Virginia (4-2, 2-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) will face the No. 10-ranked team, Clemson (5-1, 4-0), this Saturday at 12 p.m. ET, televised on ACC Network.
Current betting odds favor Clemson by 21.5 points.
The historical matchup shows Clemson leading the series with a record of 40 wins, 8 losses, and 1 tie.
This game holds significant implications for Clemson as they aim to maintain their undefeated status in the conference. The Tigers will be up against former offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, who currently leads Virginia. Elliott, a former senior receiver during Dabo Swinney’s early coaching days at Clemson, has deep ties to the program. He played an instrumental role as both an assistant coach and the main playcaller during two national championship victories in the 2016 and 2018 seasons.
A focal point in the game will be the performance of Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik against Virginia’s pass defense. Klubnik has been impressive this season, averaging 254 passing yards per game and tossing 17 touchdowns. Conversely, Virginia has struggled defensively against aerial attacks, ranking 15th among the 17 teams in the ACC, yielding over 260 passing yards per game.
On Virginia’s side, keep an eye on safety Jonas Sanker, who is making waves in the defensive rankings. Sanker has recorded 30 tackles, the second highest in the ACC, and has earned recognition as the league’s defensive back of the week in the past two games. He led the charge with 11 tackles in a close 24-20 defeat against Louisville last week, where he played a pivotal role in limiting the Cardinals to a season-low 231 passing yards.
From Clemson, wide receiver Antonio Williams stands out as a key player for their offense. With 25 receptions, 349 receiving yards, and five touchdowns, he has been a reliable target. Notably, in their dominant 49-14 win over Wake Forest last week, Williams also showcased his versatility by throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Jake Briningstool.
Clemson is aiming to achieve a 5-0 ACC record for the eighth time under Swinney, marking the first occurrence since their last championship-winning season in 2022. Virginia finds itself in a challenging position, having lost its last five matchups against Clemson, with their last win in the series dating back to 2004.
Additionally, the Tigers have surpassed 500 offensive yards in four of their games this season, tying their performance from 2020 when they achieved that feat five times. Virginia’s quarterback Anthony Colandrea had a productive outing last week against Louisville, amassing a total of 362 yards. Notably, Elliott represents one of six head coaches on Clemson’s schedule who have yet to experience a matchup against the Tigers.
Clemson has impressively maintained a streak of scoring at least one rushing touchdown in 56 consecutive home games, which is the longest active streak in the nation. The last team to prevent them from achieving this milestone was Troy back in 2016.