Texas will host their first-ever playoff game Saturday afternoon inside DKR against 12-seed Clemson. The Tigers snuck into the playoffs by winning the ACC championship over SMU, but their luck began a week prior when Syracuse defeated Miami, allowing Clemson to play in the conference title game.
Dabo Swinney has two national championships on his resume and has plenty of experience in the playoff, but his Clemson program has seen some minor cracks emerge of late. The Tigers have lost at least three games in four consecutive seasons, and this will be their first playoff appearance since 2020.
Offense
Austin native Cade Klubnik is the straw that stirs the drink for the Clemson offense, and he will carry a heavy load on Saturday. Klubnik has attempted over 440 passes and registered over 100 rushing attempts on the season. He is averaging 7.5 yards per pass attempt and has tossed 33 touchdowns compared to just 5 interceptions. He is an exceptional deep ball thrower. His legs are also something the Texas defense will have to account for. Klubnik has 7 rushing touchdowns on the season and has 6 games with 10 or more rushing attempts.
One of the reasons Klubnik is expected to carry a heavy load is the health of starting RB Phil Mafah. Mafah has been playing through a shoulder injury and has been largely ineffective for the last month, including a 13-carry, 28-yard rushing performance against SMU in the ACC Championship. Backup RB Jay Haynes tore his ACL against SMU, so options are limited in the Clemson backfield.
Clemson has a trio of talented receivers and one of the better TE’s in the country. Antonio Wiliams leads the team with 71 receptions and has found the endzone 10 times. Freshman Bryant Wesco, a Texas native, is averaging over 18 yards a reception and serves as the big play threat. Fellow freshman T.J. Moore has 36 catches. TE Jake Briningstool stands at 6’6 and ranks second on the team in catches (45) and touchdowns (7).
Clemson is very experienced up front on the offensive line, but performance has varied, largely based on the quality of the opponent. The unit has allowed 22 sacks and has struggled against teams who can bring edge pressure.
Defense
Texas will be happy to be facing a defensive unit without a Georgia logo on the helmet, but the Tigers still trot out quite a few players who will be playing in the NFL. Edge rusher TJ Parker leads the team with 11 sacks, representing 33% of the total sacks for the team. In the interior, defensive tackle Peter Woods (3 sacks) is the player to watch and is a former 5-star out of the state of Alabama.
All-ACC selection Barrett Carter leads the team with 76 tackles and added 3.5 sacks. The Tigers have had moments this year where they have been gashed on the ground. The Tigers rank 70th nationally in yards per rush attempt allowed at 4.5 yards.
CB Avieon Terrell leads the secondary and is tied for the team lead in interceptions with 2. The Tigers have been vulnerable to explosive plays against the quality offenses they faced this season (Georgia, Louisville, South Carolina, SMU).
Final Thoughts
No one will mistake this Clemson team for one of Dabo Swinney’s national title teams, but the Tigers still have a baseline level of talent that is among the best in college football. Swinney’s reluctance to utilize the transfer portal has Clemson very thin in multiple positions. Still, the frontline players are good, and playing in the playoffs will not overwhelm the Tigers as a program.
