Auburn Roars Into Death Valley With Something To Prove

Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant faces Auburn in just his second collegiate start (Bleacher Report)

 Clemson had not had much success against Auburn through the years, at one point losing 14 straight to their fellow Tigers.

 But the South Carolina felines have turned the tables, winning the last three contests, including last year's road victory that was the springboard for a national championship. Both squads came off of easy wins last weekend, Clemson blasting Kent State 56-3 and Auburn blistering Georgia Southern 41-7.

 Now they match up with high rankings -- Clemson No. 3, Auburn No. 13 -- and high hopes, the loser taking a few steps back in their quest to make the College Football Playoff. Each side understands what's on the line, so don't be surprised if there's a little more focus and intensity this week.

 "We like playing these type of games," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "It helps you going into conference play, and win or lose you find out a lot about yourself. This is a really good battle."

 Clemson lost a ton of talent from last year's championship team, notably clutch quarterback Deshaun Watson. Tasked with replacing him was junior Kelly Bryant, and he passed his first audition, throwing for 236 yards and a score and running for 77 yards and a touchdown in his debut. He appeared steady and not overwhelmed by the moment, though things will easily ramp up a bit this week with Auburn coming to town.

 Swinney's crew used a committee approach running the ball, averaging 8.2 yards per carry against the overmatched Golden Flashes. Reliable veteran wideout Deon Cain grabbed a pair of passes, amassing 70 yards and a touchdown.

 Defense is supposedly going to be Clemson's calling card this year, and the Flashes were held to just 120 yards of total offense and five first downs.

 Swinney praised Auburn's defense, remembering that yards were hard to come by in last season's 19-13 victory, and he expects more of the same in this showdown. Swinney hopes that his young squad can play with the same focus and determination as it did in the opener, citing consistency as the hallmark of a successful team.

 Auburn's Tigers were no less forgiving to Georgia Southern, limiting the visitors to just 78 total yards.

 Quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who began his career at Baylor before arriving at Auburn via the JUCO route, was solid if not spectacular in his debut, going 14-of-24 for 185 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also showed the ability to evade trouble, stepping up in the pocket on numerous occasions and running for a touchdown.

 Stidham is the best dual combination quarterback Auburn has had since Nick Marshall, though Stidham is a better passer. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn schemes to his quarterbacks very well, and knows he will have to get creative against Clemson's ferocious defense.

 "We need to build around Jarrett's strengths and what he feels comfortable with," Malzahn said. "That's a big part of the game plan. There is nothing like going out there. You've just got to do it. He's been on the road, I believe, a couple of games he played in, and this will be one of the best environments there is. So it will be good for the future. Dealing with crowd noise and dealing with communication and everything that goes with it, I think that will be good for him. I think it will be for our team.

 "This game will show where we're at right now and be a good measuring stick, so I think it's good for all of them."

 Auburn will gain the services of running back Kamryn Pettway and receiver Kyle Davis, both of whom were suspended for the opener. Pettway was Auburn's leading rusher a year ago, and may be called upon a lot as backfield running mate Kerryon Johnson came out of the Georgia Southern game with an injury. Johnson finished with 136 yards, and it is unknown at this time whether or not he will play. True freshman Kam Martin churned out 136 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries, and would get work behind Pettway if Johnson cannot answer the bell.

Auburn RB Kamryn Pettway should make his 2017 debut this week (SEC Country)

 Davis averaged over 20 yards per grab last season and gives Auburn the ability to stretch the field, something it didn't do in the opener.

 Malzahn recalls vividly his team's inability to move the football in last year's game, finishing with just 175 yards and allowing four sacks. Still, it took a batted down Hail Mary by Clemson on the final play of the game to escape with a victory.

 "There was some miscommunication (last year) that we have to get cleaned up," Malzahn said. "We cannot get behind the chains like we did last year against these guys. They got after us pretty good on first down and put us in some negative situations. We can't have that this week."

 Swinney knows that being defending national champion brings a different buzz to a program, and he is one who relishes the spotlight. Scheduling this kind of matchup early in the season is something a lot of programs won't do, but Swinney and his team have proven they won't run from a fight.

 Even better if that fight is under the lights, in front of 81,500 orange clad crazies.

 "Well it's just a night game in the Valley. To me that's what make Clemson special," Swinney said. "Even last week at a noon game, Tiger Walk was amazing, there was a ton of energy. But it is always great to me, regardless of who we play. But there is something special when the lights are on and you get a full day of enjoyment and traffic is backed up all the way past Anderson."