CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson made a bounce-back statement against an App State team known for its power-conference upsets and scares, as the Mountaineers had no answer for the 22nd-ranked Tigers in the early going of a 66-20 loss in Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.
Before Saturday, App State's last eight games against power-conference opponents had all been decided by seven points or less, with the Mountaineers going 3-5 in that stretch. They are now 3-3 in their last six games against ranked opponents.
App State (1-1) returns to action next weekend with an in-state matchup at East Carolina (2-0). Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Greenville.
Recording only one second-half rush,
Anderson Castle led the Mountaineers' offense with seven carries for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Joey Aguilar threw for 213 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
App State got on the board for the first time on a 4-yard touchdown run from Castle with 10:39 left in the second quarter to cut into a 42-0 deficit.
Michael Hughes followed by extending his streak of consecutive made field goals to 14 with a pair of second-quarter kicks: a 36-yarder after
Andre Hamilton forced and recovered a fumble on a punt return, then a 35-yarder to end the first half.
The Mountaineers trimmed the deficit to 56-20 by opening the second half with a touchdown drive that ended with Aguilar's 17-yard touchdown pass to
Makai Jackson, who reached the end zone for the second straight week. Jackson finished with a team-high six catches for 54 yards.
Clemson (1-1) scored touchdowns on all eight of its first-half possessions, with quarterback Cade Klubnik completing 24 of his 26 pass attempts for 378 yards and five touchdowns. The Tigers, who had trailed 6-0 at halftime of a 34-3 loss to No. 1 Georgia in their 2024 opener, took the lead for good Saturday when Klubnik fired a 76-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Wesco Jr. on a third-and-11 pass in the opening 90 seconds.
