It is College Bowl Game season and the schedules have been announced.  The Clemson Tigers will be returning to the Sunshine State one year and one day later from their appearance in the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando where they defeated Iowa State 20-13.  This year they are returning with the ACC Championship hardware and headed to the Capital One Orange Bowl against Tennessee at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.  

Resilient could be one word used to describe the 2022 season for Clemson.  The Tigers entered the month of November with a 8-0 record and although had some struggles, still in position for a potential bid for the College Football Playoffs.  Clemson started November with a big 14-35 loss to Notre Dame.  The Tigers bounced back with wins over Louisville & Miami before closing out November with an embarrassing loss to in state rival South Carolina 30-31.  

One tell tale of November for Clemson was the struggles of starting QB DJ Uiagalelei.  At one point in the Notre Dame game, Head Coach Dabo Sweeney pulled DJ from the game and brought in Cade Klubnik to try and bring a spark to their struggling offense.  DJ bounced back against Louisville and Miami but struggled again in the loss against South Carolina completing just 8 of 29 passes for a total of 99 yds with 1 touchdown & 1 interception.  

Clemson’s resiliency came up big in the ACC Championship game versus UNC. The Tigers struggled early again at QB position.  DJ went 2 of 5 for 10 yards before he was pulled from the game.  Back up QB Cade Klubnik rallied the Tigers to a 39-10 win and filled the stat sheet completing 20 of 24 passes for 279 yards, 1 touchdown, & no interceptions.  He also rushed for 30 yards on 7 carries with 1 touchdown.

Heading into the bowl game preparation, Head Coach Dabo Sweeney will have a big decision to make as to who will lead his team at QB against a very high powered Tennessee offense.  However, with the way the regular season ended for DJ and with the transfer portal opening on Monday, the decision may be an easier than expected.  

The Capital One Orange Bowl kicks off at noon on Friday, December 30, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL and will televised live on ESPN.

Photo credit: Sean Russell/FAAZ Sports