No. 7 Miami travels to No. 1 Clemson on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ABC) in an ACC matchup that gives us the second top-10 showdown in an as many weeks.
The Hurricanes (3-0) had a bye week to prepare for a statement game that will show whether they are ready to compete for ACC championships again with second-year coach Manny Diaz. Quarterback D'Eriq King is thriving under new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee.
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Clemson (3-0) continues to cruise under Dabo Swinney with quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Tigers have won 21 consecutive conference games in the ACC, and they are heavy favorites in another prime-time showdown.
With that in mind, a full look at the Hurricanes-Tigers showdown:
Clemson vs. Miami odds
Spread: Clemson by 16
Over/under: 64
Point spread odds: Miami -110, Clemson -110
Clemson vs. Miami all-time series
Miami leads the all-time series against Clemson 6-5, but the Tigers have won four of six ACC meetings since 2004. This is the second top-10 matchup between the two teams. The Tigers beat the Hurricanes 38-3 in the ACC championship game on Dec. 2, 2017.
The Tigers have won the past two meetings by a combined score of 96-3. This is a chance for the Hurricanes to show those games are a thing of the past.
Three trends to know
— The Tigers are 0-3 against the spread this season, but those spreads were 27.5 points or more. Clemson could take advantage of a lower spread, which should drop before game time.
— Clemson is 15-5 ATS in its past 20 conference games. The Tigers, however, are 7-9 ATS in home games since 2018.
— Miami is 3-0 ATS as an underdog under Manny Diaz, and 2-0 ATS as a road underdog. Miami is 2-1 straight up in those games.
Three things to watch
— D'Eriq King's efficiency. King is 63 of 94 passing for 736 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions; a remarkable turnaround at the quarterback position for the Hurricanes. That will be tested against a Clemson defense that has limited opponents to 50 percent passing this season. The Tigers are allowed 13.9 yards per completion — so King will need to take advantage of deep shots when they come open.
— All-around backs. Travis Etienne is a known asset. He had 243 rushing yards, 172 receiving yards and 44 rushing yards through three games. He's the ultimate safety valve for Trevor Lawrence in Clemson's offense. Miami running back Cam'Ron Harris needs to match that big-play potential. Harris has 324 rushing yards and averages 8.1 yards per carry, but Miami might have to use him more as a receiver in this game.
— Pass-rushing depth. Clemson has 13 sacks as a team, and 10 different players have at least 0.5 sack. No Tigers player has more than two sacks. Miami has 10 sacks through three games. The Hurricanes have to land that pressure on Lawrence, who has taken six sacks this season. That's three more than King.
Stat that matters
16
Lawrence is 28-1 as a starter for his career, and he has at least three TD passes in 16 of those starts. He's completing 73.3 percent of his passes with seven TDs and no interceptions this season, too. Miami must find ways to disrupt his rhythm, and the only way to do that is to get off to a good start. Clemson has outscored its opponents 100-10 in the first half before coasting in the second half at 27-26. We haven't seen a four-quarter game.
Prediction
Miami must match that intensity in the first quarter. The Hurricanes are in their third prime-time game, but Clemson lives for these situations. Look for Clemson to take over with a pair of TD drives in the second quarter, and the defensive line will wear on Miami. The Tigers are allowed just 2.2 yards per carry. That will add up once they get the lead. The Hurricanes make it more respectable than the past two blowouts, but it's not enough.
Final score
Clemson 38, Miami 20
