Clemson: A Thursday Night Affair

I'm guessing I'm not anywhere close to alone when I say that this game is the one I'm most excited/nervous for this season. Not only are Wake and Clemson expected to finish 1-2 in the ACC Atlantic Division, but the last couple of years have created an interesting rivalry between the two teams. Wake is definitely eager to get back on the winning side.

First, let's talk about the "Thursday Night Factor." When I look at the 2008 schedule, this game reminds me a lot of the Florida State game last year. I know that's an obvious comparison to draw because it's a home game on a Thursday night, but the timing of the game, the type of opponent, and the implications for the division all contribute to this being the game to point at this season. Certainly I'd always rather play Clemson at home than in Clemson. You could say that about any team, but I'm not afraid to admit that Death Valley would be one of my last choices for an ACC away venue. Because playing on Thursday night throws off any team's schedule, the fact that we're doing it at home should make it a bit easier on us than it is on Clemson. Finally, if the atmosphere in BB&T is even close to the atmosphere we saw for FSU last season (and I think it will be even better), then we should have a pretty significant home field advantage, at least by BB&T standards.

So, what about the action on the field? There's no denying Wake will have its hands full. Like Wake, the Tigers don't lose a whole lot from last season. They have more returning offensive skill players returning than Wake does, but will also be doing some rebuilding on the offensive line. They also return eight talented defensive starters. It will be very evenly matched.

What will make the difference? Two things stand out to me. Last season Clemson was noticeably better than Wake in both scoring defense (10th vs 28th in FBS) and turnover margin (9th vs 18th). Wake was pretty good in both of those categories, but Clemson was noticeably better in both. The Deacs will need to find away to score some points and avoid losing the turnover battle if they want to win this one.

The second thing is Clemson's 2007 rushing output in the three regular season games they lost. In those three games - against Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Boston College - the Tigers had a total of 89 rushing yards. Clemson has two very good backs in James Davis and C.J. Spiller, but if the Deacon defense can find a way to contain them Clemson will have to rely on a streaky Cullen Harper. That scenario would likely work out favorably for the Deacs.

I'd love to say I'm confident about a win in this one, but I would be lying if I did. Wake definitely has the ability to get it done, but we're going to have to see this one play out on the field. Hopefully our Thursday night crowd will put us over the top for a victory.