Tigers Stuffing the Turkeys, Key to ACC Championship Berth
Under defensive coordinator Brent Venables, the Clemson Tigers have been one of the best in the nation stopping the run.
Clemson has held opponents to 2.0 or fewer yards per carry in 24 games in the College Football Playoff era (since 2014), the second-most in the country. Clemson is 23-1 in those contests. Clemson opened 2020 with two such performances.
Clemson allowed only 1.1 yards per carry in its season opener against Wake Forest and then held The Citadel to 1.8 yards per carry, representing the team's first time holding consecutive opponents to 2.0 yards per carry or fewer since games last season against Texas A&M and Syracuse.
It was a performance that continued last week against Virginia Tech, a team that ranked ninth in the nation in rushing, fourth in the nation in yards per carry, almost 6 yards per carry and quarterback Hendon Hooker was second in the country in all-purpose yards.
"Very proud of our guys. Going on the road, playing a team that has had a couple of weeks to get ready for you," Venables said. "Playing an offense that's like an option team that throws the ball a lot better than most option teams. Thought our guys adjusted well to some things they were doing and really had an outstanding second half in particular."
The Tigers' defensive effort, which allowed only 131 yards on the ground, helped earn the team their sixth straight berth in the ACC Championship (Dec. 19, 4 p.m., ABC).
"Really proud of our guys giving us the chance to play for our sixth ACC Championship on the road," Venables said. "We did it on the road with a tough-mindedness. Loved the physicality, the aggressiveness of some young guys that had to step up. Lost (Baylon) Spector, lost Jake (Venables), lost Jamie (Skalksi), think Kane (Patterson) got banged up. So those guys really stepped up."
