Photo by: John Joyner.
Freshman running back Matt Dayes dives into the end zone during the football game against the University of Richmond in Carter-Finley Stadium Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. The Wolfpack narrowly defeated the Spiders 23-21.
The N.C. State football team will be under the national spotlight tonight as it opens ACC play against the No. 3 Clemson Tigers.
After two home wins to start his career with the Wolfpack, and a 14-0 home mark at Northern Illinois, head coach Dave Doeren’s home record will face its toughest test.
“Clemson is a very good football team and a very experienced football team,” Doeren said. “We know we’re going to have to play really well.”
Clemson (2-0), picked by members of the media to win the ACC in the preseason, is undoubtedly the toughest opponent the Pack have faced thus far and may be the stiffest challenge it faces all season.
The Tigers showcase quarterback Tajh Boyd. Boyd is a Heisman Trophy candidate, and he is one of the top players in the country.
Boyd, a senior from Hampton, Va., was voted ACC Preseason Player of the Year, racking up 105 of a possible 120 votes. He has completed 32 of 53 passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns in two games this season, wins over No. 9 Georgia and South Carolina State. He has also rushed for three touchdowns this year.
State fans certainly hope tonight’s game is similar to Clemson’s last trip to Raleigh, which came during the 2011 season. Needing a win to have any chance at a bowl game, the unranked Pack came out and demolished the then-No. 7 Tigers, intercepting Boyd twice in a 37-13 romp.
That was State’s only win against Clemson since 2003. The Tigers have won every Textile Bowl since then except the 2011 meeting, including a 62-48 shootout victory in Death Valley last season. Clemson leads the overall series between the teams 52-28-1, dating back to 1899.
Clemson’s offense has been clicking this season. The Tigers are averaging 45 points, 299.5 passing yards and 190 rushing yards per game. In addition to Boyd, they feature one of the top receivers in the nation in junior Sammy Watkins.
“I think we’ll play harder because of how good they are,” redshirt senior linebacker Zach Gentry said. “Our preparation has been a lot more thorough.”
The Wolfpack’s defense is only allowing 17.5 points per game. On offense, State will rely on the two-quarterback system consisting of redshirt junior Pete Thomas, a pocket passer, and freshman Bryant Shirreffs, primarily a runner. Thomas and Shirreffs will try to crack the talented Clemson defense, and will be assisted by junior running back Tony Creecy and freshman running back Matt Dayes.
Neither team has played since Sept. 7, giving both squads a bye week to rest and prepare.
“We’ve had a couple extra days to prepare, but we’ve also had a couple days off to get our bodies back,” Shirreffs said. “We’ve had some injuries, so the extra time has been helpful.”
The Tigers are the third top-10 team to visit Carter-Finley Stadium since 2005. The Pack has beaten the last two, including the aforementioned win in 2011 and a 17-16 win over then-No. 3 Florida State last season.
State upset then-No. 16 Florida State 28-24 in 2010 in its last Thursday night appearance at Carter-Finley,
Doeren said that State definitely has a chance to beat the Tigers, regardless of what both teams are ranked.
“With the crowd behind us, you never know,” Doeren said. “Being in the underdog role against a great team on national television is something that we’re really excited for. Now we just need to go do it.”