No. 25 Clemson looks to move past critics, get in win column against tricky foe Appalachian State

Updated Sep. 5, 2024 6:10 a.m. ET

Associated Press

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Amid the upset and angst, the critical voices and demands for change, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he focuses on one thing — getting the 25th-ranked Tigers to rise to their potential.

That starts this week against Appalachian State on Saturday night.

It has been an uncomfortable week for Swinney and the Tigers after they got rolled in the second half of a 34-3 opening loss to top-ranked Georgia. It was Clemson's worst regular-season defeat since falling at home to Florida State and Jameis Winston, 51-14, in 2013.

"I know there’s a lot of frustration and disappointment, and nobody feels that more than us,” Swinney said. “But I think we’ve got a great season ahead.”

Swinney knows Clemson (0-1) can't sleep on Appalachian State (1-0) or their chances at the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff are over. Appalachian State has had a AP Top 25 win each of the past three seasons, defeating No. 18 James Madison last year, winning at No. 6 Texas A&M in 2022 and topping No. 21 Coastal Carolina in 2021.

“This is what they do,” Swinney said. “This is what's woven into the DNA of App State.”

Championship success has been woven into Clemson for a solid stretch of Swinney's 17 seasons. The Tigers won seven Atlantic Coast Conference titles and two national championships from 2015-2022.

But the Tigers finished 9-4 last season, their most losses in a season since Swinney's second full season in 2010 (6-7). He has faced continuous criticism about his disinterest in landing transfers to bolster his roster. He had also hoped a good showing against the Bulldogs, seeking their third national title in four seasons, would jumpstart a special season.

Instead, he will try to find a way forward for the Tigers after the Georgia defeat.

“Sometimes you get your butt kicked like we did,” he said. “But we've got to move on, we've got to learn form it.”

App State CFP hopes

Appalachian State has CFP hopes, too. The Sun Belt Conference favorites are looking for a stellar season to grab the Group of Five berth in the 12-team field. A win at Clemson would certainly get them attention.

The Mountaineers have split their past six games with Power Four opponents, beating Texas A&M, South Carolina and North Carolina since 2019. Coach Shawn Clark wants his team to keep its mindset from a 38-10 opening victory over East Tennessee.

“This game is not going to be any bigger than the ETSU game,” Clark said. “We have a job at hand.”

Getting Mafah started

It was a big moment in the offseason when leading rusher Phil Mafah passed on the pros to come back to Clemson. Yet, the 230-pound Mafah struggled to get going in the opening loss to Georgia with 59 yards on 16 attempts. Mafah has to be a focal point this week if Clemson is going to pick up its first win of the season.

Watch out for Aguilar

If Appalachian State has a standout year, count on quarterback Joey Aguilar to have a big hand in it. Aguilar, a senior from California, set single-season school records in passing yards (3,757), offensive yards (4,002) and touchdowns (13) last season.

He was voted Sun Belt offensive player of the year in the preseason and started strongly in the 38-10 win over East Tennessee last week, throwing for 326 yards with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.

Moore, Wesco to see more action

Two of Clemson's most anticipated freshmen players in receivers T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco are likely to get more action this week than in their college debuts against Georgia.

Moore is a five-star wideout from Florida who was thrown to just once after having a strong camp. Wesco, a four-star player, also caught a pass against the Bulldogs. One or both need to have an impact this season.

“You'll continue to see those guys stepping up, getting more opportunities,” Swinney said.

Closing in on Bowden

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is three victories away from catching the late Bobby Bowden for most ACC wins. Bowden earned 173 victories for the Seminoles during their time in the ACC. Swinney became the Tigers' all-time winningest coach last season, surpassing the late Frank Howard.

—-

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football