Clemson football hosted Auburn on Saturday night and pulled out a big victory. Now it’s time to overreact.
In a major Week 2 battle, Clemson football took care of business against the Auburn Tigers and it really wasn’t a high-scoring affair like people were expecting as both defenses showed championship-caliber grit and toughness.
The Tiger-on-Tiger matchup was one of the most hotly-contested of the second week of play and the game ended in a 14-6 squeaker in favor of Clemson. The reigning national champs pulled out a big-time victory over a top SEC contender, the Tigers’ second win over an SEC foe in the last three games, including the national title.
Clemson once again proved why it might just be the best team in the country and a serious threat to repeat as national champion. Dabo Swinney has one talented team on his hands despite losing key players in the offseason.
Let’s take a look at five of the biggest overreactions from Clemson’s victory over Auburn.
5. Run game is hopeless
You know things are bad when your quarterback averages 3.1 yards per carry and still leads the team in rushing. It wasn’t the best showing from the Tigers’ run game on Saturday night, but the defensive battle took center stage for both sides.
Kelly Bryant recorded the Tigers’ only two touchdowns of the game on runs and the rest of the backfield remained silent. How quiet were they? Adam Choice, Tavien Feaster and C.J. Fuller had 14 combined carries for 41 yards. It wasn’t pretty, but the Tigers found a way to win.
Fans’ immediate reactions to the run game were, “Clemson can’t run the ball. They’re doomed.”
Not so fast. Sure, the Tigers’ lack of production on the ground was concerning, but it’s one game. Against Kent State, the run game was the strength as it pounded out 353 rushing yards. It was a poor showing from Choice and Feaster, but this group will bounce back.