American football team named The Clemson Tigers are from Clemson University. The Tigers compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s NCAA Division I Football Bowl and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Clemson Tigers vs NC State
The ACC game is the biggest. No. 5 Clemson beat No. 10 NC State 30-20 on Tiger Saturday in Death Valley. Star quarterback Dj Uiagalelei was impressive for coach Dabo Swinney’s squad, completing 21 of 30 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. He also rushed for 73 yards and two more scores.
The game started as a field goal, but Uiagalelei led the Tigers on a two-minute furious drive to end the first half, giving Clemson a much-needed opportunity after 30 minutes. He made a huge catch on a 26-yard pass to running back Will Shipley out of the backfield to put the Tigers at the 1-yard line, and Uiagalelei took lead Clemson a 13-10 lead.
The offensive line kept that momentum going in the second half as the Tigers scored two touchdowns and frustrated a Wolfpack team that couldn’t get on the ground. NC State was held to just 34 yards. Clemson’s front seven allowed quarterback Devin Leary to score in the second half. Leary finished the game 28-of-47 with 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Photo by: Streeter Lecka
The win moves Clemson to 3-0 in the ACC, with both of those wins coming over ranked opponents. That remains to be seen. But two division wins and a conference title will not only give Swinney’s team confidence but will no doubt give the Tigers the inside track to return to the ACC championship game.
Clemson’s defence bounced back
The Clemson Tigers are without defenseman Brian Brees, who is sidelined with a non-football medical condition. His teammates in the front seven caught the bug and then some.
The Clemson Tigers held NC State to seven possessions, managing to hold the Wolfpack to 1.6 yards each time, 14-of-5 on third-down conversions. Quarterback Myles Murphy had 1.5 sacks, Tyler Davis had 1.5 tackles for loss and K.J. Henry had a hard time losing and winning through the evening.
The previous week’s double-extra time contest against Wake Forest was a big blow, as the defence allowed the Demon Deacons to gain 6.57 yards per game. There are concerns about whether new defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin will be able to maintain his identity after former coordinator Brent Venables took over the Oklahoma coaching job. Saturday’s performance suggests it may be a new year with a new look, but this is an elite Clemson defence ready to charge toward ACC glory and possibly the College Football Playoff.
NC State represents itself
Last week Saturday 1 October pointed out the 1st time in program history that a top 10 team played as a top 10 team. However, he proved that he still has a long way to go to become a contender on the national stage.
It’s hard to feel bad for Leary. Clemson started the veteran quarterback as he was not threatened by the Wolfpack rushing attack for the entire game. One-size-fits-all teams do not win.
It should not be shocking. NC State was ninth in the ACC in rushing at 157.5 yards per game and eighth in rushing average at 4.8. Until coach Dave Doeren fixes that, this offence will be hard to count on consistently
Conclusion
South Carolina hosts one of the biggest games in college football. In the 5th week, the No. 10 NC State Wolfpack claimed victory against the No. 5 Clemson Tigers. NC State entered the interstate war. Last week, they convincingly defeated the UConn Huskies to climb to No. 10 in the AP poll. This is the best ranking the Wolfpack has had since 10th in 2002. That same year, NC State beat Clemson for the last time in Death Valley.
Clemson survived the previous week’s No. 22 Wake Forest quarterback Dj Uiagalelei’s five touchdowns and overtime defence. The Tigers, who are playing at home, had a 36-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s game.
Saturday was the 87th game between the two schools. NC State won the contest last year when No. 9 Clemson went into double overtime as an underdog, 27-21.
