By Will Vandervort
Two of the nation’s top offenses meet Saturday in Death Valley when Clemson battles Ball State.
About the Cardinals: Ball State managed 596 yards in total offense in a 37-26 victory over Eastern Michigan to open the 2012 season last week. The Cardinals gained 329 yards in rushing and 267 through the air. The 596 yards marked the fourth highest single-game total in school history.
The Cardinals offense: Running back Jahwan Edwards ran for a career-high 200 yards and scored three touchdowns against Eastern Michigan, including a 75-yard score to open the second half. Quarterback Keith Wenning threw for 267 yards while completing 26 of 41 passes with no interceptions, while receiver Jamill Smith caught seven passes for 119 yards with a long of 42 yards. The offensive line has combined for 114 career starts, the most experienced line in the country in regards to starts.
The Cardinals defense: Middle linebacker Travis Freeman led the Cardinals with nine tackles in last week’s season-opening win. He ranked ninth in the nation last year with 134 tackles, including a career-high 118 against Northern Illinois. The 6-foot, 238-pound linebacker has started in 36 of his 37 career games. The Cardinals allowed 366 yards of total offense in the season opener, including 180 on the ground.
The Cardinals Special Teams: Steven Schott, who only had two attempts in his first two seasons as a kicker, was 3-for-4 in field goals last week. He also was 4-for-4 on his extra point attempts. He has now made 42 extra points in a row, the second longest streak in school history. Punter Scott Kovanda, who was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award last season, had three punts downed inside the 20 last week. He averaged 43 yards on three punts. Jamill Smith handles both punts and kickoff returns.
Series record: Clemson leads 2-0
Current streak: Clemson has won two straight
Last meeting: September 21, 2002 (Clemson 30-7)
First meeting: September 5, 1992 (Clemson 24-10)
Clemson’s biggest margin of victory: 23 points in 2002
Memorable game: In 1992, Clemson came into the season-opener ranked 13th in the country and were coming off an ACC Championship season. Running back Rodney Blunt led the Tigers with 20 carries for 96 yards, while Ronald Williams, father of current defensive tackle DeShawn Williams, had nine carries for 58 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown. The late Terry Smith, the uncle of current Tigers’ wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, had one of the Tigers few receptions in the game. Defensively, Clemson was led by linebacker Tim Jones’ 12 tackles and safety Robert O’Neal’s 11. Both players also recorded interceptions.
—compiled by Will Vandervort