Clemson Football: Scouting report vs. Wake Forest

Clemson football is riding a six game winning streak dating back to the National Championship. Can they extend it to seven against a gritty Wake Forest squad?

When? 12:00 pm ET, October 7, 2017.

Where? Memorial Stadium (Death Valley)

2016 Record: 7-6 (3-5 ACC)

Head coach: Dave Clawson (4th year)

Betting line: -23 Clemson

Returning starters: 15 total, 9 offensive, 6 defensive

Wake Forest is coming off of a tough loss to Florida State. While the game didn’t end well for the Deacs, they outplayed the Seminoles for three and a half quarters, which offers optimism. When Dave Clawson took over in Winston-Salem four years ago, the ‘Noles would have ran Wake Forest off of the field.

Thoughts

Given the way Clemson is playing entering the latter-half of their schedule, they will be favored in every contest from here-on-out. The Tigers’ defense is playing on an elite level, giving up just 10 points per contest. Clemson’s offense is holding up their end of the bargain, limiting turnovers and running the ball down opponents throats.

Wake Forest has one of the better defenses in the country, ranking 12th in scoring and 26th in total defense. While the Deacs have played well to this point, they don’t match up well with Clemson.

The Demon Deacons are stingy against the pass, but, struggle to stop the run. Conversely, Clemson’s biggest strength as an offense is its ground game. The Tigers are averaging 246 rushing yards per game, while Wake Forest is giving up 132 yards per game. If Clemson begins to run the ball at will, it’s going to be a long afternoon in Death Valley.

Wake Forest’s offense has their work cut out for them in this one. The Tigers’ front seven has terrorized every opponent to this point. Running the football is out of the question, which leaves the Demon Deacons with one dangerous option, throwing the ball.

Senior quarterback, John Wolford must make good decisions with the football. Otherwise, Clemson’s opportunistic defense will look to record it’s third touchdown on the year.

Next: 3 Storylines to watch vs. Wake Forest

Football is a game of matchups and Wake Forest is out-manned by Clemson in all three phases. That being said, the Demon Deacons are tough enough to cover the 23 point spread.