Gameday Guide: Clemson vs. SC State kickoff time, odds, stream, top players, TV info

Following a loss to Georgia in the 2021 season opener, No. 6 Clemson is scheduled to take on South Carolina State in the first home game of the season. Here’s what to know about the matchup, which will feature a full home stadium for the first time since 2019.

When is the Clemson game kickoff?

Who: Clemson (0-1) vs. SC State (0-1)

When: 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson

TV: ACC Network — the game will air via stream at ACC Network Plus (through the ESPN app) until the previous game is complete

Stream: SC State vs Clemson via ESPN

Radio: 93.1 FM in the Columbia area; 105.5 FM in the Clemson area (see all Clemson radio affiliates here)

Satellite: Sirius 133, XM 193, Internet 955

Series history: Clemson leads the series against SC State 4-0. All of those games have been played at Memorial Stadium. In the last meeting, the Tigers won 59-0 on Sept. 17, 2016. The Bulldogs have only scored 20 points in the series, which began in 2008.

Clemson vs South Carolina State point spread

Betting lines are often hard to come by when it comes to a matchup between a Power Five and FCS school, and that’s the case this week. However, BettingPros listed Clemson as a 50-point favorite, while Odds Shark has a score prediction of 52-0 in favor of the Tigers.

Saturday Clemson weather forecast

Sunny, winds light and variable. Temperatures around 80 at kickoff, then in the low 70s by game’s end.

What this football game means

Both teams opened the season with a loss and will be looking to rebound in Week 2.

For Clemson, returning home to play in front of a full crowd for the first time since 2019 will be a point of excitement for players. It’s also the last game before opening conference play against Georgia Tech. The Tigers can use this opportunity to right the wrongs displayed against Georgia in preparation for their question to earn a seventh straight ACC championship.

Clemson is 35-0 against Football Championship Subdivision teams since the division was formed before the 1978 season.

CJ Spiller to be honored

Clemson will honor football great CJ Spiller at halftime of Saturday’s game. Now the Tigers’ running backs coach, he’ll be honored by the school for his upcoming selection into the College Football Hall of Fame. Representatives of the National Football Foundation will be on hand and present Spiller a plaque in advance of his formal induction in December.

Stadium capacity, fan rules for first Clemson home game

Memorial Stadium will be allow for full capacity (81,500) for Saturday’s game. Mobile ticketing remains in effect. There are no restrictions on tailgating. Fans are encouraged, but not required to wear face coverings in outdoor areas when not eating and drinking. The school’s mask mandate is still in effect, though, when it comes to interior public spaces, which includes transit and shuttles. For at least the first two home games, the Tigers won’t allow its postgame Gathering at the Paw tradition.

Clemson vs SC State, by the numbers

Three SC State players to watch

Kendrell Flowers, RB: The Irmo High School graduate has already faced Clemson once during his college career in 2019 while at Wake Forest, totaling nine carries for 27 yards in that game. The transfer led S.C. State in rushing over four games in the spring. He had 81 yards and three touchdowns in the 2021 opener.

Corey Fields, QB: The 2019 MEAC Rookie of the Year had an off game in his opener against Alabama A&M. He went 14-of-28 passing for 213 yard with a touchdown pass and two interceptions, an uncharacteristic stat after his 3-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio in 2019. Fields did run for a 54-yard score Saturday.

Blair Davis, LB: The sophomore Rock Hill native had a team-high 10 tackles in the opener with three pass breakups and one quarterback hurry.

Three Clemson players to watch

D.J. Uiagalelei, QB: The sophomore took responsibility for his part in the 10-3 loss to Georgia, saying he just didn’t execute. The next day, he was the first person at Clemson’s facility, ready to watch film and improve for Week Two.

Joseph Ngata, WR: Health prevented Ngata from showing his full self last season, but he was the one bright spot in Clemson’s offense this past weekend, emerging as one of Uiagalelei’s more reliable receivers in a pinch. He caught six passes for 110 yards and will look to continue his success in the absence of wide receiver EJ Williams, who will be out for 4-5 weeks with a thumb injury that required surgery.

Andrew Mukuba, SS: Clemson starting a true freshman is as rare as lightning striking the same place twice, yet the Texas native earned his spot in the Tigers’ lineup. He totaled eight tackles last Saturday, impressing his coaches enough to earn start No. 2 in the home opener.

Where is Clemson University located?

Clemson University is located in the town of Clemson, in the Upstate region of the state of South Carolina. The university, with an enrollment of more than 20,000 undergraduates, is actually larger than the town, which has an estimated population of 16,463, per the U.S. Census Bureau. Greenville, South Carolina, with a population of roughly 70,000, is 30 miles east of Clemson.

Clemson depth chart

Offense

QB: D.J. Uiagalelei (Taisun Phommachanh)

RB: Lyn-J Dixon --OR-- Kobe Pace (Will Shipley)

WR: Justyn Ross (Beaux Collins --OR-- Will Swinney)

WR: Joseph Ngata (Ajou Ajou)

WR: Frank Ladson (Dacari Collins --OR-- Will Brown)

TE: Braden Galloway --OR-- Davis Allen (Jaelyn Lay --OR-- Sage Ennis)

LT: Jordan McFadden (Paul Tchio)

LG: Marcus Tate (Hunter Rayburn)

C: Matt Bockhorst (Hunter Rayburn --OR-- Trent Howard)

RG: Will Putnam (Dietrick Pennington)

RT: Walker Parks (Mitchell Mayes)

Defense

DE: Myles Murphy --OR-- K.J. Henry --OR-- Xavier Thomas

DT: Bryan Bresee (Ruke Orhorhoro)

DT: Tyler Davis (Tre Williams)

DE: Justin Foster --OR-- Justin Mascoll --OR-- Xavier Thomas

SLB: Trenton Simpson --OR-- Malcolm Greene (Tyler Venables --OR-- Barrett Carter)

MLB: James Skalski (Jake Venables --OR-- Kane Patterson)

WLB: Baylon Spector (LaVonta Bentley --OR-- Keith Maguire --OR-- Jeremiah Trotter, Jr.)

CB: Mario Goodrich (Fred Davis --OR-- Nate Wiggins)

SS: Andrew Mukuba (Lannden Zanders --OR-- R.J. Mickens)

FS: Jalyn Phillips --OR-- Joseph Charleston (Tyler Venables)

CB: Andrew Booth (Sheridan Jones --OR-- Malcolm Greene)

Special teams

PK: B.T. Potter (Jonathan Weitz)

P: Will Spiers (Aidan Swanson)

KO: B.T. Potter (Aidan Swanson)

LS (PK, P): Jack Maddox (Holden Caspersen)

H: Will Swinney (Drew Swinney)

PR: Will Taylor (Justyn Ross)

KOR: Will Shipley (Lyn-J Dixon)

This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 9:14 AM with the headline "Gameday Guide: Clemson vs. SC State kickoff time, odds, stream, top players, TV info."

Alexis Cubit

The State

Alexis Cubit serves primarily as the Clemson sports reporter for The (Columbia) State newspaper. Before moving to South Carolina in 2021, she covered high school sports for six years and received a first-place award in the sports feature category from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors in 2019. The California native earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University in 2014.