Coming off its first loss of the season to No. 1 Florida State, the NC State football team now heads to Death Valley for a weekend showdown with ACC rival Clemson.
Despite Saturday’s 56-41 defeat, the Wolfpack (4-1, 0-1 ACC) goes into Saturday’s matchup with plenty of momentum. The Pack went toe to toe with Florida State for three quarters of play, moving the ball effectively, scoring points and forcing a couple of turnovers, which should boost confidence against the Tigers (2-2, 1-1 ACC).
“We believe we can beat anybody,” NC State Head Coach Dave Doeren said at the weekly ACC coaches teleconference. “We know that we can score on anybody, and we have that confidence.”
Redshirt junior quarterback Jacoby Brissett had an impressive showing against the defending national champions, going 32-for-48 with 359 yards and three touchdowns, while junior running back Shadrach Thornton tacked on 18 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman wideout Bo Hines also proved threatening, catching eight passes for 103 yards and one touchdown.
It’s no secret the Pack offense has improved in its second year under the leadership of both Doeren and Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada. However, when matching up against Clemson, the Pack faces a much stouter defense.
Boasting one of the best defensive lines in the country, Clemson will try to pressure Brissett and force him to scramble outside of the pocket. If last week’s game is any indication, Brissett has the ability to create plays on the fly, but the Pack would be wise not to rely on his scrambling ability.
Clemson’s defense does have some holes in the secondary, however, and surrendered 394 pass yards to UNC-Chapel Hill last weekend. Although they won the game, the Tiger’s defense gave up 478 total yards of offense to the Tar Heels, which bodes well for the Wolfpack’s up-tempo style.
State’s dominant running game might struggle to get going against the Clemson front seven as the Tigers rank T-27th in rush yards allowed, only surrendering 108 yards per game.
As for the Tigers’ offense, Clemson looks to go ahead with freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson had an impressive debut, throwing for 435 yards and six touchdowns; albeit, it was against a North Carolina defense that ranks 123rd in scoring defense.
Clemson receivers Gerome Hopper and Mike Williams combined for nine catches, 261 yards and four touchdowns, so the Pack’s secondary will have its work cut out when it faces the pass-happy Tiger offense on Saturday.
The rushing attack for the Tigers is mediocre at best, piling up 92 yards on the ground last weekend, but the Pack’s rushing defense has seen better days and may still have trouble against Clemson’s ground game.
“We’ve got to be great technicians,” Doeren said. “We’ve got to play above our heads from an effort standpoint.”
After Florida State last weekend and Clemson on the road on Saturday, come Monday, State will have faced the brunt of its conference schedule.
“It’s going to be a great challenge for our football team this week,” Doeren said. “[It’s challenging] for us to have to play the top two teams in our league back-to-back.”
The Wolfpack is a different team than it was a year ago, and the players and coaching staff know it.
“We’re way better than we were [a year ago],” Doeren said. “But we’re not as good as we can be.”
After Saturday’s road trip to Clemson, the Wolfpack returns home for a matchup with the Boston College Eagles on Oct. 11.
