No. 25 Clemson will face Appalachian State on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

How to watch: Fans without DirecTV or other cable services can watch the game for FREE with a trial of fuboTV or a subscription to Sling TV, which offers $25 off the first month.

What you need to know:

What: ACC Sun Belt Football

Who: Clemson vs. App State

When: Saturday, September 7, 2024 (9/7/24)

Where: Memorial Stadium

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Television: ACC Network

Station finder: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-Vers, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice,Helmsman,DIRECTV, Court, Hulu, fuboTV, loop.

Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)

Here is a recent college football story from AP:

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Amid the excitement and fear, the critical voices and calls for change, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he is focused on one thing: getting the 25th-ranked Tigers to reach their potential.

That starts this week on Saturday night against Appalachian State.

It was an uncomfortable week for Swinney and the Tigers after they were steamrolled in the second half of a 34-3 opening loss to top-ranked Georgia. It was Clemson’s worst regular-season defeat since a 51-14 home loss to Florida State and Jameis Winston in 2013.

“I know there’s a lot of frustration and disappointment, and nobody feels that more than we do,” Swinney said. “But I think we have a great season ahead of us.”

Swinney knows Clemson (0-1) can’t underestimate Appalachian State (1-0) or their chances of making the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff are over. Appalachian State has earned an AP Top 25 win in each of the past three seasons, beating No. 18 James Madison last year, winning at No. 6 Texas A&M in 2022 and defeating No. 21 Coastal Carolina in 2021.

“That’s what they do,” Swinney said. “It’s woven into the DNA of App State.”

Clemson has enjoyed championship success in Swinney’s 17 seasons, with the Tigers winning seven Atlantic Coast Conference titles and two national championships from 2015-2022.

But the Tigers finished 9-4 last season, their most losses in a season since Swinney’s second full season in 2010 (6-7). He has been consistently criticized for his lack of interest in signing transfers to bolster his squad. He had also hoped that a good performance against the Bulldogs, who are seeking their third national title in four seasons, would herald a special season.

Instead, he will try to find a way forward for the Tigers after the loss to Georgia.

“Sometimes you get a kick in the butt, like we did,” he said. “But we have to keep going and learn from it.”

App State CFP hopes

Appalachian State is also hoping to make the CFP. The Sun Belt Conference favorites are hoping for a stellar season to earn a spot in the 12-team Group of Five field. A win at Clemson would certainly get them noticed.

The Mountaineers have split their last six games against Power Four opponents, beating Texas A&M, South Carolina and North Carolina since 2019. Coach Shawn Clark wants his team to maintain the attitude from its 38-10 season-opening win over East Tennessee.

“This game won’t be any bigger than the ETSU game,” Clark said. “We have a job to do.”

Start Mafah

It was a big moment in the offseason when leading runner Phil Mafah left the pros to return to Clemson. Still, the 230-pound Mafah struggled to get going in the opening loss to Georgia, managing 59 yards on 16 attempts. Mafah will need to be the focal point this week if Clemson wants to earn its first win of the season.

Watch out for Aguilar

If Appalachian State has a stellar year, expect quarterback Joey Aguilar to be a big part of it. Aguilar, a senior from California, set school records in passing yards (3,757), offensive yards (4,002) and touchdowns (13) last season.

He was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year in the preseason and started strong in last week’s 38-10 win over East Tennessee, throwing for 326 yards with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.

Moore and Wesco will be used more

Two of Clemson’s most anticipated freshmen, receivers TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco, will likely see more action this week than they did in their college debut against Georgia.

Moore is a five-star wideout from Florida who was only tackled once after a strong training camp. Wesco, a four-star, also caught a pass against the Bulldogs. One or both of them will have to make an impact this season.

“You’re going to continue to see these guys improve and get more opportunities,” Swinney said.