Jason Priester All Clemson
Wake Forest Preparing to Face Clemson Team That Has Been 'Gold Standard' of ACC
Dave Clawson has turned Wake Forest into one of the more consistent programs in the ACC.
The Demon Deacons are the defending Atlantic Division champions, as Wake Forest ended Clemson's run of seven straight division titles. However, there is still one thing Clawson has been unable to do since taking over at Wake in 2014, and that is knock off Dabo Swinney's Tigers. In fact, Swinney has never lost to the Demon Deacons.
"Every year this is the most talented football team we play," Clawson told reporters earlier this week. "They are extremely talented and very well coached. I like Dabo and respect him. He’s done a phenomenal job of developing a program that has won double-digit games for a decade. They have been the best program in the ACC, and this is a matchup between the two of the most successful programs over the last six years in the ACC."
Clemson, winners of 13 straight in the series, beat Wake 48-27 last season in Death Valley and did so with one of the least productive offenses in the ACC. Through three games this season, the Tigers have shown a marked improvement on that side of the ball, particularly at quarterback, and Clawson has taken notice.
“They are much improved on offense and have nine returning starters," he said. "I think the quarterback is playing much better. He’s completing more passes and has just one interception on the season. He’s a threat to extend the play and run the football.
“Will Shipley is one of the elite tailbacks in the country. He averages more than nine yards every time he touches the ball. They have a great receiver group who make contested catches. They have four returning starters on the offensive line, and a lot of those guys are all-conference players. The left tackle is one of the very best in the conference."
However, it's the Clemson defense that has given Clawson's teams the most trouble. The Tigers have held the Deacons to a total of 137 rushing yards on 102 carries in the last three meetings, while also accumulating 31 tackles for loss.
“On defense, they’ve been the gold standard in the conference, and really in the country for the last four-to-six years," Clawson said. "It starts with the defensive line, where a lot of those guys are going to be playing on Sundays. They get people off schedule and have a great havoc rate. They go eight or nine deep and are that good and talented. If you look at the all-conference defensive line, probably half the players will be from Clemson."
With Clemson coming in ranked fifth in the country and Wake coming in at No. 21, this will be the highest-ranked matchup in the history of Truist Field, according to Clawson, and the head coach said playing in and winning these types of games has always been the goal since his arrival in Winston-Salem.
“Every year this is a great challenge," he said. "But you know what, we wanted to come here and build a program to play in games like this. It’s two nationally ranked teams. This is the highest-ranked matchup in the history of Truist Field. It’s September. We want to play in big-time games, and certainly, our goal is to win them. That will be a great challenge with the caliber of program we have coming in here Saturday.”
Clemson hits the road for an ACC Atlantic Division showdown on Saturday with Wake Forest as a 7-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
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