It will not be easy, but the Clemson Tigers can come out of Cal with an impressive Week 4 ACC victory. It will be the first time Clemson will play Cal since the Golden Bears joined the ACC. This is the second-ever meeting between the two schools. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Clemson will be the slight 1.5-point road favorite coming in. Cal is hiding in the tall grass, ready to pounce in this one.
Although Clemson is playing with a great deal of momentum these last two weeks, Cal is a step up in competition from North Carolina and definitely from Georgia Southern. While the Week 5 home game versus Miami looms large, now is not the time for Clemson to overlook Cal in any way, shape, or form. The Tigers need to take care of business. More importantly, they need for their stars to shine brightly.
If Clemson gets notable performances out of these five players, the Tigers can improve to 3-1 (2-0).
Christian Bentancur needs to build on his rapport with Tait Reynolds
One of the best ways Clemson can come out of Berkeley with an ACC road victory is to be more dynamic in the passing game. While TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. are established stars at receiver, Tait Reynolds may need to lean into his growing rapport with Christian Bentancur even more so in this game. Bentancur was on the receiving end of Reynolds' first career touchdown pass last Saturday.
A tight end is often a new starting quarterback's safety valve. Even though Bentancur only has three catches from Reynolds over the last two weeks, they may need to microwave their chemistry a bit if they want to keep pace with Cal's offensive attack. Clemson may have to settle for a few more field goals while the offense tries to find its footing. However, this connection must blossom in real time.
Another big play or two out of Bentancur in the passing game could make all the difference on Friday.
Vic Burley needs to be dependable in area where Clemson is the weakest
There has never been a better time for Vic Burley to make his presence felt along the Clemson defensive line. After missing the first two games of the year due to an indefinite suspension, Burley returned last week to play a grand total of nine snaps for the Tigers. While he did come up with a clutch fumble recovery, Clemson needs him to be even more dependable when taking on Cal now.
This is because Clemson will be down another member of the defensive line rotation in Devarrick Woods. While his injury has not been disclosed, it is significant enough for Dabo Swinney to rule Woods out for the Week 4 game at Cal. With Oklahoma transfer Markus Strong already out for the season, Burley is left with no choice but to answer the bell. Clemson has to stop the run for once.
Burley must provide relief for Amare Adams, Andy Burburija, and Champ Thompson on Friday night.
Nolan Hauser will need to make a few clutch kicks to keep offense moving
Until Clemson's offense becomes far more refined under Chad Morris' direction, the Tigers will need to bank on the accurate and powerful right leg of Nolan Hauser. Although special teams are often overlooked in football, having a reliable kicker like Hauser will always keep a struggling offense in the game. As long as Clemson can come away with points on its possessions, it will be in decent shape.
Given that Hauser has not missed a 40-plus-yard field goal in over a calendar year, this does give Clemson a slight advantage in the kicking game. Again, the more points Clemson can get on a Reynolds-led drive, the better. Clemson needs to be more polished in its red-zone opportunities. However, three points are still better than zero. If this is a low-scoring game, that will favor Clemson.
As long as Hauser remains money on special teams, Clemson will never be out of any close game.
Will Heldt has to bring the pressure on Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele early
Through the first three weeks of the season, Will Heldt has arguably been Clemson's most productive player on the defensive side of the ball. The Purdue transfer has four sacks this season. He was named the ACC's Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week after his second two-sack performance. With Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele lining up opposite of him, Heldt better make him pay coming off the edge.
What has been great to watch from Heldt so far this season is that every one of his sacks has come in a crucial spot. They have been momentum shifters for this Clemson team. Even though the opposing offense will try to account for him moving forward, Heldt needs to take it upon himself to continue to wreak havoc in the backfield. Any way he can throw Sagapolutele off his game will benefit Clemson.
Heldt does not need two sacks of Sagapolutele to be effective on Friday night, but one wouldn't hurt.
Tait Reynolds must grow in his second game as Clemson's starting QB
The pressure is on Reynolds to kick his game up a notch. While he has looked better with each snap he has gotten in Morris' offense, Cal is a step up in competition from North Carolina, and so too will Miami in two weeks. While Reynolds has done a fine job of playing within himself, allowing the game to come to him, he will have to make a big play or two to keep Clemson in this tight conference matchup.
The good news is that in the first three games of the season, we have seen signs of something potentially special with Reynolds running the offense. Not only is he a fast learner, but the moment never feels too big for him. His ability to ad-lib and make something happen off-script is a trait that can't be taught. If he builds on what he has done so far, he may give Sagapolutele a run for his money.
If Reynolds plays with confidence, it will be a positive sign for the Clemson offense moving forward.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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