By Heath Bradley.

By Heath Bradley

CLEMSON – Once slotted to be the starting left guard, Clemson’s Kalon Davis has found himself playing in a backup role to David Beasley most of the 2012 season. However, being on the second team has not stopped Davis from working hard every day to earn more playing time.

As the season has progressed, Davis has seen his role increase.

“I feel like everyone enjoys getting a little playing time, I definitely enjoyed it,” Davis said Monday as the eighth-ranked Tigers prepare to host Maryland this Saturday in Death Valley.

As far as what he thinks is the key to being able to earn playing time in such a competitive position group as the offensive line, it is simple, hard work at practice.

“I feel like everything comes down to practice time,” he said. “You have that ability in the game to show coaches what you can do, but ultimately everyone is trying to make that move in practice.”

The way to show the caching staff that you deserve opportunities in the game is making the mot of practices reps, especially reps when the offensive line goes up against the defensive line.

“You have to show them what you can do, anytime we go live versus the defense you have to show them that you deserve those reps in the game,” Davis said.

These reps allow the coaching staff to see what progress is being made by the player, but most of all allows the player to gain the trust of the coaches in pressure situations.

Ten weeks into the season, Davis says he still spends most of his time at practice honing the basic skills of being an offensive lineman, working to correct bad habits he may have picked up throughout the year.

“I am pretty much just working on basic stuff,” he said. “Stuff that I have kind of lost since camp, and things I was really strict on in the spring, like footwork, hand placement, things that kind of got lost in the transition.”

Davis and his fellow offensive linemen may have had their best performance of the season this past week at Duke. The Tigers rushed for 339 yards, the second time this season they have eclipsed the 300-yard mark on the ground this year.

Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris challenged the offensive line to step their game up earlier in the week after a lack luster practice last Tuesday. Morris even told them they did not deserve any candy on Halloween because they as a unit had done anything to deserve it.

So Morris put the ball in their hands in the Duke game, and they responded with perhaps their best performance of the year as the offense racked up 718 yards, the second best number in school history.

“I feel like he was pleased with the response. This week happened to be ours, and I feel like we responded,” Davis said.

So far Davis has too.