Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-4, 4-2 ACC) vs #9 Clemson Tigers (8-1, 5-1 ACC)
With the grave, nightmarish allegations swirling around the Penn State football program, the nation’s attention is focused on that arena, but the show must go on for all the other FBS teams this week.
Memorial Stadium, Clemson SC
Saturday, Nov. 12, Noon EST
NCAA Odds from Sportsbook.com:
MoneyLine: Wake +550, Clemson -750
Spread: Wake +16.5, Clemson -16.5
Over/Under: 60.5
Such is the case for ACC contender Clemson, who gets a scrappy Wake Forest team in “Death Valley East,” aka the friendly confines of Memorial Stadium. The Tigers have surged to a Top 10 national ranking this year on the coattails of QB Tajh Boyd. The sophomore, first-year starter is commanding the offense with aplomb, as is proven with his 2,674 passing yards, his 29 total TDs and just five INTs. Veteran running back Andre Ellington has been strong also, but he is listed as Questionable for this week’s game, with a foot injury suffered in the North Carolina game. This means Boyd becomes all the more crucial when the Deacons roll into Clemson.
It hasn’t just been Boyd, surely, freshman WR Sammy Watkins has established himself almost overnight as one of the elite receivers in the country. His blazing speed and flair for the dramatic gives the Tigers’ offense a lethal element. So much so, in fact, that Clemson ranks in the Top 15 in the FBS in both passing yards and points for. Clemson’s defense bends but often doesn’t break – last game against Georgia Tech as an exception, which was also Clemson’s first loss on the campaign.
For Wake Forest’s part, it also has an effective passing game spurred by a good pivot. Fellow sophomore Tanner Price has led the Deacons to an impressive 4-2 conference record thus far and the only thing Wake does extremely well is throw the football (averaging 266 yards per game). [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Again similar to Clemson, the Deacons’ starting RB, Josh Harris, likely will not play this weekend due to an injury. Mike Bellamy for Clemson and Brandon Pendergrass for Wake Forest, respectively, provide adequate depth.
It is fair to say that the Demon Deacons have overachieved somewhat in 2011, especially within the ACC. It is also fair to say the exact same about Clemson, as it was a program that was rapidly getting the reputation for having prodigious talent but doing nothing with it. The 2011 regular season has squashed that perception. Barring the one hiccup against the Yellow Jackets last week, Clemson has been the best team in the conference all season; if it gets back to that standard, the Tigers should handle the Deacons even without the use of Ellington.
To have hope of pulling an upset, the Deacons’ defense must have its performance of the season. They have to find some way to slow down Watkins – in itself an onerous task – while simultaneously bottling up talented back-up RB Bellamy. If Watkins gets double-teamed, Boyd has also created a rapport with WR DeAndre Hopkins, so the Tigers can throw points on the board in multiple ways. There’s no doubt that the Wake Forest passing game can theoretically keep pace with Clemson’s, provided the Wake “D” can have an instant show-stopping performance.
That is probably too much to ask, as Wake Forest’s defense has been fairly uninspired in 2011. The Clemson attack is just too dangerous, as it has performed well against much tougher defenses than the Deacons’. Anticipate Boyd having yet another strong performance and leading the home side to another decisive conference victory.
Score Prediction: Clemson 37, Wake Forest 21
Over/Under Prediction: 58
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