Five burning questions for Clemson vs. Virginia Tech ... and a score prediction
No. 3 Clemson (8-1, 7-1 ACC) will close out the regular season at Virginia Tech (4-5, 4-4) on Saturday.
The Tigers can clinch a spot in the ACC championship game with a win over the Hokies. If Clemson does beat Virginia Tech, it will earn a rematch with Notre Dame in the ACC title game on Dec. 19 in Charlotte.
Clemson is a 22.5-point favorite for Saturday’s matchup, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. and be televised by ABC.
Here are our top five questions heading into the game:
1. Can Trevor Lawrence improve his Heisman chances?
Lawrence slipped in the Heisman race after testing positive for COVID-19 and missing two games. He returned to action this past weekend against Pitt and immediately picked up where he left off. Lawrence passed for 403 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers. Lawrence now has the third-highest odds to win the Heisman at 9-1, behind Florida’s Kyle Trask (-135) and Alabama’s Mac Jones (+150). Lawrence has completed nearly 71% of his passes this season and has thrown for 2,236 yards, with 19 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said this week that Lawrence definitely deserves the award, but that doesn’t mean he will win it.
“The best player in the country is Trevor Lawrence. I mean, I don’t really care what anybody says,” Swinney said. “He doesn’t need to win the Heisman for that to be the case. Most logical people out there know that. ... That’s why he’ll be the first pick in the draft and it won’t be close.”
2. Which Virginia Tech team will show up?
The Hokies have been up and down throughout the 2020 season. Virginia Tech enters the matchup 4-5, with three of its five losses coming by a touchdown or less. That includes a one-point loss to No. 10 Miami on Nov. 14. However, the following week was a disaster for the Hokies as Virginia Tech suffered a 47-14 loss at Pitt. Virginia Tech allowed Pitt to pass for more than 400 yards in the 33-point loss. The Hokies were off last week, before returning to action this Saturday against Clemson.
The Tigers easily handled Pitt this past weekend, winning 52-17.
3. Will Virginia Tech be able to run the ball against Clemson?
Virginia Tech leads the ACC in rushing, averaging 251 yards per game. Clemson is third in the league in rush defense, allowing only 103 yards per game. Something has to give on Saturday.
Clemson has been without defensive tackle Tyler Davis and linebacker James Skalski for much of the year. The two played together for only the fourth time all season this past week against Pitt, and it’s probably not a coincidence that Clemson had one of its best defensive games of the season. Still, even with those two back, Khalil Herbert (103 yards/game) and Hendon Hooker (90 yards/game) will provide a tough challenge.
4. Will Clemson’s offensive line continue to improve?
Swinney and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott have continued to say they are pleased with Clemson’s O-line. However, the Tigers currently rank 11th in the ACC in rushing at 144 yards per game. That’s not great considering Clemson has arguably the best running back in the country in Travis Etienne.
For comparison, the Tigers rushed for 240 yards per game last season. Clemson’s front did hold its own against Pitt’s stout defensive line last week, and they will try to build off of that performance against Va. Tech. The Tigers would love to have a strong showing before an expected matchup with a really good Notre Dame defense on Dec. 19.
5. Can Cornell Powell continue to make history?
Clemson’s senior receiver is in the midst of a breakout season and has made plenty of history along the way. Powell had 176 yards this past week against Pitt and 161 yards in Clemson’s previous game against Notre Dame. He has put up three consecutive 100-yard receiving performances, which ties a school record. He is also one of three receivers in school history — joining DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins — to produce back-to-back 150-yard games.
Powell will look to continue his streaks on Saturday against a Hokies defense allowing 274 yards per game through the air.
Clemson-Virginia Tech score prediction
Virginia Tech should come out inspired after a week off to think about being embarrassed by Pitt. Hokies coach Justin Fuente is also rumored to be on the hot seat and could be coaching for his job. Virginia Tech should put up its best effort, but it won’t be enough. The Tigers will clinch a spot in the ACC title game for the sixth consecutive year.
Pick: Clemson 41, Virginia Tech 17
Clemson football 2020 schedule, game scores
Sept. 12: Clemson 37, Wake Forest 13
Sept. 19: Clemson 49, The Citadel 0
Oct. 3: Clemson 41, Virginia 23
Oct. 10: Clemson 42, Miami 17
Oct. 17: Clemson 73, Georgia Tech 6
Oct. 24: Clemson 47, Syracuse 21
Oct. 31: Clemson 34, Boston College 28
Nov. 7: Notre Dame 47, Clemson 40, 2 OT
Nov. 14: Open
Nov. 21: Open
Nov. 28: Clemson 52, Pitt 17
Dec. 5: at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m., ABC
This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 7:58 AM.
