On3 Clemson insider shares thoughts on NC State

NC State football reported to Fall camp Tuesday, and the athletes will hit the field August 3 for the first day of one of the most anticipated seasons in program history. One matchup most Wolfpack fans have circled on their calendars is the week five clash with perennial ACC contender Clemson. 

The two programs were voted to finish in the top-two of the Atlantic Division by the media at the conference’s kickoff, but the Tigers received the nod as preseason division and league champions. NC State defeated Clemson last season in a thrilling double-overtime victory that is one of the most prestigious wins of the Dave Doeren era. 

Both teams finished the season with three losses and now return with their respective starting quarterbacks and significant chunks of production on both sides of the ball. When the two teams meet in Clemson’s stadium Oct. 1 for a likely-primetime showdown, it will be one of the most highly-anticipated matchups of the season for either program. 

The Wolfpacker caught up with Matt Connolly, a reporter for ClemsonSports.com, the Tigers’ fan site on the On3 network, to ask his thoughts on NC State heading into the 2022 season. 

More often than not, you’re seeing NC State and Clemson atop the preseason [ACC] polls this year. From what you’ve heard and from what you’ve seen so far in the preseason, how is Clemson regarding NC State as a threat in the Atlantic Division?

Connolly: “I think they definitely respect them. Not that they didn’t beforehand, but I think that even more so now, that they respect and appreciate the program that NC State has. I think it has been a team that has always given Clemson some problems, with finally going over the edge last year and beating them instead of just Clemson always finding a way to win. I think it definitely upped the rivalry maybe even a little bit more.”

“I think it’s a program that Clemson already had a lot of respect for but even more so now after the way last year went. With that said, it’s also a team Clemson really wants to beat. They’re not used to losing ACC games and, especially with NC State coming to their house this year, I think they’ll be really up for that game.”

And [Clemson] lost in that super dramatic overtime fashion last year. Is there a sort of lingering animosity about how that went down, and [do] they want to kind of get revenge for that?

Connolly: “I think at that point, they had one loss and they were still kind of thinking ‘Hey, we can get back to the playoff, we can still win the ACC, we can kind of still do everything,’ and, when they lost that game to NC State, I think, in some ways, it was kind of a wake up call, like ‘We’re going to have to figure some things out, or we’re not going to have a good year at all. Forget playoff, forget winning the league, we just need to try to figure out how to possibly win 10 games,’ which they ended up doing. So I think, in some ways, that was kind of a turning point. 

“It definitely hurt losing that game. It was a painful loss, but it was also kind of like a wake up call of ‘Hey, just because we’re Clemson, it doesn’t mean we can just roll the ball out.’ Losing to a good team that won the national championship in Georgia by a touchdown was one thing, but losing to NC State, a team that Dabo [Swinney] has obviously had a lot of success [against] before, I think it was a little different and hurt a little more. So yes, that’s definitely a game that they’ll want to turn around and win this year.”

Obviously a lot of experience is returning for NC State. As a beat reporter for a rival team, what worries you the most about Clemson going against NC State?

Connolly: “There’s a lot. I mean, first of all, I think that defense is very, very good. I personally think Clemson’s defense is the best in the ACC, and maybe the best in the country, and I think that starts with that defensive line, but NC State’s not far behind. I know they brought a lot of players back. Obviously Drake Thomas is one of the best linebackers in the country. 

“Devin Leary really impressed me last year, just his command of the offense, what he did to Clemson’s defense. They made some plays against Andrew Booth that people didn’t make much at all last year. Both sides of the ball, just really, really impressed with NC State.”