Preview and Prediction: Clemson and Louisville

The second-ranked Clemson Tigers take their perfect record on the road this week, as they head to the Commonwealth of Kentucky to take on the Louisville Cardinals.

Clemson enters this week's road contest at Louisville seeking its 22nd victory in its last 23 true road games and in search of its 35th victory in its last 38 games away from home overall. Clemson is 2-0 on the road this year, with both victories coming in ACC play.

This week, Clemson will attempt to win its 10th straight true road game, which would mark only the second streak of 10 consecutive true road victories in the program's illustrious history. The current Clemson streak sits three games shy of the school-record streak of 12 consecutive true road wins set across the 2015-17 season.

This week's game will feature two of the ACC's most prolific offenses thus far in 2019. Clemson enters the game ranked second in the conference in scoring offense (39.2), rushing offense (238.8) and total offense (497.0); Louisville enters the contest ranked third in all of those categories.

Who to watch when Clemson has the ball:

Travis Etienne (RB): Etienne had eight carries for 153 yards and a touchdown in 19 snaps as a starter in 2018. He also had six carries for 98 yards and a touchdown in 7 snaps, along with two kickoff returns for 30 yards, in 2017.

Last week, Etienne surpassed 3,000 rushing yards in his Clemson career during the game, finishing with 127 rushing yards and a three-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.

Amari Rodgers (WR): Rodgers returned to action 166 days after suffering a torn ACL in Clemson's Week 2 game against Texas A&M, receiving a thunderous roar from Death Valley following his first reception.

A week later, Rodgers re-announced his presence nationally, catching four passes for 121 yards with two receiving touchdowns in a 41-6 prime-time win at Syracuse. His performance included touchdown receptions of 16 and 87 yards, the latter of which tied for the fourth-longest pass play in program history.

Last week, against FSU, Rodgers gained 44 yards on a team-lead-tying five receptions and scored his first rushing touchdown on a 29-yard scoring run vs. Florida State.

Tee Higgins (WR): The Tennessee native recorded 12 receiving touchdowns in 2018, tied with two different seasons by Sammy Watkins for the second-most in a single season in school history.

Higgins is primed for an assault on some of the greats presently populating Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career receiving touchdowns. His 38-yard touchdown grab against North Carolina was his 17th career touchdown reception, tying him for ninth in school history.

Against the Cardinals, he had three receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown in 14 snaps as a starter in 2018. Had one reception for eight yards in 18 snaps in 2017.

Dorian Etheridge (LB; Louisville): Junior Dorian Etheridge has been the leader of the defense over the last three seasons, and 2019 has been much of the same.

Etheridge has registered 169 tackles in 28 games — all coming as a starter. He’s fifth with 31 tackles and also has 3.5 tackles for loss. 9 He’s coming off his best game of the season, recording eight tackles in the win over Wake Forest. It was the third game of seven of more tackles for the junior linebacker.

Who to watch when Louisville has the ball:

Xavier Thomas (DE): In 2019 , Thomas recorded four tackles (1.5 for loss) with a half-sack vs. Georgia Tech, added two tackles including a half-sack vs. No. 12 Texas A&M and made three tackles, including his first full sack of the season, at Syracuse.

He also contributed two tackles (one for loss) vs. Charlotte, added five tackles and contributed to the game-winning stop on a two-point conversion attempt at North Carolina and made one tackle and rushed for one yard on his first career rushing attempt vs. Florida State.

In one game against the Cardinals, Thomas had four tackles in 22 snaps.

Isaiah Simmons (LB): Lott IMPACT Trophy quarterfinalist tied for team-lead with nine tackles vs. Georgia Tech, sharing team defensive player of the week honors, recorded five tackles and a pass breakup vs. No. 12 Texas A&M and led Clemson with 11 tackles and a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss including 2.0 sacks at Syracuse, earning ACC Linebacker of the Week, Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week and Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week, and sharing team defensive player of the week honors.

Simmons had four tackles, as well as a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown, in 46 snaps as a starter in 2018 against the Cardinals. Had nine tackles in 52 snaps in 2017.

Tanner Muse (S): Veteran safety who entered 2019 with 164 career tackles (4.5 for loss), 10 passes broken up, 2.0 sacks, three interceptions for 89 yards (including a 64-yard return for a touchdown), a forced fumble and a 63-yard fumble return for a touchdown in 1,252 snaps over 44 career games (24 starts).

Muse had five tackles against the Cardinals, as well as a 25- yard interception return, in 35 snaps as a starter in 2018. Had one tackle, as well as a pass breakup, in 11 snaps as a starter in 2017. Had one tackle on special teams in 2016.

Preview:

Clemson and Louisville had never met prior to the Cardinals' addition to the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014. The teams have played every year since as Atlantic Division foes.

A win on Saturday would give Clemson a win in its first six games against a school for the fifth time all-time. The Tigers previously won each of their first six contests against The Citadel, Furman, Newberry and Virginia. Though Clemson holds an unblemished 5-0 mark against Louisville all-time, several of those wins produced some high drama.

Prediction:

Zach Lentz: Clemson-52 Louisville-13
Susan Lloyd: Clemson-55 Louisville-14
Jeremy Styron: Clemson-44 Louisville-21

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