Colburn excited for opportunity to play at No. 1 Clemson

Playing the No. 1 team in the country will add extra motivation for several Wake Forest players on Saturday, but Demon Deacons running back Matt Colburn is eager to play Clemson for a different reason.

The former Dutch Fork star will have several friends and family members at Death Valley this weekend when the Demon Deacons face off against the top-ranked Tigers. Colburn said he is excited for the chance to play football again in his home state.

“I’m so fired up about it. My blood’s boiling for the game,” he said. “Growing up in South Carolina, people were either going for Clemson or South Carolina. I wasn’t a fan of either team, but half of my friends I graduated with are at South Carolina or Clemson.”

Up until close to Signing Day in February, Colburn thought he would face the Tigers as a member of Louisville’s team, but the Cardinals asked him to grayshirt at the last minute, leaving him scrambling and searching for a school.

Colburn ended up at Wake Forest and has played well in his freshman season. He has 63 carries for 228 yards and scored a touchdown in his first college game against Elon.

“I was pretty stressed out. I took a visit here and I just fell in love. I pretty much committed and signed that day,” Colburn said. “Everything really worked out for the best. Now that I’ve been here a good bit I see that the Lord has great plans in the midst of things that may seem terrible or tragic. It’s really gratifying.”

Colburn added that he has a great relationship with the Wake Forest coaching staff and he is thankful for the opportunity they provided him.

“It just says a lot about the atmosphere here and what kind of people and coaches are here. I wanted to be a part of something bigger,” he said. “All of my life I’ve always embraced challenges. I knew it was going to be a challenge playing in the ACC and playing top-notch opponents every week.”

Colburn has gotten double-digit carries in four games this season and had played in every game before last week at Notre Dame.

His most productive day came when he rushed for 51 yards in a 24-16 loss to Florida State.

“It’s definitely a different game from high school. There’s a lot more emphasis on the details,” Colburn said. “The game is a lot faster. The players are a lot quicker, and one big difference is pass blocking.”

Wake Forest enters Saturday’s game 3-7 and losers of four straight, but three of the Demon Deacons’ losses this season came by one score, including a 20-19 loss to Louisville in late October.

“We’ve been in games and had chances to win games that we probably could’ve won. We just didn’t execute,” Colburn said. “We’re a really young team, but I think we have a good solid foundation for next year and the years to come.”

Colburn gives Wake a chance against the top-ranked Tigers.

“Death Valley is a crazy place to play,” he said. “It’s going to be an awesome experience.”