Three things to watch: FAU at Clemson
Clemson (1-1, 0-1 ACC) is looking to build on the positive momentum they built in last week's 66-17 win over Charleston Southern. This week, the Tigers will face a solid FAU squad led by former Houston and Texas head coach Tom Herman. As the Tigers and Owls do battle, here's what to watch for:
A fast start. The Tigers have struggled mightily in the first quarter. Clemson did score 14 in the first last week, but they also threw a pick-six and fumbled a handoff that set up an easy score for Charleston Southern. With Florida State on deck next week, the Tigers can't afford to dig any more holes to start a game.
Snaps for Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. After 3.0 tackles for loss against Charleston Southern, fans are clamoring for more of freshman defensive end T.J. Parker. The former top-50 recruit out of Phenix City, Alabama has shown flashes of being an elite playmaker. Meanwhile, on the interior fellow freshman Peter Woods continues to be the first guy off the bench for Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro. The No. 9 overall player in the 2023 class per ESPN, Woods looks like a force on the inside.
Looking ahead. How focused is this Clemson team? We've already seen teams like Georgia and Alabama struggle against teams they were supposed to handle. With Florida State coming to Clemson next week, it's easy to imagine that a significant amount of time this week was spent on prepping for the Seminoles. Will that present a challenge in terms of energy level for the team as they play FAU tonight?