There will be no blowouts this time around when the No. 12 Clemson Tigers square off with the Appalachian State Mountaineers in Death Valley this coming Saturday. During opening week, the Tigers made quick work of the Wofford Terriers, 49-10, while the Mountaineers conjured up a blowout of their own with a 49-0 shutout of the Howard Bison.
Only one team will maintain a spotless record once this scintillating Week 2 clash is all said and done. Will it be Clemson, or App State? Read on as we look further into this thrilling matchup. While you’re at it, check out more upcoming NCAA action with our previews for South Florida vs. Florida State and Fresno State vs. Ole Miss.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Clemson Tigers Preview
Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
When: Saturday, September 12, 12:30 PM ET
Line: Appalachian State (+17) Mountaineers at Clemson Tigers (-17) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: ESP3
Betting on the Appalachian State Mountaineers
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Just because the Appalachian State Mountaineers are playing in the Sun Belt Conference doesn’t mean they’re hardly any good. The Mountaineers certainly proved just how good they can be this past Saturday with a resounding 49-0 victory over Howard Bison in their season opener in Kidd Brewer Stadium.
App State put up surreal offensive numbers (373 rushing yards on 55 carries, 304 passing yards in 29 attempts) in that game, thanks to a well-rounded effort from the team’s key players. Quarterback Taylor Lamb finished the day with 226 yards on 17-of-22 passing to go with four touchdowns at no picks. Lamb’s go-to receiver of the day, Simms McElfresh, put up 68 receiving yards and accounted for two of Lamb’s passing TDs.
The Mountaineers’ defense, meanwhile, was immovable; they limited the Bison to just 182 yards of total offense, including a mere eight first down conversions the entire game.
Sure, App State’s blowout was against an inferior club in Howard, but this Mountaineers team – one that went on a six-game winning streak to close out the 2014 season – has the necessary depth to give elite clubs such as Clemson all that they could handle. The Mountaineers returned 20 starters from last year’s team (10 players on offense and defense alike), and those wily veterans collaboratively showed what they were made of in Week 1.
The Mountaineers were also one of the best put-up-or-shut-up teams in the NCAA last season. They ranked in the top 15 in third down situations on both offense and defense, which means that the team has the right resolve to counter any pressure coming from the Tigers during clutch situations.
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Betting on the Clemson Tigers
The No. 12 Clemson Tigers are off to a great start as expected with their 49-10 thrashing of the ill-fated Wofford Terriers in Death Valley this past weekend. Quarterback and early Heisman Trophy candidate Deshaun Watson played calm and cool, going for 194 yards and a pair of scores on 18-of-22 passing.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, star wide receiver Mike Williams will likely have to miss out an extended amount of time this season. Williams suffered a fracture in his neck after making a touchdown reception from Watson and inadvertently hit the goalpost hard in the first quarter of the game against Wofford. The junior led all Clemson receivers last year in receiving yards (1,030) and was second in receptions (57) and touchdowns (6).
Good thing the Tigers have great depth at almost all skill positions on offense, and that’s even considering that the team started 13 true freshmen in the opener – the most starting freshmen in a single game for the team since 1943. First-year wideout Ray-Ray McCloud made up for the sudden loss of Williams by grabbing eight catches for 80 yards, while sophomore running back Wayne Gallman rumbled for 92 rushing yards and two TDs on just 14 carries.
Clemson’s smothering defense was on full display this past Saturday as well. The D allowed the Terriers to throw for just 90 yards in the air and forced the visiting team to keep on punting away their possessions after six-straight three-and-outs to start the game.
Visiting Appalachian State has not beaten Clemson in all four of the their past encounters (all played in Death Valley to boot), but the Mountaineers always proved to be a tough out. In the last meeting between these two schools, The Tigers just narrowly defeated the Mountaineers, 23-12, way back in 1997.
Writer’s Prediction
App State keeps matters close in the first half before Clemson runs away with a 39-24 victory at home.
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