Biggest Keys for Clemson Tigers to Defeat The Citadel in Week 13

Here is how the Clemson Tigers can ensure they don't get upset

Oct 19, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney, center, welcomes fans during Tiger Walk prior to the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Memorial Stadium. / Alexander Hicks-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers are heading into Week 13 coming off a win against the Pittsburgh Panthers in their final regular season game in the ACC this season. 

It was a hard-fought win for the Tigers in Week 12, as despite coming in as a decent sized favorite, they narrowly escaped with a victory. In the win, Clemson received a big performance from their junior quarterback, Cade Klubnik. 

Klubnik was able to total 288 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and he ripped off a 50-yard touchdown run to help win the game for the Tigers. 

While the performance of the junior quarterback was good, Clemson also received a monster performance from edge rusher T.J. Parker, who totaled four sacks. 

It was a much-needed win for the Tigers to keep hope alive in the ACC, as they will now be scoreboard watching the SMU Mustangs and Miami Hurricanes. 

Despite Clemson not controlling their own destiny, the Tigers still have two games to go. In Week 13, they will have the easier matchup of the two against The Citadel. While this should be an easy game for the Tigers, they still have to show up and handle business. Here are the keys to the game for Clemson. 

Don’t Let Them Believe

Coming into the game as a big favorite, it will be important for the Tigers not to let The Citadel believe that they can compete in this game. One of the quickest ways to be upset as a big favorite is to let a team hang around to start the game and believe that they can compete. A slow start for Clemson could result in them pressing and that can always be an issue. 

Establish the Ground Game 

After really running the ball well in recent weeks, led by Phil Mafah, the running game was non-existent for the Tigers in Week 12. Despite having multiple 100-yard rushing games of late, the senior running back totaled 17 yards on 17 carries. The lack of a running game put a lot of pressure on Klubnik and the passing offense, and they were lucky to escape with a win. 

Avoid the Trap

Considering Clemson is coming off a close road win and has a rivalry game against a Top-25 school the following week, this is a prototypical trap game. While The Citadel might not be able to capitalize on a banged up Tigers team, anything can happen if Clemson overlooks them. While this should be an easy victory, it certainly falls underneath the guidelines of a trap game.