For the first time in program history, Stanford will make the trip to Death Valley to take on Clemson. This is just the second time these historic programs have met on the gridiron. The first and only meeting between these teams was in the 1986 Gator Bowl. The Tigers defeated the Cardinals in that matchup 27-21. This gives Clemson the 1-0 series lead. These two programs will become more familiar with each other now, starting with their first matchup as conference foes. This weekend will truly begin the new era of the ACC and college football for Dabo Swinney’s team.
Clemson Welcomes Stanford to Death Valley
Stanford’s Freshman Year
Stanford is in their first season as a member of the ACC. Previously it was a part of the PAC-12 conference which is working to revamp itself. They are one of three new teams to join the ACC this year, including another former PAC-12 member California. The Cardinals have started their first season in the ACC well. Currently sitting at 2-1 overall, Stanford got its first ACC win in its first conference game.
The Cardinals got its 1-0 start in ACC play by defeating Syracuse last week 26-24. It was a tough win that came down to a walk-off field goal. It was a great way for Stanford to begin its ACC membership. Quarterback Ashton Daniels completed 23 of his 38 pass attempts for 178 yards a touchdown and two interceptions. He also ran the ball 13 times for 45 yards.
Stanford’s offense runs through Daniels. The junior quarterback is a decent passer with good arm skills, but he is most dangerous when using his legs. He is the leading rusher for the Cardinals with 39 carries for 163 yards so far this season. That is nearly double the amount of carries of anyone on the Stanford roster. Containing Daniels will be one of the biggest keys to Clemson winning this game.
Can the Offense Keep Rolling?
Over the last two games, the Clemson offense has looked the best it has in the past three to four years. The unit is finally getting the explosive plays the fans have been wanting to see. More importantly, the quarterback play has been excellent in the past two games.
Cade Klubnik has finally found his rhythm. The junior quarterback’s decision-making has improved tremendously since week one. This improvement has the offense clicking at a high level. In the Tigers’ two wins, Klubnik has completed 80% of his passes for 587 yards and eight touchdowns. He also ran for three more touchdowns giving him 11 touchdowns overall in two games. Klubnik has a chance to continue this surge this weekend against a tough Stanford defense.
The strength of the Cardinals’ defense is the two linebackers Gaethan Bernadel and Tristian Sinclair. These two are undeniably the leaders of that unit. Bernadel is the leading tackler for the Cardinals with a total of 20 and two tackles for loss. Sinclair is not far behind though with 19 total tackles and three tackles for loss. He also has a sack and a pass breakup. Their leadership does not just show up on their stat sheets though. Watching this defense Bernadel and Sinclair are constantly communicating with the guys around them to get guys into the right positions.
That is why running the ball on the Stanford defense is a tough task. The Cardinal defense is currently ranked third in the FBS in rush defense giving up only 51.7 rush yards per game. The pass defense is not nearly as good though as they give up 298.7 passing yards per game. The Stanford secondary will give up big plays in the passing game. It will be up to Klubnik to find the spots and take his shots. If he plays how well he did against Appalachian State and NC State, it will be another big day for the Tiger’s offense.
Defense Must Show Up
Defensively the Tigers have to live up to the hype. In the first three games, the defense has played very well in the first half but has not finished games as strongly in the second half. Being dominant throughout the game against Stanford will be important. The Cardinals are a resilient team that plays hard until the final whistle no matter the score.
Keeping Daniels contained for the whole game is vital for the defense. Both in the passing and running game. In the passing game, the Tigers must cover wide receiver Elic Ayomanor at all times. He is Daniels’ favorite target with how he can get going at any time. Ayomanor gave Heisman favorite Travis Hunter trouble when they matched up last season. During his post-practice press conference earlier this week, Swinney said Ayomanor is “definitely a Sunday guy.” The Clemson secondary must keep him at bay to make things much more difficult for Daniels.
If the Tigers can keep Daniels contained in the pocket and have to look for guys other than Ayomanor, he will make mistakes. Daniels has four touchdown passes on the season, but also three interceptions. Two of those interceptions came against Syracuse, both being on poor reads by Daniels. If Daniels is not allowed to kill Clemson with his legs, the Tigers will be in a great position to start 2-0 both in the ACC and against Stanford.
