Clemson Tigers vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Complete Game Preview

The Clemson Tigers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons will face off Thursday night under the lights in a nationally televised game on ESPN. That unfortunately means three hours of Jesse Palmer, but there’s some good in it too for Tigers fans.

The game will be a chance for the Tigers to show off their stingy defense to the rest of the country. After Saturday’s slate of games, the Tigers now rank No. 2 nationally in total defense.

Whether or not quarterback Deshaun Watson plays in this game will also be something to watch, as we have seen much better offensive production with him in the game.

Keys to Victory for Clemson

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Attack on Defense

The Tigers defense can create turnovers and force three-and-outs by continuing the formula from previous games. That formula is getting after the quarterback and getting in the backfield early and often.

The Demon Deacons are only averaging 14.8 points per game—which comes out at 125th in the nation—so the Tigers can win this game with defensive stops.

Win the Turnover Battle

It would be really surprising if Wake Forest tops 20 points in this game, so the Tigers have to feel good about their chances if they protect the football. This isn’t to say that they should play conservatively offensively, but the Tigers cannot afford turnovers on the road this week.

Keys to Victory for Wake Forest

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Establish a Run Game

The Demon Deacons have not been able to run the ball this year at all. They average only 34.5 yards per game on the ground, which doesn’t match up well against Clemson’s defense. The Tigers are 10th in the nation in run defense, and they rank No. 2 nationally in tackles for loss.

Wake Forest will not be able to win this game by just passing the ball, so it’s very important that the run game be established early.

Control the Line of Scrimmage

Freshman quarterback John Wolford has had a rocky season, but much of that can be attributed to a lack of protection. He has thrown 13 interceptions but has been constantly under pressure, getting sacked a total of 28 times this season.

Clemson’s defense has 30 sacks this year, so this is the main matchup to watch. If Wake Forest does not block any better than it has to this point, things could get ugly Thursday night.

Players to Watch for Clemson

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Vic Beasley

Beasley should be excited this week as he watches film on Wake Forest’s offensive line. The All-American defensive end could be in store for a big game against an O-line that has allowed Wolford to be sacked 28 times this year.

Wayne Gallman

The last game against Syracuse was the best rushing performance this season for a Tigers running back. Gallman had 101 yards in that game, so it will be interesting to see if he continues to improve. The run game is the one element that Clemson has yet to establish, and Gallman has provided potential in that department.

Players to Watch for Wake Forest

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John Wolford

Wolford is the X-factor for the Demon Deacons because how well he responds to pressure will determine if Wake Forest can move the ball offensively. Given the issues we have previously discussed with Wake Forest’s offensive line, the Tigers will likely get after the quarterback Thursday night.

Zachary Allen

It will be important for Wake Forest to get pressure on the quarterback to have a chance in this game. Allen—the senior defensive end—has four sacks and nine tackles for loss on the season. Those aren’t exactly eye-popping numbers, but if the Demon Deacons are going to get pressure on the quarterback, this is the guy to do it.

What They're Saying

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Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney

On the off week, per David Hood of TigerNet.com: "It has come at a good time for us, especially with all of the guys that have played a lot of snaps or guys that have been hurt. It has been good for both of them."

On what practice will consist of in preparation for Wake Forest, per Hood: “We will work a lot on Clemson—we will have some game work prep, too—but we have some guys we are challenging a little bit out there in some spots.”

Wake Forest Head Coach Dave Clawson

On Clemson’s defense, per Hood: "This is going to be a very challenging matchup, especially for our guys up front. We’re glad we have a little extra time to prepare, get our guys maybe a little bit of rest this week. But it’s going to be a challenge making first downs against these guys."

On the biggest challenge in this game, per Hood: "The challenge right now is we’re going against guys that are older than us, more experienced than us, and a lot stronger. ... But to our guys’ credit, they go out there and compete and go hard. That’s all you can ask them to do right now."

Predicted Outcome

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When you look at Wake Forest’s biggest weakness against Clemson’s strengths, it makes this game fairly easy to predict. I think Clemson’s defensive line will be able to win the battle in the trenches and force turnovers.

Wake Forest just doesn’t have the offensive line to match up with the Tigers’ front seven, and that will show on Thursday. The Demon Deacons are only giving up 24.6 points per game defensively, so I don’t expect the Tigers to put up a massive number of points. Something to keep in mind is the margin of victory also depends on which quarterback plays for the Tigers.

Clemson will get the victory here, and it will look a lot better than the wins in previous weeks.

Clemson 27, Wake Forest 7