Clemson vs. Wake Forest – Syndication Server

Clemson returns to ACC play with dominant win over Wake Forest

Clemson takes down Wake Forest.

Chase Hunter scored 16 points, five of his teammates finished in double figures, and the Clemson Tigers defeated Wake Forest, 73-62, Saturday at Littlejohn Coliseum to snap a two-game losing streak in their return to ACC play.

For a Clemson (10-3 overall, 2-0 ACC) team that was coming off back-to-back overtime losses to Memphis and South Carolina, it was a nice way to close out the unofficial first half of the season as the Tigers head into their Christmas break.

The Tigers controlled Saturday’s game virtually from the start. They doubled up Wake Forest (9-4) at 30-15 in the first half thanks to a 10-0 run that included 3-pointers from Hunter and Air Force transfer Jake Heidbreder. Clemson led 40-31 at halftime.

Clemson would lead by as many as 20 in the second half after Ian Schieffelin put the Tigers up 71-51 with just over five minutes remaining. Schieffelin and Viktor Lakhin both scored 13 points and Jaeden Zackery added 12 to go with Hunter’s 16.

Hunter was 5-of-9 from the field, including 4-of-7 from downtown.

Heidbreder was his own star, scoring 15 points off the bench and making three of his four three-point shots.

Clemson schedule 2024-25

Clemson will face Stanford at 3 p.m. ET at Littlejohn Coliseum on New Year’s Day. The game will be televised on ACC Network.

Instant analysis: Clemson finishes off drives, has four-quarter effort in win at Wake Forest

Breaking down Clemson’s 49-14 win over Wake Forest to get to 5-1.

A week after struggling to finish off drives in the red zone and being held to seven straight field-goal attempts in their 29-13 road win at Florida State, the 10th-ranked Clemson Tigers had no trouble finding the end-zone in Saturday’s 49-14 victory over Wake Forest at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winston-Salem.

Clemson Thrives in Red Zone Opportunities

Clemson (5-1 overall, 4-0 ACC) put together four scoring drives in the second quarter against Wake Forest (2-4, 1-2) to take a 28-7 lead into halftime. On one of those drives, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney elected to go for it on 4th and goal from the 2-yard line.

With defensive tackles DeMonte Capehart and Peter Woods checked in as part of the Tigers’ jumbo package, Phil Mafah took a handoff and rushed in for a Clemson touchdown to put the Tigers ahead 21-7 to that point.

The offense got the ball to start the second half and picked up right where they left off. Cade Klubnik capped a 75-yard drive in 10 plays with his third touchdown pass of the afternoon, a nine-yard drop-off to Adam Randall in the flats that put the Tigers up 35-14 at the 9:52 mark. Klubnik completed all seven passes for 75 yards on the drive.

On its next series, offensive coordinator Garrett Riley dialed up a little trickery. With a first down at the Wake Forest 28-yard line, Klubnik threw out wide to Antonio Williams, who then found an open Jake Briningstool for a 28-yard touchdown to make the score 42-14 with 7:03 still to play in the third quarter.

Briningstool had seven catches for 104 yards to lead the Tigers’ receiving corps. Four different receivers caught touchdown passes in Clemson’s win.

In the fourth quarter, sophomore running back Keith Adams scored his first touchdown of the year on a four-yard rush to cap the scoring at 49-14 with 8:55 to play. Adams’ run finished a 17-play drive that went 87 yards and took eight-plus minutes off the clock.

Defense Steps Up

Wed Goodwin’s unit forced two first-half turnovers off interceptions from safeties Kylon Griffin and Khalil Barnes that the offense converted into touchdowns.

After allowing two touchdowns from Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier in the first half, the Tigers’ defense stepped up even more in the second half. The Demon Deacons managed only one first down after halftime up until their final possession of the game with the score well out of reach,

The Tigers’ defense forced three punts and a turnover on downs on Wake Forest’s four second-half offensive series. Clemson held Wake to just 38 net yards in the half.

Klubnik Continues to Limit Mistakes

Turnovers were an issue for Klubnik in his first full year as starting quarterback in 2023. Through six games this season, Klubnik has thrown just two interceptions and hasn’t lost a fumble after suffering 10 fumbles (four lost) a year ago.

