No. 25 Clemson Looks to Regroup at Home Against Upset-Minded Appalachian State
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In a battle that some anticipated could be a heavyweight bout, then No. 14 Clemson suffered a 34-3 loss to No. 1 Georgia in front of an estimated sell-out crowd of 65,020 in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and a national TV audience of approximately 7.9 million, according to Nielsen fast-nationals and Adobe Analytics.
The Tigers managed to keep the game close for two quarters, heading into halftime down only 6-0, but the second half belonged entirely to the Bulldogs. Georgia, led by Heisman candidate quarterback Carson Beck, exploded for four touchdowns, proving why they are considered early favorites to win the 2024 national championship.
The Bulldogs accumulated 447 total yards, with 287 coming in the second half. Beck was particularly sharp, passing for 278 yards and two touchdowns, while the ground game added another 169 yards and two scores. Clemson's defense, which had held strong in the first half, appeared to unravel as the game wore on, missing tackles and assignments on key plays that ultimately sealed their fate.
Sophomore cornerback Avieon Terrell acknowledged the team's struggles after the break. "Just the little things, the little plays — stuff we knew were coming. We just ain't fit the right gaps. [It was] just the little things that got us beat in the second half," Terrell said on Tuesday. "It was frustrating, especially watching film, seeing everything they did that we knew was coming. So, it's very frustrating."
Terrell and safety RJ Mickens discussed the first 48 hours after Saturday's loss and expressed the need to move forward and focus on upcoming opponent Appalachian State University.
"You know just getting together as a team, flushing what happened last week, and focusing on App State [and] seeing what we need to improve on as a team," noted Terrell.
"Obviously, coming off a huge opportunity like that and missing it is tough," is what senior Mickens said on Tuesday. "But just trying to stay out there, stay out the rearview mirror, move forward, and focus on App State and just put our best performance on the field this Saturday."
Clemson now turns its attention to Appalachian State. The Mountaineers, coached by Shawn Clark, are coming off a dominant 38-10 victory over East Tennessee State, where quarterback Joey Aguilar shined with 326 passing yards and four total touchdowns.
Aguilar, who broke school records for passing touchdowns (33) and yardage (3,757) last season, will be the focal point of Clemson's defensive game plan.
Here's what Pro Football Focus said about Aguilar in their, College Football Preview 2024 of Appalachian State:
Aguilar is fearless when it comes to uncorking passes downfield, especially off play action. He ranked fourth in FBS last season with 19 play-action passing touchdowns and sixth with 16 big-time throws. He exhibits good touch on vertical passes down the middle of the field. Aguilar led the nation with 26 completions combined to post and seam routes. His 95.1 PFF passing grade on those routes tied him with Bo Nix for ninth in FBS.
"They're a really good team. We already know what they can do," Mickens said of the Mountaineers and Aguilar. "Their quarterback is a really good ball player. He makes plays, improvises, finds open guys, and he's really elusive, too. So, we're just going to come prepared, just like we got prepared for playing Georgia."
Appalachian State returned its top four pass catchers—receivers Kaedin Robinson, Christian Porter, Makai Jackson, and tight end Eli Wilson—and Aguilar connected with each of them on Saturday. Robinson, who led the team in receptions (67), receiving yards (905), and receiving touchdowns (10) in 2023, continued his strong performance with a team-high eight catches for 103 yards. Porter, a Westside High (SC) alum, recorded three receptions for 89 yards, including an 83-yard touchdown. Jackson contributed with two catches for 24 yards and added a 47-yard rushing touchdown. Wilson, a Palmetto native from Wren High, made three catches for 43 yards, including a touchdown.
The Sun Belt Conference member has made a habit of giving Power Five teams fits starting with their famous 37-34 upset of No. 5 Michigan on Sept. 1, 2007, and most recent upset wins over UNC (34-31) in 2019 and No. 6 Texas A&M (17-14) in 2022. They also came close to shocking No. 17 UNC (34-40 2OT) last season, No. 22 Miami (23-25) in 2021, No. 10 Penn State (38-45 OT) in 2018, and No. 9 Tennessee (13-20 OT) in 2016.
However, in the last meeting between the two schools on Sept. 12, 2015, No. 12 Clemson manhandled them 41-10. The Tigers were favored that day and remain the favorites for Saturday night, despite the Mountaineers’ history.
While the Mountaineers represent a formidable challenge, they're not the top-ranked Bulldogs. There was such a buildup to the Aflac Kickoff at a neutral site and the Tigers had so much to gain with a win.
Now the team is in Death Valley against an unranked opponent. How do they shift their mentality in preparation for this matchup?
"There really is no mentality change," Mickens said. "That's a great opportunity that we missed, but this is a great opportunity to regain some momentum. And come put on a show in Death Valley and get back on track."
The game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET. on ACC Network, with Clemson hoping to avoid becoming the latest victim of an App State upset.
