After suffering a 34-3 loss to Georgia last weekend, Clemson faces another big test in week two against Appalachian State. For Clemson, this will not be an easy bounce-back game just because it is a non-power conference opponent. App State is one of the best Group of Five programs in the FBS.
Even when they were an FCS program, the Mountaineers were not a team anyone could take lightly when they appeared on the schedule. Dabo Swinney must make sure his squad puts last week behind them and is solely focused on the team from Boone, North Carolina. If not, the Tigers will end up next on the Mountaineers’ upset list.
The Upset Kings
Appalachian State is no stranger to competing against high-level power conference teams. They have made their name famous in the college football world by pulling off some of the biggest upsets in the sport. The biggest one was in the 2007 season before the Mountaineers transitioned to the FBS. In an early September game, App State upset fifth-ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor. It was the first time an FCS program defeated a ranked FBS team.
This is not the only time this program has pulled a big upset though. In the 2019 season just five years into their FBS tenure, the Mountaineers beat both power conference opponents on their schedule. These teams were North Carolina and South Carolina. They even came close to defeating the Tar Heels again while they were ranked 17th in the nation, just last season. The Mountaineers lost that one in double overtime 34-40.
The latest upset that App State has pulled off was in 2022 when they defeated the sixth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies. Every one of these upsets occurred on the road. This is not just about a program being hyped up to be in the spotlight either. Appalachian State football is a strong program with a winning tradition. This was especially true through the 2000’s with the Mountaineers winning three straight FCS National Championships.
App State Currently
App State currently plays in the FBS in the Sun Belt Conference. Since joining the Sun Belt, the Mountaineers continued their winning ways with four conference championship wins. They all came consecutively winning in the 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons. Even when not winning the championship, App State is typically in contention for the top prize in the conference every season. The last appearance for the Mountaineers in the Sun Belt championship game was just last season after going 9-5 overall and 6-2 in the conference. They lost the game to Troy 23-49.
After losing the conference championship game, App State was invited to the Cure Bowl where they defeated Miami (OH) 13-9. This brought the Mountaineers FBS bowl game record to 7-1. This gives them the highest bowl-winning percentage in the FBS. Coming into the game against Clemson they are 1-0 after defeating East Tennessee State 38-10.
Defense is Key
If Clemson is going to hold off the upset, the defense has to play lights out. The most important thing is going to be finding ways to get pressure on quarterback Joey Aguilar. Making things difficult for him to get going is key. It is not going to be an easy task, as Aguilar is the Sun Belt preseason Offensive Player of the Year for a reason.
In 2023 Aguilar set six school records. The categories include passing yards, passing touchdowns, yards of total offense, 200-yard passing games, pass completions, and pass attempts. He finished the 2023 season completing 293 of 460 passes for 3,757 yards and 33 touchdowns. Aguilar continued his great play in week one against East Tennessee State completing 22 of 36 passes for 326 yards, two passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns.
The Clemson defensive front has to find ways to get pressure on the senior quarterback. One way is getting TJ Parker and Peter Woods in one-on-one matchups on the outside they can dominate. Another is mixing in some pressures with the linebackers blitzing inside and outside. Whatever gets it done, the Tigers can’t allow Aguilar to get hot at any point.
Building Momentum on Offense
On the other side of the ball, the Tiers have to find something on offense as soon as possible. A great way to do this is by relying on Phil Mafah and the run game more. In the long run, this could help with taking more pressure off of Cade Klubnik as he continues to find his rhythm.
Looking at this game in particular though, the Mountaineers’ defense struggled against the run in week one especially early in the game. When East Tennessee leaned on its run game, it moved the ball well. The East Tennessee offense just struggled to finish drives. The App State defense gave up 183 rushing yards against East Tennessee.
Letting Mafah take over the game might be the best way for this offense to start building some momentum. A good day against a tough App State program is a confidence builder this offense, and the team as a whole needs right now.