Klubnik seems more poised and confident in the pocket. A big part of that is the Tigers’ offensive line yielding just five sacks to this point (two of those came in the season-opening loss to Georgia).

Clemson Doesn’t Play Down to Opponent

This is not insignificant for a number of reasons. While more road trips await Clemson later this year with back-to-back games at Virginia Tech and Pitt in November, the Tigers managed to avoid the pitfalls that higher-ranked schools like Alabama, Tennessee, and others didn’t just a week earlier.

Swinney highlighted his team’s ability to win games on the road this week and about playing to a standard instead of focusing on outside distractions. The Tigers did that on Saturday against a Wake Forest team that was already coming off an upset win at NC State.

Up Next

Clemson returns home next Saturday to face the Virginia Cavaliers in Death Valley. Kickoff is set for noon ET. The game will be televised on ACC Network.

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Clemson offense continues to soar, Tigers take down Wake Forest

Clemson dominates Wake Forest for another strong win.

No. 10 Clemson football powered past Wake Forest 49-14 on Saturday at Allegacy Stadium, notching a fifth consecutive win and extending their series streak to 16 victories over the Demon Deacons.

Wake Forest struck first with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Hank Bachmeier to Horatio Fields, marking the first time Clemson has allowed a first-quarter score this season. But the Tigers soon took control, piling on 42 combined points in the second and third quarters to secure the win.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik was key, throwing for 309 yards and three touchdowns on 31 of 41 passing, while Phil Mafah added two rushing scores and 108 yards on the ground. The Tigers’ 566-yard offensive showcase included a memorable third-quarter trick play: a double-pass from Klubnik to Antonio Williams, who found tight end Jake Briningstool for a 28-yard touchdown. Briningstool finished with seven catches for 104 yards.

Clemson, now 5-1 overall and undefeated in ACC play, returns home next Saturday for a noon kickoff against Virginia. The game will mark a reunion with Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott, a former Clemson player and coach.

Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams throws touchdown pass to Jake Briningstool

A little trickery from Clemson.

Diaz Swinney and the Tigers currently lead Wake Forest 42 to 14 in the third quarter, with their last touchdown coming on an awesome trick play.

Clemson was just outside the red zone when Cade Klubnik threw a pass behind the line to star wide receiver Antonio Williams. It was clear that it was a trick play, but the Demon Deacons had no response. Williams dropped back and threw a perfect touchdown pass to tight end Jake Briningstool. It was a 28-yard connection between the two pass catchers and one of the most exciting plays of Clemson season so far.

Clemson doesn’t make plays like this often so it’s definitely an awesome thing to see. This offense is getting more and more comfortable with itself.

Check out the trick play below.

https://x.com/gray_mann21/status/1845169653431316550

How Clemson built its two-score halftime lead over Wake Forest

Clemson leads Wake Forest at halftime in Winston-Salem, 28-14.

It’s halftime in Winston-Salem and the 10th-ranked Clemson Tigers lead the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 28-14. Here’s how the Tigers have built their two-touchdown lead at intermission.

After falling behind 7-0 and allowing points in the first quarter for the first time all year, Clemson’s offense dominated the second quarter by scoring 28 points as Cade Klubnik led the Tigers on four scoring drives — two of which were assisted by key Wake Forest turnovers.

Early in the quarter, Klubnik came up money on 3rd and 7 from just across midfield when he hit Troy Stellato for 19 yards and a first down to the Demon Deacons’ 27-yard line. On another third down, Klubnik stood in the pocket and had time before firing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Williams. That tied the game at 7-7 after Nolan Hauser’s extra point.

It was Klubnik’s 15th touchdown pass of the season, and it capped an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive that took 2:53 off the clock.

On Wake Forest’s next drive, quarterback Hank Bachmeier was picked off by safety Kylon Griffin when he tried to force a pass. Griffin tripped on the return but ran it back to the Deacs’ 23 yard line.

From there, Klubnik hit Jake Briningstool for 22 yards to set up first and goal from the 1-yard line. Mafah finished off the drive with a touchdown from a yard out to make it 14-7. That gave Clemson 14 points in a span of one minute, five seconds of game clock.

The Tigers’ defense stepped up again on third down on the Demon Deacons’ next drive when Khalil Barnes caught a tipped pass that fell into his lap for an interception at the 42 yard line.

