By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort
CLEMSON — Though No. 7 Florida State may have roughed up the Duke Blue Devils last week, ninth-ranked Clemson isn’t taking anything into that.
The Tigers, who visit Wallace Wade Stadium tonight for a 7:05 kickoff on ESPN2, know this year’s Blue Devils are not the same ole Duke as many suspect they might be. The Blue Devils (6-3, 3-2 ACC) are in the midst of their best season in nearly 20 years and are bowl eligible for the first time since 1994.
To put that into perspective, many of the current players on both teams were still in diapers the last time Duke went to a bowl game. Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd was only four years old the last time the Blue Devils were in a postseason game.
“I didn’t realize that,” the redshirt junior said.
What Boyd does realize is how good Duke is and what challenges they present to the Tigers, who still have aspirations of making the ACC Championship Game or earning an at-large BCS berth. Duke has one of the top offenses in the ACC, averaging 31.9 points a game, while displaying one of the best receiving corps in the conference as well.
Quarterback Mike Renfree, who is expected to play after suffering from a concussion in last week’s 48-7 loss to Florida State, is averaging 235.6 yards a game, while completing 68.6 percent of his passes. . Wide receiver Conner Vernon already holds the ACC record for catches in a career and needs 82 yards to set the ACC record for receiving yards. Then there is Jamison Crowder, like Vernon, he too is high in the ACC in catches (53) and yards (645).
Vernon has 54 catches for 761 yards. Both have scored five touchdowns. Also, let’s not forget that Desmond Scott has caught 45 passes for 453 yards.
“This year’s Duke team is different than the rest of the Duke teams we have seen growing up and stuff,” Clemson linebacker Tig Willard said. “These guys play hard. They are pretty good skill wise and their quarterback makes all his throws.”
Clemson (7-1, 4-1) hopes it can counter the Blue Devils’ attack with an offense that is averaging 41 points and 498 yards a game. Boyd leads the ACC in total offense at 326.8 yards per outing and ranks second in passing yards at 292.0. He has also thrown a league-high 20 touchdowns.
Those marks will more than likely go up against a Duke secondary that is beat up. Safety Brandon Braxton (lower body) is out for the game as is reserve safety Anthony Young-Wiseman (leg). Reserve cornerback Jared Boyd (leg) will also miss the game. The Blue Devils were already down two safeties from injuries earlier this season.
They also might be without their top sack leader, defensive end Kenny Anunike (lower body), who is listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game. To top it off, this will be Duke’s 10th straight game without a bye week. It’s schedule for one next week. Clemson knows how tough that can be. The Tigers did not get a week off in 2011 until after the ninth game of the season.
“That can be advantage for us,” Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris said. “This time last year, we were battling. We were just trying to make it through this last week and get to the bye week. It can be both mentally and physically draining.”
But Boyd thinks none of that matters, he knows, whoever is in there playing for Duke is going to step up and give it everything they have. He says you only have to go back to a couple of weeks ago when they played North Carolina and how they rallied in the final seconds to get a win against their archrival to know what to expect tonight.
“The Florida State team that beat Duke, that’s not going to be the same Duke team we see when we get there,” Boyd said. “I think the people on the outside are thinking, ‘Oh it is going to be this and that.’ But you have to remember that there is a certain respect to the game players have and how they compete.
“With us coming to Duke as a top 10 team, we are definitely going to get their best shot. It is a night game and these guys are having a phenomenal year. I think they are looking at this game as a measuring stick to the future of their program. They are saying, ‘Why not? What better thing than to go out there and beat Clemson at home.’ So for us, we have to be fully engaged and fully focused and ready to compete. We know it is not going to be easy when we get there.”