By Will Vandervort.

Hershel Walker recently said Todd Gurley is a better running back than he was at the University of Georgia. Those are strong words coming from the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner, but maybe there is something to it.

Gurley after all has found the Clemson end zone two more times than Walker ever did in his three years wearing the red jersey with the silver pants. Granted, Gurley has not faced the likes of William Perry, Jeff Davis and Terry Kinard and those great Clemson defenses of the early 1980s, but it isn’t as if Grady Jarrett, Vic Beasley and Stephone Anthony and the current Clemson defense is chopped liver.

To his credit, Gurley smashed right through the Tigers’ vaunt defensive front last season to the tune of 154 yards and two touchdowns – the most yards an opposing running back ran on Clemson all year.

“He is a very good back, probably one of the best in the country,” Jarrett said. “I enjoyed watching Todd play and it is going to be an honor, like it was last year, to play against him. I’m sure he has been working really hard, but we have too.

“I think it is going to be a really good match up.”

After Gurley, the Tigers held their own against some of the nation’s best running backs last year. Ohio State’s Carlos Hyde did rush for 113 yards in the Orange Bowl, but Clemson made it a very workman like 113 as he carried the football 25 times. It was the Big 10 leading rusher’s second lowest total of the season.

Boston College’s Andre Williams, who led the nation in rushing last year with more than 2,000 yards, was held to a season-low 70 yards on 24 carries by the Tigers, while SEC leading rusher Mike Davis of South Carolina was held to a season-low 22 yards on 15 carries.

“The things we did against Mike Davis and Andre Williams, that’s not going to help us beat UGA,” Jarrett said. “When we are playing UGA, we are preparing for UGA. That’s how we feel about it. We have great respect for them and we are looking forward to it.”

One of the things the Tigers did well against Davis and Williams was play sound football. There were no blown assignments or gap issues. They were all doing their job and focusing on the task at hand. Gurley broke off a 75-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, and then scored on 12-yard run in the third quarter. The 75-yard jaunt came when a linebacker did not fit the gap and the 12-yard scoring play was a result of poor tackling and technique.

In other words, there were mistakes that a good running back like Gurley will take advantage of every time.

“They were fit problems and things we have been trying to get rid of, we were shooting ourselves in the foot,” Jarrett said. “As far as anyone overpowering us and running the ball down our throats, that’s not happening.”

Clemson had a few more lapses in wins over NC State and Syracuse, but they ultimately cleaned up their mistakes and became a better run defense. Against S.C. State, Wake Forest, Boston College, Florida State, Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina, the Tigers gave up an average of just 99.6 yards per game on the ground.

“We eliminated the mistakes and made the plays when they were there,” Jarrett said. “The biggest thing is eliminating the mistakes and not beating ourselves.”

Even against option heavy Georgia Tech and The Citadel, the Tigers stayed true to their assignments and did not give up the big play. Yes, they allowed a total of 424 rushing yards, but The Citadel led the FCS in rushing coming into that game, while Georgia Tech ranked third nationally in rushing offense at the FBS level.

Ohio State, which was averaging 317 rushing yards a game prior to the Orange Bowl Classic, was held to its second lowest total of the season at 193 yards.

“We did not have any perfect games. We had something to work on every week,” Jarrett said. “We definitely held our own, but I felt like there were some things we could have done better.”

And Jarrett understands Clemson will have to do better against No. 12 Georgia on Aug. 30 or Gurley will once again run all over them, while proving Hershel Walker was right in his assessment of the Bulldogs’ latest power back.

“I think Todd is his own man so we have to get a lot of hats to him. Like I said, I personally believe he is one of the best in the country so it is going to be an honor to play against him, but we are going to be ready at the same time,” Jarrett said.