The Clemson Tigers' offense improved considerably from 2010 to 2011, and standout wide receiver Sammy Watkins had a lot to do with that. Clemson will be without Watkins in its season opener, but as SB Nation's Bill Connelly noted in his season preview of the Tigers, the Tigers still have some useful options in the passing game.
Watkins alone did not account for this enormous improvement, however. He was, after all, targeted by just one quarter of Clemson's passes. DeAndre Hopkins (961 yards, 9.0 per target, 66 percent catch rate) was a strong No. 2 wideout last year, and Jaron Brown (406 yards, 8.3 per target, 63 percent catch rate) was a solid No. 3.
Clemson faces Auburn at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Atlanta. For more comprehensive coverage of this matchup, visit Clemson blog Shakin The Southland and Auburn blog College and Magnolia. For more news, notes and analysis from around NCAA football, check out SB Nation's college football hub.