By Will Vandervort.

For the first time in several weeks No. 19 Clemson will actually have a little bit of experience and, arguably, quality depth along the offensive line when it visits Wake Forest’s BB&T Field on Thursday.

The Tigers, who will be looking for their sixth consecutive victory, plan to start Isaiah Battle at left tackle, David Beasley at left guard, Reid Webster at center, Eric Mac Lain at right guard and Kalon Davis at right tackle.

Ryan Norton, who has started 20 of the last 21 games at center, is being benched in favor of Webster, while Joe Gore will back up Davis at right tackle and Mac Lain will backup both guard positions. As for Norton dropping down to second team center, Swinney said he just needs to get back to being consistent.

“Sometimes a guy has to be challenged a little bit and Ryan is a guy that has responded in practice,” Swinney said. “Football is important to him. He has not played the consistent football that we have seen him play. We have to get him dialed in. He is one of the more consistent guys we have in our program and we have to get him back to being that consistent performer on the field.”

The only setback for the Tigers on the offensive line is reserve center Jay Guillermo. The coaches were hoping to have him back for the Wake Forest game, but Swinney said the redshirt sophomore had a setback in practice and will not play.

As for the guys that will play in Winston-Salem, N.C., the Clemson coach wants to see them play with the same sense of urgency the entire game as the offensive line had in the fourth quarter against Louisville, Boston College and Syracuse .

“If you go back and look at that Syracuse game, that last drive, and who is the game, we kept it for eight minutes and 17 seconds and then took a knee – my challenge is let’s don’t wait until the fourth quarter.

“The last two games, in the fourth quarter, our offense has kind of responded and come alive. We need to bring that fourth quarter mentality to the start of the game.”

Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC) played both the Louisville and Boston College games with only five offensive linemen and in the Syracuse game Gore and Crowder played as reserves. The Tigers finished that game with Davis at left tackle due to Battle’s one-game suspension, Mac Lain at left guard, Reid at center, Crowder at right guard and Gore at right tackle.

“I think (offensive line coach) Robbie Caldwell is Coach of the Year,” Swinney said. “I think he has done a tremendous job cross training guys, challenging guys – we found ways to win.

“It is easy to look at our defense, and they have been tremendous defensively, but we pulled it together on offense and we have had a lot of young guys developing.”

With all the injuries and the defections on the offensive line this year, Swinney says it has been a different kind of challenge, but it has been fun to see how those guys up front have responded to the different situations.

“Reid Webster might be the MVP,” the Clemson coach said. “It is unbelievable what we have gotten out of Reid Webster and the commitment he has made to help this football team win. Kalon Davis, guys that are tremendous competitors and have maximized their opportunities.”

And as a team Clemson has found different ways to win games. As for the offensive line, Swinney just wants them to play the entire game the same way they have been playing in the fourth quarter.