The Clemson football team will face its first true road test of the 2021 season this Saturday afternoon when the Tigers travel to Raleigh to take on the N.C. State Wolfpack.
Both Clemson and N.C. State come into this game with a 2-1 record and the winner of this matchup will take the inside track in the ACC Atlantic Division race.
The Tigers are considered a double-digit point favorite, but there are certainly concerns for how they’ll attack this N.C. State defense and if the offense can finally get going as a unit after three-straight weeks of mediocrity.
What should we expect from the game plan this weekend for Clemson football?
Clemson defense vs. N.C. State offense
N.C. State has a lot of veteran pieces on this offense and they will be the most competent offense that Clemson has faced this season, including Georgia. The Tigers have yet to give up a touchdown on the season, but that could definitely come to an end this week when you look at N.C. State’s offense.
The Wolfpack have a capable passer in Devin Leary, who doesn’t mind running the ball when called upon and they have two hard-nose runners in Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person Jr. They like to run on that left side behind their big left tackle and they also like to go tempo and throw a bunch of quick screens to the outside. There’s a good mix of wide receivers and one thing I’ve seen is that they do a good job of blocking in the boundary to set up those screens.
So, how does Clemson’s defense attack? The first key will be getting to the passer and creating negative yardage plays in the running game. Clemson is going to have to rely on the defensive line and linebacker blitzes to get in the backfield and force pressure. This is an offense that can be forced into mistakes if you’re getting pressure in the backfield.
Next, the cornerbacks specifically are going to have to be strong in their coverage and play on the edge. Andrew Booth Jr. and Mario Goodrich are going to need to power through blockers and stop those screens before they get going.
Finally, it will be the safeties’ job to not let anything over the top– which N.C. State will absolutely try, especially off of play-action.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Brent Venables mix in some different looks– including a 3-man front at times– but the expectation is that they’ll roll with the 4-down linemen for most sets and mix in the nickel package to deal with the passing game.
Clemson offense vs. N.C. State defense
The Clemson football offense has been putrid thus far and, honestly, N.C. State’s scheme isn’t going to help them get better.
N.C. State is going to run a 3-3-5 with the plan of not letting anything behind them. There will legitimately be times where the Wolfpack will have all five DBs in a straight line across the field about 8-10 yards from the line of scrimmage. They’ll mix in a lot of blitzers and, honestly, I would expect them to send pressure early and often.
Not only will they send pressure, there will be times where they come to the line of scrimmage and show seven blitzers just to have four of those guys drop back in coverage. They want to make the quarterback uncomfortable and that’s especially going to be true with a shaky D.J. Uiagalelei.
So, how do the Tigers need to go about beating this defense?
The key will be establishing the running game with Will Shipley and making N.C. State come up and stop it. If the Wolfpack can send three guys and still stop the Tiger offense– like UGA did in Week 1– this will be a long afternoon. The offensive line has to establish itself and open up holes for Shipley and Uiagalelei to get to the second level running the ball.
In the passing game, it’s going to be about not making mistakes, remaining patient and picking your times to take shots down the field. The thing about only having six guys in the box and the defense being spread out is that you should be able to find holes in zone for quick, easy passes. They’re not going to be 40-yard gainers, but they should at least keep the defense honest and move the chains.
N.C. State wants Clemson to ‘dink and dunk’ its way down the field and that’s what the Tigers are going to have to prove they’re capable of doing. Once you methodically drive down the field without making mistakes, the defense will begin to play up and they’ll have to tighten up. They may even drop out of their three-high safety look. That’s when you can take some shots down the field.