The no. 3 Clemson Tigers (11-1) and the no. 19 Virginia Tech Hokies (9-3) go head-to-head Saturday night competing in the 2016 Dr. Pepper ACC Championship at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL.
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Both teams come prepared to battle to the end to prove themselves worthy of the championship. Dabo Swinney’s Tigers look to maintain their conference title for a 2nd straight year while the Hokies fight for their 5th ACC championship.
Clemson enters the competition with confidence coming off of a 56-7 blowout win against South Carolina last week where quarterback, Deshaun Watson, tied his career record with 6 touchdown passes.
Head Coach Justin Fuente, 2016 ACC Coach of the Year, and the Virginia Tech Hokies are undoubtedly focusing on how to best defend the powerhouse Heisman Trophy contender quarterback and Clemson’s no. 12 overall offense. Watson is not only a great passer, finishing out the regular season with 3,626 yards, but is also an extremely mobile quarterback. Running for over 400 yards and 4 touchdowns this season, Watson presents a significant challenge to any defense he faces.
In addition to Watson’s double-threat talents, Virginia Tech needs to stay prepared for running back Wayne Gallman, who has run for 943 yards, 14 touchdowns, and is expected to be a key offensive player in this week’s matchup.
Despite Clemson’s solid offense, Virginia Tech shows up with a strong defense, ranked 4th in the ACC. Allowing only an average 22.1 points per game, the Hokies’ have proven effective in keeping their opponents at bay and minimized the number of points allowed.
The Tigers’ quarterback will have to utilize all of his skills in order to overcome Virginia Tech’s 26.8 3rd down conversation percentage.
Between Clemson’s diverse and creative offensive talents and Virginia Tech’s hard-hitting, combative defense, both teams are fairly evenly matched and present seemingly equal challenges to one another.
But, the question remains, who will come out on top?
Be sure to tune in to ABC at 8:00pm on Saturday, 12/3/16, to check out this dynamic fight for the championship.
