By Will Vandervort.
By Will Vandervort
Here is a position-by-position breakdown of Monday’s 7:30 p.m. kickoff (ESPN) between No. 7 LSU vs. No. 13 Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Quarterback: Since the South Carolina game, Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd has been named First-Team ACC, ACC Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American. But despite those accomplishments, the only thing people talk about in regards to Boyd was his 11-of-24 performance for 183 yards and two interceptions against the Gamecocks. Though he should not have to prove he deserves to be ranked among the best in the country, the Chick-fil-A Bowl is an opportunity to show he can have good games against a talented defense. Advantage: Clemson
Running back: Andre Ellington (1,031 yards and 8 touchdowns) is probably the most talented running back on the field as an individual in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but as a collective group, LSU has the better staple of backs, especially considering the size of running back Jeremy Hill (6-2, 225) and fullback J.C. Copeland (6-1, 280). Advantage: LSU
Wide receiver / Tight ends: Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris says he is going to cut Sammy Watkins loose and let Sammy be Sammy. If this is true, and the old Sammy Watkins from 2011 does show up in the Georgia Dome, then Clemson’s stock rises quite a bit. It will be interesting to see how the LSU secondary defends Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins (69-1,1214 and 16 TDs) after yielding 304 yards to Mississippi State, 316 to Ole Miss and 359 to Arkansas. Advantage: Clemson
Offensive line: Clemson’s defensive front has not seen an offensive line this big and physical since the Alabama game in 2008. We all know how that turned out for Clemson. LSU’s offensive starters go 301 (LT Josh Dworaczyk), 320 (LG La’el Collins), 305 (C P.J. Lonergan), 332 (RG Trai Turner) and 315 (RT Vadal Alexander). Clemson center Dalton Freeman is an All-American and is one of the best in the country, but Clemson’s offensive line has a much tougher task handling LSU’s defensive front. Advantage: LSU
Defensive line: LSU has a lot of speed on defense and it starts up front where defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery lead the way with four and seven sacks respectively. The SEC Tigers allowed the opposition just 101.8 yards per game this season. Clemson’s run defense got better with experience as the young defensive front allowed no more than 134 yards in a game in any of its last five games. Advantage: LSU
Linebackers: Middle linebacker Kevin Minter was named the MVP by his teammates and it is easy to understand why. He led the team with 111 tackles, recorded 13 tackles for loss and an interceptions and five passes broken up. His teammates describe him as the heart and soul of the defense. Clemson’s turnaround in the rush defense started when Spencer Shuey started at middle linebacker in the Virginia Tech game. Shuey is a smart young man with an extremely high football IQ. Advantage: LSU
Secondary: Safety Eric Reid is the quarterback of the LSU defense. The junior ranked third on the team with 81 tackles, while also recording two interceptions and six pass break ups. Corner Tharold Simon led the team with four interceptions. LSU has allowed 300 plus yards in each of its last three games of the season. Clemson will still be thin in the secondary with corner Bashaud Breeland ruled out with a groin injury. Freshman Travis Blanks will share time with senior Rashard Hall at free safety, while Gary Peters and Xavier Brewer will start at the corner spots. Jonathan Meeks will start at strong safety. Advantage: LSU
Special teams: LSU punter Brad Wing (44.8 yards) has been suspended for the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which could bode well for Clemson. LSU’s ability to play field position had a lot to do with Wing’s talent at pinning teams deep in their own end of the field. Clemson may have an edge at field goal kicking with Chandler Catanzaro, but LSU has the edge in kickoff and punt returns in returners Michael Ford (25.4) and Odell Beckham (9.7 and 2 TDs). Advantage: LSU
Prediction: I can see this game going a lot like the South Carolina game. I think Clemson’s offense can have its moments on LSU’s defense and will put up some points. But in the end, if LSU takes care of the football, I think it will wear down a Clemson defense that is thin in certain places. This game will be won or lost when LSU has the football. If Clemson can stop LSU’s physical running game and give its own offense more opportunities, then it will have a shot to win the game. LSU 27, Clemson 17