What We Learned From Clemson's Division-Controlling Win over NC State

No. 5 Clemson proved its capable of winning games in different ways in different situations, can match a physical opponent and is clearly the class of the ACC Atlantic.

No. 5 Clemson is capable of winning games in various ways.

In the season opener, the defense shut down Georgia Tech while the offense found its way later in the game. 

In Week 4 at Wake Forest, the offense carried the load and put up 51 points through two overtimes to survive the Demon Deacons. 

In a top-10 matchup against NC State on Saturday, the Tigers rose to the occasion, made huge stops and ground out a 30-20 victory at home to take control of the ACC Atlantic Division. 

"Great teams can win in different ways," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "You know it's not always the same pitch. You've got to be able to hit the fastball, curveball, change-up, you got to have them all. You can't just think you're gonna win one way, week in and week out. Somewhere along the line, the offense like last week, it's gonna have to go win it. "

The Tigers had just one pitch they could hit last year, and if they missed on that, a loss likely occurred, or a win was a real struggle. But this season has shown a renewed appreciation and sense of what it takes to win football games.  

NC State was the physically toughest team Clemson has faced this year, and they matched it in every way. The Tigers also overcame losses in the secondary and won without key defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. The "next man up" mentality gets overused, but Clemson proved it had enough guys to do so. 

"That's the name of the game, and it was our goal tonight, just whatever it took to win the game," Swinney said. "I think it's a good sign that they believe they can win no matter what."

Here's what else we learned from Clemson's big night against the Wolfpack:

Revenge wasn't the primary factor

Clemson wasn't happy that it lost last year in double overtime at NC State. The Tigers weren't pleased that NC State celebrated like it had won a championship because it finally got over on their rival or that head coach Dave Doeren smoked a cigar and drank out of a solo cup to savor the win. 

But the Tigers didn't overplay it. They didn't spend all week giving bulletin board material or focusing on revenge. Instead, they worked hard to fix the mistakes of the previous week and made sure they adhered to Swinney's approach of the next game is the biggest game. The hype of the top-10 matchup wasn't too much for Clemson. It played like it had something to prove to itself, not to the rival. The Tigers flat-out wanted this one more.

"It was just incredible," Swinney said. "The credit goes to those players, I love their efforts. I love their toughness. I love their heart, I love their belief." 

Clemson can get physical

This was a game of trenches, which is exactly what NC State wanted and the way it wanted to win. But it was the Tigers who controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and they proved they can handle this kind of game. They got after Wolfpack QB Devin Leary, recording three sacks and five hurries. KJ Henry had the ACC preseason player of the year hearing footsteps. The defensive line turned it loose and greatly impacted the game, something they did not do a week ago for much of the game. They forced two turnovers and held NC State to 1.6 yards per carry. That's insane. 

Then there's Clemson's offensive line, which allowed zero sacks. They gave DJ Uiagalelei clean pockets. They cleared just enough holes for the run game to keep NC State honest. It's a blocking unit that has been often criticized, but it's time to turn that into praise. The O-line has improved each and every week, and the five starters have finally built chemistry and cohesion. That helped the Tigers avoid turnovers as well. 

"The offensive line continues to perform at a high level, especially in pass protection," Clemson offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said. 

Division decided soon

In the last two weeks Clemson beat the two teams many people think were their biggest challengers coming into the season. Wake Forest won this division a season ago. NC State felt like it had the team to get its first Atlantic crown. Instead, for the next eight weeks, those two teams are looking up at the Tigers in the standings and hoping they somehow drop two conference games. Meanwhile, Florida State, which plays at NC State on Oct. 8 and Clemson on Oct. 15, is reeling after its first loss in ACC play on Saturday against Wake. 

The Seminoles still control their own destiny if they can beat the Tigers and then run the table in league play, but they won't be favored this week in Raleigh. If Clemson beats Boston College on the road on Oct. 8 and then at FSU, the division is all but over. Syracuse is still undefeated, but the Orange would have to break Clemson's 37-game home winning streak on Oct. 22 to have a shot at winning the division. The November to remember might not really be that as the Tigers host Miami and Louisville, two ACC teams with bad losses already. 

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