The Clemson Tigers picked up right where they left off last season, hammering Georgia Tech 52-14 in their season opener on Thursday while the Aggies were busy taking care of Texas State in their curtain-raiser.

They’ve had to fill their share of holes, but the Tigers look every bit as imposing as when we last saw them hoisting the championship trophy and beating the SEC’s best by four touchdowns in January.

Yes, there’s plenty to be concerned about in Aggieland as Texas A&M travels to meet the nation’s top-ranked team on Saturday. Here are 5 of the bigger concerns.

1. Clemson is still Clemson

The swagger remains, as if there was any doubt. Not even playing their best game, the Tigers still easily defeated a conference foe by 38 points. That probably says as much about the strength of Clemson as it does about the competition in the ACC.

The Tigers won by 20-plus points for a school-record 11th consecutive game. Only twice last season did they win by fewer points. One of those was the 2-point win at Kyle Field.

But the Tigers certainly won’t be taken by surprise on Saturday. Now they know they’ll have to bring their A game if they want to continue the nation’s longest win streak (16).

2. Tigers rushed for 411 yards

Clemson’s experienced offensive line going up against what is still a jelling front seven for the Aggies is a concern despite what A&M did in stopping Texas State’s rushing attack. Of their 632 total yards on Thursday against Georgia Tech, the Tigers rushed for 411 averaging 8.4 yards per 49 carries. It was Clemson’s most prolific rushing game in a season opener since 1957.

Of course, Travis Etienne is the catalyst in the Tigers’ rushing attack. His career day (205 yards) included a 90-yard touchdown run that tied the school record for longest run. It was the longest run by a Tiger in Death Valley. He surpassed the 40-touchdown mark in his career, making him only the fourth player in school history to accomplish the feat, joining C.J. Spiller, Travis Zachery and James Davis.

A&M continued to be just as stingy against the run vs. Texas State as it was against all opposition in 2018. But stopping Etienne and Clemson’s stout offensive line will be a tall task.

3. Trevor Lawrence isn’t slowing down

Yes, the Aggies’ secondary was aggressive in their season-opening victory over Texas State. Yes, they were able to nab four interceptions. And yes, as a group Texas A&M’s secondary gave up a little more than 100 passing yards through three quarters. But now it’s Lawrence who that beleaguered secondary must face on Saturday.

With an experienced receiving corps and an offensive line that appears capable of moving mountains, Lawrence had his way in the victory over the Yellow Jackets, completing 13 of 23 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. And while it was the Tigers’ running game that overpowered the Jackets on Thursday,

He did, however, throw two interceptions and that’s where an aggressive Aggies secondary can be a decisive neutralizer. But at the same time, in being aggressive, they left several receivers open for potential big plays. And that’s the concern against the likes of Lawrence.

4. Clemson reloads up front

A new group of sack artists suddenly appeared for Clemson, which replaced nearly all of its front seven. But the Tigers appear to have reloaded nicely, recording four sacks against Georgia Tech. That’s a little unnerving for Aggieland, which has watched quarterback Kellen Mond run for his life more than once.

Though not sacked by Texas State, Mond was hurried four times. That doesn’t bode well for an offensive line that, while it appears to be improving, still has its work cut out for it on Saturday in Death Valley.

It’s a new set of angry Tigers ready to pounce on the opposition. Those new faces helped force four turnovers against Georgia Tech, the most takeaways by Clemson since the 2015 Notre Dame game.

5. Death Valley

The Tigers just seem invincible on their home field. Despite a couple of turnovers, they just beat a conference opponent by 38. They’ve won 16 straight at home and haven’t lost there since a one-point defeat to Pitt in 2016. In fact, that’s the only home game the Tigers have lost since the 2013 season when they fell to Jimbo Fisher and Florida State.