Clemson’s fan base is split between the people who still live off the glow of the two national titles and the group that wants to see sharper week-to-week progress, but Michael Ray Serber doesn’t see the program on the brink. Dabo Swinney, he said, is not going anywhere unless “the wheels totally fall off this thing.” Even with the noise, Serber pointed out that Clemson’s version of a rough patch is being 2-1 this season and sitting 16 games removed from an ACC championship and College Football Playoff appearance.
That doesn’t mean he sees a playoff run coming out of this team. Serber said Clemson is not a playoff team and called the upcoming ACC slate difficult, with Miami standing out as the one game he expects to be especially one-sided.
He thinks the Hurricanes will handle their business in Death Valley “in a painful way.” A 9-3 finish, paired with a win over South Carolina, would be a “smashing success” if Tait Reynolds stays at quarterback.
But the floor is much lower than that, too, with 6-6 or even 5-7 on the table.
Friday night’s trip to Berkeley puts the pressure on a few specific pieces, starting with linebacker Sammy Brown. Serber called Brown “all-world everything,” but said his play this season has been “extremely poor.”
The issues, in his view, have shown up in missed tackles, bad angles, and too many times giving up the gap on the kind of big runs Clemson has struggled to stop. If the Tigers are going to win, Brown has to play closer to his level.
On offense, Serber didn’t single out one player so much as the entire line rotation. Matt Luke, he said, has been trying to crack the code up front.
The group looked different in the final 32 minutes against UNC, when players such as Elyjah Thurman started moving bodies and freshman Grant Wise brought a kind of edge that stood out. But that version of the line has not been there every week; Serber said the unit was “atrocious” against LSU and Georgia Southern.
If the second-half version shows up again, Tait Reynolds will have a chance to match up with one of the league’s best quarterbacks.
As for how the game itself unfolds, Serber expects Clemson to start slowly in the 10:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff.
He thinks the matchup could turn into a slog if Cal comes out throwing and doesn’t connect on explosive plays. His view is that Cal can control things by leaning on the run game, which would open the door for JKS to make plays through the air.
He also said Tait Reynolds has gained some confidence and that Chad Morris began to find his rhythm last week after outcoaching Bill in the second half.
Still, Serber believes Clemson keeps it tight. He called for a one-possession game, then added that Clemson has been the best in the country at those since 2011, though he still gives Cal the edge because of the late start. His bottom line was simple: if Cal runs the ball effectively against Clemson’s porous front, it will create the kind of chances that Clemson’s defense may not have the horses to erase.
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Cal Defense Could Put Clemson In A Spot It Hasn't Faced Yet
Clemson arrives in Berkeley facing the kind of early-season uncertainty that can make even a familiar opponent feel tricky. The Tigers have leaned on continuity in the past, but this version of the roster is still settling in after heavy transfer portal turnover, and the offense is doing it with freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds taking on a major role. For Cal, that creates a chance to make the game feel uncomfortable in a hurry, especially if the Bears can get pressure on a group that is still trying to find its rhythm.
The matchup also puts a spotlight on Kingston Lopa, whose ball production has already made him one of the most dangerous defenders in the country. If Cal can force Clemson to think twice about pushing the ball downfield, the Tigers may have to take a more measured approach than they would prefer. For a program that has usually had the upper hand in this series, this is the sort of test that can reveal how ready it is to handle disruption. [Read more 🡒]
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Now comes a test that looks a lot bigger than anything the Bears have seen so far. Cal has already shown enough offensive pop to make its first three games feel encouraging, but Clemson brings a different level of speed, depth and pressure, and it does so in a matchup Cal has not seen in nearly 35 years. For a group still taking shape, it is the kind of game that can say a lot about how far the new receiving pieces have come. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Has A Real Chance To Prove Last Week Was No Fluke
Cal heads into its matchup with Clemson trying to show last week was more than a one-off. The Bears have been playing better football lately, and the setting adds some real weight to it: a chance to back up recent progress against a program that still carries the kind of national reputation that can make a statement win stick. There is also a familiar layer of urgency here, with the Bears still sorting through key personnel questions as they prepare for one of the more demanding games on the schedule.
Clemson brings its own mix of intrigue and pressure, especially with freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds making just his second start. The Tigers have been scoring in stretches, but their defensive numbers suggest Cal will have openings if it can stay disciplined and avoid letting the game tilt into Clemsons preferred rhythm. For Cal, the broader test is whether the same edge, execution, and energy from last week can travel against a higher-profile opponent, because a convincing showing here would say plenty about where the Bears really are. [Read more 🡒]