Later, on 4th and goal at the 2-yard line, Dabo Swinney made the decision to go for it . DeMonte Capehart and Peter Woods checked in as Clemson brought out the jumbo package, and Mafah finished off the drive with a walk-in touchdown for a 21-7 lead. The Tigers had 21 points in 6:53 to that point.

Wake Forest answered on its next drive, picking up two third-down conversions before Bachmeier hit Deuce Alexander for 38 yards to set up first and goal at the Clemson 9-yard line. Bachmeier soon found Michael Frogge for a touchdown with 3:18 to play in the half. Matthew Dennis’ extra point cut the lead to 21-14.

On Clemson’s next possession, Mafah ran for 22 yards and lowered the boom on safety Nick Anderson for a big run out to the 49-yard line. The senior tailback got the ball again on the next snap and went for 15 more before a personal foul was tacked on. That gave Clemson the ball at the Wake Forest 21 with two minutes left in the half.

Two plays later, Klubnik threw a dart to Stellato for the Tigers’ fourth score of the quarter — an eight-yard touchdown that made it 28-14 with 1:31 to play.

At halftime, Clemson has 18 first downs and 293 yards to Wake Forest’s 12 first downs and 195 yards. Klubnik is 17-of-24 for 191 yards and two touchdowns, and Mafah has 91 yards and two scores on 14 carries.

Clemson leads Wake Forest 28-14 at halftime in a closer game than expected

Clemson is in a closer game than expected.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers lead Wake Forest 28-14, heading into the locker room for halftime.

It was a slow start for the Tigers, who looked like a team that was taking Lake Forest slightly to start the game. Going down 7-0 early in the game, Clemson’s offense didn’t score points in the first quarter for the first time since week one. The Tigers needed to recover, and that’s exactly what they did.

It started with a 22 yard touchdown pass from starting quarterback Cade Klubnik to star wide receiver Antonio Williams. A couple of bad Wake Forest interceptions lead to two rushing touchdowns, with Clemson leading the Demon Deacons 21-14 with a few minutes left in the second quarter.

Avoiding heading into the half on their heels, Nick put together an awesome final driver of the half. Connecting with Troy Stellato on an 8-yard touchdown pass, Clemson heads into the locked room up 28 to 14. The Tigers’ offense continues to look strong, but there are some serious worries on my end about this Clemson defense.

Kylon Griffin’s interception sets up a Phil Mafah touchdown as Clemson takes the lead

Clemson takes a 14-7 lead over Wake Forest.

Clemson football found itself down early against Wake Forest on Saturday, but the Tigers wasted no time in turning the tide with back-to-back scoring drives.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik hit Antonio Williams on a 22-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7 just into the second quarter. Clemson’s eight-play, 75-yard drive included a key third-down conversion on a 19-yard pass to Troy Stellato. The touchdown itself came on another third-down play, showcasing Klubnik’s poise under pressure.

On their next drive, Clemson surged ahead, 14-7, after Phil Mafah’s 1-yard touchdown run. An interception by Kylon Griffin gave the Tigers excellent field position at the Wake Forest 23-yard line, and Clemson capitalized with a quick two-play scoring drive.

Clemson is recovering from their poor start, which is something you need to see from Dabo Swinney’s team.

Clemson gets on the board, tied 7-7 with Wake Forest

Clemson recovers from a slow start.

After a brutal start to the game, Dabo Swinney and the number 10 ranked Clemson Tigers have tied things up 7 to 7 against Dave Clausen and Wake Forest.

It was a really difficult first quarter to watch for Clemson fans. For the first time since week one against Georgia, the offense failed to score points. On the other hand, Clemson’s defense continues to struggle to look like the Clemson defense of the past.

It was an eight-play, 73-yard drive for the Tigers, who had their ups and downs but found a way to get on the board. After missing a few passes, starting quarterback Cade Klubnik recovered with a 22-yard touchdown pass to star wide receiver Antonio Williams.

It was good to see Clemson get on the board, but the Tigers need to turn things around quickly. This game has not been a pretty start, but there’s a lot of time left to get back on track.

Staff score predictions for Clemson-Wake Forest Week 7 matchup

Our Clemson Wire staff score predictions for Clemson vs. Wake Forest in Week 7 matchup.

