Game To Watch: #9 Clemson vs NC State: September 25, 2021

Clemson travels to Raleigh for their game against NC State on Saturday at 3:30 EST. The Tigers have won two straight after a season opening loss to Georgia, though they struggled to finish off Georgia Tech last week. The Wolfpack are also 2 -1 winning both their home games but losing on the road to Mississippi State between them. This is the conference opener for two teams that hope to contend for the ACC Atlantic title this year so a head to head win would be key.

Recent History

Clemson has won 59 of the 89 games between the two teams with one tie mixed in as well. The Tigers have dominated the series of late, winning eight in a row and 15 of the last 16. That run includes a dominant 55 – 10 win on the road in 2019 in the last meeting between the two teams. The Wolfpack’s most recent win against Clemson came in 2011 when they won 37 – 13.

Top 25 Players

What To Watch For…

Will NC State Score Enough Against Clemson?

Clemson’s defense has been impenetrable this season. The defense has yet to allow a touchdown (Georgia scored one on a pick six) and as a team the Tigers are allowing just seven points per game. Their star studded defensive line has been disruptive, dominating the line of scrimmage and creating pressure on the quarterback, but they will be without defensive tackle Tyler Davis for the rest of the season. The Tigers have held their opponents to 4.2 yards per play and have gotten stingier as opponents get closer to the red-zone. The defense made a goal-line stand to seal the victory against Georgia Tech last week. NC State’s offense will have to be at their best to get the Clemson defense on it’s heels. The Wolfpack do have plenty of the pieces needed to challenge a good defense. They have a talented veteran quarterback, a big play receiver, an athletic and talented offensive line and two running backs who can dominate a game. With a good game plan, the Wolfpack could challenge Clemson’s defense and make enough big plays to put pressure on the Tigers, but again a lot has to go right for that to happen.

Can Uiagalelei get on Track?

When DJ Uiagalelei relieved Trevor Lawrence in 2020, he had two strong performances against Boston College and Notre Dame. In 2020 he completed over 66 percent of his passes, averaged 7.8 yards per attempt and threw 5 touchdowns with no interceptions. Expectations were high for Uiagalelei coming into the 2021 season as he stepped into the starting role. So far he has not lived up to those expectations, completing just 59 percent of his passes, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. For Clemson to continue their high level of play they need their quarterback to get back on track and live up to those expectations. NC State’s defense has been good this year and will not make it easy for the Tigers. They are dealing with some major injuries, but have held opponents to 10.3 points per game. The Wolfpack have stopped the run (2.8 yards per carry against), forced turnovers (4 interceptions), and shutdown the opposing passing game (5.5 yards per attempt). NC State’s defense is not the easiest to get on track against, but Uiagalelei has to turn it around for the Tigers to beat a good opponent.

NC State’s Injuries on Defense

NC State’s defense has been excellent in 2021, but they did lose two starters to season ending injuries. Linebacker, Payton Wilson, and safety, Cyrus Fagan, are two key starters for the defense and will be sorely missed going forward. Wilson led the team in tackles last season and emerged as a star for the Wolfpack. Fagan has been a contributor over the past several seasons and had 9 tackles and an interception in the first two games of 2021. That’s two key players in the middle of the defense that will be out for the Wolfpack. This will create confusion in the back seven and make it tougher for NC State to adjust to different looks Clemson presents. The Tigers have to make a jump on offense and will need their play-makers to exploit the weaknesses in the defense. The offense has plenty of weapons ready to make big plays including Will Shipley and Justyn Ross, if they can get them matched up with the right guys on defense it will help Clemson break out of it’s offensive slump. NC State’s defense needs it’s depth to maintain the same level of play they showed earlier this year to beat Clemson on Saturday.

Prediction

Clemson’s defense has been playing great this year and that’s not going to change in a week. North Carolina State does have the balance to keep Clemson guessing and the play-makers to hit a few big plays against the Tigers. DJ Uiagalelei has struggled this year, but should get some mismatches against the shorthanded Wolfpack defense. The Tigers will score enough to pull out a tough road win, but this game will be too close for comfort. Clemson 24 NC State 23.

NCSU-MarchingBand-Sep2013.jpg image taken by Edward T. Funkhouser is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

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