North Carolina State University Athletics
Battle of the Unbeatens as #16 NC State Visits #3 Clemson
10/19/2018 9:28:00 AM | Football
Game Day Central | Game Notes | Thursday Football Notebook
Pulse of the Pack: Offense | Pulse of the Pack: Defense
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Kick time is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN.
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In its last trip to Death Valley in 2016, a wayward field goal attempt on the last snap of regulation is the only thing that stood between the Wolfpack and a monumental road win. Given a second chance, the Tigers would prevail in overtime.
Last November in Raleigh, the two traded body blows and haymakers for the full 60 minutes before Clemson hung on for a 38-31 win.
Those Wolfpack players in their final year of eligibility have no desire to look back on their careers with memories of only disappointing close calls against Clemson.
Their one last chance to knock off the powerful Tiger comes Saturday.
"I try to remember that we were right there with them until the last minute," said NC State graduate receiver Stephen Louis. "It proves that we are a good team. The last two games came down to the last second. What you try to remember is how you got there and that you don't make the same mistakes again."
Indeed, the margin for error against Clemson is narrower that it is against any other team in the ACC. Beating the Tigers, especially in Death Valley, doesn't require a perfect performance, but very close to it.
"I think all of these seniors have been in some dogfights with Clemson, and just finishing the job is something that's important to them," said Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren. "I think all seniors in the country would say that they want to leave a legacy behind that they can be proud of. Doing something that you haven't done yet is a part of that. When you talk about raising the bar, that's something that these guys want to be able to say they did."
The 'game within the game' will pit NC State's often impenetrable offensive line against Clemson experienced and talented defensive front, which is regarded as the best such unit in the country.
On 187 called pass plays, Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley has been sacked just twice this season, a mark that ranks second nationally. Dating back to the third game of last year, the Pack has yielded just nine sacks over the last 16 games, and has yet to allow more than one in any of those games.
That consistent stretch of excellence will be put to the test by a Clemson defense that has tallied 20 sacks and 58 tackles for loss.
"They live in people's backfields and we've got to do a good job of handling that," Doeren said. "Obviously, that's going to be a great matchup in the game at the line of scrimmage."
The key to keeping Finley, the ACC's leading passer who also ranks sixth nationally averaging 324.2 yards a game, upright and clean could very well hinge on the type of offensive balance the Wolfpack displayed in its back-to-back ACC victories over Virginia and Boston College. In those two games, the Pack averaged 200.5 yards rushing to compliment the passing of Finley.
Remarkably, NC State has run the ball the exact number of times (188) it has thrown it through five games. The Pack pounded out 224 yards on the ground in last year's seven-point loss to Clemson.
Finley, who has completed 69 percent of his passes, becomes extra lethal when complimented by a respectable rushing attack.
"He has complete ownership of what they do, "said Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. "He's a very gifted thrower, he's very accurate and he has great command of everything they're doing. He has created a lot of big plays, and that's what worries you about this guy."
Limiting big plays will likely be a priority for both defenses. The two decisive plays for the Tigers in last year's game were a 77-yard punt return by Ray-Ray McLoud and an 89-yard run from scrimmage by Tavien Feaster.
In their most recent win, a 63-3 blowout at Wake Forest, the Tigers had three tailbacks rush for more than 100-yards, led by Travis Etienne's 167-yard, three touchdown performance. As a team, Clemson finished with 471 yards on the ground against the helpless Deacons.
"I think our guys get up and get excited about playing them," Doeren said. "They're obviously the class of our conference and have been. They're the team you have to knock off if you want to be in a different place than you are. This game has been meaningful for those reasons. Our guys have risen to the challenge, they just haven't finished it."
The Wolfpack Sports Network begins pregame coverage Saturday with the Lowe's Foods Countdown to Kickoff at 1:30 p.m. Shorty after 2:30 p.m., veteran color analyst Johnny Evans will take questions about Wolfpack football on 'Ask the Analyst.' Send Johnny a question on Twitter@pack radio or by clicking HERE.
NC State's weekly TV show, 'One with Wolfpack Football,' will air on Sunday night. For a list of times and stations, click HERE.
