One Last Rewind: Georgia Tech
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One Last Rewind is back for another year and our intern Brandon Stockdale will provide you with his thoughts on Clemson’s latest game. Here are his thoughts from Thursday night.
Thursday night’s season opener allowed Clemson to celebrate last year’s national championship win one final time. Before kickoff, the Tigers placed multiple title logos inside Death Valley before the team ran down the hill.
It was the final official stamp on the historic 2018 season in front of a national audience on the new ACC Network.
Clemson finally put pen to paper on a new chapter of Tiger football as 2019 kicked off with a ton of returning stars and a plethora of young talent.
Etienne leads Clemson offense, kicks off Heisman campaign strong
The deep passing game from Trevor Lawrence was not as sharp as normal. Watching Lawrence have a few issues was strange, but you knew it was only a matter of time before he would get going. Although his numbers weren’t elite, Lawrence's connection with Tee Higgins for a 62-yard touchdown, let you know that Clemson's downfield passing game will be just fine.
Some may overreact to the Clemson’s turnovers, but the offense put up 632 yards in the opener.
Travis Etienne gave credit after the game to the leadership and the older guys rallying around the team to let them know it’s a four-quarter game.
“Things are going to happen, and it’s about how you respond to those things,” Etienne said.
Speaking of Etienne, it’s safe to say his Heisman campaign is off to a strong start.
The junior running back came right back after a fumble with a 90-yard touchdown run to put Clemson up 14-0 in the first quarter. That rush tied the longest run in school history, which was aided by a critical pancake block from Jackson Carman. Etienne finished with a career-high 205 yards and three touchdowns.
With the game well in hand in the second half, it provided an opportunity for guys like Chase Brice to see action. The backup quarterback tossed his first touchdown of the season to freshman Frank Ladson in the third quarter. Ladson is an extremely talented wideout, and it will be interesting to see how he takes advantage of other opportunities moving forward.
Clemson’s defense responds to early adversity
All the talk during the offseason was about how Clemson was going to replace a bunch of first-round NFL Draft picks. Thursday provided some answers as Clemson's new-look defense faced some adversity during that game. Mix in the matchup with Geoff Collins’s new offense for the Yellow Jackets, and it's fair to say the Tigers passed their first test.
One pivotal defensive moment came following a Trevor Lawrence interception left their backs against the wall.
Thanks to Lawrence’s hustle play to make the tackle at the goal line, cornerback Denzel Johnson got a huge interception on fourth-down keeping the Yellow Jackets off the board.
After the game, Johnson said that playing against Georgia Tech was ‘very, very close’ to what they saw from studying tape on Temple.
“Coach (Venables) does such a good job of getting us prepared. He made it a lot easier for us,” Johnson said.
Clemson’s defense got a huge confidence boost ahead of arguably their toughest test of the season when Texas A&M rolls into town.
In short-yardage situations, it appears that it’s going to be tough sledding yet again for opponents based on what we saw on Thursday night. Isaiah Simmons was active in the backfield as he led the defense with five solo tackles. As for the Tiger secondary, who is expected to be the strength of the defense, they didn’t allow many explosive plays.
Looking Ahead
Texas A&M will roll into Death Valley this weekend for a mid-afternoon showdown with the Tigers. Last season the two teams put on a 26-24 instant classic last year in College Station, with Clemson escaping Kyle Field with a win.
The Tigers enter as heavy favorites (-19.5), but they can’t be as loose with the football against the Aggies. A&M’s Kellen Mond is a versatile quarterback and has very talented wide receivers around him. However, if Clemson plays can shore up the mistakes they made a week ago, the Tigers will be tough to beat. The physicality in this contest will be through the roof, and a great game could be looming.
A&M will have to control the line of scrimmage against Clemson’s running game. If Etienne is allowed to get into space, Tiger fans should feel confident about their chances this weekend.