Keys to Victory: Clemson vs. Wake Forest

Clemson Sports Talk

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Each week, we review the game’s history, three keys to success, and Swanny’s prediction.

The Match-Up:

Clemson (3-2, 1-2 ACC) vs. Wake Forest (3-1, 0-1 ACC)

Clemson is in search of its 15th straight win against Wake Forest. Clemson's last loss to the Demon Deacons came on Oct. 9, 2008, a defeat that led to the elevation of Swinney to head coach four days later. Swinney is 14-0 against Wake Forest, and among coaches to start their head coaching careers in 1996 or later, he is the only coach to win his first 14 games against a single FBS opponent, according to Stats Perform.

Series History:

• OVERALL: Clemson leads series, 70-17-1
• HOME: Clemson leads series, 40-7
• ROAD: Clemson leads series, 27-10-1
• NEUTRAL: Clemson leads series, 3-0
• LAST MEETING: Sept. 24, 2022 (51-45, 2OT W)
• STREAK: Clemson, Won 14

Roster:

Stat of the Week:

Clemson is attempting to improve to 62-3 at Memorial Stadium in the College Football Playoff era (since 2014). The Tigers are also attempting to improve to 37-2 at home against ACC opponents in the CFP era. Clemson is 47-3 against the ACC in its last 50 conference home games at Death Valley, a figure that dates to the Tigers’ first conference home game of 2011.

Clemson will also attempt to avoid losing back-to-back games at Memorial Stadium since 2008 in Tommy Bowden's final home game as head coach and Dabo Swinney's first home game as interim head coach.

Chasing History:

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney will attempt to tie College Football Hall of Famer Frank Howard as Clemson's all-time winningest head coach when his Tigers host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on Saturday, Oct. 7. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C., is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.

Howard, "The Bashful Baron of Barlow Bend," compiled a 165-118-12 record in 30 seasons at Clemson from 1940-69. His final win came against Maryland on Nov. 1, 1969, and his 165 career wins will enter Saturday having stood alone at the top of Clemson's leaderboard for a total of 19,698 days, just shy of 54 years. A victory would pull Swinney even with Howard and give Swinney a 165-41 all-time record. Howard coached 295 career games at Clemson and won his 165th game in his 292nd career game. Swinney can accomplish the feat in his 206th career game with a win on Saturday.

Last week, Swinney earned his 100th regular season conference win, matching Howard's 100 conference wins at Clemson in a career that included membership in both the Southern Conference and the ACC. Swinney earned his 100th ACC regular season win on the same day Virginia Tech, a four-time ACC Championship program with a four-and-a-half season head start on him, earned its 100th ACC regular season win.

Key 1: Upfront Pressure

Clemson’s defensive line set the tone last weekend against Syracuse, rocking Garrett Shrader early. The same recipe could bode well for Wes Goodwin’s group today as they battle Wake Forest’s slow mesh offense. 

With a handful of veterans leading they way, expect Clemson to attack aggressively at the line of scrimmage in hopes of speeding up the amount of time that quarterback Mitch Griffis gets to read the defense.

It should also be noted that freshman T.J. Parker has been a huge bright spot upfront and he has a chance to become the first Clemson player to record 2.0 sacks in consecutive games since linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. did so against South Carolina and North Carolina last season. Parker would be the first Clemson defensive end to accomplish the feat since Clelin Ferrell in 2018.

Key 2: Keep Cade Cooking

His first season as Clemson’s starting quarterback hasn’t been perfect. There have been plenty of bumps in the road so far, but those “growing pains” seem to be paying off as Cade Klubnik looks much more confident in Garrett Riley’s offense. 

I think you also have to consider that there was a coaching change for Klubnik. Regardless of how excited many of you were to see Brandon Streeter’s exit take place, you still have to recognize that there was a shift. Those changes don’t come without a hurdle or two, and perhaps last weekend showcased that the Tigers signal-caller is getting closer and closer to being very comfortable in the new system. 

Watching Klubnik step up in the pocket sure felt like a development worth noting after watching him run around the way a 12-year-old plays Madden. If that type of play becomes a regular occurrence for the Tigers, it could set the tone for the offense moving forward, giving Riley and Klubnik more confidence within the offense.

Key 3: Kicking Confidence 

I really believe one of the storylines to follow is the confidence that Clemson can pick up in the kicking game this weekend against Wake Forest. It may not be mission-critical that Jonathan Weitz knocks through a field goal this afternoon against the Demon Deacons, but it would certainly be nice.

If the kicking game can gain more confidence from 35 to 45 yards out before the Tigers face teams like Miami, Notre Dame, and South Carolina later in the season it could pay off in a big matchup.

Prediction:

I've had a bit of a hot streak with my predictions over the past few weekends and I don't expect that to change as we venture into today's matchup in Death Valley. I think much like the Riley Skinner Era a lot of Wake Forest’s recent success was about Sam Hartman, who the Tigers will face when Notre Dame comes to Death Valley on November 4th.

To me, this Wake Forest team doesn't have enough to keep up, and the Tigers pull away.

Clemson 42, Wake Forest 17

Swanny’s Predictions: 

✅ = Correct Prediction