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Clemson football vs Virginia score prediction, scouting report in Week 8 ACC game
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- Clemson football vs Virginia score prediction, scouting report in Week 8 ACC game
CLEMSON — Clemson football looks to win its sixth straight game before entering its open week.
The No. 9 Tigers (5-1, 4-0 ACC) face Virginia (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN) at Memorial Stadium. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney faces Cavaliers coach Tony Elliott, who was his former assistant and a Clemson player.
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Here is what to know about the matchup:
Clemson football offense, Cade Klubnik in high gear vs unranked teams
Klubnik has the fifth-highest QBR in FBS with 88.3 on a scale of 1-100. He has been on a tear since Week 1 against Georgia, passing for 1,386 yards with 21 total touchdowns (four rushing) and one interception. His yards per attempt has increased from 6.3 in 2023 (the lowest in the ACC) to 8.3, the sixth highest in the conference, and he has helped Clemson have the highest-scoring first quarter offense in the country, averaging 15 points.
Klubnik has taken advantage of Clemson's schedule, not facing a ranked opponent since Week 1, but he has shown vast improvement in his second year as a full-time starter. His decision making and confidence have elevated.
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What to know about Virginia, quarterback Anthony Colandrea
Virginia won its first two games of 2024 against Richmond and Wake Forest, then lost to Maryland . The Cavaliers rebounded to win two straight again, defeating Coastal Carolina and Boston College , before falling to Louisville at home last Saturday.
The Cavaliers average 27.5 points per game, the 11th most in the ACC. Colandrea has 1,490 yards passing for nine touchdowns and four interceptions. His favorite target is wide receiver Malachi Fields , who has 541 yards and three touchdowns on 37 catches. They also have two running backs who have rushed over 300 yards with Xavier Brown and former Clemson transfer Kobe Pace.
Virginia allows 22 points per game, the eighth fewest in the ACC, but allows the third-most passing yards per game with 260.5.
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MORE: Could Clemson go two years without a QB signee? Dabo Swinney responds to Blake Hebert flip
Dabo Swinney faces Tony Elliott, a former Clemson player and assistant coach
Elliott played wide receiver at Clemson from 1999-2003. Swinney was Elliott's position coach in his first season in 2003. Then, Elliott served as an assistant coach for Clemson from 2011-21.
Elliott helped the Tigers to a 130-21 record in his tenure, including two national championships. He will become the 15th coach all-time to face Clemson after having previously coached the Tigers. He will also become the fourth former Clemson player to face the Tigers as a coach, joining Jules Carson (Wofford), Bobby Johnson (Furman) and Mike O'Cain (NC State).
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Clemson's history vs Virginia
Clemson is 40-8-1 all-time against Virginia. These teams first met in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1955, and the Tigers won 20-7. Clemson defeated the Cavaliers 41-23 in their last matchup in 2020.
The Tigers have won the last five games by a combined score of 209-74. The last time Virginia beat Clemson was in 2004, when it won 30-10.
Clemson score prediction vs Virginia
Clemson 41, Virginia 16: The Tigers have been one of the hottest teams in FBS, and Klubnik will keep their momentum going. Despite injuries hitting Clemson's offensive line and wide receiver unit, Klubnik has lifted its offense and will do it again vs the Cavaliers.
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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-Virginia score prediction: Can Tigers win sixth straight?
