NC State gears up for Top 10 matchup with Clemson
CLEMSON, SC — The No. 10 ranked NC State Wolfpack are up against their biggest challenge of the season so far as they take on the No. 5 ranked Clemson Tigers this Saturday.
For the first time since 2018, the Wolfpack are off to a 4-0 start. The showdown between the two unbeaten Top 10 ACC teams marks the first time the schools have faced each other as top-10 teams. It also will be the first time NC State has played in an AP Top 10 matchup.
“We’ll be ready and we’re not intimidated at all. We’re excited to go down there and compete,” Wolfpack Head Coach Dave Doeren told reporters Thursday. “Looking forward to the opportunity as you’ve got two good teams playing for a lot. Whether you guys think we’re good enough or not, we’re gonna come and compete against a team we have a lot of respect for.”
NC State is coming off of a dominating 41-10 win over the UConn Huskies last weekend in Raleigh which prompted them to 4-0. Clemson defeated No. 22 ranked Wake Forest 51-45 on the road last weekend in a nail-biter that needed two overtime periods. Tight End Davis Allen scored a touchdown in the final minutes of the second overtime, giving the Tigers a 5-0 record.
As both schools enter Saturday undefeated, this is just the third time in the 81-year history of Death Valley that two teams with a perfect record and at least four victories have met.
NC State upset Clemson at home in Carter-Finley stadium 27-21 in two overtimes last September. The Tigers ultimately missed the College Football Playoff last year and that loss played a huge role in Clemson having the disappointing year they did.
“We believe we can beat anybody. This team obviously did a lot of things here last year that hadn’t been done in a while,” Doeren told the media Thursday. “We’re going to a place that nobody has won in five years, so there’s a lot against us that way but our guys are very confident that they can win.”
Coach Doeren is of course talking about Clemson’s 36-game home win streak in Death Valley, dating back to November 2016. They have the chance to tie Florida State’s ACC mark of 37 straight by beating NC State. The Tigers also carry a 10-game win streak overall, the longest in the Power Five.
The real storyline to keep an eye on in this matchup is the electric Clemson offense versus the dominant NC State defense.
The Wolfpack are one of the ACC’s top defenses, if not the conference’s best. They sit first in the fewest points allowed per game, second in the league against the rush, and third against the pass.
Meanwhile, Clemson’s offense led by quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has put up the second most points in the ACC and has produced the fourth most yard’s total. Uiagalelei is coming off one of the best games in his career, completing 26-of-41 passes for 371 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.
“It’s a dream game,” Wolfpack defensive back Devan Boykin told reporters Tuesday. “I know it’s the biggest game I’ve ever been in. The biggest game a lot of these players have ever been in.”
Although the rigid weather will have a huge impact as a result of Hurricane Ian, both teams expect to be ready and excuse-free regardless of what challenge awaits them.
“We’ll be prepared if it is raining,” said Doeren. “Hopefully it won’t be one of those things that have devastation that comes with it, either. Sometimes these things fizzle out and sometimes they get pretty strong, so we’ll just have to see where it goes. We’ll plan for the worst and hope for the best.”
The highly anticipated matchup takes place this Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET in Frank Howard Field at Clemson Memorial Stadium and will be broadcast live on ABC and on the ESPN app.