Ken Ruinard USA Today Network
Furman at Clemson: 5 Things to Watch For
Fresh off a season-opening 41-10 win over Georgia Tech on Monday night in Atlanta, No. 5 Clemson is set for its home-opener against FCS foe Furman on Saturday.
It's a quick turnaround for the Tigers, as Dabo Swinney's team will have just four days of prep. On the other hand, the Paladins have had extra rest after knocking off North Greenville 52-0 last Thursday night.
Clemson enters the contest a perfect 36-0 all-time against FCS competition since the division was started in 1978.
5 Things to Watch For
1. QB1 vs QB2: Make no mistake, DJ Uiagalelei is the starting quarterback, and rightfully so. The junior got off to a slow start on Monday but rebounded to play well in the second half against Georgia Tech. While he finished with just 210 passing yards, with just a little help from his receivers he could have easily gone over 250.
Having said that, backup Cade Klubnik was phenomenal in his debut. In his only series of the night, Klubnik took the Tigers straight down the field, going 66 yards in 10 plays and capping off the drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Will Taylor. Yes, it was a small sample size and it came in garbage time, against backups, with no pressure, but something just felt and looked different when the freshman entered the game. He just brings that energy to the field. It's hard to argue against him having earned more playing time. It will be interesting to see how that plays out against an overmatched FCS team.
2. Where Is WRU? Clemson has to get more out of its wide receivers. With all of the talk centered around the quarterbacks, the lack of production from the wideouts on Monday night has been somewhat overlooked. Joesph Ngata, E.J. Williams, Beaux Collins and Davis Allen all failed to come down with well-placed balls on Monday night. Collins did have a strong first half before disappearing in the second, but to be fair, there was probably some rust that needed knocking off after not having practiced in a couple of weeks. Freshman Antonio Williams was a bright spot, leading all receivers with four catches. However, at the end of the day, if the receivers aren't catching the ball, it doesn't much matter who is throwing the passes.
3. 3.0: The Tigers averaged just 3.0 YPC against Georgia Tech. The offense features three extremely talented running backs in Will Shipley, Kobe Pace and Phil Mafah, but failed to get the running game going against the Yellow Jackets. There was just very little room to run as the offensive line struggled to open holes. Clemson now has consecutive games against teams outside of the Power-5, giving the offensive line more time to gel. Freshman Blake Miller is still learning on the job and these next two weeks could go a long way towards him being ready for Wake Forest on September 23.
4. Some Really Special, Special Teams: Not only did Clemson block two punts in a game for the first time since 2007, but any concerns about the punting game have also been put to rest. At least for now. Aiden Swanson was booming punts against the Yellow Jackets. Three of his six punts were downed inside the 20, and he averaged 44-yards on the night. B.T. Potter was also 2-2 on field goal attempts. Special teams can win you games or lose you games and after one game, the Tigers appear to be strong in this department.
5. Dabotron: After months of anticipation, Clemson's new video board will finally be on display this weekend. The 127-foot wide, 56-foot tall piece of technology, combines with a state-of-the-art sound system and LED ribbons surrounding the stadium. It is five times the size of the old video board, and it is the eighth largest in the country, and the second largest in the ACC. The administration has made a strong effort to enhance the fan experience inside of Memorial Stadium, and this is a big part of that. Until you see it in person, you really can't appreciate the size of this thing. It's quite the spectacle.
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