No. 9 Clemson tries to solve offensive woes at NC State

Updated Sep. 23, 2021 10:26 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Ninth-ranked Clemson hasn't looked much like the high-scoring juggernaut of recent years. That either has the six-time reigning Atlantic Coast Conference champions as vulnerable as they’ve been in a long time or set to break loose for a big output.

The answer comes Saturday when the Tigers visit North Carolina State, the team picked as Clemson’s top challenger in the league’s Atlantic Division.

“We all know that’s a tough place to play,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We’re going to have to play our best game and we’re a long way from playing our best game to this point. Hopefully, this will be the week.”

The Tigers (2-1, 1-0 ACC)

The unit led by quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei failed to reach the end zone

N.C. State (2-1) is playing its league opener with a largely veteran squad, though the Wolfpack’s defense has already lost all-ACC linebacker Payton Wilson and starting safety Cyrus Fagan to season-ending injuries. And while it looked sharp in overwhelming

The offense led by Devin Leary struggled in that game. That unit now faces a defense carrying the load for the Tigers, part of a big opportunity for the Wolfpack and ninth-year coach Dave Doeren.

“Sometimes you get too caught up in comparisons," Doeren said. "The bottom line is we want to be the best we can be here and to be the best N.C. State possible, we have to go out and not beat us, and play as hard as we can for each other and see where that puts us.”

Some other things to know about Saturday’s Clemson-N.C. State game:

LEAGUE DOMINANCE

Clemson's win against Georgia Tech improved Clemson to 53-3 against league opponents dating to the start of the 2015 season.

The Tigers split two games last year with Notre Dame, which gave up its football independence for one season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Otherwise, the Tigers have gone nearly four years since losing to one of the league’s every-year football members (at Syracuse

CLOSER MATCHUP?

N.C. State has lost eight straight and 15 of 16 meetings, though the Wolfpack has given the Tigers some of their toughest tussles during their reign.

The Tigers had to win

And in 2017, the Tigers

Clemson’s last loss to N.C. State was

STRONG DEFENSE

Clemson has not allowed a touchdown this season, the first time that’s happened in program in 71 years. The only touchdown scored by an opponent was Georgia’s defensive score, an interception return of Uiagalelei for a TD. The Tigers' defense has surrendered just four field goals in three games.

SHIPLEY TAKES THE BLAME

Clemson freshman tailback Will Shipley blamed himself for the team’s close call against Georgia Tech. He said the fumble in the end zone after the defense had stopped Georgia Tech on fourth-and-goal was his and his alone, though Shipley was able to fall on the ball for a safety instead of letting the Yellow Jackets get to it for a chance to tie or win.

“That’s 100 percent on me. That’s a rookie mistake and I’m glad the outcome was what it was,” said Shipley, a North Carolina prep star recruited by N.C. State.

GOOD TO CONNECT AGAIN

The neighboring-state programs didn’t play last year amid a reshuffled league slate due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That marked the first time they didn’t meet since 1970.

The Tigers won the last meeting,

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AP Sports Writer Pete Iacobelli in Clemson, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

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Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap