Clemson Tigers Seek Bounce-Back vs. Appalachian State After Brutal Loss

The Clemson Tigers return home to take on the dangerous Appalachian State Mountaineers on Saturday.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney reacts on the sideline during the second half of the NCAA Aflac Kickoff Game against Georgia in Atlanta, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. / Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Clemson Tigers have to put their awful loss to the Georgia Bulldogs behind them as they prepare to take on a dangerous opponent in the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers (0-1) lost to the Bulldogs, 34-3, in Atlanta in a contest in which their offense gained just 188 yards and scored three points. In three of Clemson’s last four openers the offense has scored seven points or fewer, including seven points against Duke last year.

Clemson’s defense played well for a half, holding Georgia to just six points. But the Bulldogs overwhelmed them in the second half as the nation’s No. 1 team cruised to a victory.

It’s possible that when the next AP Top 25 comes out the Tigers — who were ranked No. 14 in the preseason — will be on the outside looking in. Their performance would appear to warrant that demotion.

Appalachian State (1-0) is one of the top teams in the Sun Belt Conference and has authored several upsets of power conference teams, the most notable being the Mountaineers’ upset of Michigan in 2007 when they were still an FCS team. Last year Appalachian State beat Texas A&M on the road, a win that helped seal the fate of then-coach Jimbo Fisher, who was let go at season’s end.

The Tigers need to win this game. The Mountaineers aren’t going to make it easy.

Here is a preview of Clemson and Appalachian State.

Clemson (0-1) vs. Appalachian State (1-0)

Memorial Stadium, Atlanta, Ga.

Time: 8 p.m., ET

TV: ACC Network

Radio: WCCP 105.5 FM (flagship)

Coaches: Clemson — Dabo Swinney (170-44 at Clemson and for his career); Appalachian State — Shawn Clark (36-18 at Appalachian State and for his career).

Fun fact: It’s just a 190-mile drive from Clemson, S.C. to Boone, N.C.. But the Tigers have never played a football game in Boone.

All-Times Series: Clemson leads series, 4-0.

Last meeting: Clemson def. Appalachian State, 41-10 (2015).

Series notes: Clemson and Appalachian State have played each other just four times, with the first meeting taking place in 1990. The Mountaineers have never scored more than 12 points against the Tigers in any of those games.

About Clemson: Bouncing back from the Georgia loss won’t be easy. Commentators and experts from all over the country took coach Dabo Swinney for a ride in the aftermath of the loss, citing his lack of use in the transfer portal and an offense that looked just as vanilla as it looked a year ago.

This week it’s all about cleaning up what hurt the Tigers against the Bulldogs. The defense was great in the first half but was unable to sustain tackling in the second. While the offensive line didn’t allow a sack, it didn’t help the Clemson offense drive the ball sustainably.

The Tigers appeared to avoid major injuries coming out of the game, with the most notable concern being Marcus Tate, who Swinney said was “banged up but OK.” As for Appalachian State, he said the Mountaineers have the Tigers’ “full attention.”

About Appalachian State: Clark has led the Mountaineers to a pair of Sun Belt Conference division titles and three bowl games in his tenure. He also led a fourth bowl outing in 2019 when Eli Drinkwitz left the job for Missouri. Clark has never had a losing season.

Appalachian State had little trouble with East Tennessee State, a solid FCS team that has made recent playoff appearance since resurrecting its program about a decade ago.

Balance is their calling card as a program. They can run the ball effectively, pass the ball downfield based on matchups and have a defense that bottles up the football and creates turnovers. The Mountaineers will not be intimidated by Death Valley.

Next Up: Clemson is idle next week as it prepares for the start of ACC play on Sept. 21. Appalachian State will travel to East Carolina on Sept. 14.