Venables: 'Best' the Tigers’ Defense has Played All Year
On paper, Clemson’s 45-10 win against the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday in Kentucky resembled the Tigers’ victory last week against Florida State.
In both games, Clemson (7-0, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) had a little more than 550 yards of total offense and allowed just over 250 yards on defense. Where the games diverged was the fact that Clemson turned on the gas and didn’t let up throughout the first half against the Seminoles, heading into the locker room with a commanding 28-0 lead.
In the most recent game, a pair of interceptions in the red zone by Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, however, helped the Cardinals keep the game close at 10-3 near the end of the first half before Lawrence hit Justyn Ross in the back of the end zone to put his team up by two touchdowns heading into the locker room.
The Tigers’ defense proved up to the challenge the rest of way.
In addition to limiting the Cardinals’ production in yards allowed, Clemson’s menacing defense came up with six sacks on the day, three turnovers, four pass deflections and two quarterback hurries en route to the 35-point win.
Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said he knew the Cardinals’ high-powered offense, which put up 62 points and 520 total yards in a win against Wake Forest the previous week, was going to be a test for the Tigers.
“We knew it was going to be a big challenge, scheme-wise, regardless of how you matched up and knew that, again, they presented a lot of issues,” Venables said. “I think they were the top, the most efficient passing offense as a run offense, but they were the most efficient passing offense in the ACC coming into the game and had tremendous balance to what they're doing, but a very good running team.”
While Clemson entered the game Saturday ranked second in the conference in scoring offense, rushing offense and total offense, the Cardinals were ranked third in those categories.
Venables said his team was going to need to have one of its best games to come out victorious against Louisville.
“We (were) going to have to really play out of our minds up front,” he said. “(It was) the best game we've played all year in regards to just again playing technique and getting out of our stances and striking and knocking people back and staying on her backside. It really felt a lot like Georgia Tech (Clemson 52, Georgia Tech 14), felt that going into the game, our backside pursuit, our ability to stay on our feet backside, was as important as setting the edge on the frontside.”
He said he thought his players met the challenge.
“Our guys played with passion,” Venables said. “(They) came out, and we were very aggressive from the onset, and as the game went on, we got better and better and really got into a rhythm. And I thought, again, our third quarter was as dominant as any moment in the game.”
