NC State failed its first national test, but now get a second chance Saturday.
NC State lost 51-10 to Tennessee on ABC on Sept. 7 in Charlotte, N.C. NC State (2-1) now plays at No. 21 Clemson at 12 p.m. Saturday on ABC.
The Tigers lost 34-3 against current No. 2-ranked Georgia in the season opener Aug. 31 in Atlanta, Ga. Clemson obliterated Appalachian State 66-20 on Sept. 7, and then had a bye week, giving the Tigers two weeks to get ready for NC State.
Five Clemson players to watch
Senior tight end Jake Briningstool
The 6-foot-6, 240-pounder is one of the top tight ends in the ACC, and has 10 catches for 126 yards and two scores this season. He had 50 catches for 498 yards and five touchdowns last year, and he has 12 career touchdowns. Briningstool had eight catches for 93 yards last year against NC State, with the Wolfpack winning 24-17 on Oct. 28, 2023. Briningstool was a Rivals.com four-star prospect in the class of 2021.
Senior weakside linebacker Barrett Carter
Carter is off to a slow start, but is a key NFL Draft prospect, who surprised some by. returning to Clemson. The 6-1, 230-pounder from Suwanee, Ga., had 62 tackles, 3.5 sacks, five passes defended and one interception last year. Carter has nine career sacks and three interceptions. Carter, who was a Rivals.com five-star prospect in the class of 2021, had five tackles and a sack against NC State last year.
Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik
Klubnik went 42-of-55 passing for 520 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, plus two scores rushing the ball. The 6-2, 210-pounder from Austin, Texas, threw for 2,844 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions last year. He rushed 125 times for 182 yards and four touchdowns. Klubnik, who was a Rivals.com five-star prospect in the class of 2022, torched Appalachian State for 24-of-26 passing for 378 yards and five touchdowns, plus a pair of scores rushing.
Senior running back Phil Mafah
The 6-1, 230-pound Mafah has rushed 26 times for 177 yards and a touchdown, which was a 83-yard touchdown run last week against Appalachian State. Mafah split carries with Will Shipley, with his signature game rushing 36 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-23 win over Notre Dame on Nov. 4, 2023. Rivals.com had Mafah as a four-star prospect in the class of 2021, and had 168 carries for 894 yards and nine touchdowns last year.
Junior right tackle Blake Miller
The 6-6, 315-pound Miller anchors the Clemson offensive line. He was a freshman All-American in 2022, and then came back to be a third-team All-ACC selection last year. He has started all 27 games he has played in at Clemson. Miller has a 67.9 grade by Pro Football Focus through two games this season, which is slightly down from his 72.9 grade last year, which trailed only Mafah (81.1) on offense. Miller was a four-star prospect by Rivals.com in the class of 2021.
What to watch for from Clemson
1. Which Clemson offense will stand up? Clemson was lights out against Appalachian State on Sept. 7, surging to a 42-0 lead with 12:58 left in the second quarter.
The order of the day was two-fold — youth movement at wide receiver and several big plays. Clemson has struggled recruiting outside wide receivers, with the last big impact player Justyn Ross before he hurt his neck in 2019.
Enter freshmen Bryant Wesco and Terrance “T.J.” Moore in the class of 2024. The 6-2, 180-pound Wesco was ranked No. 75 overall by Rivals.com nationally coming out of Midlothian (Texas) High. The 6-3, 200-pound Moore was ranked No. 43 overall at Tampa (Fla.) Catholic.
Wesco caught a 76-yard touchdown pass on the third play of the game against Appalachian State. He then caught a 51-yard bomb on the eighth play of the game to set up quarterback Cade Klubnik rushing for a two-yard score.
Moore made his presence known with a 33-yard touchdown catch to make it 49-7 with 6:48 left in the second quarter. If the outside guys open it up, it gives sophomore slot receiver Antonio Williams and senior tight end Jake Briningstool room to work underneath. Moore and Wesco combined for two catches for 12 yards in their college debuts against Georgia.
