CLEMSON — Every Thursday night, Jacoby Ford and his friends in the Clemson backfield have a routine.

They get together, go out to dinner, and then settle in to watch ESPN’s Thursday night college football game.

It’s the one night of the week college football has a compelling game with an audience’s undivided attention.

It is special. Unique. Noteworthy.

“I think it’s fun,” said Clemson receiver Aaron Kelly. “Anytime you really get to play at night, it’s a bonus. It’s that whole high school feel. Thursday night is special and unique because you have everyone across the nation watching. Other people who don’t get a chance to see you can see you.”

This week, it’s the Tigers’ turn when they travel to Winston-Salem, N.C. to take on No.21 Wake Forest in an ESPN-televised game, with kickoff set for 7:45 p.m. It serves as a chance for Clemson (3-2, 1-1 ACC) to revive its flagging season – and prove its Thursday night worth.

That hasn’t been easy under Tommy Bowden’s watch: Clemson is 2-7 on Thursday night under Bowden, with one of the wins 2006’s 63-7 mashing of Temple at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, a game televised by ESPNU.

Five of the seven losses have come by 17 points or more, including 2006’s 24-7 nightmare at Virginia Tech, which started Clemson’s slide from a 7-1 start and national top-10 ranking to an 8-5 finish and Music City Bowl loss to Kentucky.

Tailback C.J. Spiller was a veteran of that night as well as Clemson’s 27-17 come-from-behind win on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem earlier that year. He’s convinced the Tigers will have no problems with motivation this week.

“Thursday we’ll be ready to go,” he said. “(Wake Forest will) be ready to go. A Thursday night game, a nationally televised game, both teams are going to be juiced up.”

Bowden doesn’t show much affection for Thursday evening contests.

“The players like it,” he said. “It’s the only game on, and they like TV games. The players are really excited about it. I think both teams will be excited about it, because anyone that age likes being on TV.”

As for coaches? Well…

“I think most coaches are more traditional, Saturday to Saturday, 1 o’clock kickoff,” Bowden said. “You know, that’s kind of what I was raised on going to games. Most people around here (know) the Tiger Paw is tilted towards one o’clock for a one o’clock game.

“That’s tradition and history. Now the players, being a different generation (they’ll play at) one o’ clock, three o’clock, four o’clock, seven o’clock, Saturday night, Thursday night. We haven’t had to play Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday games, but don’t think it’d bother players that much. Coaches are traditionalists.”

Some associated with the Clemson program felt the quick turnaround from a 31-7 rout of Georgia Tech into a trip to Blacksburg, Va., caused preparation problems two years ago, but that won’t be an issue this week. Now, every ACC team that plays on a Thursday night has a scheduled off-week beforehand, giving Clemson and Wake Forest equal footing.

“As long as the opposing team has the same time frame to work, it’s no advantage or disadvantage,” Bowden said.

Besides, Bowden has bigger things to worry about this week. Winning in Winston-Salem has never been easy for him; two years ago, Clemson trailed 17-3 as the fourth quarter opened with Sam Swank attempting a makeable field goal for a potential 20-3 lead.

Instead, defensive end Gaines Adams scooped up a muffed snap and rumbled 66 yards for a game-changing score.

“We came out flat,” said junior tight end Michael Palmer. “I’ll never forget Gaines just taking off down the field with the ball, and everyone was just like, ‘Wow.’ …..I remember coach Bowden told us at halftime, ‘We need somebody to make a play.’ Gaines made that play.”

A 20-yard Will Proctor to Kelly connection tied the score at 17, and Spiller sealed the stunning win with a 72-yard go-ahead touchdown with 7:22 remaining.

“Once I stayed on my feet, got past that second level, (I saw) the end zone,” Spiller said. “I had a guy coming from an angle, and the rest is history.”

31,500-seat BB&T Field (formerly Groves Stadium) will be raucous Thursday night, the Tigers say.

“It’s a different atmosphere,” Kelly said. “You kind of have to get yourself going, but I don’t think it’s going to be like that with a Thursday night game. Wake Forest being ranked, they’ve come a long way. I think it’ll be a different kind of atmosphere.”

One where Clemson can’t afford a sluggish start if it hopes to cast off its Thursday demons.

“We can’t make mistakes,” Kelly said. “(Two years ago) we made a lot of mistakes that gave them momentum, and they built on that. It took that huge play for us to get a spark.

“Hopefully we can get that big play early and ride the momentum like we did last year.”