Auburn coach Gus Malzahn attempted to get super creative with his play-calling and personnel early and often in the first half of its season-opening loss to No. 2 Clemson.
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The only thing related to Saturday night’s game that is on the official list of goals that hangs in the Clemson team room on campus is “Win the opener”.
Clemson led 19-6 with 9:59 remaining after wide receiver Hunter Renfrow’s sensational leaping grab at the back corner of the end zone – though kicker Greg Huegel, who missed five extra points in 2015, clanked his point-after attempt off the left upright, a situation that almost came back to bite Clemson. Plus, he is not a threat to run the ball, something that is useful for a quarterback in Malzahn’s system.
“I wanted to have a big game”. Clemson’s players, he said, are better skilled than a year ago. “We go out there and work every day at practice and when we get in the game, it shows”.
While Williams had a monster game, the Clemson offense as a whole did not click the way most expected. The defense made some big stops and held Clemson to 6 of 17 on third downs.
Why: The Tigers will contain Auburn’s running game enough to pull out the win.
Auburn cut the lead to 19-13 with 3:22 remaining on a Kerryon Johnson 9-yard touchdown run.
Instead of kicking a field goal to potentially go up nine with 40 seconds left at the Auburn 17, Clemson and coach Dabo Swinney chose to go for it on 4th and 4. Clemson’s first drive in the second half resulted in another Huegel field goal, this time a 40-yarder to make it 13-3.
The starting quarterback situation has already been resolved as Sean White won the compeition for the 2016 season.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney echoed the sentiment. Up by six, a chip-shot field goal would’ve made it a two-possession game and sealed the game for Clemson. I feel like the defense played well.
“Tonight proved we’re a really good defense”, Holsey said without taking a breath. Now recovered from last year’s hip problem, Lawson will be counted on to provide leadership and production up front. We’ve been able to reload.
While Auburn struggled to find a quarterback before giving White the biggest share in the second half, Watson didn’t have a sparkling game himself.
It’s all-Tiger action on the plains on Saturday night when Clemson opens the season against Auburn at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Nick Ruffin finished with seven solos and three assists while Tray Matthews added eight solo tackles plus one assist. He returns three starters on the offensive line and most of skill players are also back. But Clemson was not the first job Heisman held where a Tiger was the mascot. Clemson’s defense knocked the ball away, and that was all she wrote on the Plains.
It was a extraordinary way to win your first game but it was likely just as memorable for the team’s veteran quarterback.
Watson passed for 248 yards, including 174 to Mike Williams in his return from a neck injury in last season’s opener.
Hell, if you’re a fan of any team that has a clear No. 1 quarterback (who is remotely successful) and you watched Auburn in Week 1, you should be pretty thankful too. Williams had quite the game, including this spectacular catch that came in the third quarter.
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Stat of the game: 13.
