Back-to-Back Road Games at Top-10 Schools Starts Saturday
10/11/2016 8:25:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. - Off to a 4-1 start and receiving votes in the national polls, NC State now enters the toughest stretch of its 2016 schedule. Four of the Wolfpack's next six opponents are ranked in the top-16 of this week's Associated Press poll, beginning with back-to-back road games at No. 3 Clemson Saturday and No. 7 Louisville on Oct. 22.
Up first is a Clemson squad off to a perfect 6-0 start, just 10 months removed from playing in the National Championship game.
"We move forward to a great challenge with Clemson on the road in a tremendous environment," said NC State head coach Dave Doeren. "They're a very good football team – everyone knows that. They're very balanced and have great personnel on both sides of the ball.
"Their defense is better than it was a year ago in my opinion. They're very aggressive and always have been. [They] are playing hard."
Saturday's game features a pair of defenses that rank high in the national standings at about the midway point of the college season. However, in the last five meetings dating back to the Pack's 2011 win over No. 7 Clemson in Raleigh (37-13), the two teams have combined for 338 total points.
This season however, NC State ranks eighth in total defense, eighth in rushing defense, 15th in scoring defense, and 29th against the pass nationally. The Wolfpack has been outstanding against the run in 2016, allowing just 91 rushing yards per game - a mark that leads the ACC. Three opponents (William & Mary, Wake Forest and Notre Dame) posted rushing total less then 70 yards a game.
In the Pack's four wins, the rushing defense has yielded just 76.8 yard a game.
"[Clemson is] a really talented group up front, and I think our group [the defensive line] is one of the top in the ACC," said defensive end Kentavius Street. "It is going to be a great matchup. One of our main keys is to be rock solid up front and try to take away the run.
"We tried to make Notre Dame one-dimensional by stopping the run, so we will have that same focus going into Clemson."
The Tigers ranks ninth in the FBS in total defense, sixth against the pass, eighth in scoring defense, and 34th against the rush.
"You have to be able to tackle well against Clemson and can't give up chunk plays for touchdowns," said Doeren. "[Both teams] have done a good job throughout the season of swarming the football and creating opportunities."
After six games this season, Clemson has forced 14 turnovers, which leads the ACC. They also have picked off nine passes.
A year after setting a school record with just 13 giveaways, the Pack has been stingy once again thus far in 2016. This season, that trend has continued for the NC State offense, which has just five turnovers (tied for first in the ACC and 10th in the FBS).
QB Ryan Finley is the only starting QB in the ACC who has not thrown an interception this season, with a current streak of 128 attempts without an INT to start his NC State career. He also has not lost a fumble in the first five games.
"I know our players believe that we can compete play in and play out with anybody," said Doeren. "It's a matter of being consistent enough throughout the game and not having a letdown where you're giving something to someone."
Last season's matchup was an offensive display for both squads.
The NC State offense scored 41 points on No. 3 Clemson to keep the game close, but it was the Clemson Tigers offense that shined brighter in a 56-41 win at Carter-Finley in late October. The Pack's offense tallied 389 yards and the special teams had a 100-yard kickoff return for a score, but Clemson answered every score and never trailed after gaining a 26-20 lead right before halftime.
In a game that featured five lead changes in the first half, the teams combined for 26 points in the first 4:32 and were tied at 13-13 early. After a pair of Tigers field goals, the Pack found the end zone late in the second to go up 20-19, but Clemson scored with just 40 seconds left in the half to take a 26-20 halftime lead, a lead the Tigers would hold the rest of the game.
RB Matthew Dayes did not play in the second half, after rushing for 72 yards in the first half, due to a foot injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
"Last year we were in a back-and-forth game with Clemson early and didn't maintain that for four quarters," said Doeren. "We need to try and make it a four-quarter game where we have that kind of ability to finish it off in the fourth quarter.
"We have to do a really good job of controlling what we can, focusing on the little details of each call and putting ourselves in a position to make it a four-quarter game and once again find a way to win."
Heading into Saturday's contest, the Tigers have won 44 consecutive games over teams not ranked by the Associated Press. The last loss by the Tigers to an unranked team was to the Wolfpack in 2011 (37-13 in Raleigh).
"It's going to be a challenge but every time you go against a top-three team it's always going to be a measuring stake game as far as where we are compared to where we've been," said Doeren.
Clemson will mark the third top-three team that NC State has faced over the last 2-1/2 seasons. The Tigers were ranked No. 3 last year and the Pack faced top-ranked Florida State in 2014 - both of those contests were in Raleigh, and both had final scores of 56-41.
