After bouncing back with a win against Furman last weekend, NC State football is set to begin ACC play inside Carter-Finley Stadium. Its opponent is No. 9 Clemson, a team it has lost to eight consecutive times.
“I’m excited for the opportunity,” said head coach Dave Doeren in his weekly presser. “Anytime you get to play a team like this that’s been the gold standard in our league, it’s a great opportunity for your football team.”
This is a chance for the veteran Wolfpack bunch to get a massive win in front of its home crowd. The Tigers have not been playing their best, losing their opening game to then-No. 5 Georgia, and barely beating Georgia Tech at home 14-8 in week three.
Coming into the season, new Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei had lofty expectations put on his shoulders. It’s fair to say he has not lived up to those quite yet. Uiagalelei has thrown for just 475 yards and one touchdown in three starts. Expect the Wolfpack to pressure Uiagalelei all afternoon Saturday to try and make him uncomfortable in his first road conference start.
The Tigers have new faces in the run game as well, led by freshman Will Shipley, who NC State heavily recruited but ultimately fell short with. Shipley has four touchdowns so far in his young career and is averaging 58.3 yards per game. Uiagalelei can be a threat to run the ball out of the pocket too.
“[Clemson’s] quarterback is a big dude,” Doeren said. “He’s got a live arm, and you can see he’s not afraid to run the football and use his body.”
Helpful for Uiagalelei is his veteran receiving core led by Justyn Ross and Joseph Ngata. Ross leads the team with 14 catches while Ngata is right behind him with 11 receptions. Both of these players are dangerous with the long ball.
What has been most impressive with the Tigers so far is the play of their defense. Clemson has yet to give up an offensive touchdown. The only touchdown put up on the Tigers this season was a pick-six in week one against Georgia.
The heart and soul of Clemson’s defense is linebacker James Skalski. He leads the team with 27 tackles. On the defensive line, NC State will need to be wary of defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, a former No. 1 recruit in America. The sophomore leads the team in sacks and is tied for the lead in tackles for loss.
“[Clemson] has only given up seven points a game,” Doeren said. “Their defensive front is very, very tough. They’re impressive.”
The NC State offense did not look good earlier this season against Mississippi State, which is its only other game against a Power Five opponent. This upcoming game will give redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary another chance to prove himself against the best.
A balanced passing and running package with junior running back Ricky Person Jr. and sophomore running back Zonovan Knight could be the key to pulling off the upset in Raleigh.
If the Wolfpack wins, it will be in the driver’s seat to advance to its first ACC Championship game since 1979. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, with the game being televised on ESPN.
