Offensive X-Factor for Clemson vs. Miami Week 8

The return of this Clemson wide receiver gives this offense a significant boost.

Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams has missed the Tigers’ last three games with an ankle injury he suffered against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 16, but the star wide receiver is expected back and ready to go.

With the return of Williams, he is stepping right into our Offensive X-Factor slot as the Tigers head into a tough matchup against Miami on the road in Week 8. He is our choice for a few reasons, primarily need. 

True freshman wide receiver Tyler Brown’s emergence into a star has been great, but if Week 6’s struggle on offense proved anything it was that this offense is missing Williams. Clemson’s wide receivers struggled to get open downfield throughout the shaky performance against the Demon Deacons, and there is no better way to fix that than to get your wide receiver one back.

We expect a big return to action for Williams, where the passing offense leans on his ability to get open and make a play. Watch out for this sophomore wide receiver on Saturday as he reminds everyone what his game is all about.

Clemson ranks one spot outside the Top 25 of Sporting News’ College Football Rankings 1-133 for Week 8

Clemson is just outside the top 25 in this 1-133 re-rank.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers had a much-needed Week 7 bye following their uninspiring 17-12 win over Wake Forest, where the defense dominated, but the offense took a step back. 

There was no better time for a bye week than after that win, as this Clemson team has the talent of one of the best teams in the country but hasn’t shown it on the field yet. We’ve seen flashes of greatness, but a complete performance has alluded this team. 

Recently, Sporting News released their latest update for their College football rankings from 1-133 for Week 8, with Clemson ranking just outside the top 25 at No.26. This is the same exact ranking we saw from the USA TODAY Sports College Football 1-133 re-rank, where Clemson sits one spot outside the top 25. 

While Clemson has been all over the place on many 1-133 ranks, we are starting to see some continuity from outlet to outlet as the Tigers head into a Week 8 matchup against Miami, where they could jump into the top 25 with a win. This is a possibility not only with these re-ranks but also in the Coaches Poll and AP Poll. 

I’ve consistently maintained that Clemson belongs among the top 25 teams, and we now find them just one position shy of that mark. While this may be a reevaluation rather than an official Coaches Poll or AP Poll ranking, it’s gratifying to witness them receiving acknowledgment. Despite a challenging recent performance, this team possesses the skills and potential to compete with the best teams across the country.

Week 8 is a massive one for Dabo Swinney and Clemson.

Mario Cristobal shares high praise for Clemson’s ‘bullies’ at running back

Miami’s head coach praised Clemson’s running backs heading into a huge Week 8 matchup.

Heading into their Week 8 ACC matchup against Clemson, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal shared high praise for Clemson’s roster stacked with talent, including their “bullies” at running back. 

Monday, Cristobal met with the media to discuss the Hurricanes’ upcoming matchup against Clemson. Following back-to-back ACC losses, Miami faces a tough test as the Tigers travel to town. During the media session, Cristobal spoke about Clemson’s stacked roster and the running backs that make it all happen on offense. 

“Fast, powerful, right? Guys are bullies, right?”, said Cristobal. “They do a great job. They do a great job up front. So do their tight ends. Schematically, they present a lot of eye wash, a lot of challenges; they’re physical, physical football team. Those are a lot of stacked classes of high-caliber talent, you know, coming together, and they do a really, really good job, you know? They’re a couple plays away from being 6-0, you know? So, they present a lot of challenges, and again, we are looking forward to being at our best on Saturday.”

Clemson’s running game is the offense’s focal point, and the Hurricanes head coach knows it. It will be interesting to see how they attempt to slow down the one-two punch of Will Shipley and Phil Mafah.

Clemson will face Miami this Saturday, Oct. 21, with kick-off at 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

Swinney and the Tigers are excited for the return of Antonio Williams

Clemson is returning one of their top playmakers this week against Miami, which Dabo Swinney is very excited about.

Like Clemson fans, Dabo Swinney is thrilled that the Tigers’ star wide receiver, Antonio Williams, is set to return for a massive ACC road matchup against Miami.

After practice on Wednesday, Swinney met with the media and discussed the return of Williams to the offense. Missing the Tigers’ last three games with an ankle injury, Williams is back and ready to go against the Hurricanes. 

