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ACC QUESTION of the WEEK : What are the three biggest keys to Clemson beating Alabama?
Game keys — we all know on a very general level what the biggest keys are to victory, but let’s assume all the obvious items such as committing fewer turnovers or being better in the red zone. The real keys pertain to the details which will enable Clemson to beat Alabama.
Here they are:
1 — TACKLE ALABAMA’S RECEIVERS IN SPACE.
You can bet that Alabama, in order to counter the power of Clemson’s defensive line, will use a quick passing game early in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The Crimson Tide will use plenty of quick hitches and short flat passes. Very simply, Clemson cornerbacks and linebackers will need to consistently make tackles in space to constantly limit those passes to four- or five-yard gains. If a lot of those passes become 15- or 20-yard gains, or if even two of them turn into 75-yard touchdowns, the Tigers will be in trouble. However, if they DO regularly make those tackles, Tua Tagovailoa will have to throw more passes, which means Clemson’s pass rush will get more chances to hit him and potentially rattle him.
Making those tackles will have a cumulative effect. It will set the tone for the rest of this battle.
2 — VALUE-ADDED PLAYS
What do I mean here? This is what I mean when I refer to “value-added plays”: Don’t just intercept a pass — return it all the way or close to all the way. The difference between starting at midfield and starting at the Alabama 15 could be considerable. It would relieve pressure from Trevor Lawrence against a defense which — while not better than Notre Dame’s — is not much worse, if at all.
Field a punt on the first bounce instead of allowing it to bounce and then roll 25 yards.
Take shots downfield with the passing game on 2nd and 1 instead of being content to chew clock. You might not even hit the deep shot, but you send a message to Alabama that you’re coming, and you give the Tide more chances to make mistakes.
Maximize situations. Clemson has a smaller margin for error; this is what can turn the Tide, pun not intended.
3 — EAT WITH ETIENNE
Travis Etienne was contained for the first 40 minutes of the Cotton Bowl by Notre Dame. When he finally busted loose for a 62-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, the competitive phase of the game had already ended. Clemson led 23-3 before Etienne’s big burst.
Against Alabama — whose defenders had a hard time tackling Oklahoma ballcarriers in the Orange Bowl — Etienne needs to feast. He has to figure prominently in the game plan, and using him in the screen game could give Trevor Lawrence the safety-valve-style passes which could enable the young quarterback to ease his way into the game. Anyone on the Clemson roster who wasn’t especially imposing against Notre Dame needs to come back in a big way against Bama. Etienne tops the list in this regard for the Tigers.
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