5 burning questions for Clemson against Wake Forest ... and a prediction
No. 3 Clemson will host Wake Forest in an ACC game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ABC) at Death Valley in Clemson. The Tigers have won 10 consecutive games in the series, including a 63-3 win last year at Wake Forest.
Here are our top five questions heading into the matchup:
1. Can Wake Forest move the ball without two of its top receivers?
Wake Forest will be without two of its top three receivers on Saturday as Sage Surratt and Scotty Washington will miss the game with injuries. Surratt leads the ACC in receiving with 66 catches for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns. Washington is third on Wake’s team in receptions (35) and yards (607) and is second in touchdowns (7). The two, along with Kendall Hinton, would have provided the toughest matchup for Clemson’s defensive backs this season. Surratt in particular is a huge loss as he was playing like an All-American.
“You hate it for them. He is a great player. Great ball skills, great finisher on the ball. That’s a tough loss for them for sure,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “They have solid depth but he’s definitely a difference-maker.”
2. How will Clemson hold up against the best passing offense it has faced?
Clemson has played nine FBS team entering this weekend’s game and none of them have a top 25 passing offense. North Carolina, the team that gave Clemson its toughest test of the season, is the closest at No. 27. The Tigers will face the best quarterback they have all year in Wake Forest’s Jamie Newman, who is averaging 287 yards per game and has 22 touchdowns, with seven interceptions. As a team, Wake Forest is averaging 314 passing yards per game, good for No. 11 nationally.
“Offensively everything starts with this quarterback. He’s a pro, no doubt about it,” Swinney said. “He is big. He’s accurate. He’s a physical runner. He’s 6-foot-4, 230 pounds and can make all the throws.”
3. Can Trevor Lawrence keep his impressive streak going?
The sophomore has passed for three touchdowns in five consecutive games, becoming the first Clemson quarterback to ever accomplish that feat. Lawrence has also put his early interception issues behind him as he has not thrown a pick in three consecutive games. After tossing five interceptions in the first three weeks, Lawrence has three interceptions in his past seven games.
“Just being a little bit more focused. I was prepared well for the other games too, but it’s just an extra layer of focus these past few weeks that has been the difference for me,” Lawrence said. “Before every snap, really going through everything that they can do, going through my pre-snap checklist has been big for me. Just a little bit of extra focus I would say.”
4. Will Wake Forest top 300 yards of offense?
Clemson has held every opponent this season to under 300 yards of offense. The only other defense in the country to do that since 2000 is the Alabama defense in 2011. Statistically, this will be the best offense Clemson has faced as the Demon Deacons are No. 13 nationally, averaging 487 yards per game. But Clemson’s players and staff are aware of the streak and would love to see it continue.
5. Will Clemson’s seniors be able to keep their emotions in check?
The Tigers will have several players playing their final game at Death Valley, including offensive linemen John Simpson, Gage Cervenka, Sean Pollard and Tremayne Anchrum, receiver Diondre Overton, linebacker Chad Smith and safeties K’Von Wallace, Tanner Muse and Denzel Johnson. Juniors Isaiah Simmons, A.J. Terrell, Tee Higgins, Travis Etienne and Amari Rodgers could be playing in their final home game as well. It will be an emotional day for the players, but they will need to keep their emotions in check and play well against arguably the second best team in the ACC.
Prediction: Even with Wake Forest down two of its top three receivers, the Demon Deacons should be able to make some plays in the passing game. Wake will be motivated to keep the game competitive after losing 63-3 on its home field last year. But Wake Forest’s defense has really struggled this year and will have a hard time slowing down Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne and company.
Pick: Clemson 45, Wake Forest 20
This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 1:41 PM.
