RALEIGH, N.C. — There’s a lot on the line as fourth-ranked Clemson travels to No. 20 NC State today for a pivotal ACC Showdown at Carter-Finely Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.
The winner of today’s 3:30 p.m., kick gains control of the ACC’s Atlantic Division and is one win from securing a spot in next month’s ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, N.C.
This is a game that will clearly be won in the trenches as both teams boast some of the best offensive and defensive lines in the ACC.
Who has the edge in this contest?
Clemson’s D-Line vs. State’s O-Line: This might be one of the best matchups in college football today. Clemson, led by defensive tackles Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence and defensive ends Austin Bryant and Clelin Ferrell, leads the nation with 32 sacks. NC State on the other hand ranks ninth in the country in sacks allowed with nine and is led by left tackle Tyler Jones (6-3, 300) and center Garrett Bradbury (6-3, 298). However, Clemson’s fearsome foursome owns 16.5 of the defense’s 32 sacks. A big challenge for an NC State line that has played teams that have had issues getting to the quarterback. South Carolina has just 17 sacks this year, while Marshall has 23, Florida State 11, Syracuse 10, Louisville 17, Pittsburgh 14 and Notre Dame 19. The Tigers also rank eighth nationally with 67 tackles for loss, while NC State has allowed 49 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. So the Tigers will have an opportunity to make some plays in the backfield this afternoon. Advantage: Clemson
Clemson’s O-Line vs. State’s D-Line: NC State has one of the best front fours in all of college football. Led by defensive ends Bradley Chubb and Kentavius Street the ‘Pack loves to use their front to get pressure on the quarterback and cause havoc in the backfield. Chubb leads the ACC with 7.5 sacks. So far this year, NC State has 55 tackles for loss, which ranks seventh in the ACC, while its 20 sacks rank fifth in the conference. Also, how banged up is the defensive front after last week’s Notre Dame game? The ‘Pack lost three players on the defensive line—defensive end Darien Roseboro and defensive tackles Justin Jones and Eurndraus Bryant—to injury. All three are expected to play today, but how effective will they be? The Tigers offensive line is one of the best in the ACC when it comes to limiting tackles behind the line. Clemson has given up just 41 such tackles, which ranks tied for second. However, giving up sacks has been a different issue. The Tigers have allowed 18 sacks, which ranks eighth in the conference. Advantage: NC State
Clemson’s defense vs. NC State’s Jaylen Samuels: NC State uses utility player Jaylen Samuels in all kinds of ways. He is a tight end, an H-back, a wide receiver, a running back and a kick returner. He is one of the best all-purpose players in the country. Dave Doeren and his crew also do a great job of hiding and confusing defenses on where he is at on the field. He leads the ‘Pack with 56 receptions for 474 yards and three touchdowns. He also has 210 rushing yards and a team-high seven rushing touchdowns. He also leads the squad with a 29-yard average on kickoff returns. He also has thrown the ball twice. The one thing defensive coordinator Brent Venables does as well as anyone is shuts down an opposing team’s best player. However, last year, Samuel had nine catches for 100 yards. Advantage: NC State
Clemson’s wide receivers vs. State’s secondary: This could be this biggest mismatch of the game. NC State ranks last in the ACC in passing defense, allowing 264.1 yards per game through the air. Opponents have averaged 7.3 yards per attempt, while completing 57 percent of their passes for 12 touchdowns with just six interceptions. Though Clemson is not known as a passing team this year, quarterback Kelly Bryant has proven over and over again he can make the big plays in the passing game if he has to do it, plus having wide receivers like Ray-Ray McCloud, Deon Cain and Hunter Renfrow give him the targets he needs to make big plays down the field. NC State has given up 19 plays of 25 or more yards and most of those have come from the secondary. They have also allowed 43 plays over 15 yards. In comparison, the Tigers have allowed just 13 plays of 25 yards or more, and 27 plays over 15 yards. Advantage: Clemson
Bottom Line: There are a lot of reasons for Clemson to be concerned about NC State. A lot of people think back to last year’s game when NC State came within a few feet of beating Clemson in Death Valley. The ‘Pack’s defensive line gave them trouble and held the Tigers to 117 rushing yards. But people forget Clemson totaled nearly 500 total yards in that game and had control of the game for much of the day. However, the Tigers turned the football over five times, four times in the red zone and another that was a pick-six. The biggest question coming into the game is how beat up is NC State after the Notre Dame game, a game in which they allowed 318 rushing yards. NC State matches Clemson on the offensive and defensive line and the offense can cause some issues with all its window dressings, but the biggest disadvantage in this game is Clemson’s skill players against NC State’s back seven. The Tigers should make enough big plays to make a difference in this game.
Prediction: Clemson 31, NC State 10