The long wait is finally coming to and end as the NCAA’s college football season is just two Saturdays away from the start of Week 1. Head coach Dabo Swinney and the No. 12 Clemson Tigers will kick their season off by playing host to a formidable team from the FCS in the Wofford Terriers.
Read on as we break down this intriguing opening week matchup. For more Week 1 coverage on Clemson’s rivals from the ACC, head on over to our previews on Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Virginia Tech Hokies and Louisville Cardinals vs. Auburn Tigers.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Wofford Terriers vs. Clemson Tigers Preview
Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
When: Saturday, September 5, 12:30 PM ET
Line: Wofford Terriers vs. Clemson Tigers – view all NCAA Football lines
Betting on the Wofford Terriers
Don’t sleep on head coach Mike Ayers and his Wofford Terriers. The team finished with a 6-5 record in 2014, marking the school’s 11th winning season over the past 13 years. However, Ayers would like his boys to make the FCS playoffs this season for the first time since 2012.
The good news for Wofford is that 19 of its starters from last season – 10 on offense and nine on defense – are all set to return, and there’s no denying that Wofford’s running game will be ready to set turfs ablaze. The Terriers, led by fullback Lorenzo Long (930 yards in 2014), ranked third in the FCS in rushing offense last season.
On the other side of the ball, the team is just as relentless at stopping opposing rushers. The Terriers allowed just 1,182 yards on the ground last season – good for ninth-best in the nation. Look for All-Freshman Team linebacker Terrance Morris, who had a team-high four sacks last year, to lead the charge for the Terriers’ stout front seven.
However, the same could not be said about the team’s ability to contain the passing game. Wofford was a mere 74th in the FCS in passing defense, allowing an average of 222.3 yards per game. The secondary will need to be at its peak on September 5 as Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson will be out for blood from the get-go.
It’s about to rain feral canines and felines in the NCAA. Create a betting account now to start betting on teams like the Terriers and the Tigers for some hard-earned college football winnings.
Betting on the Clemson Tigers
Speaking of Deshaun Watson, just how pivotal is he (and his health) to the success of the No. 12 Clemson Tigers this season? We’ll all get a firsthand glimpse in a couple of weeks’ time, as even his head coach Dabo Swinney took all of the offseason planning for his star quarterback’s triumphant return.
Before suffering a torn ACL towards the end of the 2014 season, Watson managed to throw for 1,466 yards, 14 touchdowns and just a pair of interceptions. And even with the relatively limited production on total passing yardage, the Heisman Trophy candidate still posted some eye-popping stats, like his 67.9% completion rate and his amazing 188.6 passer rating.
Protecting Watson in the pocket is critical if Clemson is to prove that it deserves to be the +200 favorite to win the ACC. Look for 18-year old five-star recruit Mitch Hyatt to make an immediate impact from left tackle of the team’s tenacious offensive line.
The Tigers are no pushovers on defense either, as they were the third-best team in the nation last season in scoring defense. Their studs on the D-line will need to put a plug on Wofford’s Long and its resilient running attack.
The last time that the Tigers met the Terriers was back in the 2011 season, with Clemson pulling away with a 35-27 victory after coming back from a 21-13 deficit in the second quarter. The Tigers have an 11-3 record overall against Wofford and 7-0 in the games that were played in Memorial Stadium.
Writer’s Prediction
The Tigers start the new season in impressive fashion by mauling the Terriers for a 38-17 victory.
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