An ACC showdown makes headlines on Labor Day evening as No. 9 Clemson faces Duke in a game that will serve as both a season opener and conference opener for each program. It is also the first meeting between the Tigers and Blue Devils since 2018.
For Clemson, this is the second straight season that Dabo Swinney’s team will take center stage on Labor Day and the fourth straight year that the Tigers will play their first game away from Memorial Stadium’s friendly field. They opened their 2022 season with a 41-10 win against Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Tigers also begin their ACC title defense against the Blue Devils. Duke, meanwhile, is coming off its best season in nearly a decade and will be hoping to continue that momentum with a resounding win in prime time.
The last meeting between Duke and Clemson five years ago ended in a 35-6 victory for the Tigers. Clemson has won each of the last five showdowns since 2005 and is 37-16-1 overall. Swinney is 2-0 against Duke.
Clemson and Duke played annually from 1965 to 2005, but the series ended when the ACC split into the Atlantic and Coastal divisions. With the ACC’s new 3-5-5 scheduling model replacing divisions, Clemson and Duke will face each other twice in the next four years starting Monday.
Follow LIVE updates from Monday’s game between Clemson and Duke
How to watch Clemson vs. Duke live
Date: Monday, September 4th | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Wallace Wade Stadium – Durham, North Carolina
TV: ESPN | Live broadcast: fubo (Try for free)
Clemson vs. Duke: Need to know
New-look Clemson offense: Swinney did something almost unheard of this offseason: He left his own program and hired a coordinator. Swinney hadn’t looked elsewhere for help in that role since 2012, when he poached Brent Venables from Oklahoma to lead his defense. It’s safe to say it worked out well for both parties. Now Swinney is tapping another up-and-coming former Big 12 coach in Garrett Riley as his new offensive coordinator. Riley played a big role in TCU’s run into the College Football Playoff in 2022 and the hope is that he can inject new life into a Clemson offense that has been underperforming since Trevor Lawrence left for the NFL.
What does Duke do as an encore? Mike Elko exceeded all expectations in his first year as Duke’s coach, leading the Blue Devils to an 8-4 regular season and capping it with a stunning win over UCF in the Military Bowl. It was Duke’s first win in nine games since 2014, its first postseason win since 2018 and its highest finish in the ACC Coastal standings (T-2) in eight years. Next on the list? This gives Duke its first ranking since 2013 and only its second since the turn of the century.
Stripes on the line: Swinney is 12-2 in its season opener, with both losses coming against Georgia. It has never lost a season-opening game to an ACC opponent and Clemson has won each of its last eight ACC openers, regardless of when they are on the schedule. Duke, meanwhile, is 0-13 in season openers against nationally ranked opponents. A Duke win would simultaneously end several extended streaks with very different implications.
Clemson vs Duke Prediction, Tips
People seem to forget Duke’s success in its first season under Elko. Additionally, Duke returns a whopping 17 starters – more than any other ACC program – from that 9-4 team, including star quarterback Riley Leonard. Elko’s squad also catches Clemson at the perfect time before it has a chance to establish any rhythm under Riley. Clemson is too talented to predict a complete upset, but Duke at least covering seems like a reasonable bet. Prediction: Duke +13
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