4 quick things I learned from Auburn vs. Clemson

Defensive lines like Clemson’s just don’t exist in the Big 12.

Hurricane Irma forced my evacuation from my home in Fort Myers, Fla. so I watched the Auburn at Clemson game from Orlando. Here’s what I saw as Clemson won, 14-6.

1. Clemson’s defensive front is great, and Jarrett Stidham isn’t used to being hit.

Auburn QB Stidham has a lot of arm talent, but I was anxious to see how the Baylor transfer would handle pressure from elite defensive linemen who simply do not often play in the Big 12. Clemson has those defensive linemen in spades, with Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Austin Bryant, and others. It could be the best defensive line in the nation.

Stidham was harassed for much of the night, which was not surprising. But I was surprised by just how out of place he looked. It was as if he expected to have all day to throw the ball like he did playing in the Big 12. That was not the case. Clemson sacked him 11 times.

Stidham did not slide well in the pocket, appeared to be looking at the rush, and despite lacking the internal clock, did not step up much to deliver the ball.

And it was similar in the first and second halves. Stidham was 6-of-11 for 39 yards in the first half, 7-for-13 for 40 yards in the second half. While the broadcasters spoke about Auburn throwing effectively on first down, when Clemson would be focused on the run, that didn’t actually happen very often. His first-down passes went for -1, 9, 6, and 5 yards, plus 3 incompletions.

Clemson also did not seem to respect Stidham as a run threat, which, to some extent, hurt Auburn’s running game. In pass protection, Auburn’s line was often beaten, and rarely helped out by short, quick throws.

2. Auburn blew major opportunities in the first 16 minutes.

On two separate drives, Auburn had first down from Clemson’s 2- and 11 -yard lines, all within the first 16 minutes of the game, and came away with just six points. This came with a 89-6 yardage edge at the time.

On the first drive, Auburn repeatedly failed to reach the second level and block the Clemson linebackers in the goal-to-go situations. Then Auburn failed to get lined up properly, and had delay of game on fourth-and-goal, prompting a field goal attempt. Clemson did a fine job defending a sugar huddle into an unbalanced look, as CU got lined up quickly.

On the second goal-to-go situation, Stidham did not see an open receiver on second or third down, and Auburn had to settle for another field goal.

3. Auburn did not respect Kelly Bryant as a passer.

Auburn played a lot of men in the box on a consistent basis, daring Clemson QB Kelly Bryant to win with his arm, as opposed to his legs.

The strategy had strong results. Kelly Bryant went 19-for-29 for 181 yards, just 6.2 yard per attempt. His receivers bailed him out on some less than stellar throws, but he also made some good ones that put his receivers in a good position to win 50/50 balls.

Bryant was good as a runner, with 16 non-sack carries for 80-plus yards, including several first downs. Clemson’s running backs combined for 40 yards on 17 carries, which could be a storyline to watch going forward.

It was a smart game plan by Auburn, and it worked. Holding an opponent to those numbers should normally put a team in position to win in modern college football, but Auburn’s offense was so poor, it could not take advantage.

4. Clemson cashed in its best first-half chance with a neat wrinkle.

Out of a timeout, Clemson had a cool wrinkle for a touchdown.

Let’s go to Twitter for an explanation.

Clemson runs inverted veer a lot, so it’s logical that Auburn would expect the play. Both of Auburn’s outside linebackers pursue the running back, and the offensive line has plenty of time to pull around and secure their blocks. It gave Clemson a 7-6 halftime lead.