NC State head coach Dave Doeren has confirmed in a recent press conference that running backs Jordan Houston and Demie Sumo-Karngbaye will suit up against the Clemson Tigers for Saturday’s battle. Houston sat out the game against UConn on September 24th to recover from an undisclosed injury suffered against Texas Tech on September 17th. Sumo-Karngbaye played only a few drives in the game against UConn and was reportedly just “a little sore” according to Doeren. Both running backs will be ready to go Clemson, which will no doubt be a big boost to this NC State offense.
Stats
The Jordan Houston and Demie Sumo-Karngbaye running back duo has been a bright spot on an offense that has somewhat struggled to pass the ball consistently during the season. Sumo-Karngbaye has rushed for 252 yards on 39 carries, to go along with three touchdowns so far this season, and Houston has rushed for 138 yards on 33 carries with no touchdowns on the season. Both have also been threats in the receiving department, with Sumo-Karngbaye catching six balls for 102 yards in a touchdown, and Houston catching six balls for 82 yards and a touchdown.
NC State will surely need all the help they can get to take down #5 Clemson this week. Clemson has given up an average of 346.2 yards per game and 5.11 yards per play this season, so the opportunities for big plays will certainly be there if NC State can take advantage of the chances they get. However, Clemson ranks as the 7th best rush defense in the country so far, only allowing an average of 78.5 rushing yards per game, meaning that it will no doubt be a battle in the trenches to give Sumo-Karngbaye and Houston room to run.