By Will Vandervort.

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — During Clemson’s magical run through the 1981 season, the Tigers defense was known as a hard hitting bunch that played football like it was meant to be played. They were rough and tough. If there was a blade of grass to defend, they defended it and usually they were successful in doing so.

“There were times when our offense would turn the ball over, and as we were walking onto the field, I would find Homer (Jordan) and tell him, ‘Don’t sit down. We were going to get you the ball right back.’ Then we would go out there and do it,” former Clemson All-American linebacker Jeff Davis said in an interview last year.

The 1981 defense forced what is still a school record 41 turnovers, with some of those coming after their own offense turned the ball over.

“It’s an attitude,” current Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “You try to feel like you are fostering that train of thought because it is part of the game. You have two directions in which you could go.”

Venables’ 2012 Clemson defense seems to be going in the way that according to the record books is better than any in Clemson history. This season, the Tigers have turned back their opponents 11 times following a turnover.

At one point, they went nine straight possessions without giving up a single point following a turnover, which is a Clemson record.

“I think of it like it’s a fire fighter going in to battle a fire,” defensive tackle Josh Watson said. “He is not really worried about how the fire is set at the beginning. He is just worried about going in there and putting the fire out.

“That’s kind of the mentality we have. We just want to go out there and put the fire out, basically, no matter where it is. If it is on the one-yard line, I do not expect them to score. We go out there wanting to stop them and hold them to a field goal.”

Opponents have scored only 24 points off Clemson miscues through 10 games. Before Maryland scored on a touchdown pass following an Adam Humphries muffed punt in the second quarter last Saturday, the Tigers had gone four straight games without allowing a point following a sudden change of possession.

“I think our guys have had good mental toughness that it takes to be able to respond, and not just once or twice, but over a period of a time,” Venables said. “The test of time usually tells kind of where you are at, and I think that speaks volumes for those guys.

“Their mentality, their attitude and their pride, it does start to create an identity of itself. The attitude is so incredibly important. Your mindset is so undervalued in all sports, but particular in adversity. Now, we are going to find out.”

Clemson’s defense in 2012 has created that identity. They have proven they have that mental and that physical toughness that it takes to shut the opposition down and give the football back to the offense.

“We just go out there and play hard,” defensive end Corey Crawford said. “We tell each other as we are going out onto the field, ‘They don’t score.’ That goes for no matter where they are on the field. We just stone them. That’s the type of defense we are developing here at Clemson.”

Though the Tigers gave up the one touchdown to Maryland, the defense also got the football right back one other time when defensive end Malliciah Goodman record a sack, forced a fumble and recovered the fumble to complete the trifecta.

Clemson also got a three-and-out after another turnover.

“It’s a reflection of the toughness that you want your guys to be about,” Venables said.

And right now, no one in Clemson history has been tougher.