No. 4 Miami is rolling into Clemson with a ranking, a perfect conference record and, unusually for Death Valley, a 16.5-point spread attached to it.
That’s the setup for Saturday night’s ACC showdown between the unbeaten Hurricanes and the Tigers, two teams sitting atop the league after different starts but the same conference record. Miami is 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the ACC after a fast start to the season that has it coming off last year’s national runner-up finish. Clemson is 3-1 and also 2-0 in league play, trying to build on a stretch that has already included a major bounce-back from its opening loss.
These two know each other well. Miami and Clemson are tied 7-7 all-time, and the Hurricanes won the last meeting at home in 2023. But Miami has not won on Clemson’s home field since 2010, which gives this trip a different feel even with the Hurricanes favored.
Clemson’s season began with a rough 51-10 defeat at LSU, but the Tigers have followed that with three straight wins over Georgia Southern, North Carolina and Cal. Mario Cristobal said Monday, "Certainly they didn't get off to the start they wanted in game one but since then have been playing really high-level football in a lot of different ways,"
Dabo Swinney sees the challenge clearly. "At the end of the day, you're both undefeated in the league, and all you can ask for is opportunity.
So, it'll be a huge opportunity," he said. "We'll have to play, by far, our best game to have a chance to beat those guys.
But we've got to have a great week and great preparation and spot the ball and see if we can do just that."
Clemson has had to come from behind in each of its conference wins, and it took another hit against Cal when running back David Eziomume was carted off in the first quarter after suffering a lower-leg injury while blocking on a kickoff return. Swinney said Eziomume is expected to miss the rest of the season. Sophomore Gideon Davidson has become the main force in the backfield, with 346 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Cristobal was asked about Davidson and did not hold back. "Just tremendous contact balance," Cristobal said about Davidson.
"He can accelerate. He runs behind his pads, runs through tackles, rarely gets tackled by the first guy.
Explosive."
Swinney also pointed to the offense’s growth with freshman Tait Reynolds at quarterback over the last three games. "Offensively, we played tough and physical but didn't always play smart," Swinney said.
"Just some small things that we have to do in order to make us more complete. To be able to run the ball especially when they knew we had to run it, I'm really pleased with that."
Miami’s offense has been the headline all season, and Darian Mensah has been right at the center of it. He leads the nation in passing efficiency at 228.23 and completion percentage at 88.7%, is tied for first in passing touchdowns with 14 and is seventh in passing yards with 1,211. Malachi Toney has been just as dangerous, ranking third in receptions per game at 8.5 and receiving yards per game at 141, while tying for fourth with six receiving touchdowns.
Together, they’ve powered a Miami attack averaging 51.8 points per game, third in the country behind only Georgia and Florida.
The Hurricanes also got some help on the injury front. Lead running back Mark Fletcher Jr., who missed last week’s 52-3 win over Central Michigan with an upper-body injury, is expected back against Clemson.
Miami’s defense has been dealing with injuries early, but Cristobal said tackle Ahmad Moten and cornerback Damari Brown should return Saturday after sitting out against the Chippewas. Defensive lineman Armondo Blount, who was hurt against Central Michigan, "was a little banged up, but he's good to go," according to Cristobal.
In Other News...
Clemson's New Edge Could Put Miami In A Dangerous Spot
Mario Cristobal spent part of a recent media session breaking down what has made Clemson so difficult to deal with lately, and the answer started with how the Tigers have finished games. Their second-half play has stood out, along with the kind of discipline and in-game adjustments that can turn a tight matchup into one that gets away from an opponent. For Miami, the message is simple enough: if the Hurricanes want to avoid getting dragged into Clemsons preferred kind of game, they need to get on the board early and force the Tigers to chase.
That is easier said than done against a team that has shown both defensive resilience and a coaching staff capable of tightening things up as the game wears on. The matchup sets up as a test of styles and sideline management, with Miami trying to create enough early cushion to keep Clemson from settling into its rhythm. From Clemsons side, the recent formula has been clear enough to be dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Faces A Growing Availability Worry Before Huge Miami Test
Clemson is entering a crucial stretch with availability becoming a bigger part of the conversation than the opponent on the other sideline. Ahead of the Miami game, Dabo Swinney said several injured players are still being monitored, with some getting work in practice and others continuing to work back from recent injuries as the Tigers try to sort out their depth before a marquee ACC matchup.
The group includes Corian Gipson, Elyjah Thurmon and Devarrick Woods, all of whom are still in uncertain territory heading into the week, while backup quarterback Christopher Vizzina remains out with an elbow issue. Defensive tackle Kourtney Kelly is making progress from an ACL tear, but Clemson is still waiting to see how much of this injured core will actually be available when the Tigers need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson Faces One Huge Test After Its Cross-Country Win
The trip to Berkeley ended the way Clemson needed it to, with a 24-10 win over Cal and a quick turnaround back home to South Carolina afterward. Dabo Swinney liked the effort his team showed in managing the long haul, and the Tigers were back on the practice field Sept. 28 as they shifted attention to what comes next.
What comes next is the kind of game that can define an ACC season, with No. 4 Miami arriving in Death Valley on Oct. 3. Cross-country trips have not always been kind to league teams in the game that follows, so Clemsons focus now turns to whether it can carry the same edge from California into a matchup that will tell plenty about where the Tigers stand. [Read more 🡒]