Defense questions for our Clemson visitors...

[A Clockwork Orange]

Obviously your defense is very stout this year. My question for you folks (serious): How would YOU attack your defense? What things do you think can work against them scheme wise?

I've read a lot of people saying we should do 'X' or 'Y' against Clemson, and Clemson fans say "No, you won't be able to do that against us." So I'd like to know what you think opposing offenses CAN do against your defense?

If you were an OC, how would you scheme against the Tiger D?

 

[TigerTown]

Recruit a Gurley

To that end...if your OL is up to it, run right at us. Shorten the game, give yourself fewer chances for negative plays. Not saying you can't/don't throw it; but I don't think in any way counting on a frosh QB to perform well enough against our front is a winning plan.

But 3rd and 5 is a lot more doable than 3rd and 13.

I think you need to run some play action to hold the safeties, or even possibly get them out of position. You did this last year. Rolling out, even w/ a mobile QB, isn't going to work. Rollouts are great, but you literally cut the field in half...and even if a safety makes a mistake - well, half the field is gone anyway.

Our offense isn't going to light up the scoreboard, it's just not right now. Keep it close, don't take negative plays and make them kill you...give yourself a punchers chance in 2nd half.

 

[noexCUSEs]

Realistically, the Climpson DL will be a nightmare for us. And remember, they gave away the FSU game in OT, at Tallahassee...

 

[skurey]

FSU is bad

 

[noexCUSEs]

FSU is bad

Notre Dame bad, too, I guess?

 

[CUTater]

Obviously your defense is very stout this year. My question for you folks (serious): How would YOU attack your defense? What things do you think can work against them scheme wise?

I've read a lot of people saying we should do 'X' or 'Y' against Clemson, and Clemson fans say "No, you won't be able to do that against us." So I'd like to know what you think opposing offenses CAN do against your defense?

If you were an OC, how would you scheme against the Tiger D?

Playaction. Our best safety (Kearse, #20) is also our worst player at playing his assignments. He is impatient, tends to freelance and flies by the seat of his pants. He makes a ton of big plays, but gives them up at about the same rate. Our other safety (Smith, #27) is easily the worst player on our defense from a physical standpoint.

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

Playaction. Our best safety (Kearse, #20) is also our worst player at playing his assignments. He is impatient, tends to freelance and flies by the seat of his pants. He makes a ton of big plays, but gives them up at about the same rate. Our other safety (Smith, #27) is easily the worst player on our defense from a physical standpoint.

This assumes that you can run the ball, which makes the play action work. Sounds like a tough task given the dominance of your d-line.

 

[CUTater]

This assumes that you can run the ball, which makes the play action work. Sounds like a tough task given the dominance of your d-line.

I definitely don't think we're an easy team to score on consistently. Your best offense is probably a sound defense. Keep our offense from scoring and hopefully put something together at the end like BC almost did despite having been bottled up all day. Louisville was more or less the same story.

 

[suloyalfan]

FSU is bad

FSU didn't have Winston when they played Clemson... that would have made a difference.

 

[Chris02M]

FSU didn't have Winston when they played Clemson... that would have made a difference.

to that point if the true freshman qb plays 1st half they beat fsu in regulation

 

[TheCusian]

I definitely don't think we're an easy team to score on consistently. Your best offense is probably a sound defense. Keep our offense from scoring and hopefully put something together at the end like BC almost did despite having been bottled up all day. Louisville was more or less the same story.

We moved the ball at times vs Louisville. We just couldn't capitalize in the red zone.

 

[Crusty]

Clemson D is very good but. everyone is talking as if Clemson is the best D we will or have faced and I think that is not at all true.

Louisville is 1st in the country in total D (245.8 ypg) - Clemson is 5th (282.7 ypg).

We're usually pretty good at rock fights.

 

[007]

Clemson D is very good but. everyone is talking as if Clemson is the best D we will or have faced and I think that is not at all true.

Louisville is 1st in the country in total D (245.8 ypg) - Clemson is 5th (282.7 ypg).

We're usually pretty good at rock fights.

Huh, I wanted to see how well that theory held up using more advanced metrics than YPG. And Louisville is in fact having an incredible year statistically across the board, even when adjustments are factored in for strength of schedule and the strength of opposing offenses faced.

Clemson is not that far behind. The exception is "Explosive Drives" - or the percentage of each opponent offense's drives that average at least 10 yards per play. Clemson is ranked 89th in the FBS (L'ville is 1). Suggesting that Clemson has given up a fair number big yardage plays this year.

Maybe that speaks to CUTater's point to susceptibility to play action, and the play of the S overall.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/feidef

 

[upperdeck]

I think people have gotten wrapped up in the Clemson DL that pass rushes and forgotten the other parts of the game. they are an athletic group but teams can still run on them. UL was the reverse, we struggled to make holes but still ran OK but they didnt pass rush at an elite level against us. if you can run enough to keep them honest then the pass rush wont be as dominate

 

[CUTater]

This Clemson DL has been equally adept at rushing the passer and stopping the run, IMO.

 

[Pat Kelly]

I definitely don't think we're an easy team to score on consistently. Your best offense is probably a sound defense. Keep our offense from scoring and hopefully put something together at the end like BC almost did despite having been bottled up all day. Louisville was more or less the same story.

On that note, I'll point out that we have the same amount of defensive touchdowns (4) as we do passing touchdowns (4)...

 

[AAM62]

I definitely don't think we're an easy team to score on consistently. Your best offense is probably a sound defense. Keep our offense from scoring and hopefully put something together at the end like BC almost did despite having been bottled up all day. Louisville was more or less the same story.

Do you guys believe that Ebenezer Ogundeko will ever see the field?

 

[anomander]

Recruit a Gurley

To that end...if your OL is up to it, run right at us. Shorten the game, give yourself fewer chances for negative plays. Not saying you can't/don't throw it; but I don't think in any way counting on a frosh QB to perform well enough against our front is a winning plan.

But 3rd and 5 is a lot more doable than 3rd and 13.

I think you need to run some play action to hold the safeties, or even possibly get them out of position. You did this last year. Rolling out, even w/ a mobile QB, isn't going to work. Rollouts are great, but you literally cut the field in half...and even if a safety makes a mistake - well, half the field is gone anyway.

Our offense isn't going to light up the scoreboard, it's just not right now. Keep it close, don't take negative plays and make them kill you...give yourself a punchers chance in 2nd half.

Just curious who will get the bulk of the carries now that Choice is out? Is it Gallman?

 

[CUTater]

Do you guys believe that Ebenezer Ogundeko will ever see the field?

Probably, but that's specilation. We are too deep right now to really know either way. There are three positions where we are so deep that a future NFL guy could be riding pine, and the DL is one of them. (The others are LB and WR.)

 

[CUTater]

Just curious who will get the bulk of the carries now that Choice is out? Is it Gallman?

It'll be a committee with Gallman and Davidson getting most of the work. The wild card is Dye who has been injured for two years... This will be his first game on the active roster. He came in very highly touted.