Five burning questions for Clemson against Wake Forest — and a prediction
No. 1 Clemson will travel to face Wake Forest in its season opener on Saturday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Clemson is a 33-point favorite for the matchup, which will be televised on ABC. Here are our top five questions heading into the game:
1. Can Cornell Powell live up to the hype?
The senior receiver was praised throughout spring practice, and the compliments continued once preseason camp got underway. Powell has earned a starting job for the opener and has a chance to play a big role in Clemson’s offense with Tee Higgins now in the NFL and Justyn Ross out for the year. Coach Dabo Swinney said Powell stood out every day of preseason camp. We’ll find out on Saturday if that’s going to carry over into the season and if Powell can become a go-to guy for quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
2. Will Bryan Bresee be a big-time contributor immediately?
The top-ranked player for the class of 2020 has been described as looking like anything but a freshman since arriving on campus in January. Swinney has described Bresee as a “bigger, more athletic, stronger, a little more heavy-handed” version of Christian Wilkins when Wilkins was a freshman. That’s a strong statement considering Wilkins was a freshman All-American in 2015. Bresee is listed as a co-starter for Saturday and should have plenty of opportunities to show what he is capable of.
3. Will Trevor Lawrence once again have early season struggles?
Don’t count on it, but it’s worth asking after Lawrence threw five interceptions in the first three games last year. Lawrence spent the offseason working on his footwork, pocket presence and accuracy and is anxious to show off his hard work this weekend. More will be on Lawrence this year without his top two receivers from 2019 in Higgins and Ross, but he believes he is up to the challenge. Lawrence should have his way against a Wake Forest pass defense that allowed 253 passing yards per game last season, which ranked No. 101 nationally.
4. How will Mike Jones and Clemson’s new-look defense perform?
Clemson lost eight starters off of last year’s defense and will also be without starting defensive end Xavier Thomas for at least the first half of the year as Thomas battles his way back to full strength after suffering from COVID-19 and strep throat this summer. The most notable loss off of last year’s defense is linebacker Isaiah Simmons, who was drafted No. 8 overall by the Arizona Cardinals. Mike Jones has the task of replacing Simmons, and while it’s unfair to expect him to be Simmons, Clemson has confidence that he can perform at a high level. The other big hole the Tigers must fill is at cornerback where first-round pick A.J. Terrell must be replaced. Mario Goodrich and Andrew Booth battled for the starting spot opposite Derion Kendrick during fall camp. Swinney knows who the starter will be but declined to reveal the decision this week.
5. Can Wake Forest keep the game competitive?
Demon Deacons quarterback Jamie Newman transferred to Georgia this offseason, before opting out of the season altogether. Leading receiver Sage Surratt also opted out of the season to prepare for the NFL draft. Wake Forest has quietly won at least seven games in four consecutive years, but with what Clemson returns on offense and what Wake Forest lost from its offense it’s hard to see this game staying competitive throughout.
Prediction: Swinney is a master motivator, and after a challenging offseason for the Tigers and everyone in college football, expect him to have his team ready to play. Swinney said that COVID-19 can be “a competitive advantage, or a competitive disadvantage” depending on your mindset. Expect Clemson to have the right mindset on Saturday and the Tigers to roll.
Pick: Clemson 45, Wake Forest 6
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
