By Will Vandervort.

By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — The game of football is an easy one to figure out. It comes down to blocking and tackling. I know it sounds like coach speak, but it really is that simple.

If you are not sure I’m right, then watch Saturday’s game between No. 12 South Carolina at No. 9 Clemson. The winner of this game will more than likely be decided on what happens at the line of scrimmage, especially when the Tigers have the football.

The Gamecocks (9-2) have one of the best defensive fronts in the country. Led by future All-American Jadeveon Clowney (6-6, 256), South Carolina leads the SEC and ranks eighth nationally in sacks with 34. Clowney owns 8.5 of those sacks and also leads the team with 17 tackles for loss.

“He gets all the headlines and rightfully so,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “He is what he is. He is a special football player.”

South Carolina’s ability to rush the passer may start with Clowney, but it does not end there. Devin Taylor (6-8, 267), opposite Clowney, is the tallest defensive end the Tigers have faced this season. He has record 7.5 tackles for loss and has 2.5 sacks. Defensive tackle Byron Jerideau (6-1, 316) is a run stopper up the middle, while fellow tackle Kelcy Quarles (6-4, 286) is fast and causes havoc in the backfield. The sophomore has seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as well.

“They are very athletic and they have perhaps the most team speed we have seen since Florida State,” Clemson center Dalton Freeman said.

Freeman says the Tigers (10-1) are excited about the opportunity of going up against such a talented front four. The Gamecocks will mark the third week in a row Clemson has gone up against one of the nation’s best in terms of recording sacks.

The last two weeks, Clemson faced a Maryland team that led the ACC in sacks coming in and did not give up a sack. Last week, NC State rolled into Death Valley after taking over the sacking leading lead from Maryland, and once again the offensive line kept them off quarterback Tajh Boyd.

“They are a little bit different at South Carolina, though,” Freeman said. “They like to create a lot of one-on-one matchups. They will say our guys are better than yours and they will put us on an island and really challenge us.

“It is a good plan because it has been effective for them because of the athletes they do have on that side of the football. We have to do a good job of picking up their tips that give us pre-snap. Hopefully, we can control what we control. If we play within the system and try not to do too much or let the night game and the hype of the Carolina game get in our heads, we will be fine.”

The thing the Clemson offensive line needs to do more than anything is hold their blocks for three seconds. All year long, quarterback Tajh Boyd has tried to get the ball out of his hands within three seconds, and when he does, a lot of great things have happened on offense.

When teams have been able to match South Carolina’s front four and had success getting the football out of the hands of their quarterback, they have had great success throwing the ball. Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray threw for 368 yards on 27 of 43 passing as the Volunteers came within a sack of upsetting the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice last month.

Tennessee had not given up a sack all afternoon until Clowney finally got to Bray with less than two minutes to go. The talented defensive end forced a fumble after the Vols moved the football inside the 20-yard line and appeared to be going in for the go-ahead score.  USC recovered the loose ball and ultimately won the game 38-35.

“He is really a great player. He is one the best players in the country, of course,” Boyd said. “It is one of those deals where you have to go out there and perform. He is human and he puts on his pads just like us, so we have to come out and play the game.

“There is going to be plays going both ways. He is going to make some plays and we are going to make some plays. But, it is all about who makes the most plays. We are excited about it and I know (Brandon Thomas) is excited about it because it is going to be a challenge for him.”

So when Boyd drops back to pass Saturday night, start counting to three, if the ball is out of his hands before you hit three, then more than likely the Tigers will have a positive play. If not, start looking for Clowney and company to start breathing down his neck.

“We are going to have opportunities in the passing game and we are going to have opportunities in the running game, but we have to take advantage of every opportunity,” Boyd said. “In games like this, games with this kind of magnitude and stature, every play counts. Every play is a championship play.

“We just have to be ready for it. They have a solid front four. But, we have played some good fronts this season and we have done a good job with them. I don’t expect anything less from my offensive line.”