Clemson has experienced a full range of emotions across its opening two games of 2024.
Now comes the start of a major aspect to the season as the No. 21 Tigers launch into their Atlantic Coast Conference schedule by taking on North Carolina State on Saturday at Clemson, S.C.
“It all about getting to Charlotte (for the ACC championship game),” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “It’s all about winning your league. We can’t waste an opportunity.”
The game is the ACC opener for both teams, with Clemson coming off a bye.
Awareness of the conference component is probably more heightened than in recent years for the Tigers (1-1). They won six consecutive ACC title games before failing to qualify for the title game in two of the past three years.
NC State (2-1) will be in its first true road game. Two weeks ago, a neutral-site 51-10 setback to then-No. 14 Tennessee put an early blemish on the record, though the Wolfpack rallied from 11 points down to defeat Louisiana Tech last week.
Clemson stumbled through a dismal offensive performance in the opener against then-No. 1 Georgia, falling 34-3. The Tigers rebounded with an impressive offensive display in blowing out Appalachian State 66-20.
“Now that we know we can do it, let’s go do it every week,” Tigers receiver Antonio Williams said. “Keep the momentum going.”
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnick is eighth in the ACC in passing, averaging 260 yards per game.
The Wolfpack will have freshman quarterback CJ Bailey making his first collegiate start. He came in to replace Grayson McCall, who exited with a game-ending injury in the second quarter last week against Louisiana Tech.
“CJ is going to run the show until Grayson is healthy,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said. “I’m excited to see what CJ can do.”
There will be plenty of areas for the Wolfpack to address while using a quarterback short on experience. Practice this week has included artificial crowd noise in an attempt to simulate the expected atmosphere.
“It’s going to be a loud environment,” Doeren said. “They’re coming off a game when they looked unstoppable.”
The Wolfpack will want to make Bailey as comfortable as possible.
“Schematically, (we’ll do) the things he’s best at, and letting him play ball,” Doeren said. “He’s a football player. That kid understands the game.”
Swinney is concerned about how the Wolfpack might use receiver Kevin “KC” Concepcion, particularly if NC State revamps schemes with Bailey as the starter. Concepcion has 22 receptions for 199 yards and three touchdowns on the young season.
“He really hurt us last year,” Swinney said of Concepcion, who had five catches for 83 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-17 Wolfpack win.
Doeren hasn’t provided any information on the nature of McCall’s injury, other than to refer to his playing status as day-to-day.
Doeren isn’t overwhelmed by taking his young quarterback into Clemson.
“We know that we can beat them,” Doeren said. “We also know they’re a really good team, and playing them at home, they’re an even better team.”
This is the fourth time in Doeren’s 12 seasons that NC State’s ACC opener comes vs. Clemson. The Wolfpack have won two of the past three meetings overall, both times at home. NC State hasn’t won at Clemson since 2002.
“We need to get the job done down there,” Doeren said. “That’s something we haven’t done. We’ve been close. Close doesn’t get it done.”
— Field Level Media
