NC State football returns home to Carter-Finley Stadium to take on the Clemson Tigers in its homecoming showdown on Saturday, Oct. 28. 

This weekend’s game will mark the 91st meeting between the two programs, with the previous meeting coming last season at Clemson as the Tigers pulled out a 30-20 win over the Pack. Despite this, NC State hopes to recapture the same energy it had the last time the Tigers visited Raleigh when the Pack pulled off a double-overtime win in 2021. 

So far this season, head coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have largely struggled to live up to the high expectations that usually arise around the program. A normally perennial presence atop the ACC and NCAA, the 2023 season did not start in the Tigers’ favor. Despite opening as a favorite at Duke in its 2023 season debut, the Tigers suffered a double-digit defeat — their first loss to the Blue Devils since 2004. 

Things haven’t gotten much better for Clemson from there. More losses, including a recent one to Miami, have dropped the Tigers out of the top 25 and postseason contention altogether, allowing for NC State to capitalize on a number of the team’s weaknesses on homecoming.

Coming off a bye week, the Pack will surely be anxious to get back on the field after a frustrating loss at Duke on Oct. 14. On a night that saw most of the team struggle, the most frustrating part of the dismal loss was the Pack’s severe lack of offense. NC State was only able to compile 193 passing yards which was below its season average. 

This week’s matchup will be a tough one for sophomore quarterback MJ Morris as he looks to bounce back. The Tigers are currently the ninth-best passing defense in the nation in terms of yards allowed, giving up just 172 yards per game. NC State will look to get big contributions from freshman wide receiver Kevin Concepcion who hopes to continue his strong first year. However, the offense will need to get some help from its other targets as the next receiver in terms of receiving yards has close to 300 yards less than Concepcion on the season. 

The ground game is another area in which the red-and-white will need to improve on. After a performance against Duke in which it only put up 112 yards on the ground, the Pack’s backs will need to bring something different to the table as it once again faces another strong defense — Clemson currently only allows 104.1 rushing yards per game which is third-best in the ACC. The Tigers boast a formidable linebacker core which includes names such as Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. who has amassed an impressive 48 total tackles on the season and 8.5 tackles for a loss and Barrett Carter who has 38 total tackles of his own and 5.5 tackles for a loss. 

On the other side of the football, the Wolfpack’s defense looks to exploit a Tiger offense that has struggled to find solid ground this season. In his second season behind center for Clemson, quarterback Cade Klubnik has been able to put up solid numbers. He has posted a very respectable statline of 1,684 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He also had a quality game against Miami, tossing for over 300 yards. However, he has had a handful of games in which he has been rather limited and held to smaller results. 

If NC State’s defense wants to limit Klubnik’s production, it will need to keep an eye out for wide receivers Tyler Brown and Beaux Collins. On the season, both have a couple of touchdowns and each have over 350 receiving yards. The Tigers also have the talents of tight end Jake Briningstool who has collected 251 yards and three scores. The Pack, which currently allows 222 yards through the air per game, has some room for improvement after allowing 107 yards from just four completions against Duke. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly for the defense, it will be tasked with having to take care of running back Will Shipley. In his third year on the team, he has proven to be one of the best backs in the conference, consistently proving to be a factor in each of Clemson’s games. As it has throughout the season, the NC State defense will rely on graduate linebacker Payton Wilson to help engineer a wall that has largely helped prevent the success of opposing running backs this season. 

Coming off a bye week, a refreshed NC State squad will look to get back in the win column against a Clemson team that hasn’t found the success that the program is used to so far. Despite the Tigers’ record, the Pack will need to make sure it’s on its game if it wants to takedown the Tigers in front of a homecoming crowd. 

Kickoff between the Wolfpack and Tigers is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 in Carter-Finley Stadium. The game will be televised on the CW Network.