Clemson ‘D’: Louisville sluggers
Clemson and Louisville played one of the most exciting games of the 2016 college football season. Led by Deshaun Watson, the Tigers held a 28-10 halftime advantage in Death Valley before Lamar Jackson and the Cardinals scored 26 straight points to jump on top, 36-28.
Clemson scored two touchdowns in the final 7:05 and turned up the defensive intensity to prevail, 42-36. The game thrust Jackson to the front of the Heisman Trophy race and was one of the defining moments in the Tigers’ road to the national championship.
Jackson is back for a shot at a second straight Heisman, and his No. 14 Cardinals will host the third-ranked and Watson-less Tigers tomorrow night. The dynamic quarterback is averaging 505 yards of total offense per game, which is better than 104 FBS teams, including Clemson. But lost in the glare of his amazing talent is the fact Louisville easily could be 0-2. Purdue and North Carolina both piled up yards and points, and neither team is in Clemson’s league.
Another key factor is the Tigers defense, which might be the best in the nation. Austin Bryant had four of Clemson’s 11 sacks against an excellent Auburn team last week. Jackson will make plays and gain yards, but points will not come easily, even at home.
Clemson had five turnovers in last season’s meeting, which led to 20 Louisville points and kept the game close. That will not happen again. The Tigers are favored by 3 points and will pull away down the stretch on the strength of their ferocious defense. In other games:
TONIGHT Illinois (+17) at South Florida — The No. 22 Bulls finally get on the field in the wake of Hurricane Irma after having last week’s game against UConn postponed. Heisman Trophy darkhorse quarterback Quinton Flowers has not been as explosive as last season, and don’t be surprised if USF is a little rusty. Coach Lovie Smith and his improved Illini defense should keep it relatively close.
TOMORROW Duke (-141⁄2) vs. Baylor — The bad news Bears are really bad. The program’s image is in tatters, the season started with home losses to Liberty and Texas San Antonio, and now coach Matt Rhule is switching quarterbacks. Duke sophomore QB Daniel Jones is off to a fantastic start and will have a field day at home.
Notre Dame at Boston College (Under 511⁄2) — Two coaches on the hot seat (Brian Kelly, Steve Addazio) meet at The Heights, and the big question is will the Eagles be able to score a touchdown. Anthony Brown has been flat-out bad in the first two games, while BC’s run defense began to show signs of life last week against Wake Forest. The Irish averaged 1.5 yards per carry last week against Georgia. Points will not come cheap.
Notre Dame (-13) at Boston College — Furthermore, Irish quarterback Brandon Wimbush has looked more comfortable each week, and he’ll be able to dictate the pace of this game, especially with his legs. After facing the Bulldogs from the tough SEC, this will be a lot easier. The Eagles will be a step slow all afternoon.
SMU (+191⁄2) at TCU — The battle for the Iron Skillet isn’t a long trip for the improved Mustangs, who have lost eight of the past nine in the series but have covered the spread in six of those games. The No. 20 Horned Frogs are the better team, but Kenny Hill is not the type of elite quarterback who can cover huge spreads in rivalry games.
Tennessee (+41⁄2) at Florida — The No. 23 Volunteers will rely on a healthy dose of running back John Kelly (208 yards, four touchdowns), who has looked dominant at times during the first two weeks, against a young defense. The No. 24 Gators were anemic on offense against Michigan. This line is too high.
Virginia Tech (-221⁄2) at East Carolina — The Pirates have given up more than 600 yards in each of their first two games, including a loss to FCS member James Madison. The 16th-ranked Hokies will score often, then use their defense to prevent a backdoor cover in the fourth quarter. Last week: 4-3 Season: 9-6