“I’m really excited,” Swinney said. “Again, it’s been a long three games not having one of our best players out there. So, he’s excited, we’re excited. It’s obviously been a while since he’s played a game, but just glad to get him back going for sure.”

Williams was the Tigers’ leading receiver in 2022 as a true freshman and was on track for another excellent season before the ankle injury. This is a huge addition back into Clemson’s starting lineup that should help starting quarterback Cade Klubnik continue his development and bounce back after a shaky performance against Wake Forest.

Updated betting lines for Clemson vs. Miami favor the Tigers

Clemson is the betting favorite for their road matchup against Miami, with the lines shifting in their favor.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers hit the road for an away matchup on Saturday, Oct. 21, as the Tigers travel to take on the Miami Hurricanes (4-2, 0-2) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. 

Coming off their bye week, Clemson (4-2, 2-2 ACC) faces a Miami team that has yet to earn their first ACC win after back-to-back in-conference losses. The last time we saw the Tigers, things did not look great as Cade Klubnik and the offense struggled mightily in their 17-12 win over Wake Forest. Miami is a different test and one that is expected to be more challenging. 

Since we last checked, there has been a shift making Clemson an even heavier favorite as Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is dealing with an injury. This will be a situation to monitor.

Heading into this road matchup, the Tigers are road favorites. Here is a look at the early betting lines from BetMGM Sportsbook:

  • Point spread: Clemson -3.5, Miami +2.5
  • Clemson moneyline: -175
  • Miami moneyline: +145
  • Over/Under: 48.5

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]

Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke dealing with a leg injury ahead of matchup against Clemson

Miami’s quarterback is dealing with a leg injury ahead of a huge Week 8 matchup against Clemson.

Reports from Susan Miller Degnan, a Miami football beat writer for The Miami Herald, have revealed that Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is dealing with a right leg injury and was spotted on campus Monday with his right leg wrapped in an ace bandage all the way up to above his knee.

This is major news for the ACC as the Hurricanes have one of their biggest games of the season in Week 8 against Dabo Swinney and the Tigers. Van Dyke has been great this year for Miami, completing 70.5 percent of his passes for 1,721 yards and 16 touchdowns with six interceptions. 

When asked about the injury, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal had this to say: 

“I don’t talk about injuries,” Cristobal said. “I just told one of our guys that he’s ready to go. So, you have to write what you have to write and the next question.”

Clemson will face Miami this Saturday, Oct. 21, with kick-off at 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

Game time announced for Clemson vs. Miami Week 8

The game time for Clemson’s Week 8 matchup against Miami has been set.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have a big Week 8 matchup on the way as Clemson travels to Miami to take on the Hurricanes in an in-conference battle.

After two separate times were possible for them, a time was finally selected for this matchup. The Clemson game at Miami this Saturday, Oct. 21, has been announced with a kick-off at 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network.

Clemson is coming out of a Week 7 bye with a lot to prove, as Miami heads into Week 8 coming off two losses that will likely end any hopes they have at an ACC Championship game appearance. Both programs will be hungry for a strong performance, making this game one of the top games to watch in the ACC this week.

Two possible game times and TV channels announced for Clemson vs. Miami

Clemson vs. Miami has two possible game times and TV channels for their Week 8 matchup.

Clemson’s return to action on Saturday, Oct. 21 will come at one of these two times.

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced today that Clemson’s game against Miami will be at either 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC *OR* at 8 p.m. ET on ACCN. The final time and network designations will be announced after this week’s games.

The ACC and its television partners announced the following football game times and networks for Oct. 21:

Saturday, Oct. 21

  • Boston College at Georgia Tech, Noon ET on ACC Network
  • Pitt at Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network
  • Virginia at North Carolina, 6:30 p.m. ET on The CW Network
  • Duke at Florida State, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC or 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network – time and network designation after the games of 10/14
  • Clemson at Miami, 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC or 8 p.m. ET on ACC Network – time and network designation after the games of 10/14

