Clemson game and preview

Clemson's defense is good, but not great. Clemson has the 26th best defense in the land, playing the 53rd Strength of Schedule.

Opponents rush for 150.5 yards per game against them.

Opponents pass for 214.4 yards per game against them.

Opponents only score 22.31 points per game against Clemson.

Clemson has 33 sacks on the year.

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Stop rate for all 134 CFB teams: Texas ends regular season on top

Our final regular-season ranking of the top defenses based on how many times an opponent's drive ends without points.
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2024 Clemson Football - Overall Team Stats - Atlantic Coast Conference

The official 2024 Clemson Football team stats for Atlantic Coast Conference
theacc.com theacc.com
 
There are a number of coaches on my list I want the Horns to take care of and send packing. Kirby Smart is at the top with Dabo Swinney a close second.
 
T.J. Parker leads Clemson with 11 sacks and 5 QB hurries.

6'3"
265lbs
Soph
DE

(he wore #3 this year)

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Clemson Defensive Front:


"The unit is led by defensive end T.J. Parker and [Peter] Woods, who both earned multiple freshman All-America honors last season. They will play on the line with a combination of DeMonte Capehart, Payton Page and Tré Williams, all seniors who will hold down the interior."
www.greenvilleonline.com

What are Clemson football's strongest position groups? Hint: They huddle together between plays

Clemson football's strongest position groups entering 2024 are on defense, despite some key losses from the unit that ranked No. 8 in FBS in 2023.
www.greenvilleonline.com
 
I hope this isn't a bad omen, but some of you may recall that in Ewers final high school season Southlake Carroll played Austin Westlake in the State Championship. Ewers was being touted as the top QB prospect in the country and I was very interested to see how good he really was. As it turned out, it wasn't Ewers who impressed me, it was Cade Klubnik from Westlake. Klubnik led Westlake in their win over Southlake Carroll and he was clearly the better QB (a dual threat) in that game.

Now the two get to face each other again and Ewers still looks pretty much the same. He can't run, often throws off his back foot and seems more comfortable throwing three quarters. Klubnik, on the other hand, will be a definite run threat as Clemson's offensive line has been hit hard with injuries forcing him to scramble. Let's hope our defense can contain him.

Absent an injury its pretty clear that Sark is not going to change QB's this year and some may argue that it could cost us a national championship. Maybe our horrific red zone offense will come to life throughout our playoff run and we can bring home a championship.

Whatever ends up happening its been a very good season and the future looks excellent the Orange and White.
 
Clemson Big DT:

Peter Woods
6'3"
315 lbs
Soph.
Alabaster, Alabama

"Displays good athletic ability across multiple positions on the defensive line. Shows the ability to play in a two-point stance in an edge role and with his hand on the ground in multiple defensive fronts.

Quick twitch explosive athlete with an excellent first step off the line of scrimmage. Displays a natural ability to bend the edge and shows the ability to go speed to power. Exhibits good play strength at point of attack and shows the ability anchor as a run defender. Possesses excellent run and chase ability with the ability to close space quickly.

Explosive player that can be used in multiple defensive alignments and has some situational pass rushing ability off the edge. " (so says scout Cooper Petagna)
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Peter Woods - Clemson Tigers Defensive Lineman - ESPN

View the profile of Clemson Tigers Defensive Lineman Peter Woods on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.
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The Robot (AI) weighs in on Clemson's Defensive Front:

"The Clemson Tigers' defensive line is expected to be a strength in 2024, with a combination of experience, young talent, and key returning players:

  • Defensive ends
    T.J. Parker and Peter Woods are the leaders of the defensive line, and both earned multiple freshman All-America honors last season.
  • Defensive tackles
    DeMonte Capehart, Payton Page, and Tré Williams are seniors who will hold down the interior.
  • Rotational players
    Stephiylan Green, Caden Story, Jaheim Lawson, and Cade Denhoff are quality rotational pieces.
  • Other players
    Tyler Davis is a cornerstone of the line, and Ruke Orhorhoro is a 3-star DE who's blossoming into a featured starter.
  • Improved technique
    The defensive line has made strides in improving their technique and becoming more comfortable in their roles."
 
Our interior OL should be strong enough to handle Woods and the other Clemson Bigs more often than not. They're a good unit, but not as good as Georgia's D-front, or Michigan's D-front for that matter. Maybe something along the lines of A&M's D-front. I'm not saying we steam roll them all game, but I don't think it will look like the Georgia games for our OL.

But........................

Parker will be a real challenge for our RT. He could ruin a few drives for us.
 
Re: the ACC Championship Game:

"The Tigers won the game up front in the trenches, dominating the line of scrimmage and keeping pressure on Jennings throughout the game. Rarely was there a pass play when the SMU quarterback wasn’t scrambling out of the pocket and trying to avoid being sacked."
 
Chop said:
Our interior OL should be strong enough to handle Woods and the other Clemson Bigs more often than not. They're a good unit, but not as good as Georgia's D-front, or Michigan's D-front for that matter. Maybe something along the lines of A&M's D-front. I'm not saying we steam roll them all game, but I don't think it will look like the Georgia games for our OL.

But........................

Parker will be a real challenge for our RT. He could ruin a few drives for us.
Click to expand...
^This. If Texas rushes for 200 yards or more, Texas wins.
 
Chop said:
Our interior OL should be strong enough to handle Woods and the other Clemson Bigs more often than not. They're a good unit, but not as good as Georgia's D-front, or Michigan's D-front for that matter. Maybe something along the lines of A&M's D-front. I'm not saying we steam roll them all game, but I don't think it will look like the Georgia games for our OL.

But........................

Parker will be a real challenge for our RT. He could ruin a few drives for us.
Click to expand...
Our right side of the OL has been a glaring weakness all year. Cam Williams has I think 15 false starts this year and several holding calls as well. Sark will need to adjust either for additional help or quicker plays. I really wish Blue didnt have fumble issues as he is a dynamic game changer with his speed.
 
Chop said:
Highlights of the ACC Championship Game:

Click to expand...

Clemson's CBs are suspect. Blown coverages, soft coverages, non-coverages. This is where we can make them pay dearly.

Parker is a beast, as expected.

Clemson's D was susceptible to inside traps, counter-trey action, and draws.

SMU needs to tackle better.
 
SMU worked their TE into the gaps in coverage well in the 2nd half.

Coverage is going to be Clemson's big weakness. Especially against our WR corps and TE.

If Parker is blowing our pass protection up, maybe keep a RB in for protection and pass to our WRs on the edges going deep. Our WRs can get wide open against this Clemson secondary. There's our match-up: UT WRs vs. Clemson secondary, especially on the outside.
 
Last edited:
Chop said:
SMU worked their TE into the gaps in coverage well in the 2nd half.

Coverage is going to be Clemson's big weakness. Especially against our WR corps and TE.

If Parker is blowing our pass protection up, maybe keep a RB in for protection and pass to our WRs on the edges going deep. Our WRs can get wide open against this Clemson secondary. There's our match-up: UT WRs vs. Clemson secondary, especially on the outside.
Click to expand...
Parker is like Simmons with another year of experience under his belt.
 
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