2. Cade Klubnik looks more comfortable. Few quarterbacks have been under the spotlight like Klubnik has, and it started in high school. He was a high-end quarterback prospect with promise, but his junior year, he helped lead Austin (Texas) Westlake to the Texas 6A state title with a win over then No. 1-ranked overall player Quinn Ewers and Southlake (Texas) Carroll.
Klubnik out-dueled Ewers in part due to his running ability on the read option, and he climbed up the recruiting rankings and had Clemson zero in on him. The road to being the next Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence has been bumpy for Klubnik, who replaced D.J. Uiagalelei late in the 2022 season.
Klubnik is 11-6 in games where he’s gotten the majority of the snaps. He ended last year on a high-note, dueling against former NC State quarterback Devin Leary and Kentucky in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl. He threw for 264 yards and an interception in a 38-35 comeback victory.
Georgia held Klubnik to 142 passing yards and an interception, but then he shredded Appalachian State.
3. Bend but don't break defense. Clemson's defense hung in there with Georgia, with the score 13-3 with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs scored three unanswered touchdowns and the final tally wasn't pretty at 34-3. The first 18 minutes of the win over Appalachian State stunned the Mountaineers. Clemson's defense was good, but Appalachian State got knocked badly on its heels.
If Woods is out on the defensive line, some new playmakers will have to emerge around the linebacker duo of Barrett Carter and Wade Woodazz. Cornerback Aveion Terrell leads the secondary in tackles with seven on the season and the defense has just two sacks.
Three keys to the game for NC State football
1. NC State will need to give freshman quarterback Cedrick Bailey time in the pocket.
Bailey brings a difference presence to the pocket at 6-6 and 210 pounds, and he can run when needed, though prefers to hurt opposing defenses with his arm. Bailey can make the downfield throws and has good zip on the ball. The key will be decision making, and he had one crucial interception against Louisiana Tech.
Clemson might not have injured sophomore defensive lineman Peter Woods, who is one of its top players on the team. The Tigers will need others to step up to provide a pass rush, whether organically or on blitzes. Clemson only has two sacks this season.
2. The Wolpack will need to shorten the game by making the Tigers be more of a possession offense. NC State doesn't want a shoot-out against Clemson, especially on the road. Senior running back Phil Mafah is the bell cow and the first priority for NC State to slow down.
Georgia did a good job holding him in checking, with 16 carries for 59 yards and a long run of nine yards. Mafah ripped off a 83-yard touchdown run in the first half against Appalachian State, and then put the car in cruise control.
Clemson is more explosive this season, but if NC State can slow down Mafah and force the Tigers in second and long and third and long, the defense will be in a good spot. NC State will want the drives to be of at least eight plays.
3. NC State coach Dave Doeren knows how important creating turnovers are, and having an advantage in that category. It is complemented by not having poor penalties that harm drives and create punts.
Because Clemson has played two distinct programs in No. 2-ranked Georgia and 2-1 mid-major power Appalachian State, it's hard to pin down exactly who the Tigers are at this point in the season.
NC State is also trying to find itself, and it might be about airing the football out. The Wolfpack might not be able to run the football efficiently, and especially so if Woods can't play on the defensive line.
Three numbers of note
4 Colleges who didn't bring in a transfer this past year — Clemson, Air Force, Army and Navy.
62 Wins in 63 games when Clemson throws for at least 200 passing yards and rushes for at least 200 yards in a game.
799 Career wins for Clemson entering Saturday's game against NC State. The Tigers are 799-473-45 all-time, and they'll be the 14th FBS program and first ACC program to reach 800 victories whenever it comes. Sixty-one of those wins have come against NC State.
Follow on Twitter:
@NCStateRivals or @JaceyZembal
Subscribe for free on YouTube:
For Jacey Zembal or The Wolfpack Central
Like on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TheWolfpackCentral
Follow on Instagram/Threads:
ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERS: Our NETWORK-WIDE, all-access pass allows you to read every premium message board in the Rivals.com network as part of a bundled add-on to your subscription!
Subscribers can add the All-Access Pass or a 3-Site Bundle in your account profile, under the Subscriptions tab: HERE
