Clemson football: Tight ends are key to victory Saturday over Miami

Clemson football tight end Braden Galloway will play a big part for the Tigers Saturday night.

There is no debating that Clemson football quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne are the premium additives that make the Clemson engine purr. In a marquee match up like Saturday night, you have to look beyond the usual suspects for names and position groups that will play significant roles in a Clemson victory Saturday night.

After a fantastic start to the 2020 season in Winston-Salem, Clemson football fans got a taste of what many have sought from the tight end group. Braden Galloway, Dallas Allen, and JC Chalk all made significant contributions in Game 1.

The tight end group from Coral Gables has gotten a lot of attention this week and rightfully so but the Clemson group is capable of holding their own and playing a significant role in staving off a Miami upset bid.

Clemson football will need its best performance against Miami.

The Tigers need to put pressure on the Hurricane linebackers and safeties. I expect Miami to try to take away Amari Rodgers and Frank Ladson by rolling coverage and bracketing. This is where the tight end group can play a significant role in the passing game.

The Miami linebackers and safeties are going to want to stop Travis Etienne in the run game. There will be a tremendous opportunity to use their aggression against them with play-action passing and getting the ball to wide-open tight ends.

Any run game success will come from the tight ends playing well at the point of attack. Watch closely Saturday for how well the tight ends are blocking in the run game. This will be especially important if the weather forecast for rain holds.

The tight end group has not been especially good at making initial contact and running their feet through blocks. Travis Etienne makes so much happen in the run game in spite of inconsistent front line play.

The key to not finding yourself in a dogfight Saturday night is the Clemson tight ends having a night of their lives. They are going to have to block well to spring the run game, they are going to have to chip and play well on double teams, and lastly make plays in the passing game.

Depending on the weather much of what they do may not show up in a box score if forced to rely on the run game but they will have played an integral part in a Clemson victory.