Scouting Clemson’s next opponent: The Citadel Bulldogs
Game info
When: 12:20 p.m. Saturday
Where: Memorial Stadium (81,500); Clemson
TV: ACC Network
Three story lines
1. Clemson will get a warm-up for in-state rival South Carolina when it hosts The Citadel, a Southern Conference team located in Charleston that is 5-5 on the year.
2. The Tigers had several key players miss the Florida State game with injuries, including Dexter Lawrence, Kendall Joseph, Mark Fields and Marcus Edmond. Clemson also lost its best cornerback, Ryan Carter, in the second half when he suffered a concussion. It will be interesting to see how many Clemson players are rested.
3. Clemson has a severe talent advantage and has a choice as far as how it would like to approach the game. The Tigers could opt to keep the ball mostly on the ground and try to keep the clock running to avoid injuries, or they could try to get the passing game on track as it has struggled as of late.
Three players to watch
1. Quarterback Dominique Allen leads The Citadel in rushing yards with 571, rushing touchdowns with eight, completions with 29 and attempts with 82. Allen has thrown three touchdowns but also has been picked off six times.
2. The Citadel uses Cam Jackson in a variety of ways as he has 479 rushing yards, 254 receiving yards, 26 punt return yards and 390 kick return yards.
3. Senior linebacker Myles Pierce leads the Bulldogs with 83 tackles, 27 more than any other player on the team. He also leads The Citadel in tackles for loss with 12 and has recorded a pair of sacks.
Scouting report
▪ The Citadel is no stranger to playing Power 5 teams. The Bulldogs faced North Carolina last season and knocked off South Carolina 23-22 in 2015.
▪ The Citadel has taken a step back this season after winning 10 games in 2016 and nine games in 2015. The Bulldogs went 8-0 in the Southern Conference last year but finished 3-5 this year.
▪ The Citadel runs an option offense and averages 309 rushing yards per game.
Matt Connolly
This story was originally published November 12, 2017 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Scouting Clemson’s next opponent: The Citadel Bulldogs."