Wofford defensive back Darron Paschal did not hold back on his feelings about playing in front of 80,000 Clemson fans this Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
“I know it is going to be a sight to see. I have never experienced anything like it,” he said on Wofford’s official YouTube channel.
The Terriers (5-2, 4-1 SoCon) will play the third-ranked Tigers at Death Valley at 4 p.m., on Saturday. The game will be televised by the ACC Network.
“Clemson is a great organization from top to bottom,” Paschal said. “Great coaches, great players and we get to see how we stack up against the best of the best.
“As a competitor, that is what you live for. You want to see where you stand up and I feel like this will help us in the end. After seeing such great talent, going into three conference games, we are going to be a little bit at ease, like feeling a little more confident after this game.”
Wofford will be a heavy underdog to a Clemson team that has won straight 23 games and is once again in position to contend for another national championship.
For the Terriers, they look at it as an opportunity to see how they stack up against the defending national champions from the FBS level.
“I think as a competitor, even as coaches you want to go compete against the best,” Wofford head coach Josh Conklin said. “Coach (Dabo) Swinney is arguably one of the best head coaches in the country right now. Coach (Brent) Venables, down there, I have known him, and he is a great defensive coordinator and their offensive coaches … So, as a coach, you look at that and I know as players they are going to be excited to go. They are going to be excited to matchup against the best of the best.”
Wofford is coming off a 35-34 overtime victory over UT-Chattanooga and has won five straight games after starting the season 0-2. However, they know Saturday’s game at Death Valley will be a challenge like no other, especially when it comes to trying to stop quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne and wide receivers Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross and Amari Rodgers.
Oh yeah, on the defensive side they have to account for defensive tackle Tyler Davis, linebackers Isaiah Simmons, Chad Smith and James Skalski, cornerback A.J. Terrell and safeties Tanner Muse and K’Von Wallace.
Defensive end Xavier Thomas could also be back after missing the last two games with a concussion. Swinney said on Tuesday he is listed as day to day as he remains in concussion protocol.
“They understand that. They know who the Clemson Tigers are,” Conklin said. “They know who they are as players and as a program. I think they will be excited to go compete and go lay it on the line for sixty minutes.”
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