Clemson Tigers Set to Host Historic Visitor in Latest ACC Showdown

The Clemson Tigers are set to host a team they have never played in a regular-season game in their history.

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers running back David Eziomume (24) runs the North Carolina State Wolfpack during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers won their 800th all-time game on Saturday when they beat the NC State Wolfpack. Now, as they continue ACC play, the Tigers will host a team they've never played in a regular-season game.

Welcome to Stanford week for the first time in the regular season and the first time in the ACC, as the Cardinal joined the league in August.

Stanford (2-1, 1-0 in ACC) will venture east for the second straight week after visiting Syracuse for its ACC opener on Friday. The Cardinal won the game on a last-second field goal, showing some mettle under pressure.

Meanwhile, Clemson (2-1, 1-0) took care of business against the Wolfpack, beating them 59-35. In doing so the Tigers assumed a share of the top spot in the ACC and moved up to No. 17 in the AP Top 25.

Since their 34-3 to Georgia, the Tigers have been on a tear. It’s not too early to say Clemson will be a factor in this ACC race.

The same could be said for Stanford, but the Cardinal will get a much better read on their fortunes during their first visit to a night game at Death Valley.

Here is a preview of Clemson and Stanford.

Stanford vs. Clemson

Memorial Stadium, Clemson, S.C.

Time: 7 p.m., ET

TV: ESPN

Radio: WCCP 105.5 FM (flagship)

Coaches: Clemson — Dabo Swinney (172-44 at Clemson and for his career); Stanford — Troy Taylor (5-10 at Stanford, 35-18 for his career).

Fun fact: Taylor was a former college quarterback at Cal, the other Pac-12 school to join the ACC this August.

All-Times Series: Clemson leads series, 1-0

Last meeting: Clemson 27, Stanford 21 (1986)

Series notes: Clemson and Stanford have never met in the regular season. But the two teams did meet in the 1986 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., with the Tigers coming out on top.  

Last Week: Clemson def. NC State, 59-35; Stanford def. Syracuse, 26-24.

About Stanford: When the Pac-12 disintegrated last year, Stanford needed a spot to land. The Big Ten and the Big 12 were not interested in adding the Cardinal. So the ACC stepped up to invite Cal and Stanford.

It's an odd marriage, to be sure. But, by adding those two schools the ACC brought in more than 13 million television households that weren't getting the ACC Network. It gives the conference a presence on the West Coast, certainly something it never had before. And, Stanford and Cal aren't exactly getting a full share of the revenue either. To start with, each school will only get 30% of a full share.

The Cardinal started the season with a home loss to TCU. After claiming their first win over Cal Poly, Stanford rallied to beat Syracuse and pulled off a mild upset with a last-second field goal. It's a great confidence boost going into one of the most intimidating environments in college football.

About Clemson: If there were any concerns about rust after the Tigers took their bye week after dismantling Appalachian State, they put those concerns to rest right away against NC State. The offense was sharp once again with quarterback Cade Klubnik at the controls. Running back Phil Mafah passed 2,000 rushing yards for his career. The defense was stifling.

At one point, Clemson had a 45-7 halftime lead. So the final score was not reflective of how dominant the Tigers were. The defense limited NC State's freshman quarterback, CJ Bailey, to 204 yards passing.

It was the sort of dominant performance Clemson needed going into the bulk of ACC play. As the race shakes out, Clemson is making it clear that its season-opening loss to Georgia was more of an aberration than a trend.

While playing Stanford will be a new experience for the Tigers, they have the Cardinal at home and they have them for a night game at Death Valley. Those things tend to work in Clemson's favor.

Next Up: Clemson travels to Florida State on Oct. 5. Stanford hosts Virginia Tech on Oct. 5.