Previewing Stanford football's matchup against Clemson

The Cardinal took care of the first step, and that was taking home their first ever conference win. But with another tough game slated for this week, can they do it again? In this preview, we take an inside look at some key points to know about the matchup and what to expect on Saturday.

Aug 30, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; TCU Horned Frogs wide receiver Jack Bech (18) catches a pass against Stanford Cardinal safety Jay Green (5) during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Cardinal are riding high. After pulling off an upset win, the Stanford Cardinal (2-1) will head to South Carolina to take on the No. 17 Clemson Tigers (2-1) in their second consecutive conference road game. In what will be the second-ever meeting between the two schools, the Cardinal will go into Death Valley ready to make another statement, eager to prove that last week’s win was not a fluke. For Clemson, a week one loss to Georgia now seems like ages ago as the last two weeks have seen the Tiger return to form, picking up two straight dominating victories. Here is a preview of this week’s matchup between the Stanford Cardinal and the Clemson Tigers.

Game Information

When: Saturday, Sep. 28, 4:00 p.m. PDT

Where: Clemson Memorial Stadium; Clemson, South Carolina

How to watch: ESPN/Fubo/YouTube TV

Spread: Clemson: -21.5 (-110)

Moneyline: Clemson: -2000; Stanford: +1000

Total: 57.5 (O/U -110)

Players to Watch- Stanford

Chris Davis Jr., RB

While Sedrick Irvin was expected to be the one taking a majority of the carries for the Cardinal this season, the last couple weeks have in fact seen Davis Jr. be the lead man, who took most of the running back carries against Cal Poly, followed by a game against Syracuse where he once again led all running backs in rush attempts, carrying the ball nine times for 79 yards, averaging 8.8 per carry.

Irvin didn’t even play last week, with Davis Jr. and Micah Ford both being the only two running backs who got carries, and after putting together a strong camp followed by two straight strong games, it is safe to say that Davis has earned the chance to be more of a featured player on The Farm.

Jay Green, DB

Mitch Leigber may have stolen the show with his 70-yard pick six, but Green also recorded an interception in the win over Syracuse, picking off Kyle McCord in the fourth quarter, being just one example of just how good Stanford’s defense has been in the early part of the season.

Since coming over from Washington, Green has shifted to safety, as he played corner for the Huskies, and has been dominant back there, already surpassing his career high in tackles through three games while forcing a fumble and having that lone interception. Green’s arrival has been vital, as shown from his performance thus far, and with the games starting to get even more high stakes, his presence will become even more relied upon.

David Bailey, LB

Bailey has been a force once again this season, forcing a fumble in week one and making a tackle for loss against Cal Poly, and has built off of the season he had last year when he finished with five sacks. Against Syracuse, Bailey had his breakout game for the season, sacking McCord twice while also making four solo tackles, two tackles for loss and forcing a fumble. The Orange are a tough team and for Bailey to have his best game of the season against an opponent like that shows just how good he truly is.

Players to Watch - Clemson

Cade Klubnik, QB

Arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, Klubnik put together another strong game in Clemson’s last outing, going 16-for-24 for 209 yards and throwing three touchdown passes in a 59-35 win over NC State. Since starting slow against Georgia, the No. 1 ranked team in the AP Poll, Klubnik has found a rhythm and has regained the form that he was in last season when he ended the year having thrown 19 touchdown passes to only nine interceptions.

Now in year three at Clemson under Dabo Swinney, Klubnik has looked even more developed and with Clemson running a pass heavy offense, expect Klubnik to be busy against the Cardinal.

T.J. Parker, DE

Making an immediate impact with the Tigers in his true freshman season in 2023, finishing with 5.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss in 13 games, Parker has wasted no time in looking even better than last year, coming off a game against NC State where he made five tackles and recorded two sacks while also forcing a fumble. Known for his speed off the edge, Parker will keep the Cardinal offensive line on its toes and will force quarterback Ashton Daniels to make quick decisions with the ball.

Phil Mafah, RB

Clemson’s passing game may be its bread and butter, but Mafah provides the team the ability to easily incorporate a heavy run game, as Mafah’s 107 yards and a touchdown on seven carries (15.3 average) show just how strong he is as a ball carrier. Struggling against Georgia’s defense where he only managed to pick up 59 yards on 16 carries, Mafah has since put together two straight 100 yard performances, delivering a 118 yard and one touchdown on 10 carries performance against Appalachian State before playing the way he did against NC State. A big body, standing at 6’1” and weighing 230 pounds, Mafah is a very strong and hard runner and will be a tough player for the Stanford defense to bring down.

By the Numbers

1986 - first and only time Stanford and Clemson have played each other

The only time in the entirety of either program’s history that they have met was back in the 1986 season when Stanford and Clemson played each in the Gator Bowl, which the Tigers won 27-21. Despite coming up short in the game, both Clemson and Stanford had a player named Player of the Game as Brad Muster earned the honor for the Cardinal after he scored three second half touchdowns, two of which were caught..

2022 - last time Stanford last had multiple Player of the Week selections

After coming away with the stunning win over Syracuse, it was only natural for the Cardinal to get some recognition thrown their way, which is exactly what happened after both Emmet Kenney (special teams) and David Bailey (linebacker) won ACC Player of the Week for those respective positions. Kenney went 4-for-4 on field goals, including making the game winning 39-yarder, while Bailey had two sacks on McCord. For Bailey, it is the second time in his career that he has won a conference player of the week. The last time the Cardinal had two players win conference player of the week in the same week was October 17, 2022 when both Joshua Karty and Jonathan McGill earned the honor.

No. 3 - current ranking for Stanford’s run defense in the NCAA

Despite losing a game, the Cardinal have been competitive, and at times even looked like the better team, in every single game that they have played in this year. A large reason for that being the performance of the defense, especially the run stopping, with Stanford currently ranked as the No. 3 run defense in the entire NCAA, which leads the ACC, as they have only allowed an average of 51.7 yards per game. In fact, not a single team in all of college football has allowed fewer rushing yards in the first half of games (17).

Score prediction

Clemson 42, Stanford 31

Stanford has proven that they are much improved from last year in all facets, and while it has looked the part in each of its first three games, the matchup against Clemson is so far the toughest game that the team will play. Not only are the Cardinal heading into a very hostile environment and playing a team that has been very successful in recent years, but this version of Clemson looks to be back to being in the upper echelon of college football, with an offense that scores a lot of points and a defense that is good at preventing a lot of points from being scored.

A big and strong team as well, it is possible that in terms of physicality and grittiness, this game will be the most challenging for the Cardinal in that regard. The Cardinal are much more competitive this season, but while still in rebuild mode, it will be very tough to see them take home a win against an already established Tigers team.