Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has transformed the program into one of the nation’s five best during his tenure.
The Tigers start the season as the No. 2 ranked team in the country, and welcome Furman to Death Valley to open up their 2018 regular season.
The game is scheduled to start at 12:20 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ACC Network. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game on your computer, phone or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels. Although ACC Network isn’t technically included in that bundle, you will get access to all of the ESPN channels and more importantly, the ESPN digital platforms.
This means that if you sign up for “Hulu with Live TV”, you will then be able to watch the game via WatchESPN (more info on that below) by signing in with your Hulu credentials.
ACC Network is included in the “Sling Orange” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can also watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
Preview
The Tigers are in exclusive company, as they are one of only two teams (Alabama Crimson Tide) to reach the College Football Playoff in three consecutive seasons. Last year, the Tigers lost 24-6 to the Crimson Tide in New Orleans after defeating them the previous year in the National Championship Game (Clemson also lost to Alabama in the National Championship Game the year prior in 2015-16).
Swinney’s core group of players remains strong, as Clemson returns senior Kelly Bryant at quarterback along with eight starters on defense.
Bryant had some tough shoes to fill in last year replacing Deshaun Watson, who eventually went on to lighting it up for the Houston Texans in the NFL before tearing his ACL. Bryant completed 65.8% of his passes last season for 2,802 yards and 13 touchdowns; he also rushed for 665 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The Tigers’ defense two years ago was special, but this year’s has the potential to eclipse how special that unit was. Namely, the defensive line, which boasts Clelin Ferrell, Austin Bryant, Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins. Ferrell (9.5) and Bryant (8.5) produce sacks, and set the temp on the edge for the Tigers. Lawrence and Wilkins do a terrific job being versatile inside.
Furman senior quarterback Harris Roberts is actually also a Clemson student:
He’s enrolled in a joint engineering program that began with three years at Furman and is on track to complete his dual-program degree next May at Clemson.
Saturday should be an easy time for Clemson, but a crucial early-season trip to College Station to take on Texas A&M – a classic “trap game” scenario – awaits next weekend.