Written By: Evan Perkins
An intriguing college football matchup is approaching soon between the Appalachian State Mountaineers (1-0) and the 25th-ranked Clemson Tigers (0-1), as the Tigers aim to get a win at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. The battle begins on Saturday, September 7 at 8:00 PM ET, where the Tigers will test their point spread of -17.5 (-110).
The Mountaineers looked great for their season opener. They took care of business against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers 38-10 in what was a respectable matchup in the first half (17-7). Still, they steadily became out of reach as the Mountaineers poured on points and eventually added 14 points in the fourth.
Joey Aguilar could be more accurate in this upcoming matchup, as he completed 22 out of 36 passes in their recent win. While he had 326 yards and two touchdowns, Kaedin Robinson stood out with eight receptions for 103 yards.
The Mountaineers compiled 500 yards and 22 first downs in their 28 minutes of possession. They allowed 305 yards and 15 first downs, which cannot happen against the Tigers.
Their offense still has room for improvement, especially at quarterback, where they need to complete necessary passes. On defense, they must slow down the running game to prevent the Tigers from moving the chains.
The Tigers suffered a tough loss against the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs 34-3. While this is still a loss, you could argue that it could have been worse if any other team had been defending, and the score could have been run up.
The first half ended 6-0 in favor of the Bulldogs, but that quickly fell apart as the Bulldogs added 14 points each quarter in the second half. Cade Klubnik had a solid game, completing 18 of 29 passes and 142 yards, but also had an interception.
Antonio Williams will be a threat to the Mountaineers if he can make plays. His recent game showed he had six receptions for 76 yards. Phil Mafah will also need to be aggressive running, as he had 16 carries for 59 yards.
The Tigers got a wake-up call against the best team in the nation. If they can recover quickly from their mistakes, they can use their matchup against the Mountaineers to set the tone for the rest of the season.
The Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Clemson Tigers showdown has excellent college football betting opportunities, so check out MyBookie for the best odds. They currently have the Tigers as 17.5-point favorites.
Market insights suggest the Tigers have an 81.6 percent chance of winning. As for the spread, the trends show that the Tigers should have enough firepower on the offensive end to cover the spread.
