North Carolina State @ Clemson preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 19, 2011 ) Clemson 13, North Carolina State 37

North Carolina State travels to No. 9 Clemson on Saturday looking for a second consecutive upset of the Tigers, but Tajh Boyd is playing as well as any quarterback in the nation not named Johnny Manziel. Boyd has passed for 1,033 yards and 13 touchdowns in his past three games as the Tigers keep pace with Florida State in the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Clemson has won six in a row since falling at Florida State, and ranks sixth in the nation in average points (42.9). The Wolfpack upended Florida State on Oct. 6, but are 2-2 since and allowed a combined 76 points in losses to North Carolina and Virginia. Still, the Wolfpack rank second in the ACC in points allowed (22.3), and quarterback Mike Glennon trails only Boyd in the conference in average passing yards.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN2. LINE: Clemson, -17

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (6-4, 3-3 ACC): Glennon has passed for 28 touchdowns and an average of 291 yards per game. The Wolfpack rolled up 428 yards of total offense in beating Wake Forest 37-6. Glennon passing for 258 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, rebounding from a bad performance against Virginia (197 yards, three interceptions). Junior defensive back Dontae Johnson earned conference co-Defensive Back Player of the Week honors last week, and the entire N.C. State defense will have to play well to slow down the Tigers.

ABOUT CLEMSON (9-1, 6-1 ACC): Boyd passed for 261 yards and three touchdowns in the first 17 minutes of a 45-10 rout of Maryland last week. He is averaging 294.1 yards per game and leads the conference with 28 passing touchdowns. Andre Ellington (835 rushing yards, eight touchdowns) provides balance running the ball, and DeAndre Hopkins’ 14 receiving touchdowns ranks second in the nation. Most of the focus on Clemson is on the Tigers’ offense, but the Clemson defense has allowed only 15 points per game in the past four contests.

EXTRA POINTS

1. N.C. State’s David Amerson has intercepted 17 passes in his career, tied for most among active players. Clemson’s Rashard Hall has 13 career interceptions, tied for fifth among current players.

2. N.C. State freshman RB Shadrach Thornton rushed for 110 yards on 26 carries against Wake Forest.

3. The Tigers lead the all-time series 51-28-1, and had won seven in a row in the series before losing to N.C. State 37-13 last season

PREDICTION: Clemson 41, N.C. State 20