No. 10 Clemson looks to stay perfect in ACC when it faces Virginia and ex-Tigers OC Elliott
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, right, talks with quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) during the first half of an NCAA football game against Wake Forest in Greensboro, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. Credit: AP/Chuck Burton
Virginia (4-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) at No. 10 Clemson (5-1, 4-0), Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Clemson by 21 1/2.
Series record: Stanford leads 40-8-1.
What’s at stake?
Clemson's latest perfect run through the ACC is on the line when the team faces former offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, now Virginia's coach. Elliott was a senior receiver when Tigers coach Dabo Swinney took over as the team's receivers coach. Elliott later served as Clemson's assistant under Swinney and became the team's chief playcaller during the Tigers' national titles after the 2016 and 2018 seasons.
Key matchup
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik vs. Virginia's pass defense. Klubnik is having himself a season throwing for 254 yards a game and 17 touchdowns. The Cavaliers have struggled to stop the pass this season, 15th in the 17-team ACC in giving up more than 260 yards a game through the air.
Players to watch
Virginia: S Jonas Sanker has had 30 tackles, second in the ACC, was named the league's defensive back of the week the past two games. Sanker had 11 tackles in a 24-20 loss to Louisville last week and helped the Cavalier hold the Cardinals to a season-low 231 yards passing.
Clemson: WR Antonio Williams has done it all for the Tigers offense. He leads the Tigers with 25 catches for 349 yards and five touchdowns. The redshirt sophomore also threw a perfect pass for a touchdown to tight end Jake Briningstool in last week's 49-14 victory at Wake Forest.
Virginia head coach Tony Elliott greets Louisville defensive lineman Ashton Gillotte (9) after an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Charlottesville, Va. Credit: AP/Mike Kropf
Facts & figures
Clemson is looking to open 5-0 in ACC play for the eighth time under Swinney and first time since its last ACC title-winning season in 2022. ... Virginia has lost its past five games to Clemson. The Cavaliers' last victory in the series came in 2004. ... The Tigers had gone for 500 or more yards in four games this season. The last time that happened was in 2020 when they had five such games. ... Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea accounted for 362 yards in the loss to Louisville last week. ... Elliott is among six head coaches on Clemson's schedule who had never faced the Tigers. ... Clemson has rushed for at least one touchdown in 56 straight home games, the longest such streak in the nation. Troy in 2016 was the last team to hold the Tigers without a rushing TD at home.
