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Clemson Football: 5 keys for successful 2019 season

By Briley Hughes

CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 03: The Clemson Tigers celebrate after defeating the Virginia Tech Hokies to win the ACC Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 3, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - DECEMBER 03: The Clemson Tigers celebrate after defeating the Virginia Tech Hokies to win the ACC Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 3, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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CLEMSON, SC – NOVEMBER 03: The Clemson Tigers run onto the field prior to their game against the Louisville Cardinals at Clemson Memorial Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SC – NOVEMBER 03: The Clemson Tigers run onto the field prior to their game against the Louisville Cardinals at Clemson Memorial Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

4. Dominating August, September

The Tigers will receive their toughest tests early in the season. After opening at home against Georgia Tech who has a new and unfamiliar coach and system, Clemson welcomes Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M to Death Valley for a rematch of one of the most thrilling games of the 2018 regular season. This will be Trevor Lawrence’s first crack at the Aggies as the now-transferred Kelly Bryant led the Tigers to victory against the SEC West foe last season.

If they survive unscathed in the first two weeks – as they should – the Tigers might be tempted to rest and take the next opponent lightly. But by now, Dabo Swinney and company should know never to take the Syracuse Orange anything but seriously. Before giving every Clemson fan a heart attack during their match in 2018, Syracuse handed Clemson their only loss over the last two regular seasons by smacking the Tigers around in the Carrier Dome to the tune of a 27-24 victory in 2017.

At least this time around they won’t be playing on Friday the 13th.

Following their trip to New York, the Tigers have two more home games against opponents of different stature. The first is Charlotte. North Carolina, their second opponent, should be a bit more intriguing.

With Mack Brown roaming their sidelines, North Carolina figures to be a better team than in recent years. That’s not to say that Clemson won’t be more than capable of handling the Tar Heels, but more interest will be given to the game with the return of the legendary Brown.

With the toughest stretch of the 2019 season standing in the first few weeks, the Tigers need to come out of the gates fast.

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