Why Dabo Swinney says Clemson football has 'a lot to prove' against Wake Forest
CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney doesn't like to watch last season's edition of Clemson football vs. Wake Forest. It's painful, the coach said, to watch the Tigers play what he considers their best game on offense and their worst game on defense. Clemson was "more than lucky" to secure the double overtime win in 2022.
Clemson gave up 347 yards and 45 points to Wake Forest last year. The Tigers ceded almost 10 yards per play and about 16 yards per completion.
"I mean, we were so bad," Swinney said Tuesday. "We didn't disguise well, we didn't tackle well, technique was poor, and we got exposed."
Clemson will face Wake Forest again Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ACCN) at Memorial Stadium. Swinney said the Tigers (3-2, 1-2 ACC) have "a lot to prove" on defense when they meet the Demon Deacons (3-1, 0-1).
They should be able to prove it. This year's Wake Forest offense is quite different from last year's in one key area: Quarterback. Sam Hartman is now at Notre Dame, and Clemson will have to face him in November. The Demon Deacons are now led by redshirt sophomore Mitch Griffis.
Wake Forest's scheme hasn't changed with the loss of its star, but there has definitely been a drop-off in production. Through four games, including one against Clemson, last season, Hartman had over 1,100 passing yards and a 64.2% completion rate. Griffis has 999 yards and a 59.8% completion rate, and the entire Wake Forest offense has two fewer touchdowns (13) than Hartman accounted for in his first four games (15).
"(Griffis is) crafty, gritty, can make all the throws, runs way better than you want him to run," Swinney said. "He's tough, and that seems to always be the mold of the quarterback that's playing at Wake Forest."
As for the offense on the whole, Wake Forest leads the ACC in rushing attempts per game (44.5) but is ninth in rushing yards (707). It's an interesting matchup with Clemson's run defense, which is second in the ACC in rushing defense.
The Clemson defense has been improving each week since the 28-7 loss to Duke in the opener. Even in that game, the defense did what it could to give the Tigers a chance as the offense struggled with turnovers.
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The past two games have been strong showings. In the loss to No. 3 Florida State, Clemson's defense helped keep the Tigers in the game and held an explosive offense to 22 rushing yards and a season-low 5.5 yards per play. They followed it up with two fumble recoveries, an interception and a season-high five sacks against Syracuse last week.
There have been some bad plays — missed tackles in key moments, some busted coverages — but the defense hasn't really played a bad game yet. Judging from Wake Forest's offense in the first third of the season, Clemson should be able to continue that streak and prove what Swinney wants it to.
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: What Dabo Swinney wants Clemson to prove when it plays Wake Forest
