Five Clemson football players who’ll have big games vs. Virginia Cavaliers
Following an open date, the Clemson football team will be back in action this Saturday against the Virginia Cavaliers.
The Clemson football team enters the matchup as a 29-point favorite and the game is scheduled to kickoff at 8 p.m. on the ACC Network live from Death Valley.
As we continue to prepare for the rematch of the ACC Championship game from a year ago, here’s a look at five Clemson football players who’ll have big games against Virginia.
5. Trevor Lawrence
We debated whether or not to even include Trevor Lawrence on this list because it’s almost a given at this point- and the rest of our names aren’t obvious- but, in the end, there was just something about the Clemson quarterback that warranted him being on the list.
Lawrence has been one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the country through the first few weeks of the season and there’s no doubt that he is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at this point.
Because of that, look for Lawrence to have a big night.
He’s going to put up some stats and absolutely will have a night to remember as he goes up against this Cavaliers defensive backfield.
4. Joseph Ngata
We’ve seen some big performances from Clemson football receivers through the first two games, but not much from Joseph Ngata.
Through the two games, Ngata has three receptions for 48 yards and no touchdowns. To make matters tougher, the sophomore wide receiver suffered an abdominal injury against The Citadel and has been nursing that back to health over the course of the last couple of weeks. He is listed as questionable for the game Saturday.
That being said, I just have a feeling that we see Ngata play and that he has a big night. Look for the Tigers to get him involved and for him to take advantage of a size mismatch.
3. Derion Kendrick
Dabo Swinney has talked a lot about the ‘love’ he has given to Derion Kendrick over the course of the preseason and into this season.
Kendrick missed the first game against Wake Forest and played a limited role against The Citadel, a team who simply doesn’t throw the ball that often. Look for him to be completely unleashed this week against Virginia.
Kendrick is the best coverage cornerback on this roster and I expect that we see him single-handedly take this secondary to another level with his abilities Saturday night.
2. Amari Rodgers
Clemson has shown the desire and commitment to opening up the middle of the field through its first two games and we should expect that to continue as the season progresses.
Amari Rodgers has emerged as one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets and it’s my opinion that he’ll have a big night, perhaps reeling off a couple of explosive plays for multiple touchdowns.
Rodgers has been extremely effective from the slot this season and he’s a major mismatch for the safeties and linebackers from Virginia if the Tigers choose to use him in that fashion.
1. Myles Murphy
Leading off our list is none other than the big freshman himself, Myles Murphy.
Murphy is the leader in sacks, tackles for loss and tackles for the Tigers heading into this game and I believe we’re going to see him reach a new level this week.
Look for Murphy to create havoc in the backfield, come away with some spectacular plays and potentially have another multiple sack day.
There’s something special about Myles Murphy and that’s going to be on display Saturday night in Death Valley for thousands of Clemson football fans to see in person and many more watching from home.
Clemson and Virginia will square off at 8 p.m. E.T. live on the ACC Network.