CLEMSON SURVIVES ROYAL SCARE

CLEMSON — Days earlier, Dabo Swinney asked the media to start writing that Clemson sucks.

For so long in the first half Saturday, most everyone in the stadium was thinking it.

And saying it.

And yelling it.

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It’s been a positively surreal first two weeks of 2025 for a Tigers team that was supposed to be fit to play for championships.

Maybe you told yourself after the opening gut punch against LSU that the Bayou Bengals were just that good.

Maybe you told yourself that at least Tom Allen had restored the edge to a defense that was so soft so often last season.

Those optimistic notions were nowhere to be found in the first half Saturday. 

A lightning delay of an hour-and-a-half gave fans time to rage over a lot of sleepwalking that took place over the first five minutes with Troy taking a 7-0 lead.

And then when the teams returned, whatever the head coach told his team in the locker room during the extended break didn’t seem to be working.

Down 16-0 at home to a Sun Belt team.

What in the world.

Three points in a half against a team that was down two scores to Nicholls State a week earlier.

What in the hell.

Worse was the standard for a long stretch against Troy. 

Credit to Clemson for summoning whatever it took at halftime to gather its bearings — and its blocking.

A 31-yard rushing output against LSU was embarrassing, and so was the mistake of ignoring Adam Randall after his first carry of the second half a week ago.

This was supposed to be the opportunity for the offensive line and running game to establish some cohesion and confidence, and to flex its muscles.

Supposed to be.

Seventeen rushing yards in the first half against Troy sent a stronger message that something just isn’t right with the blocking.

Yes, left tackle Tristan Leigh was out with an ankle injury. But this offensive line was supposed to have depth and flexibility. It was supposed to be the best offensive line in years around these parts.

Still a long way to go on that front, even after the blocking looked better in the second half as Randall showed everyone what the excitement was about in camp.

It used to be that a team had to come in and play great to leave with a prized victory in Death Valley.

A week after LSU didn’t play its best, and according to Swinney poorly enough to earn a grade of only a 65, Troy might’ve earned a C at best and still managed to give Clemson a royal scare.

Yikes.

The Trojans piled up 10 penalties for 97 yards, including several for unsportsmanlike conduct and two for targeting.

They missed open receivers, missed an extra point and missed a field goal.

And yet Clemson fans spent halftime legitimately and sincerely preparing themselves for another home loss … to Troy.

Swinney said the honeymoon would be over for new defensive coordinator Tom Allen if LSU put up a bunch of points.

Brian Kelly’s team only put up 17, and Swinney was happy.

The regular lapses by Allen’s defense in his second game are going to make the head coach … well less than happy.

The Trojans moved the ball regularly, and they were even able to consistently move the chains after being well behind them because of their own mistakes and penalties.

On Troy’s first possession, the Trojans motioned out their speedy running back to get a man-to-man matchup on linebacker Jamal Andrerson.

Double-move. Touchdown of 44 yards.

It was simply too easy, far too often for Troy against this defense.

So, a lot of work to do on that side of the ball as well.

Clemson ended up with just one more first down than Troy, 17-16.

The Tigers out-gained the Trojans, but barely (316-301).

And it wasn’t until inside of three minutes left in the game when Clemson finally went ahead in total yardage, on a third-and-short run by Randall.

Clemson now goes to Georgia Tech, which is capable of exposing all the weaknesses on display Saturday.

Most Tigers fans spent the week trying to recover from the LSU loss, and thinking about that trip to Atlanta.

Looked like most of the players did, too.

And the coaches, for that matter.

Two weeks in, this team is a bit of a mess.

There’s no way around it, just like there was no way around that long lightning delay earlier in the afternoon.

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This team was supposed to contend for championship belts.

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Hard to do when you’re fighting like mad to get back in a game against someone from the Sun Belt.

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