The Clemson Tigers are battling the Wake Forest Deamon Deacons at Memorial Stadium this afternoon. At the half, the Tigers lead the Deamon Deacons 7-3. The Clemson offense has struggled mightily, while the defense has come up clutch time and again for Clemson. Not much in the first half for Clemson was good, save for having the lead, and this game has been much closer than it needs to be. Here are five first half reactions on what we have seen through the first two quarters of today’s pivotal ACC contest.
Fumbled chance
Once again, the same song gets played. Clemson fumbles away a handoff on an RPO play. Again, the miscue came as quarterback Cade Klubnik attempted to give the ball to Will Shipley in the first quarter. Even more disastrous, it gave Wake Forest a first and goal at the Clemson nine-yard line. Thankfully, the Tigers’ defense came up with a huge goal line stand to keep the game scoreless for that moment. Depending on what happens the rest of the way, that effort with their backs to the wall could prove critical. All else aside, it is getting rather old seeing the same miscommunication on the same play. It needs to be fixed, and fast.
Running game still struggling
To ride the coattails of the first reaction to the first half, Clemson is still having trouble running the football against lesser defensive front sevens. There is still no push up front from the offensive line, and Shipley and Phil Mafah are having to fight for what few yards they have been able to scrounge up. The Tigers’ longest run of the half is seven yards by Klubnik. As a team, Clemson has just 40 rushing yards. That is never going to cut it against anyone, but especially against a Wake team that nobody considers to be a defensive juggernaut.
Where is the Klubnik from the FSU and Syracuse games?
Cade Klubnik looked as if he took a big step forward in his progression as QB1 in the past two games against Florida State and Syracuse. In those contests, the sophomore signal caller was calm, cool, and decisive more often than not and remained patient which allowed him to slow the game down and make accurate throws. During the first half today, it looks as if Cade has regressed once more. At times Klubnik has held onto the ball too long, panicked and ran from the pocket, or has simple over or undershot wide open receivers. For Clemson to succeed offensively, Klubnik has to be on point. While he has played better in the second quarter, the Tigers will need a lot more out of him in the second half.
Tyler Brown has looked like a true freshman
True freshman wide receiver Tyler Brown has been the talk of the Clemson football world in recent weeks. His emergence as a true game-breaking threat in the receiving game has been cause for great excitement. Today, however, Brown has given several reminders that he is still a freshman playing on the biggest stage. Brown has been unable to gain the same separation he was able to achieve in recent weeks, and when back to receive a Wake Forest punt, he allowed a very returnable kick to bounce three times before trying to initiate a return from the five-yard line. It put the Tigers in awful field position and was a preventable mistake. Brown then muffed away another punt with 1:57 to play in the half, giving Wake the ball at the Tigers’ 31-yard line. Thankfully, the defense stood tall again and forced a missed field goal as time expired in the first half. It happens, and nobody should be worried about Tyler Brown. Expect him to have a big second half.
The Clemson defense is scary good
Wake Forest had a field day against the Clemson defense in 2022. Here today it feels more like a prison march. The Tigers’ front seven is eating the Deamon Deacon’s offense alive, and while the mesh rushing attack has yielded some moderate first down runs, Wake Forest has been held mostly in check. The defense has been thrust into some unfortunate positions thanks to a pair of Clemson turnovers, but each time they have answered the bell and held Wake Forest out of the endzone. That Clemson is winning this game at the half is a testament to how good that unit it. If Clemson can get the offense going in the second half, this game should become out of reach soon thereafter.
