Behind Enemy Lines: Five Questions and Answers About The Clemson Tigers

There are only about 24 hours remaining until Florida State and Clemson go to battle in Death Valley. This is a huge game for both programs as the Seminoles try to take down an opponent that has defeated them seven straight times while the Tigers look to keep command of the ACC.

NoleGameday caught up with Christian Goeckel of All Clemson, the Clemson site of Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network, to get the inside scoop on the Tigers. FSU and Clemson are set to kick off at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday with the game being televised on ABC.

1. What’s the mood around Clemson after falling short against Duke and dropping out of the polls with a chance to continue righting the ship against Florida State?

Goeckel: Perturbed is the word that comes to mind. It’s no secret that Clemson’s offense has struggled to be explosive over the past two seasons. This offseason, fans allowed themselves to believe that the “problems” (DJ Uiagalelei and OC Brandon Streeter) had been resolved with Garrett Riley's hiring and Cade Klubnik's ascendence to starter. The Duke game was a splash of cold water to the face. Clemson still has issues and fans are faced with the reality that not only has Clemson fallen back, but other teams have caught them as well.

2. How has Cade Klubnik looked as he’s stepped into the starting role? Where has he improved the most?

Goeckel: Klubnik looks like a guy trying to right all the wrongs of Clemson’s past couple of seasons with every throw. That’s how you get the pick-six against Charleston Southern. The guy has all of the attributes to live up to his five-star status, but now he has to dial it in between the ears. The system he’s in now lives off of finding the easy throws and then hitting deep. Klubnik has struggled at times to find those throws, but over the past couple of games, he’s done a better job of hitting the jabs before going for the knock-out throws.

3. Has Garrett Riley added any new wrinkles to the offense since arriving from TCU or is it still relatively the same system?

Goeckel: It’s been interesting to watch the first few games of Riley’s tenure at Clemson. The offense seems a little more reeled in than when he was at SMU and TCU. That has to have a lot to do with Dabo. The wide-open style that Riley ran while in Dallas and Fort Worth works against 90% of schools, but when you run into a team like Georgia in the CFP, it puts up just seven points.

Swinney understands that to compete with teams like Georgia you have to be balanced. Riley’s never coached an offense that has the superior line of scrimmage, and we’ve seen him lean on the run a ton early this year as the Tigers are averaging over 200 yards on the ground per game. If there’s a single wrinkle to point out, it’d be the use of two-back sets.

4. Who should Florida State fans be looking out for on Clemson’s defense on Saturday?

Goeckel: Offensively, freshman receiver Tyler Brown has been a breath of fresh air. He’s slowly worked his way into the receiver rotation over the past three games, culminating in the two-touchdown performance against FAU and ACC Rookie of the Week honors. Defensively, another freshman, T.J. Parker has been outstanding at defensive end. He’s played roughly half of the defensive snaps (72) and still leads the team in tackles for loss (4.5).

5. How important is this game for the Tigers after defeating the Seminoles seven consecutive times entering this matchup?

Goeckel: Clemson’s season is over if they lose on Saturday. It’s as simple as that. There’ll be a lot of evaluations and long looks in the mirror if the Seminoles come to town and handle business. It won’t be just the fact that Florida State has moved past the Tigers, it’s being eliminated in September with a roster as talented as this.

Clemson has a sophomore five-star quarterback, four out of five starts back on the line, two All-ACC caliber backs, and a defense that features multiple top-level NFL talent at every level. Being out of the running four weeks into the season isn’t acceptable.

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the 2023 season.

Follow NoleGameday on Twitter and Facebook