Clemson @ Wake Forest preview
BB&T Field
Last Meeting ( Oct 17, 2009 ) Wake Forest 3, Clemson 38
The dream of getting to Charlotte is over, but Clemson can still book a trip to a bowl destination to be determined when the Tigers travel to Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon for both teams' final ACC game of the season.
Clemson (5-5, 3-4 ACC) had its slim hopes of reaching the ACC title game dashed by Florida State kicker Dustin Hopkins' 55-yard field goal last week in a 16-13 loss in Tallahassee. The loss officially eliminated the Tigers from the ACC Atlantic Division race.
The Tigers are no stranger to close games. They have played five games decided by a touchdown or less - and lost four of them - and their five losses have been decided by a total of 26 points.
The Tigers need one more win to become bowl eligible, and with rival South Carolina looming in next week's regular-season finale, this week's road trip to Winston-Salem looks like their best chance to get it.
Wake Forest (2-8, 1-6 ACC) has lost eight straight after last week's 38-3 loss at N.C. State, and the Demon Deacons have been punchless on offense, ranking 11th in the ACC in total offense (312.4 yards per game) and scoring offense (22.9 points per game). They managed only 188 total yards last week against the Wolfpack, the third time this season they've been held under 200 total yards.
Looking for a spark, Wake Forest moved redshirt freshman wide receiver Michael Campanaro to running back last week, and he rushed for a team-high 67 yards on 19 carries.
Clemson's defense has been its strength - it ranks ninth in the nation in scoring defense with 17.4 points allowed per game - but the Tigers need a spark on offense. Clemson ranks ninth in the ACC in total offense (339.0 yards per game) and 10th in the league in scoring offense (24.9 points per game).
Leading rusher Andre Ellington has missed the past two games with a sprained ligament in his foot, but the Tigers found a viable stand-in last week in Jamie Harper. Harper had a career-high 143 rushing yards on 27 carries and nine catches for 54 yards against the Seminoles.
The Tigers won 38-3 last year at home, but the Demon Deacons claimed the last meeting at Wake Forest, winning 12-7 in Tommy Bowden's final game as Clemson's head coach. That game marked the last time the Tigers scored fewer than 10 points in a game.
Clemson leads the all-time series 57-17-1 and has won eight of the past 11 meetings. The 57 wins against the Demon Deacons are Clemson's second-most against any opponent, trailing only the Tigers' 65 wins against in-state rival South Carolina.
Tigers coach Dabo Swinney will celebrate his 41st birthday on Saturday, becoming just the second Clemson head coach to have a game on his birthday. The first was Red Parker, who coached the Tigers to a 29-28 win at Tennessee on Oct. 26, 1974.