Clemson-Kentucky Gator Bowl: Three things to watch

Peter Woods and Payton Page get another shot to impress with the Gator Bowl showcase.

by Ryan Kantor - Contributor - Wed Dec 27 07:00:05 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson’s win over South Carolina feels like ages ago as the whirlwind of December in college football has seemed to sweep us into next season. Coaching changes, portal departures, portal offers, a strong 22-man class in the early signing period, and, more recently, the lawsuit Florida State brought against the ACC have earned our attention. This week, the 2023 football season reminds us it isn’t over quite yet as the Clemson Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats close out their respective seasons in Jacksonville in the Gator Bowl.

With Clemson’s defense severely thinned by opt-outs (Jeremiah Trotter, Ruke Orhorhoro, Nate Wiggins), injuries (Sheridan Jones, Jeadyn Lukus), and transfer (Andrew Mukuba), this game feels more like a look-ahead to 2024 than a postseason culmination of the season that was. Obviously, winning is always the goal, and ending on a five-game win streak provides strong momentum into the offseason. Beyond that, though, here are a couple of things I hope to see when the Tigers and Wildcats clash on Friday.

Passing Offense Takes Advantage of Opportunities

Kentucky ranks just 88th in passing defense, with 238.5 yards per game allowed at a clip of 7.36 yards per pass attempt. Meanwhile, Clemson’s passing offense ranked just 62nd, collecting only 225 yards per game and just 6.24 yards per attempt. Cade Klubnik needs to take a step in his development for the offense to hit another gear, will we see the start of that in this contest?

Before the season, we highlighted wide receiver play as a potential issue, which unfortunately turned out to be the case. Now, Beaux Collins is gone (transfer to Notre Dame), but Antonio Williams is back from injury. Can he and Tyler Brown look the part of a dynamic receiving duo? Sure, they’ll get reinforcements next year with Cole Turner getting healthy and freshmen Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore joining the team, but they are poised to be the top two targets in 2024. A big game from one of both would go a long way in adding optimism to the offseason. Troy Stellato and Adam Randall are other WRs to watch, as they could carve out valued roles in 2024 as well.

Defensive Tackles Stop the Run Without Ruke

Clemson will lose all four starters on the defensive line this offseason, including tackles Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro. The latter has opted out, which will allow us to see Peter Woods get more snaps. There’s been talk of Woods possibly moving to defensive end next year – the reason Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney cited for not prioritizing adding a DE from the portal. With that being the case, Payton Page and DeMonte Capehart could be Clemson’s starters at defensive tackle next season. We should see them in extended action trying to slow Kentucky’s Second Team All-SEC running back Ray Davis, who has 1,066 yards (5.7 YPC) and 13 TDs. It may give us a preview for the 2024 defense.

Clemson’s Elite Pass Defense Will Remain Elite

Clemson’s pass defense ranks fifth in yards per game allowed (154.2) while surrendering a minuscule 5.22 yards per pass attempt. That’s a huge turnaround from the struggles of 2022. Unfortunately, the secondary will endure an exodus before next season. Wiggins has opted out and will likely be a first rounder. Fellow cornerbacks Sheridan Jones (injury/graduation) and Toriano Pride (transfer to Missouri) have also played their last game at Clemson. Andrew Mukuba had a strong bounce-back season, only to bounce to Texas via the portal. Jalyn Phillips will play in the bowl game, but will then graduate and move on.

While that could lead to a huge step back, several young players have already shown they’re ready for a bigger role. Khalil Barnes, Kylon Griffin, Avieon Terrell, and Shelton Lewis will be counted on next season and we’ll get to see them in elevated roles early thanks to this bowl game. RJ Mickens chose to eschew the draft and return for a fifth year. He’ll be one of a few veterans in the group and should be a steadying influence. This bowl game provides us a sneak peek of an almost entirely new secondary that will work to remain elite.