The fan favorite opponent Q and A is back this week this time for Clemson. We talked to Ryan Kantor of Shakin the Southland about this week’s matchup against the Tigers, Dabo Swinney and Ryan’s prediction for this week’s game.
TNIAAM: Over the last few years, the fanbase hasn’t been exactly thrilled with Dabo Swinney based on results, off to a 5 and 3 start this year. What is the fanbase feeling through 8 weeks? RK: The portion of the Clemson fan base who believes Coach Swinney is beyond criticism
has continued to shrink. The 5-3 record isn’t good, but even it doesn’t show the full story. They’ve faced two ranked opponents and lost by 4+ TDs to each. They also lost to a rebuilding Virginia Tech team that in year 1 with Coach James Franklin has already surpassed Clemson. This offseason, most believed the Tigers needed a QB and some offensive line help from the portal. Coach Swinney rebuffed his own coaching staff by insisting quarterbacks Christopher Vizzina and Chris Denson were a strong enough duo that the Tigers shouldn’t chase a “shiny object” from the portal. It took just spring practice for Chris Denson to move from QB to WR and just a game and a half for Vizzina to get benched. Coach Swinney said they’d get “raked over the coals” if they were wrong about QB and boy were they ever. Add to that the fact that we’ve now learned Christopher Vizzina was injured fairly badly against Georgia Southern yet Coach Swinney framed it as Reynolds winning the job. The whole QB situation has been bungled. Additionally, the offensive line needed help and they were far too picky and landed nobody. Coach Swinney will have to fully change his stance on the portal for the Tigers to ever win big under him again. He started to do it on defense this offseason. He has to go all in (as he likes to say) or 9-3 will be Clemson’s ceiling and 7 or 8 wins will become the annual expectation. His buy-out is even bigger than Mike Norvell’s so he’ll likely get one more offseason to finally adjust. TNIAAM: Clemson ranks top 10 in the conference in rushing defense, what is Tom Allen going to scheme up against a rushing attack that has emerged lately for the Orange? RK: Tom Allen was a great hire by Coach Swinney. That’s the thing. When Swinney wants to do something, he does it extremely well. He just hates the new model of college football and hasn’t fully tried to do it well. On defense, he did though. They brought in four transfers in the secondary alone and with them supporting 1st-round talent CB Ashton Hampton, it is an excellent group that Tom Allen trusts in man defense. The rush defense was horrible the first three weeks but has massively improved. They’re still allowing 206 rushing yards per game, but it has been much better lately. FSU only had 65 rushing yards and VT just 70. Leaning on the excellent secondary has been part of that. We’ve also seen former 5-star recruit Amare Adams begin to emerge as a quality option at defensive tackle. He had struggled previously but halfway through his second season he’s looking better. DE recruit Darien Mayo has shifted inside to help improve the DT play and West Georgia transfer Kourtney Kelly has returned. Tom Allen has done a great job playing to their strengths while DT Coach Nick Eason deserves as much credit for development as we doled out blame for their ugly start. Kudos are deserved! TNIAAM: The Clemson offense ranks dead last in the conference in offensive efficiency. What is the Tiger offense going to struggle with against the Cuse defense?
RK: Syracuse’s defensive numbers aren’t too far off Clemson’s on the whole, but the Tigers’ stats are negatively skewed from the beatdowns LSU and Miami delivered. VT’s secondary is poor and Clemson couldn’t take advantage. FSU is bad, and Clemson took advantage mostly because the sloppy Seminoles coughed up four turnovers. Clemson has a QB who struggles to make the right reads on RPOs and zone reads and an offensive line that isn’t good enough to block for consistent gains on simple run calls. That’s a really bad recipe. Fortunately, OC Chad Morris has made peace with the hand he has been dealt and will run the QB more to open up some passing options.
I expect a so-so Orange rush defense that ranks 42nd in rush yards per game allowed to slow down the running backs, but a running QB who avoids turnovers and is supported by a good defense and elite special teams unit should be able to squeeze out 20+ points.
TNIAAM: Who do you expect to have a bigger impact on Offense this weekend: Bryant Wesco Jr or Gideon Davidson?
RK: Bryant Wesco leads the team in receiving yards (411) but has still had a down year. 80% of that is because they didn’t get a QB and OL help this offseason, but 20% or so is because he has failed to reel in some catches I’d expect a top talent like him to make. I think this is his breakout game. Gideon Davidson was a big recruit, but in a year and half hasn’t shown elite speed or vision. Coach Swinney criticized him publicly which is either really poor form or using the media to light a fire under him. A breakout game for him would have a little extra meaning for that reason, but I could see him getting a smaller share of the carries. I’ll pick Wesco as my breakout player who has the biggest impact this weekend.
TNIAAM: What position battle defines this game?
RK: It feels like Clemson’s offensive line being passable is the big question in every game, so I’ll pick them vs. Syracuse’s defensive line.
LG Elyjah Thurmon left the FSU game with a nasty concussion. Even more pressing is the loss of starting center Harris Sewell. He has been a pleasant surprise this season after struggling at right guard last year. Clemson will likely start true freshman Grant Wise at center. The OL is going to be really young and needs to avoid costly penalties. I also worry that having essentially no traditional running game puts a ton of pressure on a limited freshman QB. With two starters from a struggling O-line and the starting running back out, I expect that to be a problem for the offense.
TNIAAM: Predictions?
RK: I originally picked Clemson, but then I heard about injuries to Harris Sewell and Gideon Davidson and am feeling less optimistic. Coach Swinney went out and hired a new special teams coach and he (Rich Bisaccia) has turned a weakness into a strength. Clemson may have the best field goal kicking unit in the country. Punting and returning punts is no longer an adventure. Again, file this in the “when Dabo commits to doing something, he does it extremely well” file. I think the Tigers make a couple field goals, get some good field position, but struggle to hit explosives or convert TDs in the end zone. Syracuse 21, Clemson 19.
A huge thank you from Ryan for taking the time to talk Tigers. And make sure to go to Shakin the Southland for our answers, for this week’s matchup.
