Triangle teams all in action Saturday as NC State at Clemson highlights schedule
Posted October 18, 2018 2:06 p.m. EDT
Updated October 20, 2018 2:14 a.m. EDT
Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina, Duke and NC State are all in action on the same day for the first time since Week 4 after open dates and a Thursday game.
The Tar Heels (1-4, 1-2 ACC) kick off first at Syracuse at 12:20, the Blue Devils host Virginia at 12:30 and the No. 16 Wolfpack is at No. 3 Clemson at 3:30.
UNC hopes to finish drives at Syracuse
North Carolina was one for seven on scoring touchdowns on trips to the red zone versus Virginia Tech Saturday before losing 22-19. The stat is the headline of the week (and the most repeated one of the week) because it's what the Tar Heels believe cost them the game they controlled until the Hokies' final drive.
"It was pretty much what everybody saw," Fedora said Monday, explaining that it was as simple as he believed it was Saturday night post game -- his team did not make enough plays to win despite winning in many statistical categories and doing many things well over the course of the game.
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A pair of costly, untimely fumbles (on the first play of the game and the final trip to the red zone) bookended a performance by UNC that had highlights beyond compare this season and lows to match many other points this season.
Heading to the Carrier Dome is new for Fedora and the team as the cross-divisional meeting pins the team against Dino Babers' in a meeting between head coaches unfamiliar with one another.
The seventh-year coach of the Tar Heels says he can't remember ever crossing paths with the coach, but sees a team on film that features a capable quarterback in veteran Eric Dungey (STATS) and a front four on defense that jumps out as the team's strength. But Fedora believes it is a team his own is capable of being, if it executes at the rate he expects it to.
The home team (4-2, 1-2 ACC) is making this game an "Orange out," as a 10-point favorite following two losses in a row (to Clemson and Pittsburgh) and its bye week. Watch this game on WRAL-TV.
Duke plans to stop skid versus Virginia
Duke avoided the type of slid it had on its schedule in 2017 with a 28-14 win at Georgia Tech that was keyed by Blue Devils (5-1, 1-1 ACC) turning the Yellow Jackets over. But visiting Virginia is 3-0 versus David Cutcliffe's team in its most recent meetings.
The recent lopsided series doesn't make for a rivalry, the Blue Devils say, but the consistent physicality of the Cavaliers (4-2, 2-1 ACC) in those wins makes it clear how Duke must play to outlast the Hoos.
Quarterback Bryce Perkins poses a different type of threat for the Duke defense that has stifled the nation's two best rushing offenses (in beating Army in Week 1 and GT). The dual-threat quarterback draws comparisons to former Heisman Winner Lamar Jackson because of the types of plays he is capable of making in the conference he plays in. But the defense believes that one of the keys to beating the triple option -- focusing on each member of the unit not trying to do more than hs is asked, rather just do his single part -- will be just as important versus play maker Perkins.
Linebacker Joe Giles-Harris says the goal of the defense is to make the QB play outside of himself.
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"It just means we want (him) to beat us, do whatever (he has) to do to beat us," he said. "If it's extra super long throws or take off and run for 75 yards against us, we want him to have to beat us.. play out of (him)self.
"We're going to swarm the ball, we're going to do everything we can."
The Duke offense was not able to find rhythm as well as it wanted to at Georgia Tech and focused on cleaner play and more consistency as an offensive line unit in preparation for the Cavaliers. The O was able turn turnovers into points when given extra opportunities by the defense, but did not execute on its longer drives the way it saw itself play in the team's four straight wins to open the season. Versus Virginia, eliminating penalties and completing blocks man-by-man will be even more important because of the fundamentals of UVa, which is riding high heading south to Durham after upsetting then-No. 16 Miami last weekend.
NCSU looks to leave legacy at Clemson
No. 16 NC State and No. 3 Clemson are two of just eight undefeated teams in the FBS in Week 8 (the only two in the Atlantic Coast Conference).
The Wolfpack (5-0, 2-0 ACC) sees the trip to Death Valley as its opportunity to leave its legacy as a team and beating the Tigers (5-0, 3-0 ACC) is the benchmark that the team has to meet to take another step forward in the program's development after many marks of growth last season.
This season's Clemson team now features a rookie quarterback in Trevor Lawrence who has completed 69 passes on 100 attempts (with two interceptions) in six games, a sophomore star in runningback Travis Etienne who is the second-leading rusher in the conference (behind only ACC Preseason POY AJ Dillon) with 761 yards on the ground this season (and averaging more than 10 yards per carry over the last four games).
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Dabo Swinney's defense leads the conference and is the third-best in the country, limiting opponents to an average of just two touchdowns per game and the team refused its last ACC opponent (Wake Forest) a TD all together.
NC State's defense has shown it is one of the most capable versus the run in the NCAA, but did not have to contain Dillon when Boston College visited Raleigh two weekends ago, so there is no clear measure of the unit versus a player of Etienne's caliber to rely on.
The strength of Dave Doeren's team is its efficiency on third down, which is the country's best in completing 60.9 percent of its conversion attempts. Ryan Finley leads the conference in passing yards (averaging more than 324 yards per game) with Kelvin Harmon leading (534 yards this season, averaging 16.2 yards per catch) the receivers in the conference (and both Jakobi Meyers and Emeka Emezie also ranking in the ACC's Top 15).
Saturday's game will likely come down to which team's strength bests the other's and the statistics are in the Tiger's favor, as is the history: (ICYMI) the last time the Wolfpack won at Clemson was 2002.
