PLAYERS TO WATCH
–RB Travis Etienne is rapidly emerging as one of the top running backs in the ACC, if not the country. “If he’s not being mentioned among Heisman (Trophy) contenders, he should be,” teammate Hunter Renfrow said. Etienne is coming off a 203-yard, three touchdown day against Syracuse and has 487 yards on 54 carries over the last three games — an average of 9.0 yards per attempt. Next up? A Wake Forest defense that surrenders almost 200 yards a game on the ground.
–LB Kendall Joseph bounced back with aplomb last week after missing the Georgia Tech game with a groin injury. The senior linebacker had a team-high 12 tackles against Syracuse — two short of his career high — and could be in for another big game this week against Wake Forest; he has a total of 19 tackles in his two previous games against the Demon Deacons.
–DE Xavier Thomas is just a freshman, but he’s shown of late that he’s ready for more playing time despite the Tigers’ excess of talent at the position. He had a highlight-reel sack of Syracuse quarterback Eric Dungey last week and was in the game for 17 plays. “He has come on,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “He’s a guy who has noticeably earned the right to play more and more.”
–WR Hunter Renfrow has 11 career receptions against Wake Forest and has a well-earned reputation as “Mr. Third Down” for the Tigers. The former walk-on ranks second on the team with 15 receptions this season and may be the team’s MVP — Most Versatile Player. In addition to his pass-catching abilities, Renfrow returns punts and has worked out at quarterback the past couple of weeks since the departure of former quarterback Kelly Bryant.
SERIES HISTORY: Clemson leads the series, 65-17-1, and has won each of the last nine meetings.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We haven’t even scraped the surface of what I think we can be. We’re a work in progress, but we’re getting better.” — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.
