Gameday Guide: Clemson vs. Wake Forest TV details, key players, and more

Clemson, No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings, closes out its ACC regular season with a home date against Wake Forest.

▪  WHO: Clemson (10-0, 7-0 ACC) at Wake Forest (3-7, 1-5 ACC)

▪  WHERE: Memorial Stadium (81,500)

▪  WHEN: 3:30 p.m. Saturday

▪  TV: ESPN2 (Dave Lamont, Ray Bentley, Dawn Davenport)

▪  RADIO: WZMJ-FM 93.1 (Don Munson, Rodney Williams, Michael Palmer), Clemson Radio Network

▪  SATELLITE RADIO: Sirius 193/XM 193

▪  LINE: Clemson by 29

▪  SERIES RECORD: Clemson leads 62-17-1.

▪  STREAKS: The Tigers have won the past six in a row in the series, with only one game closer than 14 points. The Tigers have not been held below 30 points in that stretch.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Clemson can clinch its first undefeated regular season run through the ACC since 1982. The program did it three times before that: 1967, 1978 and 1982.

THREE GAME STORYLINES

1. Cleaning up. Wake Forest has been particularly bad this season, especially on the offensive end. Even with a sluggish day last week against Syracuse, Clemson is a runaway train. The Tigers are on a run of 35 wins in a row against unranked foes. It’ll be hard for the Deacons to snap that.

2. Familiar faces. K.J. Brent started his career with the Gamecocks and left as a graduate transfer for Wake Forest. He is second on the team with 490 yards (eight off the team lead) and third with 36 catches. Reserve tailback Matt Colburn (228 yards, one touchdown) is a Dutch Fork alum and landed in Winston-Salem, N.C., after issues with his offer from Louisville.

3. Senior sendoff. Saturday will mark senior day for a rather accomplished group. The eldest class of Tigers is already 42-7 across four years and a win would give them the most wins for such a period in school history. Their winning percentage is currently the best for any four-year run, with the 1984 seniors close behind.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH - Clemson

1. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is rolling toward a likely trip to New York for Heisman festivities. He posted a tidy 360-yard passing and 105-yard rushing day against the Orange and helped his team overcome a down performance. He’s at 2,593 yards, 23 scores and a completion percentage of 70.1, plus 598 yards on the ground.

2. Defensive end Shaq Lawson has been a wrecking ball all season with 7 1/2 sacks and 17 1/2 tackles for loss. Wake Forest ranks below 120th in sacks allowed, and whichever of the two quarterbacks Wake plays will have to keep an eye out for No. 90.

3. Tailback Zac Brooks isn’t listed as a starter, but with top rusher Wayne Gallman a gametime decision, the senior back could carry a bigger load. Brooks has 204 yards on seven yards per carry. Considering the talent gap, it might not be a surprise to see Gallman held out for precautionary reasons and let Brooks and C.J. Fuller carry the load.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH - Wake Forest

1. Quarterback John Wolford took the majority of the work last week against Notre Dame. Splitting time with the more mobile Kendall Hinton, Wolford has thrown for 1,362 yards seven scores and nine interceptions.

2. Running back Tyler Bell shows everything about Wake Forest’s anemic running game. He leads the team with 102 carries and 246 yards, but has yet to cross the goal line. He shares the backfield with Dutch Fork alum Matt Colburn (234 yards, one TD).

3. Linebacker Brandon Chubb is a tackle-compiler in the classic sense, but he also anchors an underrated rush defense. The Deacons rank middle of the pack there, and Chubb has 72 stops to his credit, 7 1/2 for loss.

ROSTERS, TEAM STATS

Roster links: Clemson | Wake Forest

Team Stats: Clemson | Wake Forest