1 DAY IN DEATH VALLEY
AUBURN GETS AN EARLY LITMUS TEST AS THEY TAKE ON DEFENDING CHAMPS
KEYS FOR AUBURN
Disrupt Bryant. Auburn quietly re-established a stingy defense last year, not allowing 30 points in a game until the Iron Bowl (and then doing so again against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl). If Deshaun Watson was still at Clemson, the Tigers would have a good chance to pile up points, but QB Kelly Bryant is a far less known quantity. Establish the run. Auburn got 100-yard rushing days from Kerryon Johnson and Kam Martin in the opener against Georgia Southern, and Kamryn Pettway (1,224 yards last season) is expected back from a one-game suspension in time for this trip to Death Valley. It’s no secret Gus Malzahn will try to win on the ground, but that’s easier said than done against Clemson. Auburn mustered just 87 yards on 41 carries in last year’s meeting.
KEYS FOR CLEMSON
D-line depth. The headliners on the Clemson defensive front are tackles Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins, but the reason that unit is so strong is that the Tigers can rotate several players in and out over the course of a game. They’ll need quality performances from throughout the two-deep (and perhaps a little beyond that) to silence an Auburn rushing attack with no shortage of ball-carrying options.
A new year. With respect to opening week cannon fodder Kent State, this is Clemson’s first major test since winning the national championship in January. Last week’s rout suggested Dabo Swinney’s bunch was dialed into the task at hand, but this week will provide a better glimpse at how eager the Tigers are to embrace a fresh challenge.
PREDICTION
Clemson 28-24. Watson led Clemson to a 19-13 victory in last year’s season opener on the Plains, so it might seem odd to expect a higher scoring game. But both offenses should be more settled in a Week 2 matchup, and Auburn’s offense has the potential for greater balance with Jarrett Stidham at QB. Nonetheless, the Clemson defense is tough to solve, and that should get it through this game unscathed.