Clemson Tigers vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Football Preview

The stakes are high, but the teams involved aren’t playing their best football entering week 11.

By mid-afternoon Saturday, the ACC’s Atlantic Division will be all but settled – either No. 9 Clemson (8-1, 5-1 ACC) clinching its second division-title in three seasons, or Wake Forest (5-4, 4-2 ACC) taking its next step to the ACC Championship Game, with only divisional cellar-dweller Maryland left at home next weekend on the conference schedule.

After jumping out to an 8-0 start, the Tigers fell first on a Saturday night at Georgia Tech, 31-17, where the Yellow Jackets ran at-will to 383 rushing yards and all four touchdowns off rushes. Clemson had an open date last Saturday to stew over the loss as well this past week.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest reeled off a 5-2 record before UNC rolled up 562 yards in a 49-24 win, and Notre Dame shut out the Demon Deacons in the second half last week to a home 24-17 loss.

For Clemson, this is the second-straight game facing a team attempting to stave off a three-game losing streak, but the Deacs have won just twice in Clemson Memorial Stadium since 1962, in a series that’s been played 58 consecutive seasons.

The matchup features the ACC’s top two receivers, who both wear the No. 2, in electric Clemson freshman Sammy Watkins and elite Wake Forest junior Chris Givens.

Givens tops the ACC with 985 receiving yards and a 109.4 per game average with eight touchdown receptions, while Watkins leads the conference in receptions per game (7) and touchdown receptions (10) – and on Givens’ heels on receiving yards (972) and per game average (108).

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Givens and Watkins run 10th and 11th nationally in receiving yards per game, and the Tiger freshman’s kick return totals make him the ACC’s all-purpose yard leader (1,675 yards) – Givens ranks ninth in the category (1,080 yards).

Their quarterbacks aren’t exactly coming in on a roll though, as Demon Deacons sophomore Tanner Price misfired three interceptions to a spot on the bench for the fourth quarter of the UNC loss, but recovered against Notre Dame, hitting 17-of-24 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown.

Clemson sophomore quarterback Tajh Boyd leads the ACC in total offense, but struggled in his last effort, throwing two of his five interceptions on the season and completing 23-of-40 passes with one passing touchdown against Georgia Tech.

His Tigers get a boost this week with starting running back Andre Ellington returning to action, after sitting out the Georgia Tech with an ankle injury.

Ellington rushed for a career-high 212 yards with two touchdowns on the road at Maryland in mid-October before rolling his ankle against UNC three weeks ago.

If Wake Forest is pulling off the upset, they have to contain the top-15-ranked Tigers’ total offense of new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, which has averaged 38 points and over 473 yards per game. His spread scheme has produced the second-most improved offense in the nation, both in total and scoring offense (138.6 yards and 14 points per game more this season).

The Deacs counter that improvement on defense though, moving from 102nd to 54th in total defense from this point last season to this season, 112th to 71st in scoring defense.

By: Brandon Rink
DFN Sports Staff Writer