When Clemson and Wake Forest kick off their season on Saturday night at Truist Field in Winston-Salem, N.C., it will be a special moment for all involved.
It was not long ago people were saying the 2020 college football season was unlikely. But a little more than a day remaining before kickoff, the Tigers and Demon Deacons await the start of one of the most anticipated seasons in the history of the sport.
“It will be just a special moment. It has been an unbelievable journey to get here,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “Just the fact we are getting a chance to play is a win. It really is, for these guys, our staff, for all the people involved. It is going to be a special moment for everybody. Both teams, both staffs.”
Of course, the objective of the game is to win. That is, after all, why they light up the scoreboard and keep score. However, for No. 1 Clemson, getting to this moment is already a victory of everyone.
“Man, the journey to get to this point has been one of the greatest challenges of my life,” Swinney said. “That’s for sure and, certainly, these young people’s lives. Nobody has ever experienced anything like this, but we have found a way to get it done. We have risen to the occasion. I am super proud of the leadership and character of our team in coming together.
“These guys have been wanting to play and this is what they have been working towards, hoping for, and dreaming about. There was a lot of talk about us not playing, so to get to this point, it is going to be a very special moment when we kick it off.”
Game Information
Where: Truist Field, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Records: Clemson 0-0, 0-0 ACC; Wake Forest 0-0, 0-0 ACC
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
TV: ABC (Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Todd McShay, Allison Williams)
Radio: Clemson Tigers Network (Don Munson, Tim Bourret, Reggie Merriweather)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 84, XM 84, Internet 84
Latest Line: Clemson minus-34
Series History
- OVERALL: Clemson leads series, 67-17-1
- HOME: Clemson leads series, 39-7
- ROAD: Clemson leads series, 25-10-1
- NEUTRAL: Clemson leads series, 3-0
- LAST MEETING: Nov. 16, 2019 (52-3, W)
- STREAK: Clemson, Won 11
Three story lines
Members of Clemson’s program wore shirts in camp bearing the term “2020 Vision” on the front (with the zeroes represented by All In chips) and “Double-Double Mission” on the back, signifying Clemson’s pursuit of a 10th straight 10-win season. With 10-plus wins this year, Clemson would join Florida State and Alabama as the only programs ever to accomplish the feat.
Clemson has won the opener in 10 of Dabo Swinney’s 11 full seasons as Clemson’s head coach, including each of the last five since 2015. This year marks Clemson’s first time opening a season on the road since 2016, when second-ranked Clemson defeated Auburn, 19-13, at Jordan-Hare Stadium to kick off an eventual national championship campaign.
Clemson is attempting to hold Wake Forest to three or fewer points for a third straight meeting (63-3 in 2018, 52-3 in 2019). It would be Clemson’s first time holding a single opponent to three or fewer points in three straight meetings since doing so in three games against The Citadel in 1978, 1986 and 2000. It would be Clemson’s first time doing so against an FBS opponent and ACC opponent since a four-game streak against Maryland from 1993-96 in which the Tigers produced three straight shutouts from 1993-95 plus a 35-3 win in 1996.
Wake Forest’s three players to watch
Carlos Basham, DE: One of three returning Wake Forest All-ACC selections from 2019, Carlos Basham, Jr. has received plenty of preseason accolades heading into the upcoming season. After a breakout campaign that included 11.0 sacks and 18.0 tackles for loss in 2019, Basham has earned preseason All-America honors from a multitude of publications.
Nick Sciba, Kicker: Wake Forest might have the best kicker in all of college football according to many. Last season, Nick Sciba converted 24-of-25 field goal attempts while hitting on his first 23 in 2019. He also set the school record with 119 points. He is on the Lou Groza Award Watch list to start the season. He did account for Wake’s only points against Clemson last year.
Donavon Greene, WR: Greene came to Wake Forest as one of the highest rated recruits in program history. After earning his redshirt in 2019, Greene suited up in the final four games of the season, pulling down 13 catches for 249 yards and two touchdowns, which included a breakout performance against Syracuse when he had seven catches, 172 yards and a score.
Prediction:
Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson admitted earlier this week his team did very little tackling in preseason camp as he tried to keep his players as safe as possible during the pandemic. Clawson said his team scrimmaged just once, plus had a half scrimmage. They usually scrimmage three times during camp and have a half scrimmage. On the other side, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said he did not change things up regarding tackling. The Tigers scrimmaged three times and had a situational scrimmage as they always do in camp. Clemson is one of the more physical teams in the country and trying to play the Tigers when you have not tackled much, will not bode well for Wake Forest.
Score prediction: Clemson 52, Wake Forest 3
–Clemson Athletics Communication department contributed to this story
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