Clemson Tigers vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers Offensive Players to Watch

Here are three offensive players to watch for the Clemson Tigers and the Appalachian State Mountaineers before Saturday’s game.

Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams(0) talks with media after Clemson football practice at Jervey Meadows in Clemson, S.C. Wednesday August 7, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Clemson Tigers are still nationally ranked as they head into their first home game and first night game at Memorial Stadium when they face Appalachian State on Saturday.

The Tigers (0-1), coming off their season-opening drubbing at the hands of No. 1 Georgia, 34-3,  managed to hang in the AP Top 25 at No. 25. But another loss is sure to bounce them out.

Clemson has benefited from some early chaos in the ACC, as Florida State has already lost two league games.

Head coach Dabo Swinney has preached since the loss to the Bulldogs that they haven’t lost anything more than a game, and he’s right — the ACC title is still a real possibility for the Tigers.

Appalachian State is coming off a 38-10 win over East Tennessee State. The Mountaineers were in the lead from the start, as they scored on their first pass of the game and never looked back.

App State is tied for fifth nationally with 35 road wins since 2014, and Clemson is tied for third nationally with 37 home wins in the same span of time.

It’s one of those games where if both teams do what they’re best at, it could be a fantastic contest to end the evening, as game time is set for 8 p.m. ET.

Here are three offensive players to watch for each team going into Saturday’s contest.

Clemson

RB Phil Mafah

Mafah carried the load against Georgia on Saturday, as he gained 59 yards on 16 carries. This will not be a game where the Tigers will try and use other running backs in an effort to get them experience. Appalachian State is a worthy opponent and Clemson will have to lean hard on their experienced running back to secure the victory.

He gained nearly 1,000 yards last year in a timeshare with Will Shipley. He also scored 13 touchdowns. So while he's used to sharing time in the backfield, he's proven he can carry the load. Clemson will need every bit of that against the Mountaineers.

WR Antonio Williams

A lot of talk this week has been devoted to getting more receivers involved in the offense.

Clearly the Tigers need more options to ensure the passing game clicks. But Williams proved once again that the Tigers can lean on him in big games. He caught six passes for 76 yards to lead Clemson against Georgia, and there's a good chance he could have another big game against Appalachian State.

He entered 2024 with 828 yards receiving and six touchdowns on 78 receptions in 19 games, 14 of which were starts. He was also a freshman All-America selection in 2022. Under the right circumstances, this could be a breakout year nationally for Williams.

QB Cade Klubnik

Swinney spent the week expressing his faith in his third-year quarterback, saying the only poor play that Klubnik made was on his first offensive play of the game when he threw a ball into the dirt where an open receiver could have gone for a big play.

To Swinney, it set the tone for the entire game. Klubnik never quite recovered, as he threw for 142 yards but still completed 62 percent of his passes.

Now he and the Tigers face a Mountaineers team with a well-known reputation for upsetting power conference teams. He has to mentally dust himself off and get back in the game. Schematically, Klubnik needs early plays that get him confidence, and that’s up to offensive coordinator Garrett Riley.

Appalachian State

QB Joey Aguilar

Aguilar is going to be an entirely different quarterback for the Tigers to defend. He is the nation’s only returning FBS quarterback who had 33-plus touchdown passes and 3,700-plus passing yards in 2023. He took over the job last year and he picked up right where he left off in the opener against ETSU, as he tossed a touchdown pass on his first pass attempt of the game.

Against the Bucs he finished with 326 yards passing, two touchdown throws and two rushing touchdowns. He’s versatile and tough to slow down.

RB Kanye Roberts

Roberts and his teammate Anderson Castle each had nine carries in the season opener against ETSU. Roberts came out with 35 rushing yards, which led players with more than one carry in the game. But don’t let the balance fool you — Roberts is the back to watch in a tight game.

The All-Sun Belt honorable mention was Appalachian State’s leading rusher in conference play and was second on the team with 696 rushing yards on 123 attempts with a team-high seven rushing touchdowns.

WR Kaedin Robinson

Robinson did not score a touchdown in the opener, but he was the clear leader on the field for the Mountaineers, as he had a team-high eight receptions and 103 yards. The touchdowns will come, but he has solid complementary receivers opposite him in Christian Horn and Eli Wilson.

He tied for the Sun Belt lead last season with 10 touchdowns receptions and caught 67 passes for 905 yards. He was selected an All-Sun Belt performer by PFN (second team) and the Sun Belt. Clemson’s defense can’t lose track of 6-foot-2 redshirt senior.