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Clemson football vs NC State score prediction, scouting report in Tigers' first ACC game
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- Clemson football vs NC State score prediction, scouting report in Tigers' first ACC game
CLEMSON — Clemson football looks to win its first ACC game after its Week 3 open date.
The No. 19 Tigers (1-1) play NC State (2-1) on Saturday (noon ET, ABC) at Memorial Stadium. This is both teams' first conference game.
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Here is what to know about the matchup:
Clemson football , Cade Klubnik look to keep offense hot vs NC State
The Tigers set records for points scored and yards gained in a half against Appalachian State in Week 2. Quarterback Cade Klubnik set career highs in passing yards and touchdowns, and tight end Jake Briningstool and wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. recorded at least 100 receiving yards each. Running back Phil Mafah rushed for more than 100 yards, and the offensive line gave up no sacks.
It was the kind of performance Clemson and its fans craved for years, and the Tigers delivered in their home opener. They aim to play closer to their play vs. App State and not against Georgia when their offense scored only three points and lacked explosive plays.
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NC State freshman quarterback CJ Bailey is making first start
NC State is set to start freshman quarterback CJ Bailey over Grayson McCall , who got injured against Louisiana Tech last week. Bailey, who led the Wolfpack to an 11-point comeback win, will make his first career start and will lean on the team's leading rusher, Jordan Waters, and receiver, Kevin Concepcion , against Clemson.
Defensively, the Wolfpack have forced a turnover in each game this season. They run a 3-3-5 defense — three defensive lineman, three linebackers and five defensive backs. They switch from man and zone coverage and often send man blitz, trusting their cornerbacks to hold up against the opposing team receivers.
NC State defeated Western Carolina 38-21 to open its season, lost to No. 7 Tennessee 51-10 at a neutral site and beat Louisiana Tech 30-20 last week.
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MORE: How Dabo Swinney transfer portal approach matches vision for keeping players at Clemson
Clemson football is going for its 800th win
If the Tigers defeat NC State, they would become the 14th FBS program and first ACC team to win 800 games. It would have taken them 118 games to move from 700 all-time wins to 800, the fastest stretch of 100 victories in program history .
Clemson's previous fastest stretch of 100 wins happened in 1990 when it took 134 games to move from 400 wins to 500.
Clemson's history vs NC State
Clemson is 60-30-1 all-time against NC State. The Wolfpack defeated Clemson 24-17 in their most recent matchup last year at Carter-Finley Stadium and have won two of the past three games. Before that, Clemson won eight straight, the longest win streak in the series.
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The Tigers are 16-4 under coach Dabo Swinney in games following regular season open dates. They are also 10-5 in ACC openers under Swinney.
Clemson score prediction vs NC State
Clemson 30, NC State 13: The Tigers established immense confidence in their offense in Week 2 and will keep their eruption going. The Wolfpack having to play a freshman quarterback on the road is a recipe for disaster. Clemson's stout defense will rattle the inexperienced player and generate turnovers as the Tigers win their first conference game.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson-NC State score prediction: Can Dabo Swinney offense stay hot?
