Clemson Tigers vs South Carolina State Bulldogs: Week Two Preview

The Clemson Tigers head into their home opener against the South Carolina State Bulldogs in search of their first win of the 2014 season. These Bulldogs won’t present nearly the same kind of challenge that the Georgia Bulldogs presented last week though, so picking up win number one should be a relatively simple matter.

More from Clemson Football

• Clemson Football: Q&A with Florida State experts at Chop Chat
• Clemson Football needs their biggest stars to shine against Florida State
• Clemson Football: Receiver by committee could work for the Tigers
• No reason for Clemson Football to fear a Seminole takeover
• Clemson Football: One Quick Thing – The Tigers don’t see cupcakes

The when and where:

When: Saturday (9/6) at 12:30 p.m. EST
Where to go: Memorial Stadium – Clemson, SC
Where to watch: ESPN3
Where to listen: Clemson Tigers radio affiliates and TigerCast

History:

The Clemson Tigers have faced South Carolina State twice in their history, winning both games. After shutting the Bulldogs out 54-0 in their first meeting in 2008, the Tigers thrashed them again last year, 52-13.

Clemson is 27-0 against FCS (formerly division 1-AA) opponents.

Preview:

Last season, after Clemson steamrolled South Carolina State, the Bulldogs went on to finish with a 9-4 record. They return quite a bit of talent from that team and are expected to make some waves at the FCS level in 2014. The Bulldogs kicked off their season with a 63-0 win over Benedict last week and currently sit just outside of the top 25 in the FCS Coaches Poll.

Starting QB Adrian Kollock made his first career start last week and went 15-of-18 for 160 yards. But South Carolina State is a team that likes to run the ball and Kollack is also a part of that. Against Benedict, the Bulldogs ran for 381 yards and eight touchdowns, including a 39-yard touchdown run from Kollack.

The Bulldogs also did equally well stopping the run against that over-matched Benedict team, giving up only 1.9 yards per carry for 56 yards. In total, they gave up only 228 yards.

Obviously that defense will have more of a challenge this weekend. Clemson is going to come into this game looking to correct some issues, so the Bulldogs should expect their best effort, even with the Florida State Seminoles coming up next. The bye week between Clemson and Florida State should keep the Tigers from worrying too much about that looming clash of ACC titans, as well.

The Tigers may try to impose their will on the ground against SC State, after the running game failed to gain much traction against Georgia last week. This game presents a good opportunity for Clemson to start turning that around. It may also give Clemson fans an opportunity to see more of Adam Choice and Wayne Gallman. Clemson’s depth in the offensive line will receive a boost, as well, with the return of David Beasley from a one-game suspension.

But while the Tigers may be able to tune-up the running game a bit, Clemson should have no trouble moving the ball through the air against SC State. Last season, Cole Stoudt entered the game in relief of Tajh Boyd and turned in a record performance for the Tigers, completing 19-of-20 passes. Stoudt finished with 143 passing yards and three touchdowns. Germone Hopper also enjoyed one of his best performances of the year, hauling in six catches for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

The most interesting thing about this game should be how the Tigers fare against South Carolina State’s running game. The run defense was expected to be a strength for Clemson this season and, if those preseason expectations were correct, then Clemson should not have any difficulty shutting the SC State running game down. But after Todd Gurley and the other Georgia running backs repeatedly gashed the Clemson defense in the second half of last week’s game, Clemson’s ability to stop the run suddenly looks questionable. The good news is that fatigue should not be a factor, as the Clemson offense is unlikely to struggle with sustaining drives.

Prediction:

The Clemson Tigers shouldn’t have any difficulty here. I expect the Tigers to dominate in every facet of the game and win going away in their home opener. Stoudt will lead the Tigers to a big lead right out of the gate and Deshaun Watson will get his first chance to take control of the offense for more than a drive at a time. The predicted score: Clemson 55, South Carolina State 10.