Clemson will honor its 2019 senior class with Senior Day today, as the third-ranked Tigers welcome Wake Forest to Death Valley for a 3:30 p.m. kick.
Clemson’s seniors hold a 51-3 overall record in the last four seasons, standing as one of only five senior classes in FBS history to post at least 51 career wins in four years. The group is 26-1 in Death Valley, 29-2 in ACC regular season play (32-2 against the ACC overall) and has spent its entire tenure in the AP Top 10, including an active streak of 34 consecutive appearances in the AP Top 5.
The Demon Deacons (7-2, 3-2 ACC) would love nothing more than to wreck Clemson’s Senior Day Festivities, as well end their College Football Playoff aspirations, with a win at Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers (10-0, 7-0 ACC) have won 21 straight games at home and are going for a school-record 22-game winning streak today.
Who has the edge?
Travis Etienne vs. Wake Forest’s run defense. In the last five games, no one has been able to stop Etienne. The Tigers’ star tailback has rushed for 752 yards and 8 touchdowns during that stretch. He also has improved greatly in the passing game and has added 2 more scores as a receiver. Etienne is averaging 8.9 yards per carry and has 1,214 yards overall. He is tied for the league lead with 13 rushing touchdowns. Wake’s rushing defense ranks 9th in the ACC, allowing 164.0 yards per game. Opponents have averaged 4.2 yards per carry and have scored 12 times. Advantage: Clemson
Trevor Lawrence vs. Wake’s secondary: Like Etienne, Lawrence has been on a role as well. After starting the Louisville game rough—3-for-9 for 9 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns—Lawrence has not thrown an interception in the last 15 quarters and is completing 79.3 percent of his passes. In those 15 quarters, he has completed 65-of-82 passes for 993 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has thrown at least 3 touchdowns in each of the Tigers’ last five wins. Wake’s pass defense is allowing 243.8 yards per game and has given up 17 touchdowns. Opponents are completing 60.5 percent of their passes. They do, however, have 9 interceptions, which is tied for third in the ACC. They are giving up 7.3 yards per attempt, which ranks 11th in the conference. Lawrence is averaging 9.1 yards per attempt, which ranks second in the ACC. Advantage: Clemson
Wake’s rushing offense vs. Clemson’s defense. This is a big matchup because the Demon Deacons cannot afford to be one dimensional against the Tigers’ defense. Clemson will feast on quarterback Jamie Newman if Wake Forest can’t run the ball with some kind of success. The Demon Deacons are averaging 173.2 yards per game on the ground, but just 3.9 yards per carry. In their last three games, the running game has struggled to run the ball consistently, running for just 116, 123 and 63 yards in those three games. Clemson’s run defense isn’t as dominant as it has been in the past. However, the Tigers have improved up front, especially with its starters, who are not giving up much ground at all in the rushing department. Clemson’s first-team defense has allowed just 2 rushing touchdowns all season. Though Newman is one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC and leads the league in passing, the Tigers would want nothing more than to see him have to beat them with his arm. Advantage: Clemson
Bottom Line: Wake Forest will be without star wide receiver Sage Surratt, who is lost for the season with a shoulder injury he suffered in the loss at Virginia Tech. He had 66 receptions for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns before being injured. He is just the sixth wideout in Wake Forest history to record a 1,000-yard season. Wide receiver Scotty Washington is also listed out for Saturday’s game. On defense, the Demon Deacons had already lost starting linebacker Justin Strnad and rover Luke Masterson for the season due to injuries. Wake is not as beat up as NC State was last week but losing its top two targets on offense will make life hard for Newman and the offense going against Clemson’s defense. The Tigers on the other hand are rolling on both sides of the ball. The Tigers still have not allowed an opponent to gain 300 yards of offense this season and is giving up just 11.5 points and 251.5 yards per game, overall. On offense, Clemson has been unstoppable the last 5 weeks. The Tigers are averaging 52.6 points and 605.6 yards per game.
Prediction: Clemson 55, Wake Forest 17
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