NC State a threat to undefeated Clemson

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney makes no bones about the challenge ahead of his third-ranked team on Saturday at N.C. State.

The Tigers (7-0, 4-0 ACC) have won 33 straight games against unranked opponents and 29 of their last 32 games against ACC teams other than Florida State.

N.C. State (5-2, 1-2 ACC) was the last unranked team to knock off the Tigers, historically noted as the last act of “Clemsoning,” back in 2011 at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack, and Georgia Tech last year, are the only ACC teams outside of FSU to beat the Tigers since the start of the 2011 season.

“We know they will be jacked up for the Tigers to show up,” said Swinney, whose seventh-ranked Tigers lost 37-13 at N.C. State on Nov. 19, 2011. “It’s a tough place to play, we all know that.”

Swinney called Carter-Finley Stadium “one of the best places to play in this conference.” The Wolfpack has won two of its past four home games against top 10 teams.

The two losses, 26-14 to No. 3 Clemson in 2013 and 56-41 to No. 1 Florida State last year, were two of the most inspired performances by the Wolfpack under third-year coach Dave Doeren.

There are a handful of fifth-year seniors – defensive end Mike Rose, cornerback Juston Burris, left guard Alex Barr, safety Hakim Jones and left tackle Joe Thuney – still around from 2011. There are a few more players who were in the program for the Wolfpack’s 17-16 upset of No. 3 Florida State at Carter-Finley Stadium in 2012.

Big wins

Doeren has tried to carry on the tradition of those big home wins, under former coach Tom O’Brien. The home loss to No. 3 Clemson on Sept. 19, 2013 was a high-water mark for a team that finished winless in the ACC.

The Wolfpack appeared on the verge of taking a 14-13 second-half lead on an 83-yard touchdown run by Bryan Underwood but the play was whistled dead when Underwood was ruled to have stepped out of bounds after a 36-yard gain.

“They had that game,” said sophomore running back Jaylen Samuels, who was on a recruiting trip during that Thursday night showcase game.

The Wolfpack had No. 1 Florida State on the ropes last season at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack jumped out to a 24-7 lead in the first quarter and held a 38-28 advantage late in the third quarter.

Even with differences in the roster, there is some value to be culled from the last two big home games, even though they were losses, Doeren said.

I just hope we have learned our lesson on looking at the scoreboard and feeling comfortable,” Doeren said in reference to the loss to the Seminoles last year. “We had a chance in that game to keep the pressure on our opponent and we didn’t.”

Pack progress

Doeren, who has an 0-4 record vs. ranked opponents at N.C. State, said he hasn’t so much used the week to talk about the Wolfpack’s recent history in big games but what he has stressed this week is the opportunity.

“It’s exciting to have the opportunity now you have to do something with it,” Doeren said.

There’s also the matter of progress for the program. N.C. State hadn’t won at Wake Forest since 2001 but changed that last week with a 35-17 win. Beating either Clemson or Florida State, for the first time since 2012, would be another step, Doeren said.

After last week’s win, Doeren said a number of players watched Georgia Tech’s 22-16 win over Florida State. The Yellow Jackets blocked a field goal and returned it 78 yards for a touchdown on the last play of the game.

“They all know, any game, any team can win,” Doeren said. “If you don’t beat yourself and you play to the best of your ability and have a few breaks go your way, you can beat anybody.”

This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 3:48 PM with the headline "NC State a threat to undefeated Clemson."