Clemson Football: 5 reasons Clemson beats Wake Forest in Week 6
Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have a home matchup against Dave Clawson and Wake Forest on Saturday as Clemson looks to pick up their second ACC win of the season.
Clemson (3-2, 1-2 ACC) heads into this game coming off a statement road win against Syracuse, where the Tigers proved to everyone that this team still has a lot of fight left in them. The offense and defense looked strong in the win, and they go back to Death Valley with an opportunity to put on a great performance in front of their fans.
On the other side, Wake Forest (3-1, 0-1 ACC) is looking for their first conference win and in a challenging environment. Can Clawson and the Demon Deacons get revenge for their double-overtime home loss to Clemson last season?
Well, anything can happen, but we are here to tell you why they won’t. Here are five reasons Clemson takes down Wake Forest in Week 6.
Something you’ve heard a lot over the past couple weeks; Clemson’s freshmen class has been looking very strong to start this 2023 season. Led by wide receiver Tyler Brown and defensive end T.J. Parker, this class has been making their presence known.
On offense, Tyler Brown has been capturing everyone’s attention with his performance this season. This young receiver has become the primary target for quarterback Cade Klubnik and stands out as the most dynamic player in the offense this year.
On the defensive side of the game, T.J. Parker appears to be the standout defensive lineman for Clemson this season. Despite preseason discussions largely focusing on Peter Woods, Parker has unquestionably emerged as the top performer in the defensive line.
Clemson starting quarterback Cade Klubnik still has a lot of developing to do, but you can see that happening by the week. Klubnik hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 2, and while there have been mistakes, they are being cleaned up as the season goes on, and the offense has looked better because of it.
Through five games this season, Klubnik has completed 65.4% of his passes for 1,239 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. These are strong numbers, but it is more than just a numbers game. Visually, you can see him becoming more confrontable under center, and the flashes of his immense ceiling are happening more frequently. The Demon Deacons’ defense has been middle of the table for passing yards allowed this season but has only allowed 6 passing touchdowns in 4 games.
They have yet to play a quarterback like Klubnik or an offense as capable through the air. Expect a big day out of Clemson’s sophomore quarterback.
Clemson’s run game has been different than I expected heading into this season. Still, the talent between Will Shipley and Phil Mafah is evident. Like in the passing game, Wake Forest’s defense hasn’t seen near this level of talent on the field this season.
Shipley is due for a huge performance, and Death Valley is the place to do it. As the change of pace back, this is the best Phil Mafah has ever looked in a Clemson uniform. He has been wildly efficient (6.5 yards per carry) and leads the team in rushing touchdowns (4). This duo is a nightmare for opposing defenses, especially ones who have yet to face top-level talent such as this.
Clemson’s defense got torched last season in this matchup, with the final score being 51-45 in double overtime. Dabo Swinney was so disgusted by what he saw that he almost wanted to burn the tape and never watch it again… not a great feeling for a coach or a defense.
This defense had a ton of returning talent that played in last year’s shootout, and you best believe they’re going to be hungry for a strong performance. Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin is going to be fired up, too. Clemson’s defense should look excellent in this matchup.
If you have to travel to Death Valley for a game against Clemson, the odds aren’t in your favor. The last time Clemson fans saw the Tigers at home, it was a devastating loss to Florida State. It is a rarity for Clemson fans to see and something this team was not happy about. They head into this matchup with one of the best environments in college football and want to make up for what happened the last time they played in front of these fans.
