Venables Praises Clemson Defense's Effort in Loss to Georgia
If Clemson could take solace in anything from last Saturday's 10-3 loss to Georgia in the season opener, it was the Tigers' top-notch defensive performance.
And when defensive coordinator Brent Venables talks positively about how well his unit played against a top-5 opponent, it puts the touchdown-less result in an even clearer perspective.
"We were really physical, played with good positioning, handled a lot of adjustments, tempo, management of the game, checks and thought we played with good discipline," Venables said.
"Those things were really positive. Would like to be a little better on third down and create more disruption, but we gave up some of the disruption you get when you're aggressive or overly aggressive in your play-calling. First game of the year, we don't know exactly what we're going to get. And I thought our guys managed the game plan from that standpoint."
Clemson not only held the Bulldogs to 256 total yards and just one field goal on offense, but the Tigers also gave up three explosive plays of 20 yards or more. Venables said there were a few plays where Georgia had a downfield passing attempt set up, but Clemson's tight coverage forced quarterback J.T. Daniels into something else.
"We were in great position," Venables said. "We were on top of the route so they went elsewhere with the football."
According to Clemson's DC, 18 of Georgia's 21 completions went for eight yards or less while just two of the 10 throws of 9-plus yards were completed.
"Really pleased with the game within the game, the adjustment and the positioning," Venables said.
The Tigers played well without defensive tackle Tyler Davis and safety Nolan Turner, both veteran starters.
However, he admitted his unit wasn't perfect. They allowed Georgia to convert seven of its 15 third downs. Also, there were some pass interference calls that went against the Tigers, who were also unable to get the Georgia offense the ball back in the final five minutes of the game down seven.
"We needed to get a stop at the end of the game and we weren't able to do that," Venables said. "That was disappointing, but our guys played with tremendous effort and toughness and gave ourselves a chance to win."
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