1. Do you think Deshaun Watson plays Saturday against the Gamecocks? If not, how does the offense change with Cole Stoudt at quarterback?
I would be surprised if we don’t see some of No. 4 on Saturday. Although he reportedly retweaked his knee in practice on Friday, I’m sure the coaching staff is going to do everything in their power to get him on the field this weekend. It’s no secret that Clemson’s offense is considerably better with Watson under center, and we’re going to need offensive production against South Carolina. However, if Watson is unable to play and Stoudt gets the start, expect a limited playbook. The majority of the offense with Stoudt involves both handoffs to running backs Wayne Gallman and Tyshon Dye as well as lateral passes. As far as explosive downfield plays, Stoudt is fairly limited.
2. There have been rumors about Dabo Swinney bolting for Florida. What do you think the chances are that he’s not Clemson’s coach next year?
In his press conference after the Georgia State game this past weekend, Swinney was asked about the rumors; while he did not provide certainty one way or the other, he emphasized his love for Clemson.
“I’m not going to stand here and be one of those coaches that goes, ‘I will never leave Clemson.’ That’s not genuine,” Swinney said. “I have no idea. But I will tell you this: I love Clemson. I love my job. I love it here. [...] I truly, truly love the people, I love my players, there’s nothing we can’t do here. Nothing.”
Personally, I don’t see Dabo heading to Gainesville. He’s a fan favorite because he demands respect with the way he recruits for and runs the program. He expects a lot out of his players and the fans expect a lot out of him, and I think it would be hard for him to leave what he’s created here at Clemson.
3. The Tigers are first in the nation in total defense. How surprised and/or impressed have you been with that unit so far?
I honestly can’t say that I’m surprised with the defense’s performance thus far this year given all of the senior talent it had returning. The veteran presence of players like Vic Beasley, Tavaris Barnes, Garry Peters, Robert Smith, Stephone Anthony, Grady Jarrett, Corey Crawford and DeShawn Williams was so invaluable. They were absolutely the leaders of the defense, and they also taught and allowed for younger players like MacKensie Alexander, Ben Boulware and Jayron Kearse to step up and perform. As the adage goes, “Defense wins championships,” and Clemson’s defense has definitely lived up to that. They have kept us in games where the offense was lacking, sometimes turning turnovers into immediate touchdowns that proved to be the majority of the scoring for that game. I absolutely do not think we would have the record that we have today had it not been for the defense, and I can’t wait to see how they respond to the test of South Carolina.
4. What do you think is the most important thing Clemson has to do to avoid six in a row?
I think the biggest thing is for the offense to keep the turnovers at a minimum. It’s as simple as that. The Tigers had not one, not two, but six turnovers last year in Columbia, something that was fairly unusual for Tajh Boyd and Co. In a matchup like this, it will be important to not have the defense on the field more than they have to be, regardless of how good they are. If the Tigers can hold onto the ball and score on South Carolina’s lackluster defense, then I trust our defense to keep the Gamecock offense at bay. However, if turnovers are rampant for the second year in a row, the Tigers will probably have shot themselves in the foot yet again.
5. Who are some lesser-known Tigers that South Carolina fans should be on the lookout for Saturday?
The area of Clemson’s offense that had to step up when Watson was sidelined was the run game. Running back Wayne Gallman had back-to-back games with 100 yards rushing and provided a nice spark. He was joined by running back Tyshon Dye, who made his collegiate debut a few weeks ago against Wake Forest after sitting out his freshman year with a torn Achilles tendon. Dye had his first big game this past weekend against Georgia State, rushing 20 times for 124 yards and two touchdowns. I look forward to seeing much more of Dye this weekend. Aside from Gallman and Dye, I would say that backup quarterback Nick Schuessler would be someone to look out for. In the event that Deshaun Watson is unable to play on Saturday, expect Schuessler to get some playing time.
Prediction time:
I think it will be a low-scoring, exciting game. I trust our defense to keep the Gamecock offense to a minimum, and I think that between them and the offense, Clemson will be able to scrape by for the victory. Tigers win 17-14.