Blue and Gold Illustrated

January 2019

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JANUARY 2019 29 I can guarantee Brian Kelly and his staff will be weary of freshman de- fensive end Xavier Thomas. He can embarrass you with his speed and strength." The Tigers enter the Goodyear Cot- ton Bowl Classic semifinal matchup against Notre Dame with the No. 4 total defense nationally, allowing just 276.8 yards per game. Clemson also ranks third in the country in rushing defense (93.0 yards allowed per contest) and tied for second in scoring defense (13.7 points allowed per game). The Tigers rank 18th na- tionally in defending the pass (183.8 yards allowed per game). Junior Isaiah Simmons (83), gradu- ate Kendall Joseph (78) and junior Tre Lamar (74) man the second level at linebacker while serving as the top three tacklers. However, the trio's play has led to some deficiencies the Irish could potentially attack. "They are definitely talented at linebacker," Williams noted. "The biggest issues this defense has faced this year were against Texas A&M [430 passing yards] and South Car- olina [510 passing yards]. Both of those teams really exploited Clem- son through the air. A lot pin that on the secondary, but linebackers had something to do with it. "When you're playing zone, your guys have to be in the right space. There were plenty of instances in those games where the linebackers were as guilty as the secondary." Former five-star cornerback A.J. Terrell headlines the secondary, while Rivals250 cornerback Trayvon Mullen mans the other side. Redshirt junior Tanner Muse and junior K'Von Wallace roam the middle of the field at safety. "Two really good corners and fu- ture NFL picks in my opinion in Mul- len and Terrell," Williams said. "Both are long and physical. When they man you up, they are going to make it hard to get off the line and hard to go to your quick game. "At safety, K'Von Wallace and Tan- ner Muse have been mostly good. I do think in the two instances we've mentioned against A&M and South Carolina, both of those guys have certainly had their struggles." Outside of the defensive line, quar- terback has dominated the headlines for the Tigers. Senior Kelly Bryant, who led Clem- son to the College Football Playoff in 2017, returned to the fold, but all eyes were on the nation's No. 1 prospect Trevor Lawrence. The five-star sig- nal-caller arrived with high expecta- tions and those were only furthered when the Clemson staff stated he was ahead of former Tiger Deshaun Watson at the same age. Bryant and Lawrence battled all spring and summer until Swinney and company couldn't delay the inev- itable. Following a 4-0 start with Bry- ant as the starter, Swinney made the change to Lawrence, which prompted Bryant to transfer (to Missouri) and save his final year of eligibility. Lawrence suffered a concussion early in a close 27-23 win over Syra- cuse the next week, but the freshman has been clicking on all cylinders since his return. After officially tak- ing over, Lawrence has thrown for 2,006 yards, 15 touchdowns and two interceptions in those nine contests. "You start with the elite arm tal- ent," Williams said. "Some folks that saw him during the offseason said he was the best they've ever seen. … He can throw the deep ball very well. His ability to get it out quickly on the bubble screen throws quickly and accurately has really added to the of- fense with the pace and timing of it. "On top of that, the part really im- pressive to me is between the ears." Lawrence is a prime reason the Tigers rank fifth nationally in both total offense (529.8 yards per game) and scoring offense (45.4 points per game). The emergence of sophomore run- ning back Travis Etienne provides the Tigers with a potent complement to the aerial attack. He rushed for 1,464 yards and 21 touchdowns dur- ing the Tigers' 13-0 start, but he isn't alone in the backfield. Junior Tavien Feaster (71 carries for 409 yards and six touchdowns), graduate Adam Choice (68 rushes for 506 yards and seven touchdowns) and freshman Lyn-J Dixon (56 carries for 536 yards and five touchdowns) are all capable of giving Etienne a break without much of a drop-off. "Travis Etienne is a special run- ning back and only a sophomore," Williams stated. "He's just so explo- sive and hard to tackle. He can make a run that's blocked for a seven- or eight-yard gain into a 70-yard gain. "This is a legit rotation, though, and actually to some fans too much of one. Some fans believe they should give the ball to Etienne more, but the reason it is a rotation is two-fold. "It produces much fresher backs late in games and later in the season. Number two, the other two backs in Tavien Feaster and Adam Choice. There aren't many teams out there that have the No. 2 or No. 3 running backs that are as good as these are. Their No. 4 back is Lyn-J Dixon and he is only a freshman. He has a bright future as he is very explosive." Sophomore Tee Higgins has been the favorite target for Clemson's quarterbacks with 52 catches for 802 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gradu- ate Hunter Renfrow (43 receptions for 472 yards and one score), sopho- more Amari Rodgers (47 catches for 519 yards and four touchdowns) and freshman Justyn Ross (34 grabs for 699 yards and six scores) add great depth to the position. "Tall, fast and physical receivers in Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross," GAME PREVIEW: CLEMSON Facts & Figures NOTRE DAME VS. CLEMSON Game Info Date: Dec. 29, 2018 Site: AT&T Stadium (80,000) Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET Television: ESPN Radio: This broadcast can be heard live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (channel 129) and on Notre Dame's IMG affiliates. Series Facts: The Tigers lead the all-time se- ries 2-1. The two programs have met just once since 1980, with Clemson claiming a 24-22 home victory over Notre Dame in 2015. Head Coaches: Clemson — Dabo Swinney (114-30, 10th season); Notre Dame — Brian Kelly (80-34, ninth season). Noting Clemson: The Tigers completed the seventh undefeated regular season in program history … Under Swinney, Clemson has won at least 10 games in eight straight seasons, which is the second-longest active such streak in the nation (Alabama, 11) … The 42-10 victory over Pittsburgh in the ACC title game was CU's 100th of the decade, making the Tigers one of three Football Bowl Subdivision programs with 100 wins in the 2010s … Clemson is the first team in ACC history to win four consecutive league titles outright … The Tigers are seeking to advance to the national championship game for the third time in four years (they played Alabama in both 2015 and 2016).

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