5 things we learned from Clemson’s win against Wake Forest
Clemson opened the 2020 college football season with an impressive 37-13 win over Wake Forest on Saturday.
The Tigers jumped out to a 37-3 lead and put the game on cruise control in the fourth quarter while improving to 11-1 in openers under Dabo Swinney.
Up next, the Tigers play their home opener against The Citadel on Saturday. But first, here is what we learned from Clemson’s performance Saturday night:
Clemson’s freshman class could be Swinney’s best yet
ABC announcers Sean McDonough and Todd Blackledge mentioned several times during Saturday’s broadcast that Swinney loves this year’s freshman class, and it’s easy to see why. The Tigers played 22 true freshmen against Wake Forest, and several of them made big plays. Defensive end Myles Murphy had a team-high seven tackles, with three tackles for loss and two sacks. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee — the nation’s No. 1 recruit for 2020 — had two tackles, half a sack and blocked a field goal.
Offensively, five-star recruit D.J. Uiagalelei got his first action after earning Clemson’s backup quarterback job, while Kobe Pace and Demarkcus Bowman each carried the ball six times for 22 yards. Receivers E.J. Williams and Ajou Ajou also got on the stat sheet, hauling in their first career passes. The freshmen should be more and more involved as the season goes along, and several could be difference makers throughout the year.
Brent Venables can handle any challenge
No matter what is thrown at Clemson’s defensive coordinator, he always manages to have his unit ready to play. The Tigers had nine defenders making their first career starts Saturday, and Clemson shut Wake Forest out in the first half. The Demon Deacons did not get on the board until the Tigers started subbing in the second half, and Wake Forest did not reach the end zone until the final few minutes of the game.
Yes, Clemson has plenty to clean up, particularly in the secondary, but with Venables in charge this defense should get better and better.
Clemson receivers need to be more consistent
Amari Rodgers had a strong game with five catches for 90 yards, but even he dropped a touchdown in the end zone in the first half. Frank Ladson also dropped a touchdown as Clemson’s receiving corps looked noticeably different without Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross.
The Tigers still have plenty of talent, and the receivers should improve throughout the season, but there is definitely room for growth after Week 1.
Watch out for the tight ends
While Clemson’s receivers didn’t have their best night, the tight ends came to play. Braden Galloway had five catches for 60 yards, Davis Allen caught one pass for 42 yards and J.C. Chalk caught a 12-yard touchdown, the first of his career. The lack of a pass-catcher at tight end has been noticeable in Clemson’s offense the past couple of years. Before Saturday, the Tigers had not had a tight end catch a touchdown since 2018.
With linebackers forced to focus on Travis Etienne and Clemson’s running game, Tigers tight ends should have plenty of opportunities throughout the season.
Clemson is properly ranked at No. 1.
Trevor Lawrence got off to a bit of a slow start last year and the Tigers dropped in the polls early. If Saturday night is any indication, don’t expect that to be the case in 2020. Lawrence was nearly perfect, completing 22 of 28 passes for 351 yards, while totaling three touchdowns without a turnover.
Etienne was explosive and topped the 100-yard mark for the 18th time in his career, which is a Clemson record. And Clemson’s defense looked stout, despite having four starters unavailable. This college football season is sure to be unique with unexpected twists and turns due to COVID-19, but as of now the Tigers look like the best team in the nation.
Next Clemson football game
Who: Clemson vs. The Citadel
When: 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19
TV: ACC Network
