By Johnny Falduto
Clemson returns to Memorial Stadium with the opportunity to improve to .500 in ACC play against Wake Forest on Saturday. The game will be both Clemson’s Homecoming game and its annual Breast Cancer Awareness game, and kickoff is set for 3:30 PM ET.
Clemson (3-2, 1-2 ACC) is coming off a 31-14 win at Syracuse behind another impressive outing from QB Cade Klubnik, who finished 23-37 for 263 YDS and 2 TD. Freshman WR Tyler Brown had a career-high 153 YDS on 9 REC, and the defense recorded three takeaways for the second time this season, holding the Orange offense that ranked in the Top 10 nationally in scoring (44.3 points per game) and total offense (507.8 yards per game) to just 281 yards and 14 points.
Wake Forest (3-1, 0-1 ACC) is coming off their bye week, with their last game action being a 30-16 loss at home to Georgia Tech to open conference play in Week 4.
Swinney Looking to Make History
After earning his 100th regular season conference win last Saturday against Syracuse, Clemson HC Dabo Swinney has a chance to tie College Football Hall of Famer Frank Howard as Clemson’s all-time winningest head coach with a victory on Saturday. Howard’s record in 30 seasons at Clemson was 165-118-12, and his 165th win came in his 292nd career game. Swinney currently sits at 164-41 all-time and will coach in his 206th career game on Saturday.
The “Slow Mesh” Offense
Over the past several years, Wake Forest has become notorious for its unique run-pass option offensive system known as the “slow mesh.” Typically, RPO’s last anywhere from 0.5-1 second from the moment the quarterback receives the snap, makes his read, and decides what to do with the football. Wake Forest’s average RPO lasts closer to 1.5-2 seconds.
Instead of quickly reading the defense and making a split-second decision, Wake’s quarterback begins the handoff process first and then reads the defense while holding the ball against the running back’s chest. This delayed and unique process led to the name “slow mesh.”
The danger of the slow mesh system is that it can create hesitation among defenders on whether they are defending for a run or pass, and even the slightest bit of hesitation can lead to a defensive back blowing their assignment and creating an opportunity for Wake Forest’s receivers to break free and make huge plays down the field. The Tigers know about that threat all too well- in last season’s 51-45 win over the Demon Deacons, Clemson’s DBs gave up touchdown passes of 25 YDS and 36 YDS specifically on slow mesh plays.
Wake Forest Key Personnel
QB Mitch Griffis took over the starting job following the departure of Sam Hartman to Notre Dame this past offseason, and he’s completed 76-127 attempts for 999 YDS, 9 TD and 6 INT through the team’s first four games. Jahmal Banks (24 REC, 276 YDS, 3 TD, 11.5 AVG), Taylor Morin (18 REC, 239 YDS, 2 TD, 13.3 AVG), and Wesley Grimes (10 REC, 199 YDS, 2 TD, 19.9 AVG) are Griffis’ top targets in the passing game that looks to create opportunities for explosive plays down the field.
RBs Demond Claiborne (63 CAR, 311 YDS, 2 TD) and Justice Ellison (44 CAR, 250 YDS) account for a majority of the team’s carries in the run-game, and Griffis has also proven to be a capable runner when needed.
North Carolina A&T transfer LB Jacob Roberts has stepped in and made an immediate impact defensively, leading all Wake defenders with 37 total tackles and 5 sacks on the season. DL Jasheen Davis has added 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks, and the team’s veteran secondary leads the ACC with six interceptions despite being one of four conference teams to already have their open week.
Lines, Trends, Projections
As of Thursday, FanDuel Sportsbook has the Tigers as a 20.5-point favorite with the total set at 51.5. BetMGM has the Tigers as a 21-point favorite, and the total is also set at 51.5.
Clemson is 2-3 ATS this season and have gone over their point total twice. Wake Forest is 1-3 ATS and have hit the over once through four games. Clemson has won each of the last three head-to-head matchups between the two teams, but Wake is 2-1 against the spread during that stretch. Clemson is 1-1 ATS in games in which they are favored by 21 points or more this season.
ESPN analytics gives the Tigers an 89.4% chance to win the game, with the SP+ projecting a 34-18 win for the Tigers.
Listen to The ROAR's pregame coverage, starting at 9:30am. Donate to Tigers for Tatas at Swann Pavillion 9:30am until supplies run out!
