CLEMSON -- A month ago, Clemson headed into its open date after five consecutive weeks of football and Dabo Swinney gave his front-line guys more of a break than usual.

The thinking wasn't just that guys needed to mend injuries, bumps and bruises for the next game against Louisville. Swinney also had in mind the bigger picture of five more consecutive weeks of football, and possibly six if the Tigers landed in the ACC title game.

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Clemson came out rusty against Louisville and suffered a humiliating defeat after falling behind by 19 points. The Tigers won back-to-back games in Blacksburg and Pittsburgh, but they were wobbly enough in numerous areas to make you still not really sure what this team is all about -- and not really sure if all the time off during the open week produced the desired results.

But this much is certain: This team desperately needs the likely breather that will come in the form of Saturday's visit from The Citadel.

As the college football model continues going through tumultuous change, there's reason to think these types of paycheck games are going to be a thing of the past at some point probably sooner rather than later.

In the here and now, the battered Tigers need this game maybe more than ever.

Of course all the standard disclaimers apply about taking an FCS opponent too lightly. Next week's rivalry opponent can attest, as The Citadel will always have bragging rights over the Gamecocks from the upsets they pulled off in 2015 and 1990.

Clemson is attempting to improve to 39-0 against FCS teams since the NCAA split Division I in 1978.

Most important: Clemson is attempting to get itself healthy enough to deal with a South Carolina team that doesn't look like most South Carolina teams.

A win over the Gamecocks would make it nine rivalry victories in 10 years since Dabo Swinney dropped five straight to Steve Spurrier from 2009 to 2013 (and yes, it'd most likely be 10 of 11 had the 2020 game been played).

But that's in eight days. Swinney and his staff have a lot to think about between now and then, and the full focus will begin in earnest late Saturday night after the Tigers presumably walk out of Death Valley with an easy victory.

During the aforementioned streak at the hands of Spurrier, the Gamecocks controlled the line of scrimmage more often than not. That's been totally reversed over the past decade, as Clemson has out-rushed South Carolina 242-83.3 in the nine meetings.

But now the Gamecocks have their best defensive front in more than a decade, led by not just ends Dylan Stewart and Kyle Kennard but also interior forces TJ Sanders and Tonka Hemingway.

Opposite them will be an offensive line that, as of this week, is more injury-ravaged than it's been in probably a lot more than a decade.