Gideon Davidson’s next big night could say plenty about where he stands at Clemson.
The Lynchburg native arrived in college with serious attention around him, and Clemson won out in a recruiting race that also included Virginia, Virginia Tech and Liberty. Davidson was one of the top prospects in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and while he drew only 19 offers, the Tigers landed the back who has already turned into a real weapon.
Saturday night against Virginia Tech now feels like a meaningful checkpoint in his Clemson career. Another strong showing would only deepen his place in the offense. A quiet night, though, would raise questions.
Through the season, Davidson has piled up 430 rushing yards on 79 carries and scored five touchdowns. He has added four receptions for nine yards out of the backfield.
The workload tells its own story: in every Clemson win this year, he has gotten at least 13 carries. Before last week’s game against Charleston Southern, that number had been 14, but Davidson and several starters came out early.
If Clemson is going to move to 5-2, the simplest path might be for Chad Morris to keep feeding him.
That matters because Virginia Tech has shown a troubling habit of letting games slip away after halftime, especially against Power Four opponents. Davidson fits the part of the back who can punish that weakness. He is at his best when the carries keep coming and the game starts to tilt in his direction.
Clemson should also be looking to control the clock after the break, and Davidson gives it a chance to do exactly that. The Tigers’ defense has been excellent in second halves during all four of their wins, allowing just two field goals after halftime overall - one against UNC and another against Cal.
At the same time, Clemson can’t ask Davidson to do everything. Brent Pry’s Virginia Tech defense will force the Tigers to be more than one-dimensional, which means Tait Reynolds needs to lean on Christian Bentancur in the short-to-medium passing game as well. But if Davidson delivers on the ground, Clemson should be in good shape.
There is also the simple fact that this is a matchup with added meaning for Davidson. Clemson and Virginia Tech are among the few teams still with a shot at reaching Charlotte, even if Miami looks like the clear favorite to get to the ACC Championship Game. The second spot is still there to be grabbed.
A 13-carry night, and maybe something close to 100 yards, would go a long way toward making Davidson the difference again.
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Their relationship goes back years, built through coaching trips and a mutual respect that has followed both men through different stages of their careers. Swinney has been at Clemson since 2008 and turned the program into a championship operation, while Franklin is settling into his first season at Virginia Tech after stops at Vanderbilt and Penn State, which makes this matchup feel like more than just another date on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
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Even with the win, the evening offered a reminder that this group still has room to sharpen its edge. Clemson was only 6-for-28 from three-point range, so the Tigers will need cleaner perimeter shooting to match the toughness they showed inside, but Faulkners late game-winning shot at the buzzer gave fans a taste of how dangerous this new-look frontcourt can be when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson's Uneven Debut Exposed A Problem That Could Shape November
Clemsons season-opening tuneup against Georgia gave Brad Brownell a first real look at how much work remains before the games start counting. The Tigers escaped with an 82-80 exhibition win on Oct. 23, and Dylan Faulkner delivered the game-winning basket, but the night also underscored how thin the rotation can feel when the roster is missing pieces.
Carter Welling and Zac Foster were both sidelined by injuries, while Dillon Hunter sat out pending an eligibility ruling, leaving Brownell to sort through combinations with the regular season still ahead. The result was encouraging enough on the scoreboard, but the bigger takeaway for Clemson is whether the team can build enough depth and stability to handle the stretch that really matters once November arrives. [Read more 🡒]