CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Clemson - NC State Preview


by - Correspondent -

Clemson takes their 2-0 ACC record into Raleigh Saturday night to face a slumping North

Carolina State Wolfpack squad. The Wolfpack, blown out by Florida State and Wake Forest in

their last two outings, will be trying to climb back into the ACC race behind senior

quarterback Jamie Barnett. A win for Clemson further cements the Tigers as a serious

contender for a top-three finish in the ACC.

QUARTERBACKS- Entering his senior season, Jamie Barnett was billed as

one of the stars to watch in the Atlantic Coast Conference. To say that his play in the

Wolfpack’s first four games has been disappointing would be quite an understatement.

The fact is that Barnett and the entire NC State offense has been awful, averaging only

222-yards per game, last in the ACC. Barnett has completed only 50% of his passes for a

paltry 578 yards with five interceptions and only two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Woodrow

Dantzler was forced to take over as triggerman in the Clemson offense when Brandon

Streeter fractured his collarbone against North Carolina. In 2 ½ quarters against the Tar

Heels, Dantzler shook off early jitters and performed admirably. The sophomore rushed for

82 yards and a critical touchdown while passing for 131 yards, including a 49-yard

touchdown strike to Rod Gardner. Most importantly, Dantzler didn’t make any critical

mental errors in an effort that will undoubtedly boost his confidence. Despite his solid

performance last Saturday, Dantzler will be the "X" factor when the Tigers take

on NC State. While he has the natural athletic ability, Dantzler is still short on

experience. Barnette has been bad, but he’s had the battlefield experience to get the

edge in this category.

Advantage: NC State

RUNNING BACKS- Travis Zachery finally returned to the form he showed

last season on Saturday, rushing for 129-yards and a touchdown on 28 carries against UNC.

Now the challenge will be for the Tigers to put together some measure of consistency in

the rushing attack on a game-to-game basis. NC State has struggled at establishing the

running game, with the Wolfpack averaging 104-yards on the ground and only 3.1-yards per

carry behind running backs Rahshon Spikes and Ray Robinson. When you have the #7 rushing

team (Clemson) in the league going against, #8 (NCSU), don’t expect to seean

offensive explosion on the ground.

Advantage: Even

NC STATE RECEIVERS VS. CLEMSON SECONDARY- NC State misses Torry Holt

like the Chicago Bulls miss Michael Jordan. Without his All-American wide-out to throw to,

Jamie Barnette has struggled to find a consistent target in the Wolfpack offense. As a

result, NC State comfortably brings up the rear in the ACC in passing offense, averaging

only 118 yards per outing. Even with his numerous drops, Chris Coleman has been the only

Wolfpack receiver to show signs of life thus far with 23 receptions. Meanwhile, the

Clemson secondary is as strong as it has been in years. Tiger fans beware: Robert Carswell

has NFL-caliber talent as a junior. Hopefully, he’ll decide to stick around for

another season.

Advantage: Clemson

CLEMSON RECEIVERS VS. NC STATE SECONDARY- In direct contrast to the

Wolfpack wide-outs, Clemson’s receiving nucleus of Rod Gardner, Mal Lawyer, and Brian

Wofford continues to shine. While NC State boasts two seniors at the corners with Lloyd

Harrison and Tony Scott, the Tiger’s size and speed will be quite a test for the

Wolfpack secondary.

Advantage: Clemson.

NC STATE OFFENSIVE LINE VS. CLEMSON DEFENSIVE LINE- The Wolfpack

offensive line has failed to consistently control the line of scrimmage in their first

four games. Jamie Barnette has been harassed in the backfield and Wolfpack running backs

have struggled to find holes. Clemson’s front four have been pushed around in the

first three games but were solid against North Carolina.

Advantage: Clemson

CLEMSON OFFENSIVE LINE VS. NC STATE DEFENSIVE LINE- The Tiger

offensive line bounced back strong against UNC after being dominated by Virginia Tech.

Quarterbacks Brandon Streeter and Woodrow Dantzler had enough time in the pocket to pick

apart the Tarheel secondary while Travis Zachery was able to find daylight behind

effective run blocking. The Wolfpack’s young defensive line allowed a previously

dormant Wake Forest team to explode for sizable chunks of yardage on the ground. None the

less, NC State is still third best in the ACC at stopping the run.

Advantage: Even

LINEBACKERS- NC State has implemented a new 3-4 scheme this season

with limited effectiveness. The Wolfpack linebackers have shown potential, but their

overall play has been somewhat soft. Clemson’s young linebacking corps came up big

against UNC behind Keith Adam’s five tackles for loss. The Tigers will have to make

up for their inexperience at the position against NC State with continued speed and

aggressiveness in order to contain Barnette.

Advantage: Even

SPECIAL TEAMS- While much has been made of Clemson’s field goal

kicking woes, it is important to note that the Tigers have been solid in every other facet

of special teams play. Mal Lawyer exploded for a 32-yard punt return against North

Carolina and the Tigers continue to be effective on punt and kickoff coverage. The kicking

accuracy has remained poor, but the snaps, holds, and special teams coverage has been

mistake-free. As for NC State, their best offense may be their punt-blocking unit as

Wolfpack special teams have been largely responsible for two of the team’s three

victories. Against both Texas and South Carolina, NC State capitalized on a total of four

blocked punts to put up points while the Wolfpack offense was virtually non-existent. The

Tiger punt unit will have to be on top of their game to fend off the Wolfpack’s

dangerous punt rush.

Advantage: NC State

COACHING- When Brandon Streeter went down against North Carolina,

Clemson fans let out a collective groan. But instead of folding up the offensive tent, the

Tiger offense exploded for 24 points with Woodrow Dantzler at the helm. While Dantzler

certainly deserves credit, Tommy Bowden and Rich Rodriguez should take a bow for play

calling that allowed the inexperienced sophomore to gain confidence in leading the team to

a huge win. Mike O’Cain is a capable coach, but the Tiger staff is as ingenious as

any in the nation.

Advantage: Clemson

Without a doubt, the biggest factor in Saturday night’s game will be the play of

Woodrow Dantzler. While his scrambling ability has never been questioned, it will be

critical for Dantzler to be sure he doesn’t have an open receiver before taking off.

The Tigers will need a solid all-around effort to defeat a Wolfpack team that should be

hungry after two straight losses.

PREDICTION: Clemson- 24 NC State- 16

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