By Will Vandervort
Furman travels to No. 11 Clemson Saturday afternoon for a Palmetto state showdown. TheClemsonInsider.com takes a look at who has the edge by position.
Quarterback: Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd is second in the ACC in passing efficiency and is completing 75 percent of his passes. Reese Hannon is completing 63 percent of his passes after throwing for 255 yards and four touchdowns last week. Advantage: Clemson
Running back: Andre Ellington leads the ACC in rushing with 269 yards in two games so far. He also has two touchdowns. Furman’s Jerodis Williams is the top rusher with 183 yards. He is averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Advantage: Clemson
Wide receiver: Clemson’s DeAndre Hopkins is averaging 9.5 receptions and 112 yards per game. He also has four touchdowns, which is tied for first in the ACC. By the way, Sammy Watkins is back for Clemson. Do I even need to talk about Furman’s wide receivers? Advantage: Clemson
Offensive line: Clemson’s offensive line has allowed just one sack in the last seven quarters, including none in last week’s win over Ball State. Furman has a small offensive line. The biggest guy is left tackle Dakota Dozier, who stands at 6-4, 291. Advantage: Clemson
Defensive line: The Tigers are on a mission this week to prove they can stop the run. Clemson has got better play from DeShawn Williams and Josh Watson, but the rest of the line has been inconsistent. Furman is yielding 131 yards a game on the ground and the lack of depth it has across the front could be an issue with Clemson’s fast pace-tempo. Advantage: Clemson
Linebackers: Stephone Anthony leads the Tigers with 17 tackles and he is showing flashes of being really good, but he and the rest of the linebacking corps has had it issues filling gaps and following out their assignments. Furman’s defense is led by middle linebacker Matt Soloman, who has 23 tackles. He had 15 against Coastal Carolina. Fellow linebacker Gary Wilkins has 22 tackles Advantage: Clemson
Secondary: Clemson’s secondary did a better job eliminating the big plays in the passing game last week. There is still work to be done, but with nickel back Travis Blanks emerging, the Tigers will keep getting better here. Furman is led by free safety Nathan Wade who has 21 tackles this season. The Paladins are yielding 11.8 yards per catch and more than 250 yards per game through the air. Advantage: Clemson
Special teams: Chandler Catanzaro is money from 49 yards and in, while Spencer Benton kicked an ACC record 61-yard field goal against Ball State. Did I mention that Sammy Watkins is back. Furman kicker Ray Early is 2-for-3 on field goals with a long of 41 yards and is also in charge of punting. He is averaging 40.7 yards a punt Advantage: Clemson
—compiled by Will Vandervort