UNC Football: Keys To The Game: Clemson Tigers Edition
By Jordan Falls
As the UNC Football program prepares for the toughest challenge of the 2023 season, we take a look at this week’s keys to the game.
The UNC Football program heads to one of the toughest places to play in the country this weekend: Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. Since the last visit to Death Valley for the Tar Heels, the Tigers have played 65 total games. They are an astonishing 62-3 in that time frame.
Looking on the surface at Clemson’s 6-4 overall record and some of their early season struggles, most believed the Tigers had lost some of their eliteness across the college football landscape.
I’m here to tell you that is not the case. Clemson is a team that is much better than their record, has been in some close games, and even games that weren’t close, one or two plays could have changed the outcome.
In their season-opening, 28-7 loss to Duke, the Tigers missed two field goals, failed to attempt a 49-yard field goal at the end of the half, and fumbled twice inside the 10-yard line. In a 21-point loss, just scoring inside the 10-yard line would have made that a closer game.
Against Florida State, Clemson held a 24-17 lead and had possession in Seminole territory with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter. The Tigers had a chance to make it a two-possession game, but a fumble by quarterback Cade Klubnik was returned for a touchdown and got Florida State back in the game.
Even in their 28-20 loss at Miami, the Tigers had a chance to tie the game, but a poor play-call (or bad decision-making by Klubnik) didn’t allow for Clemson to tie the game at the end of the double-overtime.
You get the point, though, Clemson is a tough football team, and without miscues earlier in the season, could be one of the top teams in the country. The UNC Football program will have its hands full with the Tigers on Saturday, and we’re going to dive into our keys to the game.