Clemson Tigers stats, records, schedule, and standings

Tigers

Clemson Tigers

NCAAF – ACC

CLEMSON TIGERS

2022-2023 TEAM LEADERS

Clemson Tigers Football Team

Clemson Football Team News

The Clemson Tigers have won the last six ACC Championship games, advancing to the College Football Playoff (CFP) each time, and seven of the previous ten, along with two of the last five national championships.

Last year the Tigers lost to Notre Dame in the regular season and then avenged that defeat by dusting the Irish 34 – 10 in the title game.

Three-year starter at quarterback Trevor Lawrence is now in the NFL, but it shouldn’t slow down the Tigers, who had DJ Uiagalelei in the wings after throwing for 781 yards in two starts when Lawrence was sidelined due to Covid-19 protocols.

For ACC and national opponents, there is even the scary idea that the new guy is even better than the one playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Clemson Tigers Standings

The Clemson Tigers are a force to be reckoned with in the NCAAF. With top-notch stats and a highly competitive standing, this team has been making waves in the league. Their impressive performances have not gone unnoticed, and they are widely regarded as one of the top teams in the standings.

Clemson Tigers Betting Trends

2020 Summary

There was a lot of uncertainty introduced by Covid-19 in 2020, but it didn’t seem to apply to the Clemson Tigers. Dabo Swinney has built a program that is second only to what Nick Saban has developed at Alabama. His ability to adapt and constantly reload is a testimony to him and his coaching staff.

Clemson led the conference in scoring and total defense, putting up 40 or more points in eight games, and made it to the CFP, losing to Ohio State in the semifinals 49-28. It indicates how far the program has come, with 2020 considered a mild failure when they came within a game of making it into the championship contest.

Key Players

Uiagalelei will be responsible for picking up where Lawrence left off, and all indications are that it won’t be a problem for the sophomore. As impressive as Lawrence was in his time at Clemson, his replacement was extremely impressive in a backup role and may lead the Tigers back to a national championship.

Perhaps a bigger hole to fill will be at running back, where senior Lyn-J Dixon is the frontrunner to replace the departed Travis Etienne, who ran for 914 yards and 14 touchdowns while catching 48 passes for another 588. Dixon has shown flashes of brilliance but will need to do it consistently for Clemson to continue their conference dominance.

Middle linebacker Baylon Spector led the team in tackles with 64, tackles for loss at 10.5, and 4.5 sacks. His play is supported by fellow linebacker James Skalski, making the pair very difficult to stop in the middle of the Clemson defense.

Key Additions

The offensive line lacks experience, but recruiting Marcus Tate out of Miami Gardens will help add depth at the guard position.

The same is true of freshman cornerback Nathaniel Wiggins from Atlanta, who can give some backup to a secondary that could use a little help in improving on Clemson’s 41st ranked pass defense.

Key Subtractions

Etienne holds the record for most rushing yards in the ACC as well as the FBS mark for the number of games in which he scored a touchdown. It might take more than one player to replace his dual-threat capabilities.

Even though they have a suitable replacement, quarterback Trevor Lawrence was more than just the starter at his position, but he’s been the face of the program for the last three seasons. His consistency and running ability, especially near the goal line, made Clemson very difficult to defend.

The Tigers lost their top three receivers, and although Swinney will just plug more talent in their spots, players like Amari Rodgers and his seven touchdowns on 77 receptions won’t be easily replaced.

Divisional Outlook

Clemson has won the last five ACC Atlantic titles as well as six conference championships in a row. That likely won’t change in 2021. There isn’t another team in the division that has improved enough to challenge the Tigers for supremacy, and their only league loss in 2020 was to Notre Dame, who is back to independent status for this season.

The only other team in the division that will be dangerous for the rest of the conference is N.C. State. The Wolfpack won their last four games to finish the regular season at 8-3 before falling to Kentucky in the Gator Bowl.

Florida State is still struggling to regain past glory. Alongside Boston College, Louisville, and Wake Forest, they will be fighting N.C. State for second place in a division that outside of Clemson is very balanced.

Clemson Offense

Their offense was 2nd in the ACC and 10th in the nation in total yards. They were also 1st in the ACC and 3rd in the FBS in scoring, but most of that defense went to the NFL.

That being said, there is plenty of talent waiting in the wings. A more significant concern might be on the offensive line, where the Tigers will be young at the center position and right tackle.

Clemson recruits exceptionally well, and there isn’t expected to be much of a drop-off in production. They won’t get much time to get into a rhythm as they face a tough Georgia defense in Charlotte in their opening game.

The contest could be considered an early CFP elimination game, although the loser will have plenty of opportunities to move back up the rankings. It could be an opener for the ages.

Clemson Defense

The Tigers return ten former starters on a unit that was the best in the ACC in total yardage allowed and was 15th in the nation. Although they were statistically solid in 2020, Clemson had its weaknesses exposed by Ohio State in the CFP. They gave up 639 yards and 49 points to close the season.

Three of those ten returning former starters will start the season in backup roles, as defensive coordinator Brent Venables makes some moves to address those areas of concern. Most notably, stopping the run. The strength of the unit is at linebacker, where they return a wealth of talent and experience.

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