Tigers maul NC State in Death Valley 41-0

Tigers usually maul their victims before they eat them.  If NC State were food, they’d be nothing but bones and cartilage. It was THAT bad.       The Wolfpack got their first 1st Down at the 5:18 mark of the 2nd quarter.  Clemson had nine.

Four  straight Wolfpack games of scoring 40 points or more and a 520 total yards performance last week against #1 ranked Florida State apparently meant nothing to what may just be the best defense in college football.  Stymied in every way imaginable, Clemson’s defense led by All-American defensive end Vic Beasley was in NC State quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s face all day long.  Brissett finished the game 4/18 for 35 yards passing.  Yep.  I said 35 yards passing.

Oct 4, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Mike Williams (7) catches the ball for a touchdown during the first quarter against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Halftime:    Clemson 31- NC State 0

This is one of those games that coaching staffs sometimes refuse to show players because it has no intrinsic value.  The players already know how badly they played.  They were there.

The second half started better than the first when Brissett moved the offense to mid field before the drive fizzled.  That was progress.  Actually since midway  in the  second quarter the  Wolfpack’s  defensive unit settled down  after some adjustments and played better.  However,  offensively, words cannot do the performance justice.  Lets just say it’s not worth reliving.   After a 3rd quarter 37-yard field goal by Clemson’s Ammon Lakip,   Brissett   was  hit  and  stripped  on the  next drive by  Mr. Beasley who  scooped up the  fumble and rambled in for another  score.    Clemson 41- NC State 0  

The quarterback duel never materialized.  Clemson’s freshman sensation Deshaun Watson threw two first quarter touchdown passes of 56 and 31 yards.  As if that weren’t bad enough Watson added two additional rushing touchdowns of 5 and 3 yards all before halftime.

Oct 4, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) looks to pass the ball during the second quarter against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

NC State finished the game with only  156 totals yards:  35 passing yards and 121 yards rushing.  I don’t care if we never see Memorial Stadium or Clemson, South Carolina for a long long time.

Up Next:  Boston College in Raleigh, NC