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FACTS & STATS: Site: Clemson Memorial Stadium (81,500) -- Clemson, South Carolina Television: ESPN3. Home Record: Troy 0-0, Clemson 0-0. Away Record: Troy 0-0, Clemson 0-0. Neutral Record: Troy 0-0, Clemson 0-0. Conference Record: Troy 0-0, Clemson 0-0. Series Record: Series is tied, 0-0.

GAME NOTES: Troy heads into the 2011 season as one of the favorites to win the Sun Belt Conference, but the Trojans will be put to the test right out of the gate, as they must contend with ACC heavyweight Clemson in both teams' opener Saturday afternoon.

Troy enjoyed its third consecutive bowl berth under head coach Larry Blakeney in 2010, when the Trojans finished 8-5 and won a share of the Sun Belt title for the fifth consecutive year (Troy is 32-5 in Sun Belt play over that stretch). Blakeney, who enters his 21st season in 2011, is among the winningest active coaches in college football. He is 161-82-1, and the 161 wins ranks ninth among active FBS coaches. Only two active coaches, Joe Paterno at Penn State and Frank Beamer at Virginia State have coached longer at one school.

Clemson finished 6-7 a year ago under head coach Dabo Swinney, who enters his fourth year. Last year was defined by missed opportunities in huge games for the Tigers, who nearly upset eventual national champion Auburn in overtime early in the season, and were beaten in close games by ACC teams Miami, North Carolina, Boston College and Florida State. With plenty of talent spread across 14 returning starters, Clemson looks to regain 2009 form when the team won its first ACC Coastal Division crown and played for a conference championship.

This is the first meeting between the two schools, and Clemson is a perfect 5-0 all-time against Sun Belt foes.

Troy's offense has been powerful in the past four years, averaging 33 points per game and completing over 60 percent of its passes over that span. That kind of consistency projects well on the 2011 outfit, which is led by sophomore quarterback Corey Robinson. The 6-0 214 pounder was a first team all-Sun Belt quarterback in 2010, passing for 3,726 yards and 28 touchdowns.

All three of Troy's top receivers in 2010 departed in the offseason, but senior Chip Reeves made five starts and caught 30 passes, averaging 17.2 yards per catch. Junior running back Shawn Southward will start against Clemson, and although he only carried the ball 115 times in the Trojan's pass-happy scheme, he is a solid receiver out of the backfield for Robinson to operate with.

The Troy defense likes to get pressure on the quarterback, and having junior defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi back will help in that regard in 2011. Massaquoi recorded 13.5 sacks a year ago - 20.5 TFLs total - and will play with a pair of solid linebackers in senior Xavier Lamb and junior Kanorris Davis. Lamb led the team in tackles (91) while Davis recorded three sacks and six pass breakups from his outside post.

The secondary lost a lot of talent through graduation, but has developed depth and added a couple of junior college transfers over the last two years - including a quality corner in Jimmie Anderson. Anderson is just 5-8 and 160 pounds, but played big a year ago in mostly a reserve role, making 28 tackles and picking off three passes.

Clemson's offense revolves around two talented young players in the backfield, with sophomore Tajh Boyd at quarterback and junior Andre Ellington at running back. Boyd saw action in seven games behind Kyle Parker a year ago, and almost rallied the Tigers to win in the second half of the Meineke Car Care Bowl against South Florida. Boyd has flourished as the starter this spring, and Ellington is fully healthy after missing most of the final five games in 2010. Ellington is on the Doak Walker Award and Maxwell Award watch lists in 2011, based on his body of work over the past two seasons: 1,177 yards (6.3 ypc) and 14 touchdowns.

The top three receivers from 2010 are back in the fold, including Freshman All-American DeAndre Hopkins, who had 52 catches for 637 yards and four touchdowns a year ago.

The Clemson defensive line must replace NFL first round draft pick Da'Quan Bowers and his 15.5 sacks, as well as first team all-ACC defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins. Senior defensive end Andre Branch is a versatile hybrid lineman who created pressure opposite Bowers a year ago (55 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 16 quarterback hits) and is the anchor of the revamped front-four.

The linebacking corps only has one starter back in senior Corico Hawkins, but has two of the top linebacker recruits in the country in freshman Tony Steward and Stephone Anthony, as well as sophomore Qaundon Christian, who played in 13 games as a redshirt freshman a year ago and registered 24 tackles.

Free safety Rashard Hall and corner Xavier Brewer each had two picks apiece a year ago and are back to anchor the Clemson secondary.

Over the past three seasons Troy has been able to score on elite non- conference schools (scored 31 against LSU in 2008, 20 against Arkansas in 2009 and 38 against Oklahoma State last year). Clemson is a very young team (42 freshman on scholarship) but the Tigers have freak athletes strewn across the field, and their defensive line is good enough to dictate to the Sun Belt's best offense.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Clemson 45, Troy 20