Quarterbacks

Seneca quarterback Jordan McNeely is young but has been showing flashes of becoming a quality signal caller for the Bobcats. Despite struggling on the road over the last two weeks, McNeely looked strong at home against Pendleton, helping the Bobcats come from behind to take a fourth-quarter lead while throwing a pair of touchdown passes in the opening week of the season. James Hunter is also getting some snaps at quarterback and provides an added threat of mobility for Seneca. Clinton isn’t going to throw much against the Bobcats, as it has attempted a whopping 11 passes this season.

Advantage: Seneca

Running Backs

The bread and butter of the Clinton offense rests in its rushing game, as the Red Devils want to pound the ball down their opponents’ throat all night long. Doing the dirty work for Clinton on the ground is a strong trio of running backs in Trobias Brown, Matt Ligon and Taviouzie Booker, who all average at least 4.6 yards per carry, and have all toted the ball at least 39 times as the Red Devils average 219.7 yards per game on the ground. Seneca running back Nick Sims is coming off a monster night at Greenville last week with 148 yards.

Advantage: Clinton

Wide Receivers

The Bobcats have their fair share of threats in the receiving game, with wide receivers James Hunter and Michael Earle teaming to provide a solid core group of wideouts. Both are extremely athletic, as Hunter is also often used on end-arounds. Tight end Wynton Stephens will also provide matchup trouble for the Red Devils, as his big size makes him a strong target for McNeely in the passing game. Of the five passes Clinton has completed this season, Chandler Ramage has been on the receiving end of three of those for 73 yards.

Advantage: Seneca

Offensive Line

Paving the way for a powerful rushing attack, the Clinton offensive line has been impressive all season long for the Red Devils. The offensive front can focus almost solely on run blocking, which has served the group well as the Red Devils rush for nearly 220 yards a night. The Bobcats offensive line flashed its potential last week in helping Seneca out-rush Greenville, despite not returning a single starter from last season. If the Bobcats want to win on Friday night, the line will have to have a repeat performance from last week in helping Sims pile up big numbers once again.

Advantage: Clinton

Run Defense:

The Red Devils defense likes to make its opponents one-dimensional on offense and has succeeded in a big way by holding the opposition to just 56.7 yards per game on the ground, which also equals out to 2.4 yards per carry. Clinton gave up just 29 yards rushing last week in an ugly 35-0 loss to Laurens and will have a big challenge in stopping the Bobcats’ rushing attack ahead of it. Seneca’s defensive front took a hit two weeks ago when emotional leader Lucas White went down with an ankle injury, and it’s still unknown when he can return to the lineup.

Advantage: Clinton

Pass Defense

For as good as the Clinton run defense is, its pass defense is equally terrible. Opponents are completing well over 50 percent of their passes against the Red Devils, as they give up 238.7 yards per game through the air. Seneca gave up over 250 yards to a pass-happy Greenville team last week, but overall the Bobcats have been good against the pass this year with Kenny Watt leading the way in the secondary. The pass rush is also strong, as Stephens had a pair of sacks last week for the Bobcats.

Advantage: Seneca

Special Teams

Seth Rothell has done a good job this season handling both the placekicking and punting duties for the Bobcats, but the protection he has had is extremely questionable following a pair of blocked punts last week at Greenville. Seneca head coach Ron Duncan said changes have made in protection, and the Bobcats should be back on track this week in that department. Clinton has yet to connect on a field goal this season, while Ramage has averaged almost 37 yards per punt attempt.

Advantage: Clinton