Clemson football vs. NC State: Scouting report, score prediction
Clemson football was on quite a roll against NC State, until last season.
The Tigers had won eight in a row and 15-of-16 games against the Wolfpack, but that run was interrupted when NC State won in double-overtime last season in Raleigh, N.C.
Now two other streaks are on the line. No. 5 Clemson (4-0, 2-0 ACC) enters the conference showdown Saturday night (7:30 p.m., ABC) against No. 10 NC State (4-0, 0-0), having won 36 consecutive home games, the longest active streak in the nation. Clemson is riding a 10-game overall winning streak, which also is the nation’s longest active streak.
Here’s what to know about the matchup and a score prediction:
ROOTING INTERESTClemson running back Will Shipley's family has plenty of Wolfpack blood
GAME OF THIRDSClemson continues to show vast improvement on third-down opportunities
BOUNCING BACKClemson cornerback Nate Wiggins is determined to come on strong after rough outing
Clemson, NC State getting their kicks
Should Saturday night’s game come down to a late field goal, both teams are well-equipped.
Clemson’s B.T. Potter and NC State’s Chris Dunn are two of the most experienced kickers in the league. Potter, a Lou Groza Award semifinalist in 2019 and a member of the 2022 watch list for the award, is Clemson’s record holder in career field goals of both 40- and 50-plus yards and is the only player in Clemson history to score 100 points in three different seasons. He’s 7-for-7 on field goals this season, including a 52-yarder last week against Wake Forest.
Dunn is the Wolfpack’s career scoring leader and has connected on all 170 of his career PATs, a school record, and ranks seventh in school history with an .802 field goal percentage. He’s 5-for-5 this season.
A tale of two quarterbacks
Saturday night’s game will feature two of the ACC’s premier quarterbacks in Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei and NC State’s Devin Leary, which could lead to quite a show, weather permitting.
Uiagalelei, who dropped 25 pounds in the offseason, has enjoyed a complete reversal of fortune; last season he had more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9), but in 2022 has 10 touchdowns against only one interception. He’s also coming off a 371-yard, five-touchdown game at Wake Forest.
Leary isn’t quite the running threat that Uiagalelei has become, but last year broke Philip Rivers’ school record with 35 touchdown passes, including four in a double-overtime win against Clemson.
Secondaries will be of primary importance
With two strong-armed quarterbacks in the game, the defensive backs on both sides will be in for a challenge.
Clemson could be at a distinct disadvantage if starters Sheridan Jones and Andrew Mukuba, both of whom missed the Wake Forest game last week, are sidelined again with injury. Malcolm Greene also missed the game and Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman and his stable of receivers burned Clemson’s youthful replacements time and again to the tune of six touchdowns.
NC State’s secondary enters the game with no injury concerns in the secondary and boasting a veteran group that includes four seniors.
Young runners could hold key to victory
If the remnants of Hurricane Ian do play a factor, the running games could loom large, particularly since Clemson’s Will Shipley and NC State’s Demie Sumo-Karngbaye are two of the ACC’s fastest-rising young stars.
Shipley, a sophomore, has had 100-yard rushing games the past two weeks and leads the league with seven rushing touchdowns. Sumo-Karngbaye, a freshman, is the Wolfpack’s leading rusher and is averaging 6.5 yards per attempt.
Clemson vs. NC State: Score prediction
Clemson 28, NC State 24: NC State finally got over the hump against Clemson last season with its wild, double-overtime victory, but pulling that off once again – this time in Death Valley – will be a tall order. Clemson is intent on exacting revenge and extending the nation’s longest home winning streak to 37 games.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football vs. NC State: Score prediction, scouting report
