WINSTON-SALEM – Clemson is on the road for the second consecutive week as the No. 10 Tigers (4-1, 3-0) travel to face Wake Forest (2-3, 1-1).
Both teams are coming in off of wins. Clemson went into Tallahassee and knocked off Florida State 29-13, while the Demon Deacons got a 34-30 road win over NC State.
5 Things to Watch For
– Maintaining Dominance: This is a series that the Tigers have downright dominated. Dabo Swinney has never lost to Wake Forest as a head coach. Clemson is 15-0 against the Demon Deacons since Swinney took over and Clemson leads the all-time series 77-17-1. The last time Wake beat the Tigers, it would ultimately cost former head coach Tommy Bowden his job. He would step down four days after the Thursday night loss in 2008, with the little-known Swinney being named the interim coach. The rest, as they say, is history. The Tigers are heavy-favorites (20.5 points) to keep that streak in-tact.
– Prolific Wake Forest Offense: The Deacs are pretty good on this side of the ball. Led by quarterback Hank Bachmeier, Wake is averaging 431 yards of offense per game, with 279 of those coming through the air. Bachmeier is completing 64% of his passes and has thrown for 1,313 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Slowing down that passing attack will be key.
However, it is in stopping the run that the Tigers have experienced some issues. Wake’s running game will present some challenges similar to the way Stanford’s did. The Deacs average more than 150 rushing yards per game and like to use that slow mesh, meaning the Clemson defense will need to be disciplined. Eyes in the right place and don’t over-pursue. Get the edge set.
– Clemson Secondary: Speaking of defense, the backend is still a work in progress. Avieon Terrell has been rock-solid at one of the corner spots, but there have been some issues on the other side. Jeadyn Lukus has struggled with consistency, leading to true freshman Ashton Hampton getting more time on the field. He actually played more snaps than Lukus did against Florida State.
At safety, RJ Mickens has been really good but Khalil Barnes has experienced some growing pains in his new role. Shelton Lewis is also still acclimating to his new spot at nickel. Wake has the capability of exposing secondary, so it is something worth monitoring.
– Finishing In Red Zone: The Tigers made six trips inside the red zone against Florida State last weekend. Not once did the offense finish off those drives with a touchdown. That is not the recipe for success. Coming into that game against the Seminoles Clemson had scored touchdowns six times on 10 red zone trips. That is closer to the success-rate this offense needs.
– Have Protection Issues Been Cleaned Up: Freshman Nolan Hauser has cured what ailed the Tigers’ kicking game a season ago but weak links in the protection were exposed against Florida State. The Seminoles saw something on film they thought they could take advantage of on the left side of that protection and wound up blocking two of Hauser’s kicks. That has to be fixed and immediately.
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
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