Clemson football at Miami: Score prediction for Week 8 ACC matchup
Clemson football is back on the road in Week 8 after its open date last week. The Tigers play at Miami on Saturday, with both teams looking to avoid a third conference loss.
Clemson (4-2, 2-2 ACC) has won back-to-back games, beating Syracuse on the road in Week 5 and Wake Forest at home in Week 6. Miami (4-2, 0-2) is coming off back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
The Tigers have won their past four meetings against the Hurricanes. The last time Clemson played at Miami was in 2015, when the Tigers won 58-0 to begin their win streak in the series.
Here's what to know about Miami and our score prediction for Saturday (8 p.m. ET, ACCN).
Tyler Van Dyke injury and the Miami offense
Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is expected to play Saturday despite being seen limping on campus Monday with his right leg wrapped in ACE bandages, according to the Miami Herald. Clemson has never faced the senior quarterback; he missed last year's matchup with a shoulder injury.
Van Dyke leads the ACC in yards per attempt (9.4) and completion percentage (70.5). He's tied with Georgia Tech's Haynes King for the lead in passing touchdowns (16) and is behind only UNC's Drake Maye in passing yards per game (286.8).
The Miami offense as a whole is second in the league in points per game (37.7) and first in total offense (501.8 yards per game). It's an interesting matchup for the Clemson defense, which has allowed the fewest yards per game in the ACC (261.8).
Player to watch: Xavier Restrepo
Slot receiver Xavier Restrepo is Van Dyke's top target. The redshirt junior is second in the ACC in receiving yards per game (95.7) and averages 12.21 yards per reception. With 47 catches through six games, Restrepo is on pace to break the Miami record for receptions in a season. Charleston Rambo had 79 in 2021.
"(Restrepo is) a handful," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "We've got to do a good job of knowing where he is and winning that matchup."
The good news for Clemson against Restrepo and Miami's passing game: All of the Tigers' regular starters in the secondary are expected to be available for the first time since Week 4.
Miami's run defense
Miami entered Week 7 with the nation's top run defense, allowing fewer than 60 rushing yards per game. Then, the Hurricanes played North Carolina.
UNC ran for 235 yards on 43 carries in a 41-31 win, more than double the highest rushing yardage total Miami had allowed in its previous five games.
The Hurricanes will try to get back on track against Clemson and running backs Phil Mafah and Will Shipley. The Tigers average about 188 rushing yards per game, fourth-most in the ACC.
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Clemson score prediction vs. Miami
Clemson 28, Miami 24: Clemson's defense will continue its excellent run against a banged-up Van Dyke and the Miami offense, while Cade Klubnik and a Clemson offense coming off its open date will do enough to get the road win. It might not be inspiring, but the Tigers will improve to 5-2.
Christina Long covers the Clemson Tigers for the Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@greenvillenews.com.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson score prediction at Miami: College football Week 8
