Five top storylines for Clemson at Texas A&M on Saturday
Five storylines to watch as Clemson faces Texas A&M at 7 p.m. Saturday in College Station (ESPN):
How will Trevor Lawrence perform in his first real test?
Clemson’s freshman quarterback was impressive in the season opener against Furman, but it remains to be seen how well he will perform in a tough road environment against an SEC defense. Clemson’s coaching staff has raved about Lawrence’s ability to thrive under pressure and perform well in big games. Now we will see if he is ready to live up to the hype.
Will Clemson’s receivers get open against Texas A&M’s secondary?
The Tigers will have a deep and talented group of receivers facing a Texas A&M secondary that is a strength for the Aggies. Texas A&M returns three starters from last year’s secondary, including cornerbacks Charles Oliver and Debione Renfro and safety Derrick Tucker.
“Very good in the secondary. I think their safeties are as good as we’re probably going to see,” Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said. “These are really, really talented players at safety. I’d say all four of their starters in the secondary are probably going to play in the NFL. It’s pretty easy to see that. They’ve got size and length.”
How will Clemson’s quarterback situation be handled?
Kelly Bryant and Lawrence each played five series in the opener against Furman. The Tigers recorded an easy win against the Paladins, and it was evident from the start that Clemson could be successful with either quarterback in the game. That isn’t necessarily going to be the case this weekend in College Station. The quarterback battle could be decided for the future this week if one quarterback plays significantly better than the other. The Tigers entered Week 3 in 2014 in a similar situation when freshman Deshaun Watson outplayed the veteran Cole Stoudt and took over as the starter moving forward.
Can Texas A&M’s offensive line slow Clemson’s front four?
Clemson has, arguably, the best defensive line in the country, and the group loves nothing more than making big plays in marquee games. Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant returned to school to do something special. They can take a huge step toward doing so by leading the Tigers to a win at Texas A&M in what could be Clemson’s toughest road test of the season. The Aggies have an experienced offensive line with four returning starters, but Wilkins, Ferrell, Bryant and Dexter Lawrence are a handful for any starting five to handle.
Can Clemson handle the big stage?
The Tigers have thrived in big games over the past few years, including easily defeating Louisville and Virginia Tech with College GameDay in town last season. College GameDay will again be on the scene for Saturday’s showdown. This will be a big challenge for Clemson in that Texas A&M’s stadium holds more than 100,000 people. Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech and Cardinal Stadium in Louisville both hold fewer than 70,000. This will be the biggest crowd Clemson has played in front of; the Tigers have never played a game with 100,000 people in attendance. Clemson will need to handle the noise, as well as the buildup for the matchup with College GameDay in town, to come out with a win.
This story was originally published September 7, 2018 at 9:07 AM.