Keys to Victory: No. 3 Clemson vs No. 16 NC State

The Tigers and Wolfpack have quickly become the battle at the top of the Atlantic Division. Certainly, Clemson has cemented themselves as the top team in the division, but with Florida State and Louisville's decline, NC State has emerged as the top challenger to Clemson's crown.

This season, both teams enter undefeated, and the winner would appear to have a stranglehold on a trip to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game. 

Clemson will attempt to pick up where it left off before the open date, which featured running back Travis Etienne and the Tiger rushing attack taking aim at the team record book. Etienne has rushed for three touchdowns in each of Clemson's past two games, and with a repeat performance this week, he would become the first player in school history to score three rushing touchdowns in three consecutive games.

The Match Up:

Clemson (6-0, 3-0) at NC State (5-0, 2-0)

Clemson vs. NC State 2017 Highlights:

Clemson vs. NC State 2016 Highlights:

All-Time Series:

Clemson leads: 57-28-1
at Clemson:  Tigers lead 28-11-1
at NC State: Tigers lead 21-16
Neutral: Tigers leads 8-1
Last Meeting: Clemson won 38-31 in 2017 
Last NC State win: 37-13 in 2011
Last 10 Meetings: 9-1 Clemson
Streak: Clemson has won six in a row and 13 out of 14 in the series

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Stat of the Week:

Death Valley will once again play host to a matchup of undefeated teams when Clemson welcomes NC State to Death Valley. Kickoff from Memorial Stadium is set for 3:30 ET on ESPN.

The Tigers opened the season with six consecutive victories for a fourth straight year following their 63-3 win at Wake Forest. Clemson became the only team in ACC history to start 6-0 in four straight seasons. NC State enters the game at 5-0, making the Wolfpack the fourth consecutive undefeated opponent to enter Memorial Stadium to face Clemson this season (Furman 0-0, Georgia Southern 2-0, Syracuse 4-0, NC State 5-0).

Key 1: Force NC State to play behind the chains

The irresistible force meets the immovable object as Clemson's defensive line looks to get after Ryan Finley and a Wolfpack offensive line that's only yielded two sacks this season. In fairness, after looking back at some of the tape, a large percentage of the success has come from Finley's awareness.

The Wolfpack are the best team in college football on third-down conversion percentage at nearly 61%. The Tigers will need to keep that number well below NC State's average. Clemson is one of the top defenses in the country against third-down conversions. Game on.

One incredible stat delivered by Mark Packer this week on his radio show is that through six games, Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell, Dexter Lawrence, and Austin Bryant have yet to be held according to the officials. The only flag for holding came on Texas A&M's late-game two-point conversion which the Tigers declined after K'Von Wallace's interception on the play.

The Tigers need to get after Finley and it's our stance that freshman Xavier Thomas will play a big role in today's game. The freshman defensive end has been a blur off the edge and has the potential to be extremely disruptive with his colleagues up front.

Key 2: E.T. Phone Home

Earlier this week we broke down Travis Etienne's hot start to the season, and it feels like Clemson's staff has finally recognized that he needed more touches. The sophomore has quickly become one of the biggest threats on the ground in America.

This week, we looked at how the Jennings, Louisiana native's stats hold up against the past three Heisman Trophy-winning running backs and it's fair to say that he has more than held his own.

If the Tigers stay committed to Etienne and the running back unit, Clemson may be able to break through what has statistically been a tough defensive front. The Tigers' stable of backs is far and away the best unit that NC State has seen should be able to stress their defensive front.

The Tigers are averaging 6.96 yards per carry this season, more than a full yard better than the current team record (5.72 in 2006).

Key 3: Win the turnover battle 

From the files of Captain Obvious, we present our third key. This one is one that everyone harps on, but the fact is, Clemson's defense needs to be better in this area. It's not happenstance that teams like Alabama and Miami are always finding their way into the end zone on the defensive side of the ball.

Sure, there is an amount of luck that goes into it, but the fact is, you make your breaks. You play with an edge, and you turn defensive plays into glorified kick returns. It's time for Clemson's defense to begin making game-changing plays with more regularity.

This season Clemson is 86th in the country with just eight turnovers forced with their lone defensive touchdown against Georgia Tech on Ferrell's fumble recovery in the end zone.

Prediction:

We hear the buzz coming from Raliegh this week as the Wolfpack hope to surprise the Tigers, but we believe that the last two nail-biters against NC State have left Clemson with more than enough awareness of what the Pack are capable of doing.

The other aspect of this game is the fact that Dave Doeren has caught the ire of Clemson fans and that could come back to bite the Wolfpack. It's a 3:30 kickoff in Death Valley, but our guess is that fans will have the volume ramped up as if Florida State or South Carolina were making their way into Death Valley.

With that in mind, we think Clemson's defense and an electric environment are too much for the Wolfpack as the Tigers will not sleepwalk for one second on Saturday. Keep an eye on special teams as they have been the difference in the past two Clemson victories in the series.

Final Score Predictions: 

Perfect Prediction = 5 points              Best Prediction = 3 Points         Correct Prediction = 1 Point 

**Pick of the Week: Indicates the best prediction given for that game.