By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort
CLEMSON — Brent Venables was not sugarcoating anything Tuesday night as 13th-ranked Clemson came off the practice fields behind the Jervey Athletic Center. Clemson’s defensive coordinator knows his defense has its work cut out for them as No. 7 LSU brings to the Chick-fil-A Bowl one of the more physical offenses Clemson has seen this year.
“It’s a physical team, on both sides of the ball,” Venables said. “They are a very intense football team. If you describe how they play, they play with a sense of desperation at a very high level like you aspire your program to play like.”
Tuesday was the first time Venables had an opportunity to speak to the media about LSU and the New Year’s Eve matchup.
“They are a very tough minded and disciplined football team that plays with great speed and great energy, and again a great brand of toughness,” he said. “It will be a great, great challenge for us on a great stage. It will give us an opportunity to compete against an elite football team.”
Though known for its physical toughness, LSU proved in the latter part of the season it has some finesse to its offense as well. In the last four games, quarterback Zach Mettenberger threw for 1,068 of his 2,489 yards, including 296 against No. 2 Alabama.
When the running game was slowed down against Ole Miss on Nov. 16, he threw for 282 yards in a come-from-behind 41-35 victory.
“I think they have made more of emphasis the past three games,” Venables said. “They have passed for close to 300 yards in each game. I think they have had great balance. When they have thrown the football, they have thrown it very efficiently.
“When they have taken their opportunities, they have been more aggressive throwing the ball.”
But don’t let LSU’s renewed interest in the forward pass fool you. The SEC’s Tigers still want to run the football first, and, though young, they want to do it behind an offensive line that can really get after opposing defensive fronts when it wants to.
The offensive line is led by senior left tackle Josh Dworaczyk (6-6, 301) and senior center P.J. Lonergan (6-4, 305). Playing against South Carolina’s top-notch defensive front in October, LSU went downhill all evening as the offensive line led the way for running back Jeremy Hill, who had 124 of the 258 yards it pounded out that night.
“They still run it, obviously, very effectively,” Venables said. “They have a great stable of backs that run behind their pads and they have a very physical offensive line that plays with the flap back and comes after you.”
Venables says his defense has to match LSU’s physicality, that’s going to be the biggest thing for them. They will have to show they can stop the run, but he warns if they can indeed do that, then the secondary has to be ready to make plays.
Not an easy task considering the secondary, which has been maligned all year, is without a coach right now as Venables and head coach Dabo Swinney continue their search for Charlie Harbison’s replacement. Harbison left for Auburn on Dec. 8th.
Until a new defensive backs coach is hired, Venables is spending a little more time helping in the secondary to make sure Wesley Goodwin—who came over from defensive research development—and graduate assistant coach Brian Mance, are coaching their unit up.
“Obviously, I have to be more active that way and make sure we are getting what we want there,” he said. “It has been a team effort with Mance and Wesley. Coach Goodwin and those guys are doing a good job. It’s a collective effort like it is every week.
“It’s a staff deal. Everybody is on the same page. We are not reinventing the wheel or reinventing ourselves and what we are doing. We are just making sure we have a good understanding and being precise in what we are doing.”
But whatever LSU decides to attack Clemson with, Venables knows one thing, it will all come back to the point of attack.
“They are going to take their opportunities,” he said. “They are going to force you to stop the run and once you show a strong commitment in doing so they are going to take some one-on-one opportunities outside and over the top.
“It’s like every week, if they win at the line of scrimmage, it is going to be a long night. That’s going to be the biggest challenge. We have to match that physicality.”