ACC Notes

  • The ACC has three undefeated teams in Florida State (5-0), Louisville (6-0), and North Carolina (5-0) – tied for the most among any FBS conference. Three of the 13 undefeated teams in the FBS are in the ACC.
  • The ACC had six teams start the season at 4-0, which tied the SEC in 2012 for the most teams in a Power 5 conference to start 4-0 in a single season in the AP Poll Era (since 1936).
  • With another game announced for ABC for Week 8 (Oct. 21), the ACC will have six games on ABC’s “Saturday Night Football” – the most of any FBS conference – as well as 25 appearances on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 over the first eight weeks of the season.
    • To date, 18 ACC contests are scheduled for national ABC broadcasts, while the ACC Network will also feature 26 games.
    • Of the 18 full national ABC telecasts, 12 different league programs will be featured.
  • ACC football led the Power 5 in windows and average viewership on ABC through the first four weeks of the season.
    • In Week 1 of the 2023 season, the ACC captivated the national audience, averaging 5.1 million viewers – more than double all other conferences in the highest average per game viewership for the week.
    • Overall, the ACC was part of three of the top seven most-watched games for Week 1.
    • Through Week 2, the ACC had three home broadcasts with 4M+ viewers – no other conference had more than one.
  • Tickets are on sale now for the 2023 ACC Football Championship Game at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 2023 ACC Football Championship Game will feature the top two teams based on the highest winning percentage in regular-season conference play. If necessary, the league’s tiebreaker policy will be used to determine the participants.

-Via the ACC.com

Price ‘just doing his job’ en route to first career TD

Six seasons came to an all-time high for tight end Luke Price in Clemson’s latest win over Miami. Besides the fact that it was Senior Day, the sixth-year senior expected Saturday to be like any other gameday in Death Valley, but boy was he in for a …

Six seasons came to an all-time high for tight end Luke Price in Clemson’s latest win over Miami. Besides the fact that it was Senior Day, the sixth-year senior expected Saturday to be like any other gameday in Death Valley, but boy was he in for a surprise.

In the second quarter of the Tigers’ matchup versus the Hurricanes, Price tucked into the back left corner of the end zone and was wide open just in time for a scrambling D.J. Uiagalelei to connect with him for six — scoring the first touchdown of the tight end’s Clemson career in the process.

“It’s pretty cool,” Price said. “You just do your job, and coach always says just wait for your opportunity, so I mean, it’s great. But as long as we win the game, that’s all I really care about. Just be ready for your opportunity, and I was.”

While Price traditionally takes on the offensive blocking role at the tight end position, Clemson’s coaching staff noticed some offensive tendencies in their ACC foe while studying film, prompting the Tigers’ offense to come up with a trick play involving Price.

“We’ve seen it on film that they’re susceptible to some stuff and we saw a couple of clips on some film,” he said. “We took a little bit from that, from some other teams that they’ve played, so we had our own little wrinkle for it, and I mean, it worked, and they fell for it.”

And fell for it they did. With the Tigers having practiced the play throughout their week of preparation for Miami, it was just a matter of a quick turn, catch and score for Price when the time came.

“We’ve been repping it all week,” the Palmetto State native said. “If it was the right look, then I was going to get the ball. I just had to do my job, and he put the ball right up there for me, so it was pretty easy, pretty simple.”

Though Price’s first career touchdown on Senior Day was more than he could have ever imagined, it all goes back to doing the job he has been entrusted to do. For Price, the opportunity to play the game and do his job is far more important than any stat or accolade he could earn.

“At the end of the day, you want to make a difference no matter what your role is, whether you’re on the sidelines, whether you’re on the field, whether you’re on special teams, offense, whatever,” Price said. “Whatever your role is you embrace and then you do the job, and then if you continue to do your job well, I think maybe more opportunities come your way. It’s all about doing your job and doing what you’re asked to do, and then doing it to the best of your ability. That’s what it’s about.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Box Score Breakdown: Clemson’s stat leaders in tenth win of season over Miami

Check out the Tiger’s stat leaders in their latest 26-10 win over Miami.

No. 7 Clemson (10-1, 8-0 ACC) was in need of another dominant win to keep its postseason hopes alive and the Tigers did just that in their latest 40-10 win over Miami on Saturday.

En route to the win, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei had another successful game both through the air and on the ground, recording 227 yards passing and roughly a 64% completion rate along with leading the Tigers in rushing with 17 carries for 89 yards.

Clemson’s tight ends had a historic day with Davis Allen and Jake Briningstool becoming the first tight end duo in program history to each record four touchdown catches in a single season.

Check out Clemson Wire’s breakdown of the box score and stats recorded in the Tiger’s senior day win over Miami in Death Valley: