Tigers Are Preparing for an Offensive Showdown
CLEMSON — The No. 2/3 Clemson Tigers (6-0, 4-0 ACC) will look to take down their third first-year ACC head coach Saturday, as they travel to the Commonwealth of Kentucky to take on the Louisville Cardinals (4-2, 2-1 ACC).
Scott Satterfield took over a Cardinals' program that was left in shambles after the firing of former head coach Bobby Pettrino, and has quickly made his mark on the program — namely in the offensive category.
This week's game will feature two of the ACC's most prolific offenses thus far in 2019. Clemson enters the game ranked second in the conference in scoring offense (39.2), rushing offense (238.8) and total offense (497.0); Louisville enters the contest ranked third in all of those categories.
"Louisville has been explosive," head coach Dabo Swinney said. "Everything they do offensively is off of running the ball. I really like their scheme. They are primarily a pistol scheme but with a lot of option principles built into it. They know what they are doing. Their quarterback is outstanding. They use two quarterbacks and both are accurate. That No. 3 (Micale Cunningham) is Houdini. He just escapes. You think you have him and then he extends the play. They're good up front. They have the biggest left tackle that we are ever going to see. I mean he is massive. He's listed at 6-8, 370, but he's probably 400. And he's really playing well for them.
"Their back, he's a really good player. Their tight end is playing well, all three of their receivers are...They're explosive but it's all built through the run game. They got down 21-0 to Florida State and then got right back in it. They're going to challenge us. It's going to be a lot of pressure on our safeties."
Defensively, Clemson once again ranks among the country's elite in a multitude of categories.
Clemson is one of two programs to have ranked in the Top 10 in total defense in each of the last five seasons, and Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables has his unit on pace to extend that streak to six in 2019.
The Tiger defense enters the game ranked third in the country in yards allowed per game (254.8). Clemson also ranks tied for sixth in the country in scoring defense (12.3 points per game), a mark that represents a lower average than the 14.5 points per game that Clemson's 2018 defense — which went on to become the first top-ranked scoring defense in school history — posted through the first six games last season.
But the same is not true for the Cardinals, who have struggled to stop anyone — allowing 31.5 points per game, 434.67 yards per game, 264.83 passing yards per game and 169.83 rushing yards.
Even with those numbers, Swinney still believes the Cardinals are better than they were last season.
"Defensively, they did not start off well but they are really getting better," Swinney said. "Comparing last year to this year? It's night and day. They're much better. They're playing with good technique and players are where they are supposed to be. They're playing with physicality. They're rallying to the ball."
The Tigers will take their hopes of competing for a fifth straight ACC Championship, College Football Playoff appearance and a second straight national title to Papa John's Stadium. And if they want to keep those hopes alive, they must play some of their best football of the season because Louisville has a lot to play for.
"If they beat us, they control their destiny," Swinney said. "This is a big game in our division. With them beating Wake Forest, they are in control if they beat us. Same thing for us. We want to be in control over what we are trying to do. This is division playoff football and it's the best of one. Just go play well. Let's go play well. We played one well on the road and the other we didn't play well. We need to be consistent and we have to play well on the road if you're going to have a great year."
