NC State Football: Stopping Clemson’s Travis Etienne is how the Wolfpack win
If NC State football could pull off the upset against the No. 3 Clemson Tigers the ACC would be turned on its head. Here’s how the Wolfpack get it done.
By far, the biggest game of the weekend on Oct. 20 in the nation involves the No. 3 ranked Clemson Tigers and the No. 16 ranked NC State Wolfpack. With the two remaining undefeated teams set to meet out of the ACC at Memorial Stadium, we’ll soon figure out who the top contender out of the conference will be.
NC State’s efforts will start and end with senior star quarterback Ryan Finley. For Clemson, two young offensive weapons are going to command the entire team’s fortune in one of its biggest matchups of the year to date. True freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence and sophomore running back Travis Etienne are dangerous and will be NC State’s biggest defensive test of the entire season.
Etienne has the strongest Heisman campaign built out of all players that will be on this field between NC State and Clemson. He is just four rushing yards shy of already matching his total from a season ago. And, Etienne already racked up 12 total touchdowns on the year.
A running back that is averaging more than nine yards per carry as the go-to option on any offense is going to be difficult to hold in check. NC State’s run defense was solid through the first half of the regular season, allowing only 3.7 yards per carry and less than 110 total rushing yards per game. The real test will come against one of the best rushers in the nation in Etienne.
The presence of the constant passing threat from Lawrence will also have to keep the NC State defense honest. Loading the box on every down would lead to a field day for Lawrence and could also help build his Heisman campaign, although it is at long odds.
One of the worst individual performances for Etienne as a freshman came against NC State last season, as he racked up just 31 rushing yards on eight carries. NC State also gave Clemson a real difficult set of challenges in the past five years which should only continue on Oct. 20.
Next. Bold predictions for NC State vs. Clemson. dark
Shutting down Etienne can lead the Wolfpack to having a real shot to pull off this huge upset and solidifying itself as a true College Football Playoff contender. An underrated NC State defense will take center stage against Etienne in the national spotlight for the first time in 2018.