The Clemson Tigers and the Miami Hurricanes meet Saturday in college football action from Hard Rock Stadium. Clemson is 4-2 overall this year and coming off an open week. The Tigers last appeared in a five-point win over Wake Forest. As for Miami, they took on North Carolina this past weekend. In that one the Hurricanes dropped to 4-2 overall after a high-scoring 10-point defeat. Check back all season long for free college football picks at Sports Chat Place. 

Clemson Tigers 

So far this year the Tigers have generally been competitive, and they’ve won the games they were “supposed” to win. Clemson has really only had one bad loss (28-7 in the opener versus Duke) but they stayed right with Florida State in their other defeat, a 31-24 overtime affair. The Tigers have otherwise beaten Charleston Southern 66-17, FAU 48-14, Syracuse 31-14 and Wake Forest 17-12. 

Back on October 7 versus Wake Forest, Clemson nursed a 10-6 lead going into the fourth quarter and eventually emerged victorious. Quarterback Cade Klubnik finished with 131 yards on 18-of-28 passing and Will Shipley led the rush with 97 yards and a score. Tops in receiving was Beaux Collins with 50 yards off five catches. 

Clemson Tigers Team Facts

• Clemson has won each of its last 16 October games against non-AP-ranked teams.
• Clemson has failed to cover the spread in seven of its last eight matches as a favorite when playing with a rest advantage.
• Clemson has won the first half in each of its last seven games against conference opponents.
• Seven of Clemson’s last eight games against conference opponents have gone UNDER the total points line.

Miami Hurricanes

Over on the Hurricanes’ side, they jumped out to a 4-0 start this year with a series of big victories. Those came 38-3 versus Miami-OH, 48-33 against Texas A&M, 48-7 in the Bethune-Cookman matchup and 41-7 against Temple. Miami’s run was halted on October 7 with a crushing 23-20 loss to Georgia Tech, however. The Hurricanes hurt themselves with five turnovers (three interceptions) in that defeat. 

In their last outing versus North Carolina back on Saturday, Miami held a 17-14 edge at the break but then gave up 21 unanswered points in the third. The result was a 41-31 defeat. QB Tyler Van Dyke finished with 391 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Henry Parrish rushed for 73 yards, and Jacolby George added six catches for 125 yards and a TD of his own. 

Miami Hurricanes Team Facts

• Miami (FL) has won 11 of its last 12 matches when playing with a rest disadvantage.
• Miami (FL) has failed to cover the spread in each of its last 11 October home games against non-AP-ranked teams.
• Miami (FL) has lost the first half in eight of its last 10 home games against conference opponents.
• Each of Miami (FL)’s last five games as an underdog have gone OVER the total points line.

Matchup/League Facts

• Miami (FL) rank 12th among FBS teams for points allowed per game this season (14.6).
• Miami (FL) rank 13th among FBS teams for points per game this season (39.0).
• Clemson rank 34th among FBS teams for points allowed per game this season (19.3).

ANDREW’S FREE PICK 

I’m going to take a stab on the Tigers here. Clemson should come in ready after an extra week of preparation, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a fast start. The Tigers defense saved them in their last outing versus a tricky Wake Forest team, giving up just 239 total yards (137 passing) and a 2-of-12 success rate on third downs. Clemson won despite losing a couple of fumbles on offense and generating just 131 yards through the air. The Tigers will need to have both the run and the pass working in order to cover against Miami. 

Speaking of Miami, on Saturday versus North Carolina the Hurricanes had quite the uneven outing. Miami’s offense generated 482 total yards (391 passing) and 28 first downs but also coughed up four turnovers and went just 3-of-11 on third-down conversions. Defensively the team generated zero turnovers and gave up 508 yards (235 rushing). Clemson will be a slightly more manageable opponent for Miami to contend with, but I think the Tigers can power it out cover-wise.