Clemson vs. Wake Forest Prediction: Welcome to the meat grinder, Demon Deacons

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Nov 19 13:00:07 GMT-04:00 2021

Finally, a big game in Death Valley. And while Clemson can’t win the ACC Atlantic with a win over Wake Forest Saturday, the Demon Deacons can clinch the title with a win over the Tigers.

It’s a common scene in Major League Baseball and in the NBA to see teams clinch championships away from home, something we saw the Atlanta Braves do this past postseason. The Braves had to travel back to Houston for Game 6 against the Astros and took care of business on the Astros’ home field. When you’re a fan, a player, or a coach of that home team, it’s hard to see the champagne corks popping inside your home.

While Wake Forest won’t have any champagne to pop, they are headed to Clemson with a purpose and that purpose is to defeat the Tigers and win the Atlantic. None of the orange-clad faithful want to see that celebration, not in Death Valley, not on Senior Day, not in the final home game of a tumultuous season.

Not now. Welcome to the meat grinder, Demon Deacons.

NR/RV CLEMSON (7-3, 5-2 ACC) vs. 10/13/12 WAKE FOREST (9-1, 6-0 ACC)

WHEN: SATURDAY, NOV. 20, NOON ET
WHERE: MEMORIAL STADIUM (81,500), CLEMSON, S.C.
TELEVISION: ESPN (Roy Philpott, Greg McElroy, Alyssa Lang)
RADIO: Clemson Athletic Network (Don Munson, Tim Bourret, Reggie Merriweather)
SATELLITE RADIO: Sirius 158, XM 193, Internet/App 955

CLEMSON/WAKE FOREST SERIES HISTORY

OVERALL: Clemson leads series, 68-17-1
HOME: Clemson leads series, 39-7
ROAD: Clemson leads series, 26-10-1
NEUTRAL: Clemson leads series, 3-0
LAST MEETING: Sept. 12, 2020 (37-13, W)
STREAK: Clemson, Won 12

NOTABLE

*A win on Saturday would keep Clemson's chances at an ACC Atlantic Division title alive. Clemson won five straight ACC Atlantic Division titles from 2015-19 and then earned an ACC Championship Game berth in a divisionless season in 2020.

*A win would also give Clemson at least six regular-season conference wins for an 11th straight year and pull the Tigers within three of the longest such streak in ACC history (Florida State, 14 from 1992-2005).

*Clemson will honor its decorated 2021 senior class on Saturday in a venue that has treated the group almost immaculately in their careers. There are five Clemson "super seniors" who were on the roster (but did not play) the last time Clemson lost at home (2016 vs. Pitt). This year's seniors will attempt to finish 26-0 at home in the last four years and would become the second straight senior class to go undefeated at home in a four-year span. The 2020 and 2021 seniors would be the first to post back-to-back undefeated home records over four years since the 1940 and 1941 Clemson seniors who played home games at Historic Riggs Field before the opening of Memorial Stadium in 1942.

*Saturday's contest will be played on the 52nd birthday of Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney. It will mark the second time the Tigers have played on Swinney's birthday in his head coaching tenure and will mark only the third time that Clemson has played on the birthday of its active head coach, including playing on Swinney's 41st birthday in 2010 and Red Parker's 43rd birthday in 1974.

*After an atypically slow start to the season, Clemson's pass rush has awakened in recent weeks. Clemson posted 17 sacks in the season's first seven games but has since posted 15 sacks in its last three. Clemson entered the year having reached the 40-sack mark in all seven previous seasons of the College Football Playoff era, the only team in the country to do. Clemson has recorded 32 sacks this season with two regular-season games (plus postseason) still remaining and needs eight more sacks to extend the 40-sack streak.

*Clemson is attempting to win its 13th consecutive game against Wake Forest, dating back to 2009. It would mark Clemson’s second 13-game winning streak in series history, trailing a 15-game streak from 1977-91. Clemson’s current 12-game winning streak against Wake Forest is the Tigers’ longest active winning streak against an ACC foe.

*Clemson is attempting to win its 34th consecutive home game to extend its school record for both the longest home winning streak and longest home unbeaten streak in school history (as well as extend the nation’s longest active home winning streak). Of the 131 players on Clemson’s 2021 roster, 126 have never experienced a home loss in their Clemson careers. Clemson (33) is attempting to move past 1900-03 Harvard, 1901-06 Nebraska and 1995-2000 Marshall (33 each) for sole possession of the 15th-longest home winning streak in FBS history.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR CLEMSON TO WIN

Clemson third down success, on both sides of the ball

Wake Forest is sixth nationally on third down, converting 50.97 percent of the time (79-155). The Clemson defense is 23rd nationally in third down defense, allowing opponents to convert just 33.54 percent of the time (53-of-158). When Clemson has had problems getting off the field on third down, it’s been because a mobile quarterback has either found huge holes run through or has found a tight end or wide receiver running wide open in the middle of the field. If those same players are running wide open Saturday, it will be a long day for Brent Venables’ group.

