Know your enemy: Scouting Clemson's Week 4 opponent, N.C. State

Clemson will face its first true road challenge of the season on Saturday when the seventh-ranked Tigers invade N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff against the Wolfpack.

Clemson (2-1, 1-0 ACC) has dominated the series of late, winning 15 of the past 16 games against N.C. State (2-1, 0-0), including each of the past eight, but the Tigers – who are bidding for a seventh consecutive ACC Championship – are showing some signs of vulnerability.

After losing quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne in the NFL draft last April, Clemson has struggled to find any semblance of offensive consistency, a fact that was underscored in a hard-fought 14-8 victory against Georgia Tech last Saturday.

Clemson vs. N.C. State:

• Five numbers to know
• N.C. State coach Dave Doeren on facing Clemson, taking page from Georgia Tech
• What's the latest line, over-under for Clemson vs. N.C. State?
• How to watch on TV, live stream

A solid defense gives N.C. State a puncher’s chance this time around, but can the Wolfpack offense not only have enough firepower to be the first to score a touchdown on Clemson’s defense this season but also keep this game close well into the second half?

To help us answer such pertinent questions about the game, we sat down for a chat with David Thompson (no Wolfpack fans, not that David Thompson), who’s the N.C. State beat writer for the USA TODAY Network.

USAT: How strange do you think it will be for Clemson running back Will Shipley to be playing against N.C. State, which was his family’s favorite team growing up and the alma mater of multiple family members?

Thompson: Well, the last time he played on this field was the state title game (for Weddington High School). It adds a layer. You do kind of wonder since Clemson is so far ahead of everyone in the ACC when it comes to recruiting, if N.C. State wins this game does that reverberate through recruiting to the point where they wouldn’t lose a guy like Shipley in the future?

USAT: How big of a blow to N.C. State is losing linebacker Payton Wilson and safety Cyrus Fagan for the season?

Thompson: Wilson is first-team All-ACC, a team leader; Fagan was a locker room guy, too, who I think was on track to have a really great season. Is it the worst that could have happened? They’re lucky in that the safety and linebacker room are where State is deepest; there’s a lot of experience in that linebacker room, and same thing goes for the secondary. It’s going to hurt, but I don’t think we’re going to see it be an insurmountable loss because of the talent in both of those rooms.

USAT: Did Georgia Tech provide a blueprint on how to beat, or at least challenge, Clemson?

Thompson: If N.C. State doesn’t look at what Georgia Tech did defensively, then that’s just bad coaching. Clemson’s offense just hasn’t looked impressive in any game, and I think State is realizing that with a quarterback who has a lack of confidence if they can get a decent rush without having to blitz, I think they can force if him into mistakes. For N.C. State to win this game, (Clemson quarterback) D.J. (Uiagalelei) is going to have to throw a couple of picks. They want to force him into bad decisions.

USAT: Is State quarterback Devin Leary ready for this moment?

Thompson: I’m a big fan of Devin Leary. I think what D.J. lacks is what Devin has – maturity and experience. I don’t think he necessarily has the skill set that D.J. does, but I think if he goes in there and game manages and can make some big throws and extend some plays with his feet, he can do enough. He obviously has to avoid the big mistakes, too. Devin borders on that "Oh, is he one of the top quarterbacks in the ACC?" If he goes out there and kicks butt against Clemson, it changes the narrative completely. This will be interesting. This will be one of those games where if you look back at the Devin Leary era, he will be judged by this performance.

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USAT: How key is State’s 1-2 punch of running backs Zonovan “Bam” Knight and Ricky Person?

Thompson: Bam and Ricky are the key. If you can take a little pressure off of Leary by getting more yards on first down, it completely changes what they can do on offense. They’re not a very confident team when it comes to 3rd-and-12 or 3rd-and-15. Bam and Ricky are key to slowing things down and keeping Clemson off the field and eating up the clock and shortening the game.

USAT: If N.C. State upsets Clemson, would it be the biggest win of the Dave Doeren era?

Thompson: As far as what Clemson is and what they represent and the lack of success that he’s had against them, no doubt. After what happened at Mississippi State (a 24-10 loss on Sept. 11), he’s kind of lost the fan base a little bit. But if they win this, they’re all back. If they win this, they’re talking Doeren statues.

USAT: So what’s your prediction?

Thompson: I expect it to be closer. I think what’s different this time is N.C. State’s strength is also Clemson’s strength: defense. N.C. State actually has a very good defense. It’s hard for me to think it’s going to be a blowout unless – kind of like when they played Mississippi State – the offense just continually puts their defense in horrible situations, which could absolutely happen. I’m thinking 17-10, Clemson. I do feel like N.C. State may get an early touchdown, but then Clemson will eventually bring it back.