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Up first is a Clemson squad off to a perfect 6-0 start, just 10 months removed from playing in the National Championship game.
"We move forward to a great challenge with Clemson on the road in a tremendous environment," said NC State head coach Dave Doeren. "They're a very good football team – everyone knows that. They're very balanced and have great personnel on both sides of the ball.
"Their defense is better than it was a year ago in my opinion. They're very aggressive and always have been. [They] are playing hard."
Saturday's game features a pair of defenses that rank high in the national standings at about the midway point of the college season. However, in the last five meetings dating back to the Pack's 2011 win over No. 7 Clemson in Raleigh (37-13), the two teams have combined for 338 total points.
This season however, NC State ranks eighth in total defense, eighth in rushing defense, 15th in scoring defense, and 29th against the pass nationally. The Wolfpack has been outstanding against the run in 2016, allowing just 91 rushing yards per game - a mark that leads the ACC. Three opponents (William & Mary, Wake Forest and Notre Dame) posted rushing total less then 70 yards a game.
In the Pack's four wins, the rushing defense has yielded just 76.8 yard a game.
"[Clemson is] a really talented group up front, and I think our group [the defensive line] is one of the top in the ACC," said defensive end Kentavius Street. "It is going to be a great matchup. One of our main keys is to be rock solid up front and try to take away the run.
"We tried to make Notre Dame one-dimensional by stopping the run, so we will have that same focus going into Clemson."
The Tigers ranks ninth in the FBS in total defense, sixth against the pass, eighth in scoring defense, and 34th against the rush.
"You have to be able to tackle well against Clemson and can't give up chunk plays for touchdowns," said Doeren. "[Both teams] have done a good job throughout the season of swarming the football and creating opportunities."
After six games this season, Clemson has forced 14 turnovers, which leads the ACC. They also have picked off nine passes.
A year after setting a school record with just 13 giveaways, the Pack has been stingy once again thus far in 2016. This season, that trend has continued for the NC State offense, which has just five turnovers (tied for first in the ACC and 10th in the FBS).
QB Ryan Finley is the only starting QB in the ACC who has not thrown an interception this season, with a current streak of 128 attempts without an INT to start his NC State career. He also has not lost a fumble in the first five games.
"I know our players believe that we can compete play in and play out with anybody," said Doeren. "It's a matter of being consistent enough throughout the game and not having a letdown where you're giving something to someone."
Last season's matchup was an offensive display for both squads.
The NC State offense scored 41 points on No. 3 Clemson to keep the game close, but it was the Clemson Tigers offense that shined brighter in a 56-41 win at Carter-Finley in late October. The Pack's offense tallied 389 yards and the special teams had a 100-yard kickoff return for a score, but Clemson answered every score and never trailed after gaining a 26-20 lead right before halftime.
In a game that featured five lead changes in the first half, the teams combined for 26 points in the first 4:32 and were tied at 13-13 early. After a pair of Tigers field goals, the Pack found the end zone late in the second to go up 20-19, but Clemson scored with just 40 seconds left in the half to take a 26-20 halftime lead, a lead the Tigers would hold the rest of the game.
RB Matthew Dayes did not play in the second half, after rushing for 72 yards in the first half, due to a foot injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
"Last year we were in a back-and-forth game with Clemson early and didn't maintain that for four quarters," said Doeren. "We need to try and make it a four-quarter game where we have that kind of ability to finish it off in the fourth quarter.
"We have to do a really good job of controlling what we can, focusing on the little details of each call and putting ourselves in a position to make it a four-quarter game and once again find a way to win."
Heading into Saturday's contest, the Tigers have won 44 consecutive games over teams not ranked by the Associated Press. The last loss by the Tigers to an unranked team was to the Wolfpack in 2011 (37-13 in Raleigh).
"It's going to be a challenge but every time you go against a top-three team it's always going to be a measuring stake game as far as where we are compared to where we've been," said Doeren.
Clemson will mark the third top-three team that NC State has faced over the last 2-1/2 seasons. The Tigers were ranked No. 3 last year and the Pack faced top-ranked Florida State in 2014 - both of those contests were in Raleigh, and both had final scores of 56-41.
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Players Mentioned
Coach Doeren Weekly Press Conference (Sept. 8)
Monday, September 08
FB Players Postgame Presser vs Virginia
Saturday, September 06
Coach Doeren Postgame Presser vs Virginia
Saturday, September 06
Pack Rewind 🎥 : East Carolina
Wednesday, September 03