Clemson Gameday Photos - Clemson vs. N.C. State

What a great game for the last game in our conference schedule. The Tigers pulled out ahead right before halftime, and continued to outplay and outshine N.C. State until the end - Clemson 62, N.C. State 48. Tajh Boyd was a star this game, running in many of the game's touchdowns himself.

The weather was perfect - but got very cold after the sun went down, but that didn't stop fans from tailgating into the night. One tailgate next to ours was singing karaoke while we were packing up our car.

Special thanks to Summer Priddy for taking our gameday photos this week, and to the other Clemson Girls who submitted gameday photos of their own. Are you interested in taking gameday photos for Clemson Girl at next week's game? Email us (clemsongirlblog@gmail.com) for details.


You can view the Clemson vs. N.C. State gameday photos in the slideshow below, or view the entire album on our Flickr site.

Go Tigers!!

Game Prediction - Clemson vs. N.C. State

Focus.

The Clemson Tigers are the talk of the national media, the Sugar Bowl, and the University of South Carolina, but there’s still one game that remains before rivalry week and the bowl talk can begin. The Tigers need to focus on a pesky N.C. State team that is capable of beating anyone on a given week, including the ACC’s top team in Florida State.

Clemson is the better team and should win handily, but can the Tigers avoid the letdown that everyone around the country has been awaiting and expecting and finish out its conference schedule strong, clinching a part of the ACC Atlantic title for the second straight year?

N.C. STATE AT NO. 11 CLEMSON

WHY N.C. STATE MIGHT WIN: Although N.C. State is just 6-4 this season, it is still a very dangerous team playing for bowl seeding and possibly Tom O’Brien’s career. Senior quarterback Mike Glennon is heralded as one of the top passers in the ACC as he has thrown for 291 yards per game with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His two top receiving targets are Quintin Payton and Bryan Underwood. Payton has caught 42 passes for 669 yards and one touchdown while Underwood has 40 receptions for 588 yards and 10 touchdowns. Offense won’t be the issue on Saturday as the taller task for the Wolfpack will be stopping- or at a minimum slowing down- Clemson’s offense. N.C. State has the players to do it with David Amerson and C.J. Wilson manning the secondary. State’s defense has accounted for 11 interceptions this season with four of those being from Amerson. The key for the defense will be getting pressure on Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd and forcing him into quick throws and mistakes on his reads- which the Wolfpack successfully did in 2011 holding the Tigers to 13 points and forcing four turnovers.

WHY CLEMSON MIGHT WIN: Another week and another opponent gets the opportunity to step up to the challenge of slowing down Clemson’s high-octane offense that is averaging over 42 points per game and over 513 yards per game of total offense. On the road, the Wolfpack are allowing 148 yards on the ground, 343 yards through the air, and opponents are averaging 33-percent on third down. The key stat is the third down conversion because the Tigers have been one of the best in the country on third downs averaging over 53-percent. Also, Wolfpack opponents have scored touchdowns 10 times on 19 trips in the redzone- another advantage for the Tigers who have scored 17 touchdowns in 24 trips while at home. The Clemson defense will have its hands full with Glennon and the N.C. State receivers, but if Garry Peters, Bashaud Breeland and company can be physical off the line of scrimmage and get the Wolfpack offense out of rhythm it could be a long day for the boys in red and white. When Glennon gets out of synch, his receivers start dropping passes and the offense stagnates.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN: The Wolfpack totally embarrassed Clemson a year ago at Carter-Finley Stadium and this current group of Tigers hasn’t forgotten that feeling or the game. The Tigers are 5-0 in redemption games- or games where the opposing team beat them the previous year- and I expect the Tigers to continue this streak against N.C. State. Glennon has a strong arm and is accurate when his receivers hold on to the ball, but the Clemson secondary has shown that they have improved throughout the course of the season. There will of course be one or two “what was he thinking” plays for Clemson, but the Tiger defense will continue playing sound football and it will be business as usual for the Clemson offense.

FINAL SCORE: CLEMSON 42- N.C. STATE 23

Post written by Clemson Girl's Sports Bloggess, Nikki Steele.

Tailgate Recipe - OREO Football Cookie Balls

You will be a hero at your next tailgate if you make these sweet, delicious footballs (and they are so easy to make!).

OREO Football Cookie Balls

Ingredients:
6oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1pkg. (15.25 oz.) OREO Chocolate Creme Cookies, finely crushed
2pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1Tbsp. white decorating icing

Directions - Mix the cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended. Next, shape into 40 (1-inch) football shapes. Freeze for 10 min. Dip footballs in melted chocolate and place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Use white icing to draw laces on footballs. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Add some fun and serve on a thin sheet cake covered in green sprinkles with white sugar yard lines.

Recipe source: kraftrecipes.com

EXTRA TIPS:
How to Melt Chocolate: Place unwrapped chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted, stirring every 30 sec.

How to Easily Dip Cookie Balls: To easily coat cookie balls with the melted chocolate, add balls, in batches, to bowl of melted chocolate. Use 2 forks to roll balls in chocolate until evenly coated. Remove balls with forks, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl. Place balls in prepared pan; let stand until chocolate coating is firm.

How to Store: Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.