Stanford postgame thoughts: Tigers simply take care of business

TJ Moore was one of the standouts in the win.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sep 29, 2024, 1:36 AM

CLEMSON — I had no idea what to expect heading into Saturday’s home game against Stanford. My family and so many others are still battling the effects of the Hurricane Helene remnants, and much of the area is still dark.

What I got was better than expected.

No. 15 Clemson scored 23 points in the second half and pulled away for a 40-14 victory over Stanford in Death Valley Saturday night. There was almost a weird feeling in the few hours leading up to the game, and with traffic seemingly light, I wondered how many fans would be in the stands.

When kickoff finally rolled around – and Clemson’s entrance was fixed – the stands weren’t quite full, but the fans were loud and into the contest from the beginning. Clemson’s offense jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on Cade Klubnik’s 34-yard touchdown run, but spent much of the first half battling the Stanford defensive line.

Clemson’s defense was gashed – repeatedly – as Stanford ran what almost looked like a disguised option. As has been the case early in the season, the Clemson defense was susceptible to runs on the perimeter. Time and time again, the Cardinal found room on the outside and rushed 24 times for 168 yards, or seven yards a pop.

The good news for the defense? Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels threw two redzone interceptions to blunt scoring drives.

Clemson’s offense, off to a promising start, was mired in a malaise. There looked to be players open underneath, but Klubnik was tossing the ball deep and not taking the easy plays.

That all changed in the second half. The Tigers came out on the first drive and started taking the gimme plays, short and underneath, which opened up the deep shots and the running game. The defense made adjustments and, at one point in the fourth quarter, had allowed the Cardinal just 55 total yards. A garbage time touchdown ended the run, but Stanford ran it 20 times for just 68 yards in the second half.

A few milestones were set along the way:

*Clemson (801-473-45) earned its 801st victory all-time and tied Auburn (801) for the 13th-most wins in FBS history.

*Head Coach Dabo Swinney earned his 173rd head coaching victory to tie Bobby Bowden (173 during Florida State's tenure in the ACC) for the most career head coaching victories leading an ACC program.

*Swinney (173) passed the career win total of College Football Hall of Famer Dan Devine (172-57-9) and matched the career win totals of College Football Hall of Famers Robert Neyland (173-31-12) and Frank Solich (173-101).

*Swinney (100-9) earned his 100th career home victory to become the first coach in Clemson history to win 100 career home games. Frank Howard ranks second in school history with 81.

*Swinney (100) joined Mack Brown (156), Kirk Ferentz (121) and Brian Kelly (104) as the only active FBS coaches to win 100 career home games, according to Stats Perform.

It was a workmanlike performance. It was the type of game – against a lesser opponent – in which Clemson has struggled in recent seasons. Instead, adjustments were made, and the Tigers made the plays they needed to make to eventually lead 40-7. It was good to see both sides of the ball battle through adversity after a few weeks of having their way with teams.

Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore started the game - along with Antonio Williams. I thought linebacker Sammy Brown was outstanding and needs to play more. When he's on the field, Wade Woodaz moves over to the WILL (or weakside spot), or Barrett Carter stays at WILL. But Sammy needs to play more, wherever it is.

Next up for the Tigers is a trip to Tallahassee to take on Florida State. The Seminoles traveled to Dallas and lost 42-16 to SMU. The ‘Noles have a familiar face at quarterback in DJ Uiagalelei, but he was 12-30 for 222 yards with three interceptions. The last interception was returned 82 yards for a pick-six, and he was replaced by Brock Glenn.