Clemson ranks 106th nationally in third-down offense, converting just 50-of-145 chances for a 34.48 percentage. Wake’s defense is 80th nationally in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert a little over 40 percent of the time (57-of-142).

Clemson’s offense sustaining drives

Yes, Clemson’s defense is really good, but they need some help against the Demon Deacons in staying on the sidelines. The Tigers have been able to put together drives the last month or so, but that has to take another step forward this week. Wake averages 80 plays per game, good for eighth nationally. You have to figure that Wake needs to be in the 60-play range while Clemson needs to be either in the same range or higher. This brings us to the next point.

Welcome to the meat grinder

Clemson had the offensive horses to get into track meets – if warranted – against teams in the past. Not this season and every game has taken on a familiar template of run the ball and grind it out. Clemson has forced teams to play its style of football. Wake has been in track meets all season, flying high and throwing the ball over the field and running when it needs to, but this Clemson defense is a different animal. The Tigers need to put Wake in the meat grinder, make that offense win a physical game. On the flip side, you have to think that the Wake defense, which has holes aplenty, will stack the box and try to stop the Clemson run game. The Tigers need for the offensive line to be physical, need for quarterback DJ Uiagalelei to at least be a threat in the run game, and to convert on those third downs.

In other words, put Wake in the meat grinder on both sides of the ball. That means blowing up that slow mesh the Wake offense is known for. If quarterback Sam Hartmann has the time to hold the ball while scanning the field, that offense is dangerous. If the mesh is blown up at the point of attack – and Clemson can do that – the Demon Deacons will have to find another way to move the ball.

Play well on special teams

I know this is every week, but the Tigers have shown flashes in recent weeks and Wake Forest has had issues covering kicks. This might be the week for a big return?

WHAT WILL HAPPEN

Clemson has the intangibles on its side. The Tigers are playing at home, playing to keep the win streak alive, playing to keep Wake Forest from celebrating in Death Valley, and playing to send the seniors out as winners. It will be another grind-it-out type of game, with Wake hitting a few shots and trying to run its offense. The Tigers will disrupt the mesh enough, and the Tigers will find a way to make a few plays down the field, keeping the Wake Forest defense honest. Tigers in another meat grinding thriller.

FINAL SCORE: CLEMSON 27, WAKE FOREST 23

More TigerNet picks

Mickey Plyler - The Roar 105.5 morning show host - 30-27 Clemson
Nikki Hood - Staff writer - 27-20 Clemson
Brandon Rink - Associate editor - 26-23 Clemson
Tony Crumpton - Associate editor - 27-20 Clemson
Zachary Wagner - Intern - 35-31 Clemson
Jake Pierce - Recruiting reporter - Clemson 27-24
Pigskin Prophet - 30-23 Clemson
Ryan Kantor - Contributing Writer - Wake Forest 34-31

PREDICTION TRACKER

Game	Actual	David Hood	Plyler	Nikki Hood	Rink	Crumpton	Wagner	Pierce	Prophet	Kantor
Georgia	10-3 UGA	27-20 CU	27-23 CU	24-17 CU	27-23 CU	28-24 CU	28-17 CU	31-20 CU	23-17 CU	-
SC State	49-3 CU	55-3 CU	54-0 CU	56-7 CU	61-7 CU	49-7 CU	55-10 CU	45-0 CU	45-0 CU	-
GT	14-8 CU	41-13 CU	51-10 CU	45-10 CU	45-13 CU	38-7 CU	45-7 CU	38-13 CU	48-10 CU	31-3 CU
NCST	27-21 2OT NCST	23-20 CU	27-13 CU	17-7 CU	24-17 CU	24-9 CU	24-3 CU	28-17 CU	24-16 CU	24-6 CU
BC	19-13 CU	24-20 CU	24-13 CU	24-13 CU	27-17 CU	24-9 CU	24-21 CU	24-20 CU	23-16 CU	23-21 BC
Syracuse	17-14 CU	31-20 CU	31-17 CU	38-14 CU	26-16 CU	27-13 CU	24-13 CU	27-13 CU	30-17 CU	23-13 CU
Pittsburgh	27-17 Pitt	27-23 Pitt	23-21 CU	24-17 Pitt	24-23 Pitt	21-20 Pitt	24-21 CU	31-27 CU	24-23 CU	21-19 Pitt
FSU	30-20 CU	20-13 CU	27-14 CU	28-10 CU	24-17 CU	28-13 CU	27-10 CU	23-14 CU	27-16 CU	24-14 CU
LOU	30-24 CU	27-20 CU	23-16 CU	23-20 CU	21-16 CU	24-17 CU	27-10 CU	23-17 CU	27-16 CU	24-21 CU
UConn	44-7 CU	47-6 CU	49-6 CU	40-3 CU	48-10 CU	45-6 CU	42-7 CU	38-3 CU	41-0 CU	49-3 CU
Points	-	10	9	12	8	12	7	7	9	10

* Points: 3 pts for best correct prediction of the week (tiebreaker is Clemson score), 2 pts for picking score exactly, 1 pt for picking the correct winner