Whether it was his playcalling or handling of the quarterbacks, Malzahn literally did everything wrong on Saturday night.
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That lone scoring play from either the arm or legs of Watson, who improved to 19-2 as a starter, came in the fourth quarter when he beat an Auburn blitz with a high, 16-yard pass into the end zone, where receiver Hunter Renfrow made a spectacular leaping grab to put the visiting Tigers up 19-6 with 9:59 to play in the game. Williams had quite the game, including this spectacular catch that came in the third quarter. The Tigers won their first 14 games of the season, including wins over North Carolina in the ACC title game, and Oklahoma in the Semi Final.
Junior running back Wayne Gallman rushed 30 times for 123 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Deshaun Watson completed 19 of 34 passes for 248 yards with one touchdown and an interception for Clemson.
Clemson was able to move the ball well at times, rolling up 233 yards in the first half, but going to the locker room, they only had 10 points to show for their efforts.
Facing a fourth-and-goal from the Auburn 1-yard-line, Clemson inserted defensive linemen Christian Wilkins (6-4, 310) and Dexter Lawrence (6-5, 340) as part of a jumbo package.
Now, the Clemson Tigers return home for two games in which they hope to get all of the kinks worked out in front of a friendly home crowd. “Make them go the length of the field with no timeouts”.
Swinney nearly had to do just that. Clemson wide receivers coach Jeff Scott is expecting big things out of Williams after missing the 2015 season with a neck injury, and said earlier this offseason that he sees Williams in the “same light” as former Clemson receivers Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins. It’s one of the best game day environments in all of college football. Auburn would drive to the Clemson 40-yard line, where the game would ultimately end on a failed Hail Mary attempt, giving Clemson their first win at Auburn since 1950.
Kerryon Johnson, taking over for the dismissed Jovon Robinson as Auburn’s featured back, brought Auburn within 19-13 with a 9-yard TD run after taking a direct snap with 3:22 to play, but Clemson held on the rest of the way.
The Auburn Tigers are primed to open the season in a matchup against the 2nd-ranked team in the country, the Clemson Tigers. The Tigers capitalized on Gallman’s 1-yard score on fourth-and-goal to take their first lead.
Johnson had 94 yards on 23 carries for Auburn, which gained 224 of its 262 yards in the second half.
As much as Auburn fans love to see wild formations, long pass plays and unexpected calls, the key to the Auburn offense under Gus Malzahn has always been a strong running attack (see Tre Mason, Cameron Artis-Payne, Peyton Barber, etc). Auburn QB Sean White was not good a year ago, but has won the competition to be the starter for the Tigers in this one tonight.
Stidham’s highlight game of 2015 was when he threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 win at Kansas State. Malzahn praises Sean White’s performance last season and feels he’s improved now that he’s healthy. We may continue to do that. Gallman was stopped short of the line, giving Auburn one more possession.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney looks at the scoreboard after Clemson’s 19-13 win over Auburn an NCAA …
Clemson traveled 92 players to Auburn.
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Zach Lentz is a Clemson University alumnus who got his start working with the Tigers basketball team from 1999-2004. Auburn has produced eight 1,000-yard rushers since 2010, most among FBS teams.
