WINSTON-SALEM, SC. — It’s Game Day at Wake Forest where No. 4 Clemson battles the Deacons as the Tigers’ hope to continue their run to an ACC Championship and a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Location: BB&T Field

Kickoff:  3:30 p.m.

Television:  ESPN

Announcers:  Beth Mowins, Anthony Becht, Rocky Bowen

2018 Record: Clemson  5-0,  Wake Forest 3-1

ACC Record: Clemson 2-0  Wake Forest 0-1

Series History: Clemson leads 65-17-1

Last Meeting:  Clemson won 28-14 in 2017 at Death Valley

WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK

– Clemson attempting to open 6-0 for the fourth straight season and for the sixth time in the last eight years.
– Clemson recording its 14th 6-0 start all-time (1900, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1948, 1981, 1987, 2000, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017). Clemson won conference titles in eight of those previous 13 campaigns.
– Clemson winning its first six games of a season for the sixth time under Head Coach Dabo Swinney (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017). Clemson’s five current 6-0 starts under Swinney are already the most under any head coach in school history (Josh Cody, 3; Danny Ford, 2; Frank Howard, 1; Tommy Bowden, 1; John Heisman, 1)
– Clemson improving to 66-17-1 all-time against Wake Forest. Clemson’s current 65 all-time wins against Wake Forest are their second most against any opponent in school history, trailing the Tigers’ 69 wins against South
Carolina.
– Clemson winning their 10th consecutive game against Wake Forest, dating back to 2009. It would mark Clemson’s third 10-game winning streak in series history, including a 15-game streak from 1977-91 and a 10-game streak covering the 1950-60 seasons. Clemson’s current nine-game winning streak against Wake Forest is the Tigers’ longest active winning streak against any FBS foe.

STREAKIN’ AGAINST THE DEACONS

Clemson enters this year’s game against Wake Forest in search of its 10th consecutive victory against the Demon Deacons. Clemson’s nine-game winning streak is its longest active winning streak against any FBS foe.
The Tigers have produced 10-game winning streaks against opponents six times in school history. Clemson already extended its longest single-pponent winning streak in school history in its 2018 season opener, defeating Furman for a 31st consecutive time.

Wake Forest is the only opponent against whom Clemson has recorded multiple winning streaks of 10-plus games, posting a 15-game winning streak against the Demon Deacons from 1977-91 as well as a 10-game streak from 1940-50. A win Saturday would give Clemson its third all-time 10-game streak against Wake Forest in comparison to a combined four 10-game streaks against all other opponents (Furman, Virginia, The Citadel and Presbyterian.

SWINNEY VS. THE TAR HEEL STATE

Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney has a 22-2 alltime record against ACC teams from North Carolina. That includes a 9-0 record against Wake Forest and a 4-0 mark in Winston-Salem. Saturday’s game with Wake Forest is
the first of three games this year against ACC teams from North Carolina.

Swinney’s only losses to ACC teams from North Carolina were at North Carolina in 2010 (21-16) and at NC State in 2011 (37-13). He has won 16 games in a row against ACC teams from North Carolina. The Tigers have
scored at least 40 points in eight of those 16 and have scored at least 33 in 13 of those 16.

Including three ACC Championship Game wins in Charlotte (2011 vs. Virginia Tech, 2015 vs. North Carolina and 2017 vs. Miami), Swinney is 10-2 in games played in the state of North Carolina with eight wins in a row.

WINS AGAINST TOP 25 FINISHERS

While wins against teams ranked in the Top 25 carry a lot of weight in the moment, one added layer of quality assurance for victories can be gleaned from viewing teams’ records against opponents that actually finished the year
in the Top 25. An independent analysis by Saturday Down South revealed that Clemson’s 15 victories in the College Football Playoff era against opponents that finished the season in the Top 25 ranks second nationally.

SWINNEY CLOSING IN ON TWO LEGENDS

Head Coach Dabo Swinney has closed in on coaching accomplishments of two college football legends.  Swinney enters Saturday’s game against Wake Forest with an overall record of 106-30 for a .779 winning percentage.

With last week’s win against Syracuse, Swinney passed the number of total victories earned by Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne, the winningest coach by percentage in Division I history. Rockne compiled a 105-12-5 career
record from 1918-30 at Notre Dame for a record .881 winning percentage.

Swinney’s current .779 winning percentage is 22nd best in Division I history among coaches with a minimum of 10 years experience. Just ahead of him in 21st place is Bear Bryant, who had a .780 winning percentage (323-85-17). With a win on Saturday, Swinney would improve his career record to 107-30 and push his winning percentage to .781.

TCI Predictions 

Robert – Clemson 49, Wake Forest 24

Gavin – Clemson 38, Wake Forest 21

Will – Clemson 35, Wake Forest 17