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Does Carolina have the near-perfect game needed to win Saturday?
A month or so ago, it looked like a great year for the Tar Heels to play at Clemson for the first time since 2014, a 50-35 loss (UNC’s last win there was in 2001).
The Tigers had dropped their opener at Duke and stumbled through September and October with three more losses to FSU, Miami and N.C. State. Then Dabo Swinney got the infamous call from “Tyler” during his weekly radio show, and the head coach with the pedigree of two national championships in the last eight years listened to the rants and then spent five amazing minutes blowing Tyler back to wherever he had phoned from. After his fired-up team upset 14-ranked Notre Dame in Death Valley, Swinney shouted into the TV camera something about buying stock in Clemson.
A blowout of UNC-conquering Georgia Tech followed, and now the 6-4 Tigers are playing their best football, having risen to the ACC lead in total defense just in time to take on its best offense. Carolina has a slight edge in rushing and passing, but Clemson’s “D” numbers are near tops in the league.
UNC’s Omarian Hampton leads the conference in rushing with 124 yards per game and 13 touchdowns. The Tigers’ running combo of Phil Mafah and Will Shipley have combined for 138 yards per game and 12 touchdowns.
Drake Maye is the ACC’s leading passer with 157 yards per game and 21 touchdowns. But Cade Klubnik, who came off the bench to riddle Carolina in the 2022 ACC championship game but slumped to start this season, has caught fire and is now throwing for more than 130 yards per game with 18 TDs.
Of Maye, Clemson’s Swinney says he does so many different things. “He even makes the popcorn taste better,” Swinney said.
What the outcome is likely to depend on is mistakes (like penalties and turnovers) and execution (like red zone touchdowns and time of possession).
Clemson is the second-least penalized team in the ACC, UNC is 12th with 66 flags for 63 yards per game. The Tigers are a little better at protecting their quarterback, and the Tar Heels have 26 sacks on the season compared to the Tigers’ 24. While both teams have 12 interceptions, Clemson has returned four for touchdowns (like in the ACC title game) and Carolina has taken none back to the house.
The Heels have three receivers among the ACC’s top (J.J. Jones, Bryson Nesbit and Nate McCollum with 7 touchdowns), plus Tez Walker is coming up all sixes: 600 yards and 6 TDs in 6 games. Clemson’s Beaux Collins and Tyler Brown have seven touchdown passes for the season.
Sold-out Memorial Stadium in Death Valley is always a factor, although Mack Brown says he loves coaching in such a hostile environment. He will really love it if his 8-2 team plays hard and executes to near perfection.
Featured image via Associated Press/Chris Seward
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If the Tarheels cannot find a way to beat Virginia and Ga Tech when they are struggling they will not beat Clemson. Unless Maye stays 1 more year the heels begin the process of rebuilding yet again. great offense defense stinks… by the time defense gets better the offense has graduated and needs work.. lol Mack Brown fool me once shame on you fool me twice… nope.. not anymore glad basketball season is here…I think.