Entering the year, the Clemson Tigers were a top-three pick to win the national championship alongside the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns. Through two weeks, it’s fair to say they’ve kicked off the season well below expectations.
Clemson Football Struggles in Win Over Troy, Defense and Offense Show Major Flaws
In the Week 1 loss to the LSU Tigers (17-10), Clemson was simply outplayed, albeit by small margins, at nearly every level. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier had a command of his offense and made plays when he needed to, whereas Clemson QB Cade Klubnik was clearly frantic at times (ranked sixth in pressured EPA last year but ranked 82nd against LSU).
Dabo Swinney’s squad was mauled at the line of scrimmage on both sides (20 carries for 31 yards on offense; allowed 108 yards on the ground and recorded just one sack on defense), showing a clear lack of strength needed to win games into December and January.
Still, it was Week 1 against a top-tier SEC contender. We can write that off as a difficult loss that they can learn from and use as fuel for the rest of the year.
But what happened against the Troy Trojans in Week 2? That’s a real cause for concern.
The Tigers continued to struggle to establish the run, with RB Adam Randall averaging just 4.0 yards per carry until a final breakout carry late in the fourth.
Additionally, Klubnik was pressured far more than he’d like (or expected) against Troy, with one of such pressured plays resulting in a tipped pick-six just outside of his own goal line.
Troy PICK SIX😳
The Trojans lead No. 8 Clemson
(via ESPN) pic.twitter.com/RSQ3RkZ2Rm
— On3 (@On3sports) September 6, 2025
The result was Clemson entering halftime down 16-3 at home against a team that defeated FCS-level Nicholls State 38-20 a week ago. To add insult to injury, the Tigers paid Troy $1.5 million to play them in Death Valley.
Yes, the eighth-ranked Tigers eventually roared back with a 17-0 third quarter, but it was on the back of Troy faltering rather than them dominating. Trojans QB Goose Crowder threw two picks in the third quarter, both of which came on dropped/deflected passes.
In fact, one came on a ball that seemingly bounced off a player’s posterior, and the other came on a dropped pass that could’ve gone for 20 yards the other way. There were also several missed assignments and blow plays by Troy on both sides of the ball.
Now, credit where it’s due: Clemson took advantage of the errors and scored points. But even then, the final score was 27-16, with the Tigers entering the contest as 30-point favorites.
KEEP READING: Which College Football Teams Remain Undefeated Through Week 2?
Klubnik completed 18 of 24 passes for just 196 yards, two TDs, and one pick, with a late fourth-quarter, 35-yard heave to Bryant Wesco Jr. against Cover 0, making up a significant amount of his production.
Perhaps more embarrassing was the fact that Clemson’s defense celebrated the early second-half turnovers as if they stopped the Buckeyes in the natty. Can they turn it around down the stretch? Sure. But the tape exposes their holes up front, and more talented teams should have no issue replicating Troy’s success for four quarters.
