Clemson, North Carolina State looking for return to winning path

Associated Press
·2 min read
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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Clemson (4-3, 2-3 ACC) at North Carolina State (4-3, 1-2), Saturday, 2 p.m. ET (CW).

Line: Clemson by 10, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series record: Clemson leads 60-29-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

A chance for both teams to get things headed back in the right direction. Clemson lost in overtime, 28-20, at Miami last Saturday. North Carolina State has lost its past two ACC games and is looking to avoid its first three-game league losing streak since dropping its last six ACC contests in 2019.

KEY MATCHUP

Clemson QB Cade Klubnik vs. North Carolina State's defense. Klubnik has had an up-and-down season, but has thrown for 1,684 yards and 13 touchdowns. When Klubnik faces some pressure, he's had a difficult time leading the Tigers downfield. The Wolfpack are tied for the ACC lead with 22 sacks.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

CLEMSON: TE Jake Briningstool had five catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns last week in the Miami loss. His yardage total set a single-game school record for a tight end, surpassing Jordan Leggett's 122 yard receiving game in 2016.

N.C. STATE: WR Kevin “KC” Concepcion. The freshman continues to step up in a quick adjustment to the college game. He had six catches for 63 yards and four runs for 33 yards in last week’s loss to Duke. He also had 100-yard receiving games with two touchdowns each in wins against Marshall and Virginia.

FACTS & FIGURES

Both Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren are looking for milestone victories. Swinney is tied with the late Frank Howard for most wins in Tigers' history at 165. This is Swinney's second try to get the landmark win. Doeren has 76 victories with the Wolfpack, one shy of tying Earle Edwards for the school mark for all-time wins. ... Clemson is 7-1 in its last eight games following a loss. ... The Wolfpack have lost nine of the past 10 games against Clemson, although they ended an eight-game losing streak in the series with a 27-21 home win in double overtime two years ago. ... Clemson has lost three ACC games in a season for the first time since 2010. That was also the last season the team finished with a losing record.

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