Mountaineers Fall on Road to No. 22 Clemson

Sept. 7, 2024

Contact: Joey Jones (jo*****@ap******.edu)

Secondary contact/Lead writer: Bret Strelow (st******@ap******.edu)

FINAL STATS: PDF Attached

RECAP: https://appstatesports.com/news/2024/9/7/football-mountaineers-fall-on-road-to-no-22-clemson.aspx

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. 

—

App State Athletics Strategic Communications
425 Jack Branch Drive
Boone, NC, 28608
www.appstatesports.com