Hope is a dangerous thing as Clemson-FSU approaches

Hopes are raising after the weekend going into a crucial ACC clash with No. 4/3 Florida State.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Mon Sep 18 07:00:06 GMT-04:00 2023

In the movie Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman’s character warns that “hope is a dangerous thing.” This weekend, Clemson’s dominant first half, coupled with Florida State’s near loss at Boston College, gave Tiger fans a lot of hope.

The Seminoles allowed 400 yards to Eagles QB Thomas Castellanos and wouldn’t have won without 18 Boston College penalties. Meanwhile, down in Clemson, QB Cade Klubnik had a sharp first half to guide Clemson to a 34-0 halftime lead. Sure, they got sloppy in the second half, but it was already too late. We’ve now seen how good Clemson can be.

After a pick-six gave the Tigers an early lead, Clemson scored touchdowns on four of their first five possessions to effectively end the game. Klubnik was accurate and made good decisions throughout the half.

WR Beaux Collins failed to build on his big 137-yard week two performance – he had just 10 yards and a drop – and Cole Turner exited with what we later found out was a season-ending injury (torn abductor muscles). Additionally, Antonio Williams missed some time (but returned) after getting shaken up early. Fortunately, other wide receivers stepped up. Adam Randall had his best game as a Tiger with two receptions for 51 yards. Likewise, Tyler Brown had three receptions for 49 yards and two TDs. He also had a 44-yard punt return. Florida State will likely put their cornerbacks on islands and bet on them beating Clemson’s wide receivers. Players like Randall and Brown must win key matchups next Saturday.

Immediately after Randall’s big 28-yard reception, Clemson hurried to the line and handed the ball off to Phil Mafah. It caught the Owls off-guard, and he scored on a 19-yard run. It was a perfect use of tempo. Mafah had 42 yards on just five carries (8.4 YPC). Shipley had just 38 yards on ten carries and was seen being demonstrative at the sideline after getting stuffed on a goal-line opportunity. Hopefully, that’s just a heat-of-the-moment deal, but you’d like to see Shipley channel his intensity better as a third-year veteran.

Clemson’s defense was dominant, only letting up once backups entered the game. Mascoll started at defensive end opposite Xavier Thomas and had a TFL and a rock-solid 75.9 PFF grade in what was one of his better games as a Tiger. He seems unlikely to have the Kevin Dodd/KJ Henry-type breakout season that many predicted, but the Tigers still need him to be serviceable like he was in this contest. Freshman DE TJ Parker continued his torrid start with his first career sack and 1.5 TFLs.

Andrew Mukuba was out with an injury which allowed freshman Khalil Barnes to start at nickelback. He ended his day with six tackles, two TFLs, and two pass defenses. If the ball hadn’t bounced out of bounds, he would have also had a forced fumble and recovery. He’s positioning himself to be a full-time starter as a sophomore in 2024.

For all the positives, special teams continue to be an issue. Brown had a great punt return but also lost a fumble on another. Robert Gunn III missed a chip shot field goal and an extra point. He is just 1-3 on field goals so far this season. With Liam Boyd transferring to UNC before the year, there may not be many alternatives at this point. It’ll be interesting to see what Coach Swinney does to solve or work around the problem. Up next is the season-defining game against Florida State, and it very well could come down to a kick.