Pulse of the Pack: Offense | Pulse of the Pack: Defense
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| #16 NC State (5-0, 2-0) at #3 Clemson (6-0, 3-0) | |
| Date | Saturday, Oct. 20 |
| Time | 3:30 p.m. |
| Location | Clemson, S.C. |
| Stadium | Memorial Stadium |
| TV | ESPN |
| Streaming | WatchESPN |
| Radio in NC | Wolfpack Sports Network |
| National Radio | Tunein, Sirius 81, XM 81 |
| Live Stats | ClemsonTigers.com |
| Social Media | @PackFootball, PackFootball |
Kick time is set for 3:30 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN.
Â
In its last trip to Death Valley in 2016, a wayward field goal attempt on the last snap of regulation is the only thing that stood between the Wolfpack and a monumental road win. Given a second chance, the Tigers would prevail in overtime.
Last November in Raleigh, the two traded body blows and haymakers for the full 60 minutes before Clemson hung on for a 38-31 win.
Those Wolfpack players in their final year of eligibility have no desire to look back on their careers with memories of only disappointing close calls against Clemson.
Their one last chance to knock off the powerful Tiger comes Saturday.
"I try to remember that we were right there with them until the last minute," said NC State graduate receiver Stephen Louis. "It proves that we are a good team. The last two games came down to the last second. What you try to remember is how you got there and that you don't make the same mistakes again."
Indeed, the margin for error against Clemson is narrower that it is against any other team in the ACC. Beating the Tigers, especially in Death Valley, doesn't require a perfect performance, but very close to it.
"I think all of these seniors have been in some dogfights with Clemson, and just finishing the job is something that's important to them," said Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren. "I think all seniors in the country would say that they want to leave a legacy behind that they can be proud of. Doing something that you haven't done yet is a part of that. When you talk about raising the bar, that's something that these guys want to be able to say they did."
The 'game within the game' will pit NC State's often impenetrable offensive line against Clemson experienced and talented defensive front, which is regarded as the best such unit in the country.
On 187 called pass plays, Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley has been sacked just twice this season, a mark that ranks second nationally. Dating back to the third game of last year, the Pack has yielded just nine sacks over the last 16 games, and has yet to allow more than one in any of those games.
That consistent stretch of excellence will be put to the test by a Clemson defense that has tallied 20 sacks and 58 tackles for loss.
"They live in people's backfields and we've got to do a good job of handling that," Doeren said. "Obviously, that's going to be a great matchup in the game at the line of scrimmage."
The key to keeping Finley, the ACC's leading passer who also ranks sixth nationally averaging 324.2 yards a game, upright and clean could very well hinge on the type of offensive balance the Wolfpack displayed in its back-to-back ACC victories over Virginia and Boston College. In those two games, the Pack averaged 200.5 yards rushing to compliment the passing of Finley.
Remarkably, NC State has run the ball the exact number of times (188) it has thrown it through five games. The Pack pounded out 224 yards on the ground in last year's seven-point loss to Clemson.
Finley, who has completed 69 percent of his passes, becomes extra lethal when complimented by a respectable rushing attack.
"He has complete ownership of what they do, "said Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. "He's a very gifted thrower, he's very accurate and he has great command of everything they're doing. He has created a lot of big plays, and that's what worries you about this guy."
Limiting big plays will likely be a priority for both defenses. The two decisive plays for the Tigers in last year's game were a 77-yard punt return by Ray-Ray McLoud and an 89-yard run from scrimmage by Tavien Feaster.
In their most recent win, a 63-3 blowout at Wake Forest, the Tigers had three tailbacks rush for more than 100-yards, led by Travis Etienne's 167-yard, three touchdown performance. As a team, Clemson finished with 471 yards on the ground against the helpless Deacons.
"I think our guys get up and get excited about playing them," Doeren said. "They're obviously the class of our conference and have been. They're the team you have to knock off if you want to be in a different place than you are. This game has been meaningful for those reasons. Our guys have risen to the challenge, they just haven't finished it."
The Wolfpack Sports Network begins pregame coverage Saturday with the Lowe's Foods Countdown to Kickoff at 1:30 p.m. Shorty after 2:30 p.m., veteran color analyst Johnny Evans will take questions about Wolfpack football on 'Ask the Analyst.' Send Johnny a question on Twitter@pack radio or by clicking HERE.
NC State's weekly TV show, 'One with Wolfpack Football,' will air on Sunday night. For a list of times and stations, click HERE.
Players Mentioned
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