The 10th-ranked Clemson Tigers are on the road for the second straight week this Saturday as they head to Winston-Salem to take on the upset-minded Wake Forest Demon Deacons in ACC play.

Clemson (4-1 overall, 3-0 ACC) enters the game on a four-game winning streak after its 29-13 win over the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee last Saturday. In that game, the Tigers took a 17-0 first-quarter lead but were held to four Nolan Hauser field goals the rest of the night as they struggled to put points on the board in the red zone.

The defense had its most impressive effort of the season, albeit against a struggling Florida State offense with a backup quarterback in Brock Glenn. The Tigers held FSU to less than 200 yards until the Seminoles’ final possession with the game well in hand.

Dabo Swinney spoke this week about the need to focus on the opponent instead of outside noise. Last Saturday, the previously No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide lost 40-35 at Vanderbilt, and the Tennessee Volunteers (then No. 4) lost 19-14 at Arkansas.

Swinney said that “college football did (Clemson) a favor” with those upsets of top-ranked teams.”

“College football did us a favor because this is a week where, if you pay attention to what people say on the outside, they’re saying, ‘Well, this is a game we’re supposed to go win,'” Swinney said at his weekly Tuesday press conference. “This ain’t a game of ‘supposed to.’ This is a game of what you do. It’s a game of performance.

“That’s why I think we’ve been really consistent. We’ve created that windshield mentality for many, many years. I think we’re top four in the country in road wins since 2015 — maybe top three. And we’re the best in the country at home in the last 13 years.”

While experts and USA TODAY Sports’ six-member panel favor Clemson to beat Wake Forest, we’ve seen time and again this season that anything can happen in college football.

With the game fast approaching, here are our own Clemson Wire staff score predictions for Clemson vs. Wake Forest.

Alex Turri’s Prediction – Clemson 42, Wake Forest 10

No trap game here for the Tigers! Clemson is going to further establish their offensive dominance against the Demon Deacons who, even coming off a big win against NC State, are no match for this Clemson team. It’s weird to say after the way the season started, but I do have more worries about the Tigers’ defense in this one than the offense. The defense really needs to put it all together, and this is a great spot to do that.

Steve Holley’s Prediction – Clemson 41, Wake Forest 14

This is another week where Clemson is simply the better team. Can the Tigers capitalize on red-zone opportunities this week? While last week’s game against Florida State was never seriously in jeopardy after the first quarter, Swinney understandably wants the Tigers’ offense to finish drives. My guess is they do just that this week, while the defense has another strong showing.

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USA TODAY Sports experts offer predictions on Clemson vs Wake Forest

Here’s who USA TODAY Sports experts think will win Saturday’s game between Clemson and Wake Forest.

The Clemson Tigers head to Winston-Salem this Saturday to take on longtime rival Wake Forest in ACC play.

The Tigers (4-1) rose five spots to No. 10 in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll (No. 11 in the Coaches Poll) after their fourth straight win came against the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee, 29-13.

Wake Forest (2-3) is unranked but coming off a 34-30 upset win at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh against NC State.

To no surprise, Clemson is a heavy favorite heading into its Week 7 contest against the Demon Deacons.

To that end, the six-member panel of Dan Wolken, Paul Myerberg, Eddie Timanus, Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza and Erick Smith all predicted the Tigers to win Saturday’s game against Wake Forest in their weekly Top 25 college football predictions released Thursday.

Earlier this week, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said that college football did his team a favor following a Saturday filled with upsets. Two top-5 teams fell on the road: the previously No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide lost 40-35 at Vanderbilt, and the Tennessee Volunteers (then No. 4) lost 19-14 at Arkansas.

In the ACC, the Miami Hurricanes needed a 25-point second-half comeback to rally past Cal, and Louisville lost to SMU in a game the Cardinals had been favored to win at home.

“This is a week where if you pay attention to what people say on the outside, then they are saying we are supposed to win,” Swinney said at his weekly Tuesday press conference. “This is not a game of ‘supposed to.’ This is a game of what you do. This is a game of performance.”

Kickoff for Saturday’s game between Clemson and Wake Forest is set for noon ET. The game can be seen on ESPN.

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