First look: NC State heads to Clemson for ACC opener, looks to slow down Klubnik

N.C. State has yet to put on a complete performance, but ACC play is here anyway. The team heads to Death Valley on Saturday to open its conference schedule.

After three weeks of inconsistency, the Wolfpack look to get a marquee win and pass the eye test in four quarters.

The Wolfpack (2-1) is coming off a 30-20 comeback win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium, which featured a lackluster first half and strong-willed second. In both early wins, N.C. State needed a late come-from-behind surge to overtake its lower-level opponents.

Between two squeak-by wins and the blowout loss to Tennessee, N.C. State would like to show it can play as was advertised in the offseason. Fans would like to see it, too.

The Pack took steps forward this past week, showing tenacity and resilience against the Bulldogs and embodying a bend-don’t-break mentality. It could’ve let disinterest or frustration color the entire game. The team wants to continue building on what it has.

No one knows at this point who will start at quarterback for the Wolfpack after Grayson McCall left Saturday’s game with an injury. N.C. State coach Dave Doeren did not have any information after the game. If McCall remains out for another game, CJ Bailey is the expected starter.

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Regardless of who appears in the backfield, the goal remains the same.

“It starts in practice; the way we approach every practice, and the communication on the field,” linebacker Caden Fordham said on Saturday. “You know, we’ve got some new guys, so continuing to build that bond between us.”

N.C. State was picked to finish No. 4 in the ACC preseason poll, but anything can happen. With top-picked Florida State starting the year 0-3 overall and 0-2 in league play, Miami and Pitt starting 3-0, and general chaos in the sport, the ACC is wide open.

N.C. State has a clean slate this week if it can provide more consistency against Clemson, which has already felt the pendulum swing from embarrassing loss (34-3 to Georgia) to commanding win (66-20 over Appalachian State).

N.C. State hasn’t been a championship-caliber team through three weeks, but conference play is when they hope to start showing it.

“We played two quarters of complementary football,” Doeren said Saturday. “Really this season, in three games, I think combined, we’ve played four quarters that way. That’s what we have to do to win.”

Matchup to watch: Cade Klubnik vs Davin Vann

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik is in his second full season as the Tigers’ starter, and there’s no question that he’s capable of throwing bullets against his opponents. Klubnik threw for 2,844 yards last season, including 263 against the Wolfpack last fall.

Klubnik went 24 of 26 for 378 yards and five touchdowns without an interception in Clemson’s 66-20 win over Appalachian State in Week 2. He added a pair of rushing touchdowns.

A week prior, in the team’s 34-3 loss to Georgia, the junior still completed 18 of 29 passes for 142 yards. He threw one interception.

Klubnik is weak in the run game, though. He finished with minus-17 rushing yards against Georgia and five against App State.

Last year, the QB finished with 182 yards on 125 carries (1.5 yards per attempt). Klubnik notched negative rushing yardage in six games, including minus-4 in Raleigh.

That’s where Wolfpack defensive end Davin Vann comes in. Vann returned for a fifth season and has been a consistent presence on the defensive front.

He enters the game with nine tackles, three tackles for a loss of 12 yards, and a pair of pass breakups. Vann also contributed a forced fumble against Louisiana Tech.

The Cary native recorded five tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and one sack against Clemson in 2023. Vann might not have the highest numbers on the stat sheet, but his ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks, whether directly or indirectly, cannot be underestimated. Klubnik and the rest of the Clemson offense has seen it firsthand.

If Vance can rally the defense into the well-rounded outing it’s been looking for, the Pack can slow down a somewhat inconsistent and uncertain Tigers team.

Vegas betting odds

Clemson is a 15.5-point favorite with the over-under total ranging from 47.5 to 48.5 points.

NC State at Clemson game info

Teams: N.C. State Wolfpack (2-1) vs. Clemson Tigers (1-1)

Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.

Date: Saturday, Sept. 21

Time: Noon

TV: ABC

Stream: fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, ESPN3, DirecTV Stream

Series history: Clemson leads the all-time series 60-30. The programs are 2-2 in the last four meetings, though the Tigers have won nine of the last 11. N.C. State won the most recent game, 24-17, but it has not defeated the Tigers on the road since Oct. 24, 2002.