When NC State invades Death Valley to take on Clemson this Saturday, two high-scoring offenses will look to keep those gaudy numbers going. Somebody’s defense will need to step up or else the scoreboard will resemble an ACC basketball game.
Both teams have proven they can keep teams at bay in certain games this season. Clemson held Jameis Winston-less Florida State to 17 points in regulation.
The Wolfpack gave up 74 points in their first four games this season, getting them to 4-0. Then they surrendered 56 to Florida State (with Jameis) in Raleigh. While hanging 41 points on the number one team in the land is quite a feat, it matters not if they outscore you 49-17 through the last three quarters.
As of now, Clemson is favored by two touchdowns, with the over/under at 67.5. If I were a betting man, I’d put money on the over.
NC State and Clemson come into this game ranked 25th and 26th, respectively, in point scored. Defensively: 72nd, and 78th (ppg allowed).
With Clemson having found their starting quarterback in Deshaun Watson, this game could come down to who makes more big plays: Watson or NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett played great at home against the Seminoles, going 32 of 48 with 359 yards and three touchdowns. He added another 38 on the ground.
In his first start, Watson went 27 for 36 with 435 yards and a school record six touchdowns. This was at home against the defense optional North Carolina Tar Heels, who actually improved on their previous week by not giving up 70. Clemson did hang half a hundred on the Heels, and you can bet they’ll employ the same attack against the Wolfpack secondary.
The points shouldn’t come as easy against the Wolfpack, who have answered the questions about their defense and quarterback issues. UNC has been scored on in every quarter except one this year, and ranks 126th in defense. Don’t expect the Pack to be as porous as the Heels against Deshaun Watson.
NC State held their own for a half against the defending national champions, and if they can muster the same effort against Clemson they’ll stay in this one as well. If they keep the fight going through three quarters, then the pressure will be on freshman Watson and the Tigers.
If Vic Beasley and the Clemson defense show up in Memorial Stadium the way they did in Doak Campbell, then the Wolfpack might have trouble closing that two-touchdown spread. The Tigers benefited from a lack of Heisman presence in their road loss at FSU, but weathered a hostile environment and were a few plays away from winning the game. If they keep Jacoby Brissett contained, get him uncomfortable, and force bad decisions, they should cruise to another home win.
If both offenses show up, stay tuned. I could see both teams getting five touchdowns apiece. There goes the under. But if I had to make a score prediction, based on seeing the teams through their first leg of the year, I think State can get four touchdowns, a couple in bunches, before Clemson’s defense shows up to lock them down. I don’t think the Wolfpack, once again, have the firepower to stay with a top-tier conference foe. I’ll go 44-31 in favor of the Tigers.
This could not only be a separation game in the Atlantic, but for the ACC itself. If Clemson holds sway and wins they’ll stay second in the pecking order behind FSU. If the Tigers win out (with South Carolina looking as winnable for the Tigers as they have in years) then they could secure that Orange Bowl New Year’s Six bid for the ACC. This all involves Florida State remaining a mainstay in the projection for the College Football Playoff.
With Georgia Tech the lone unbeaten in the Coastal, and the rest of that division dead-set on losing a handful of games, this game in Clemson becomes huge for where the teams may fall in December. The ramifications are bigger if NC State pulls off the upset. If they send Clemson to two conference losses, and below .500 overall in early October, they have opened the door for an outlier to make it to Miami for the Orange Bowl.
If State can stun the Tigers, then Louisville is the next tallest task. Virginia took some luster off the Cardinals, as did Wake Forest, giving up only 20 in defeat at Louisville. The Wolfpack would be one win away from a bowl, and could start working towards moving up in ranks for a quality ACC bowl game.
With the Atlantic Division the more clear-cut call, second place was always meant for the loser of the FSU-Clemson game. The Tigers gave it a go, but fell again to the Seminoles. Clemson has won easy games on their schedule and fallen to two ranked teams in Georgia and FSU. They’ve figured their quarterback out, so now they can focus on getting back up to a notable national position. They have winnable games left, with Georgia Tech in Atlanta looking more and more interesting. Both teams can tell us a lot about who is joining Florida State in the upper level of the division and conference.
Thank you for reading. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Main Photo:
