By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort
CLEMSON — Here is an inside look at the Clemson-Wake Forest series as the 13th-ranked Clemson Tigers visit Wake Forest at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, N.C. The game will be televised by ESPN.
About the Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons need to win two of their remaining three games to become bowl eligible or a second straight season. Wake Forest has lost close games to Duke and Maryland and won a one-point game against North Carolina.
The Demon Deacons offense: Quarterback Tanner Price is completed just 50 percent of his passes for 1,327 yards. You wonder if those numbers don’t come up with Michael Campanaro now back on the field. With Campanaro’s return, Wake Forest will have a serious playmaker on the field for the first time in three weeks to compliment running back Josh Harris.
The Demon Deacons defense: The Demon Deacons, who play a four man front, but move around a lot, got a big jolt on the defensive line with the return of Nikita Whitlock from a torn ankle ligament.
The Demon Deacons Special Teams: Wake’s Lovell Jackson is averaging more than 10 yards per punt return. Ched Hedland won the job at kicker (3-3 on the year) after Jimmy Newman opened the year missing six of his first eight kicks. Newman is also in charge of kickoffs.
Records: Clemson 6-1, 3-1 ACC; Wake Forest 4-3, 2-3 ACC
Series record: 59-17-2
At Wake Forest: 21-10-1
Streak: Clemson has won three in a row and five of the last six
Last meeting: Clemson won 31-28 at Clemson
First meeting: Clemson won 13-0 in 1933
Clemson’s biggest margin of victory: 82-24 in 1981
Wake Forest’s biggest margin of victory: 41-12 in 1943
Stat worth noting: Clemson has a 49-9-1 edge in the series since the two teams joined the ACC in 1953. That is a .835 win percentage.
Memorable game: October 7, 2006 — The late Gaines Adams had a game-changing 66-yard fumble return on a botched field goal attempt on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut the Wake Forest lead to 17-10 at the time. Clemson went on to score three more times in the final quarter, including a 72-yard run by C.J. Spiller in a 27-17 victory at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, N.C.