Clemson football vs App State score prediction, scouting report for Tigers home opener

CLEMSON — Clemson football looks to rebound in its home opener after losing 34-3 to Georgia.

The No. 25 Tigers (0-1) face Appalachian State (1-0) on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ACC Network) at Memorial Stadium. Clemson paid the Mountaineers $1.25 million for this non-conference game.

Here is what to know about the matchup:

Clemson football, Cade Klubnik need better offense vs App State

The Tigers scored three points against the Bulldogs, marking the fourth time under coach Dabo Swinney where they did not reach the end zone. The team spoke highly in the offseason about quarterback Cade Klubnik entering his second season as a full-time starter in Year 2 in offensive coordinator Garrett Riley's system and highlighted various skill position players it has. Still, the offense disappointed in Week 1.

Clemson aims to correct the offense at home by erasing penalties and miscues and finding talented playmakers to score more than three points against the Mountaineers.

"We've got all the talent we need but just fine-tuning those details in certain spots," Klubnik said. "It's not like we're missing something. I feel like we have everything we need and just got to go execute."

What to know about Appalachian State, Joey Aguilar

App State is coming off a 38-10 victory against East Tennessee State. Although it plays in the Sun Belt (a Group of 5 conference), it is a pesky team against power schools. It has a 3-5 record in its last eight games against the elite conference with each decided by seven points or loss.

The Mountaineers' recent win against a power program happened in 2022 when it defeated Texas A&M 17-14 on the road. They are led by quarterback Joey Aguilar, who was picked as the Sun Belt's preseason offensive player of the year. He set App State's single-season program records for passing yards (3,757), passing touchdowns (33) and completions (293) last year.

MORE: Three ways Dabo Swinney, Cade Klubnik can fix Clemson football offense before App State game

Dabo Swinney is unbeaten in home openers at Clemson

Clemson has won 20 straight home openers since 2003. The Tigers are 35-2 in home openers since 1987 with the only losses occurring in 1999 and 2003.

The Tigers have won their past 20 night games at Memorial Stadium too. Their last loss occurred in 2013. Under Swinney, Clemson is 23-3 in night home games. It is also 29-1 in its last 30 non-conference home games; the only loss came against South Carolina in 2022.

Clemson's history against Appalachian State

Clemson is 5-0 all-time against App State with every game played at Memorial Stadium. This will be their first time facing each other in nine years.

The Tigers defeated the Mountaineers 41-10 on Sept. 12, 2015, in their last matchup. This was their only game played in the 2000s. Their previous contests happened in 1984, 1991, 1991 and 1997.

Clemson score prediction vs App State

Clemson 31, Appalachian State 17: This is the game for the Tigers to refine their offense before heading into the open week. Klubnik will end his three-game touchdown-less streak and relieve concerns about Clemson's offense for a week.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson-App State score prediction: Will Swinney, Klubnik fix offense?