Defense prides itself on playing with back against the wall

CHAPEL HILL—The Clemson defense has experienced their fair-share of success in the first five weeks of the season, but, in Saturday's 21-20 win over the UNC Tar Heels, they faced true adversity for the first time this season.

After the Tar Heels scored with 1:17 to play in the game, the Tiger defense knew that the game would come down to a goal line stand, something they have already faced this season—but not with the game on the line.

"We found ourselves in a lot of goal line positions to where we've had to defend ourselves," linebacker Isaiah Simmons said. "So I would say our defense, we kind of pride ourselves in those type of situations and learn and build on how to conquer them and overcome the adversity that comes with all this."

The Tigers knew the play that was coming.

"We told the defense. And I was going to call timeout, but they called timeout when we scored there," head coach Dabo Swinney said. "So it gave us an opportunity to get our two point defense together. And we did, that's one of the things Brent (Venables) said, we're probably going to get speed option, put the ball in the quarterback's hands and see if they can find a crease on us."

Simmons knew that play was coming before the coaches.

"So previously, they kind of had a few tendencies of what they would do," Simmons said. "So we only knew it was only a few options of what could happen, so just reading the play out and reacting off of what they do.
That mentality of not backing down, even when your back is against the wall is not developed overnight. Instead, it is developed during the offseason, when it is just you and your teammates sweating all alone without the watchful eye of the coaching staff.

"This is a one show mentality. There's nothing we can do to change the last play that happened," Simmons said. "So now we've got to handle what's coming up on us now. So, just not focusing on the bad that just happened and cause we're all like, "Game's not over, game's not over. We're fine, we're fine.

"We all say it all starts in the trenches. So dominating the trenches, control the line, the scrimmage, and then everything will play out after that."
Simmons finished the game with a team-high 10 tackles, one sack and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, but he believes his success is a result of doing simply what is asked of him.
"Oh, I'm just playing within the system," Simmons said. "Doing everything that's brought in my position that I'm playing. And just playing within the system and the plays that come to me. I try to make them to my best ability and the plays away just running to the ball and maybe something will happen."

The Tigers now enter the first of two bye weeks this season, which will offer them a chance to lick their wounds, get healthy and prepare for a Florida State team that is playing with a renewed sense of energy.

"I think it's at a perfect time. Five games," Simmons said. "We get to now go back and look at what our mistakes have been and learn to grow our team, and we get to heal up and get a little bit of rest under our belt. Just, we've been going hard ever since August 1st so I would say this week is huge. As big as any week, just for how it's just going to help benefit us as well."

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