By Will Vandervort.
Wake Forest ranks last in the FBS in rushing offense. Clemson’s rushing defense ranks 10th nationally. The Demon Deacons rank last in the country in total offense. The Tigers rank second in total defense.
Wake Forest is averaging 14.4 points per game, which ranks last in the country. Clemson’s defense is yielding just 18.3 points per game, which ranks 10th in the country.
It appears Wake Forest is in trouble.
“They don’t have to do a lot to be very good,” Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson said. “Their players understand their defense. They win individual matchups. Then on third down they become multiple and become that much more difficult to attack.
“When a team can play their base defense so well, it is a challenge attacking that.”
The Demon Deacons (2-6, 0-4 ACC) have played some pretty good defenses already this year in Utah State, Boston College and Florida State, but Clawson pointed out one area that will make trying to score on the Tigers Thursday night at BB&T Field very difficult.
“I think what is so solely impressive about Clemson is how strong they are in the middle of their defense,” he said. “The three-technique for them—(Grady) Jarrett—is probably as good as any defensive tackle we have seen all year. He can easily rush the passer. He has exceptional quickness and has a great motor. He is just so quick and so relentless that even when he is blocked he does not stay blocked.”
Jarrett has helped Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC) hold its last seven opponents to 69 yards rushing per game and teams have scored just 36 total points on the Tigers in the last four games. That’s not a good recipe considering Wake is averaging just 34.5 yards per game on the ground.
“We know that we struggle on offense and we know that they are a great defense, but this is how you measure yourself as a competitor and right now this is one of the programs that are kind of the high-water mark in the ACC, along with Florida State,” Clawson said. “This is where we want to get to and these are the teams you have to play and find a way to be successful against.”
Even when they have tried to throw the ball the Demon Deacons have had very little success. Freshman quarterback John Wolford has struggled all year. He has thrown for 1,377 yards and has completed 61.3 percent of his passes, but he has also tossed 13 interceptions and has thrown just seven touchdowns.
On Thursday he has to face a Clemson defense that ranks third nationally in sacks and has a pass defense that is fifth nationally and is allowing just 167.3 yards a game. Opponents are averaging just 5.7 yards per attempt and completing just 51.3 percent of their passes.
Clemson also ranks third in the country in three-and-outs forced and its third-down defense leads the nation at less than 23 percent.
“They mix it up with different pressures, whether it is zone pressure or man pressures or the different things they do. Then they have answers in personnel, they’re well coached and experienced,” Clawson said. “When you have those three things, they are the makings of a great defense. Some of the players at their positions are not just the best in the ACC, but some of the best in the country. It is going to be a great challenge, but it is a challenge our players want to embrace.”