After a bye week, the Clemson Tigers return to Death Valley tonight to take on the Louisville Cardinals. Clemson (6-1, 5-0 ACC) is riding a six-game win streak after taking down Virginia two weeks ago, 48-31. Junior quarterback Cade Klubnik’s strong season has pushed him into the Heisman conversation, with 1,836 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and just three interceptions.
Louisville (5-3) has been tested by Top 25 teams like Notre Dame, SMU, and Miami. Although Clemson defeated the Cardinals 31-16 in their last meeting, Louisville enters as a formidable opponent with an offense Swinney described as “the best we’ve seen since Georgia.”
This is a key matchup for the Tigers as they look to prove they are the best team in the ACC. Here’s what our staff predicts for Clemson vs. Louisville in Week 10:
Turri: Clemson 41, Louisville 24
I’ve got a feeling this could be a statement game for Dabo Swinney and this Clemson team. Coming off the bye, anything can happen, but this Tigers team feels different than the last few. The offense is moving the ball in a way that we haven’t seen in years as starting quarterback Cade Klubnik continues to improve. With a stout defense that tends to only get beat bad by opposing offenses when Swinney is rotating as many players as he can, this game will be an uphill battle for Louisville.
The lights will be bright and perhaps too bright for Jeff Brohm and Louisville. I have high expectations for Clemson in this one as they should cover and have few problems handling business.
Holley: Clemson 34, Louisville 22
I’m always interested in seeing how a hot team performs coming off a bye week. Do they show some rust, and if so, how much will it affect them? I don’t think Louisville can keep up with Clemson in this game — at least not defensively. Expect the Cardinals to get some points on the Tigers. This will be a four-quarter game, but I look for Cade Klubnik and company to make it seven straight on the first November night game in The Valley.
This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Staff score predictions for Clemson football’s huge ACC matchup against Louisville
