By Will Vandervort.

When Vic Koenning was the defensive coordinator at Clemson from 2005-’08, he had a knack for shutting down the best player on the other team.

The 2006 Georgia Tech game was a prime example of that when he developed a scheme that held Megatron, a.k.a. Calvin Johnson, without a catch in the Tigers’ 31-7 victory in Death Valley. It’s the only time in Johnson’s high school, college or pro career that he was held without a catch.

“Vic does a heck of a job,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said Tuesday. “He is one of the better guys I have been around from a coverage standpoint as far as creating confusion in exactly what they are doing.”

Swinney knows a lot about Koenning, obviously. The two were assistant coaches on Tommy Bowden’s staff at Clemson and Koenning served as Swinney’s defensive coordinator in the interim year of 2008. The two also went against one another in practice every day as Koenning was Bowden’s secondary coach, while Swinney was the wide receivers coach.

“He does a great job when it comes to disguising,” Swinney said. “He has a great defensive mind. “Most of the things they do we have seen, but he does a lot of unique things too coverage wise.”

Saturday will be Koenning’s first trip back to Death Valley since he helped Swinney beat South Carolina in the regular season finale in 2008. That game helped propel Swinney to head coach status at Clemson and he chose to go in a different direction philosophy wise, though the Tigers were a top 15 scoring defense.

Koenning landed on his feet, however, and went back to his alma mater as co-defensive coordinator at Kansa State for one year and has since been the defensive coordinator at Illinois and now at North Carolina, who the Tigers will play this Saturday at 7 p.m. in Death Valley.

With Deshaun Watson expected to make his first start, it’s no secret Koenning is going to try and confuse he Tigers’ young, but talented, signal-caller. Though the Tar Heels have struggled from a defensive standpoint, due mostly from a lack of talent, the secondary has made its share of plays.

Koenning’s unit is tied for eighth nationally in interceptions with six, two of which they returned for touchdowns.

But not everything is sugary.

The Tar Heels defensively rank last in the ACC in scoring defense (42 points allowed per game), total defense (548 yards) and pass defense (325.3 yards). North Carolina was torched last week by East Carolina to the tune of 70 points and 789 total yards – the two worst defensive numbers in school history for a single game.

“We have a chance to make a lot of big plays this weekend,” Clemson wide receiver Germone Hopper said.

But at the same time, Swinney will tell you, Koenning will do his best to confuse and make Watson a non-factor in the game. The question is does he have enough talent to make it happen.

“It’s just like every week, you have to game plan,” Swinney said. “It has been a while, but they do a lot of similar things they did when he was here. Vic does a heck of a job.

“He does some unique things coverage wise so we will have to be very well prepared for that.”