Clemson was never going to give Miami any bulletin-board material coming into this game. However, Jake Dickert is really feeling himself and his Wake Forest football team four weeks in. The Demon Deacons are 3-1 on the season and fresh off an upset road victory over Miami. While they did lose at home to Miami by two scores two weekends ago, he firmly believes he had the more physical team.
"One thing I left the game with saying we're the more physical team, and I think that's what we put on the table," Dickert said to David Pollack about Miami after Wake Forest lost to the Hurricanes 33-20 at home. "Now, their team speed is hard to deal with. We were just never able to quite get over the hump in the last fourth quarter. Obviously, they got us in the second quarter, and we couldn't overcome it."
Dickert confronted the elephant in the room about Miami. The Hurricanes are the most talented team in the ACC, but hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard... well, sort of. Wake Forest is a well-coached team, but not one dripping with talent. Simply put, if Clemson plays as hard as Wake Forest did versus Miami, the Tigers will have a chance. Otherwise, the mighty bear has been poked.
Coach Jake Dickert Says His Team Was More Physical Than Miami@CoachDickert @WakeFB pic.twitter.com/Lzd82MXNx3
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) October 1, 2026
Jake Dickert provided Miami bulletin-board material to whack Clemson
After getting blown out by LSU on the road in Week 1, Clemson cannot afford to get beaten like a drum versus another playoff-caliber team in Miami. Clemson may be up against it entering this one, but it cannot let all of the good momentum it has created after the last three weeks go to waste, especially when it comes to their concerning recruitment of late. Dickert's comments did not help.
Under Mario Cristobal, Miami has a nasty habit of losing games in conference play that it never should. By falling to Louisville and SMU last year, the Canes got into the College Football Playoff by the skin of their teeth. A Syracuse loss in 2024 kept them out of the 12-team field in 2024, while failing to take a knee versus Georgia Tech made the Hurricanes the laughingstock of the Power Four.
No, what Dickert said is not friendly fire. He is effectively setting Clemson up for failure on Saturday night by challenging Miami to be better while appearing on See Ball Get Ball. Even Pollack was kind of flabbergasted by what Dickert said. "What do you mean Wake Forest was the more physical football team?" All this means is Clemson's margin for error has gotten even tighter heading into this contest.
The stars better be out in full force, and then some, for Clemson. There are many ways Clemson can lose this game, but there is really only one pathway to victory that the Tigers can control. They must run the ball with conviction with Gideon Davidson as their lead back, play great defense, and continue to be sound on special teams. Only then could it be in Clemson's favor to watch Miami self-destruct.
Dickert may be destined for bigger and better things than Wake Forest, but this is such a tough look.
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