Clemson football will host the NC State Wolfpack today. Here are three keys to a Tiger victory and much more heading into the ACC Atlantic Division matchup.
The Clemson football team will look to take complete control of ACC Atlantic Division with a win over the NC State Wolfpack Saturday afternoon in Death Valley.
The Tigers are coming off an impressive 63-3 win over Wake Forest and are looking to solidify their College Football Playoff hopes.
It should be a fun game to watch. First, let’s take a look at the broadcast information for the game and then we’ll follow that up with our keys to victory.
Game Information via Clemson Tigers.com:
Who: #3 Clemson Tigers vs. #16 NC State Wolfpack
Where: Memorial Stadium– Death Valley
When: Saturday, Oct. 20 at 3:30 p.m.
TV Channel: ESPN
TV Announcers: Sean McDonough (Play-by-Play), Todd Blackledge (Color), Holly Rowe (Sideline).
Where to Listen: Clemson Tiger Network Radio Affiliates, 105.5 the Roar App.
Radio Announcers: Don Munson (Play-by-Play), Rodney Williams (Color), Tim Bourret (Color), Reggie Merriweather (Sideline)
Where to stream: WatchESPN
Betting Line: Clemson -16.5
Keys to a Victory:
Here are our three keys to a victory for the Tigers Saturday afternoon in Death Valley.
- Establish a rushing attack
Offensively, Clemson needs to look to run the ball first. Get Travis Etienne involved early and let him take over the game. That, in itself, will open up the passing game. NC State is going to try and take away the run game, but the Tigers need to commit to running the ball even if it doesn’t come easy at first.
- Don’t turn the ball over
This may be an obvious one, but it’s the truth. The only way NC State wins this game is if the Tigers turn the ball over. Trevor Lawrence needs to make the Wolfpack respect the pass. Lawrence needs to refrain from getting timid and the Tigers need to take care of the ball.
- Slow down the pass by creating pressure
We all have talked about the secondary’s importance in this game. But, stopping the pass begins with creating pressure. The defensive line needs to get Ryan Finley rattled. The line needs to get into the backfield and make him force passes. That will alleviate some of the pressure on the Tigers’ secondary.