PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Sam Hartman was named ACC Rookie of the Week after his four touchdown passes against Rice. He posted a 284.9 quarterback efficiency rating for the best ever in a game by a Wake Forest quarterback with 12 or more completions. He had 12 consecutive completions to close his stint, so he’ll take that streak into the Clemson game.
–WR Greg Dortch tied his own school record by making four touchdown catches in the Rice game. He has been above 100 all-purpose yards for the nine consecutive games dating to last fall. The redshirt sophomore has 14 touchdown catches in 13 career games.
–RB Cade Carney is fourth in ACC rushing with 85.6 yards per game. He’s coming off a two-touchdown game against Rice. His only other multi-touchdown game in his second career game two years ago at Duke when he carried for three touchdowns.
–S Chuck Wade Jr. was the team’s leading tackler with eight stops in the Notre Dame game and then registered a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown last week against Rice. Those are quite the breakthroughs for a player who spent the spring making the transition to defense after three seasons as a receiver.
SERIES HISTORY: Clemson leads Wake Forest 65-17-1, including nine victories in a row in the series.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “To me, he hung in the pocket. (Against Notre Dame), he got spooked. There were times when he bailed the pocket when there was no rush. (This game), he kept his eyes down the field and he stayed in the pocket, and he didn’t bail.” — Coach Dave Clawson, referring to the Rice game, on the evolution of freshman QB Sam Hartman, who played his final high school season in South Carolina and faces a team from that state, Clemson, in what will be his sixth career start.