Well, here we are. The long awaited clash of the titans is finally here, with UConn football traveling to Clemson in the game of the year. The Tigers have certainly had some struggles this year, but they are still Clemson and, well, we are still UConn. This begs the question: What will the game look like? Will the Huskies pull off the upset of the millennium, or will Clemson make history in the opposite fashion, putting up more points than any team in FBS history? The result will definitely be somewhere in between, but our team of writers have their takes:
Stratton Stave
stratton.stave@uconn.edu
he/him
Campus Correspondent
Clemson 69, UConn 10
As bad as the Clemson Tigers have been so far this season, they still stand as a very good football team. Additionally, UConn happens to be a very bad football team. Clemson’s prime concern for their team this year has been their inability to score points in the post-Trevor Lawrence era. When facing a Huskies defense that has more holes in it than swiss cheese, the Tigers will be anxious to score early and often, as they have been held back from doing so in most other games this year. Without (or even probably with) Tyler Phommachanh, the Huskies simply do not have the firepower to compete with the Tigers. Clemson will do a great job knocking UConn down early. The game will likely be over fast enough that UConn will face a long line of Clemson backups that will allow them to put some points up. This one will get ugly quickly.
Cole Stefan
cole.stefan@uconn.edu
he/him/his
Staff Writer
Clemson 36, UConn 33
I’ve got to be honest, if Trevor Lawrence was still on this team and/or Clemson was ranked, I would pick Clemson to not only drop 100+ points, but win by 51 (the margin by which UConn men’s basketball won by on Tuesday). Instead, the UConn football team gets to play a Clemson team that is not used to mediocrity nor are they used to being in close games from start to finish (barely beating Georgia Tech, i.e.). Would it be nice if Ty. Phommachanh played Ta. Phommachanh? Yes. Although the UConn defense is imperfect as Stratton mentioned, the Clemson offense is somehow weaker. Having observed other UConn football games so far, UConn will get a lead in the final two minutes of the game, but then the Tigers will march down the field to take the victory away from the Huskies. The perfect way to summarize how this game is going to go down is that it will be The Greatest Game (that’s sarcastic, obviously), especially with Dabo Swinney’s job on the line.
Evan Rodriguez
evan.2.rodriguez@uconn.edu
He/Him/His
Staff Writer
Clemson 49, UConn 7
I am definitely disappointed with no Phommachanh brotherly battle on Saturday. However, that’s not going to change what I’ve seen from UConn this past year, especially without TP12. This team has been utterly dismal and even with an underperforming Clemson team, I still believe they will do exactly as analysts predict and embarrass the Huskies. Steven Krajewski is competent, but he hasn’t impressed me enough to sway them to do the unthinkable and beat a Clemson team. I can easily envision Clemson coming into this game for the easy win and beating up on a poor UConn team that hasn’t seen action since October 22. The Huskies’ lone touchdown will most likely come when the Tigers inevitably put in their backup squad, who will give up a second-half score, possibly even on an insane catch from wide receiver Keelan Marion.
Jonathan Synott
jonathan.synott@uconn.edu
he/him/his
Associate Sports Editor
Clemson 35, UConn 38
Why not us, right? While not the likeliest of scenarios by any metric, Clemson isn’t the same perennial powerhouse of years past. They have already dropped games to No. 1 Georgia, No. 21 NC State and No. 25 Pittsburgh. They are still clearly a talented team but have shown cracks in their once sturdy foundation. Furthermore, this is the biggest game of the year for the Huskies, while also the easiest game in the history of the program for the Tigers. Clemson can easily walk into this one with their guards down, allowing UConn to pounce. The Huskies have nothing to lose in this one, as they are projected to lose by 40 points. How awesome would it be to be the only program in college football to be undefeated against both Notre Dame and Clemson (and South Carolina!)
