Clemson's Offense vs Wake Forest's Defense
The Tiger offense has a good chance to get some consistency going this week. The Demon Deacons can be taken advantage of but they have some bright spots. Linebacker Ryan Janvion and safety Brandon Chubb are among the top tacklers in the ACC. Defensive end Zachary Allen has 9 tackles for loss and may cause the biggest problems for the Tigers.
The Clemson Oline needs to perform well to keep this game from being close. The run game has to continue to develop. Also, Cole Stoudt has, what more than likely will be, his last chance to prove he can be a good QB. Deshaun Watson is close to coming back and will play Thursday if Stoudt is sloppy.
Wake Forest's Offense vs Clemson's Defense
This is a lopsided matchup. The Wake offense is ranked 105th, 125th, and 125th out of 125 NCAA FCS schools in pass yards per game, rush yards per game and total yards per game. The Clemson defense is ranked 5th, 10th, and 2nd in pass yards allowed per game, rush yards allowed per game, and total yards per game. The Demon Deacons are 122nd in points scored averaging 14.8 per game while the Tiger D is 10th giving up on only 18.3 points per game.
With that being said the Clemson D will need to remain focused. Wake has EJ Scott at receiver who has proven he can make plays. He is their biggest threat by far. Tight end Cam Serigne can be a good red zone threat. With the way the front 7 and the secondary are playing for Clemson it will be hard for the Deacons to get inside the 20. This defense takes pride in what they do. They won’t have a lack of focus.
Special Teams
The special teams for Wake Forest is actually pretty reliable. Punter Alex Kinal is good and kicker Mike Weaver is 9 for 9 on field goal attempts. Jared Crump has done well returning punts averaging 12.8 yards per return. This is where Wake can make up for their poor play. The Clemson special teams has been better as of late. Ammon Lakip has become a reliable kicker and Bradley Pinion has proved he is going to be punting for a long time as a pro.
X-Factor
The Clemson offensive line is the X-factor in this matchup. The Beard Gang has been inconsistent at this year. The Deacons will be pumped up for this matchup and will do everything they can to get pressure on Stoudt. A sloppy performance offensively could keep the Deacs in the game. A good performance by the line and the Tigers offense can control the time of possession enough to cruise to an easy win.
Prediction
Thursday night games are always dangerous for ranked teams on the road. The home team crowd is always pumped and especially when playing a ranked opponent. Early turnovers for the Tigers will keep the crowd in the game. Early scores will make them a non-factor. Expect Clemson run the ball a lot and try to get out to a comfortable win. Clemson wins 31-10.
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