"They’d be fighting to get double-digit wins": Aaron Murray predicts a tough road ahead for Clemson Tigers after humiliation against Duke Blue Devils
The Clemson Tigers suffered the biggest upset loss of Week 1 as they were defeated 28-7 by the Duke Blue Devils. Clemson was unable to protect the ball or put points on the board consistently.
After the embarrassing loss, college football analyst Aaron Murray predicted that the Tigers could have a challenging season ahead.
Speaking on "The Volume," Murray discussed how Clemson got rid of both starting quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter. Murray applauded coach Dabo Swinney for making changes to improve an offense that ranked just 72nd out of 131 teams in the nation in scoring last season.
"I do applaud Dabo for making some changes; some things had to be made, but there's issues at two major spots that I've been trying to harp on for Clemson fans all offseason," Murray said.
"You don't have an extremely talented quarterback; still very green. And you don’t have playmakers on the outside right now; two things that we're just not accustomed to seeing at Clemson."
The No. 9 Clemson Tigers could only score seven points against the unranked Blue Devils. Murray pointed out some of the frailties in the Tigers' offense and believes it could lead to them "fighting" to get enough wins in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season.
"The lack of explosive plays down the field in the passing game. You're hoping Garrett Riley would solve that. They're a long way from that right now. Florida State, by far, the premier team in the ACC. Clemson, you're going to be fighting to get double-digit wins this year."
The Clemson Tigers entered Monday night's game as heavy favorites, however, their offense struggled tremendously and was exposed by the Blue Devils' defense. While they will have two tune-up games to get back on the right track, their matchup with the No.4-ranked Florida State Seminoles is less than three weeks away.
Will the Clemson Tigers bounce back from season-opening loss?
The Clemson Tigers have arguably the toughest schedule of the teams expected to compete for the ACC championship. Their early season struggles are not encouraging, particularly for a team aspiring to reach the College Football Playoff.
Clemson will likely need to win out to do so, as no two-loss team has reached the postseason. In addition to their matchup with the No.4-ranked Florida State Seminoles, the Tigers will also face the No.10-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and No.17-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels.
Clemson, who dropped from ninth to 25th in the nation in the latest AP Poll, will need to figure out its offensive woes. The Tigers will host the Charleston Southern Buccaneers this weekend as they look to turn things around.