opportunity to host to make it two in a row.
That stadium is always tough to play in, and will provide a challenge to Clemson late in the year that will prove fruitful, but dangerous when it comes to a sneaky loss in November.
- What are three names on defense Troy fans should pay attention to? Why?
Clemson has raved about safety Ronan Hanafin all offseason, and against LSU, he was a massive bright spot.
The former wideout turned safety led the team in tackles on Saturday night and is poised for a massive season.
Two other names to watch for Trojan fans will be linebacker Sammy Brown and edge rusher TJ Parker.
Brown is coming off a stellar freshman campaign where at times, the former five-star was easily the best player on the field, earning himself ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Parker is coming off a double-digit sack season, and should likely produce substantial numbers again. Plenty of NFL draft boards see him as a top prospect this spring, and he certainly plays like one, drawing double teams and still finding a way to come out on top on a consistent basis.
That’s a player in all three coverage areas. This unit is deep.
- When Clemson snaps the ball, what is most likely to happen?
On Saturday, there will be a point made by Garrett Riley and the offense to establish a balance, particularly through the ground game.
Adam Randall and the Tiger tailbacks struggled to find anything on Saturday against LSU, and Riley quickly abandoned the run in the process.
The last carry by any running back was on the first snap of the second half. Certainly not winning football by any stretch.
So it’s going to be a real barometer of success on both sides to measure the run game. Not a shock there whatsoever.
- If we wake up Sunday and the underdog wins, what happened the day before?
Not only will Troy have produced one of the most significant upsets in recent memory, but Clemson’s playoff hopes will be shattered entirely on Saturday.
The potential loss means plenty has gone wrong, and offensive mistakes from LSU have only continued to get worse for this group. Conversely, on the other side of the ball, the progress Tom Allen’s defense made last weekend will be squandered, as Troy likely dominated the line of scrimmage with Tae Meadows, setting a ground game that should be feared across the country.
Troy’s ground game should be feared, but again we’re seeing all signs point back to fundamental football.
- If we’re in town, where should we go eat?
If you are into barbecue, the Smoking Pig is the perfect spot.
If you are looking for some of Clemson’s best spots downtown, I personally love Loose Change, which has a burger with a nice zip to it that provides some extra flavor.
- What’s one question you have for us about Troy, if you have one (we’ll answer in the article)?
What is success in year two for Gerald Parker?
Honestly, Troy fans expected a bowl game last year, and for the first half of the season that seemed like a high ask. Parker rallied this team in a way that only he can, and the team found its identity: it never quits.
That should be the same mantra this year, and to an extent it is. In that way, the expectation is exactly the same. Go to a bowl game, at least be in contention for the conference title. Seven wins would satisfy us, I think.
Troy is celebrating its move to FBS this year. In the wilderness years and even the five-peat, the mantra was “anyone, anywhere,” meaning the team was fearless in taking on stiffer competition.
That resulted mostly in blowouts by Power 4 schools, and in some cases, national championship contenders. We’ll cover that in next week’s “25 for 25” piece, but for now it’s important to look at these losses the same way we viewed Ole Miss and Kansas State in the Sumrall era:
Chances to learn.
What does it take to be a high caliber team? Troy can find out Saturday in Death Valley.
Hopefully the lessons will guide Troy to success in conference play, having taken these really hard hits early. Even James Madison can’t measure up to the team Troy faces Saturday.
That’s how Coach Blakeney led the Trojans to five straight titles. They were all 8-5, 9-4 seasons, and I’d honestly be okay with that this year.
Seriously. A 38-17 score would be a massive success. Keep Clemson under 40, and score more than twice.
That’s the realist in me. Giving you real talk.
It hurts, but I’m not about to be bulletin board material.
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Or, Troy could pull off one of the most significant upsets in recent memory.
Troy wins 21-17.
Special Thanks to Grayson Mann with TigerNet.com. His X account is linked above, and you can check out all the work they do here.