WINSTON-SALEM – The No. 10 Clemson Tigers head to Wake Forest this weekend looking to remain unbeaten in ACC play.
It’s a series Clemson (4-1, 3-0) has dominated over the years and even more so since Dabo Swinney took over. The head coach has never lost to the Demon Deacons, as Swinney is looking for his 16th straight victory in the series.
Wake (2-3, 1-1) comes in fresh off a win over NC State and with an offense that is pretty efficient. The Deacs are scoring more than 30 points per game and racking up more than 430 yards of total offense per contest.
It’s a unique scheme they use, with that slow developing mesh play to try and keep opposing defenses off-balance. Most years, the Tigers have been pretty good against this offense, but the last time these two teams met in Winston-Salem, Wes Goodwin’s unit struggled with it.
After stints at Boise State and Louisiana Tech, transfer quarterback Hank Bachmeier is now running the Wake Forest offense. While his rushing numbers won’t blow anybody away, he is a threat to run the ball and must be accounted for. Running back Demond Claiborne is having a nice season, averaging 5.8 yards per carry and close to 100 yards per game. Goodwin’s unit must be disciplined in their approach and not get caught being overly aggressive.
Where Bachmeier has really made his mark is with his arm. The redshirt senior is completing 63% of his throws and is passing for 263 yards per game. He has thrown just two picks to this point. This might be more of a test than the Tigers got from Florida State’s passing game last weekend.
On the other side of the ball is where the Tigers really have an advantage. Wake’s defense has been absolutely horrid in spots, particularly the pass defense. That unit has allowed 400 yards of offense in four consecutive games. The only team not to hit that mark was NC A&T in the season-opener.
Since then, Virginia threw for 357 yards against the Deacs, Ole Miss for 357, Louisiana-Lafayette for 257 and NC State for 314. Wake Forest is 129 th nationally in terms of opponent’s completion percentage and 101 st in third down defense. This is an area that Cade Klubnik and his pass-catchers must exploit.
The Demon Deacons defense hasn’t been very good against the run either, allowing 169 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry. That means Phil Mafah could be on hand for another big game.
Clemson does come into the game needing to shore up some issues of their own. The Tigers had a lot of red-zone struggles against the Seminoles, failing to score a single touchdown in six trips inside the 20-yard line. Was that an anomaly or a sign of things to come?
Nolan Hauser also had two of his field goals blocked last week due to breakdowns in the protection on the left side. You can bet that was a point of emphasis this week in practice.
At the end of the day, football games tend to come down to players making plays and Clemson just has more talent. The Tigers should win the battle at the line of scrimmage and on both sides of the ball. While Wake will probably have some success moving the ball, the Tigers should have more and this week that success leads to touchdowns, not a bunch of field goal attempts.
Clemson 41 Wake Forest 17
A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!
Local News
Comments / 0