Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables expects the ninth-ranked Tigers will see at least two of Louisville’s three quarterbacks in Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. game at Papa John’s Stadium in Louisville.

“There are not three completely different game plans,” Venables said. “They’re going to have a philosophy of what they want to do. They will have different groups based on a philosophy that they recruit to.”

Before the season began Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino could not decide on a clear cut starter, and he isn’t any closer after two games. So far Petrino has started sophomore Reggie Bonnafon in the Auburn game, freshman Lamar Jackson at home against Houston, while also playing sophomore Kyle Bolin in the Houston game as well.

“Lamar is a little bit different in some ways, but in some ways he is very similar to Reggie Bonnafon, in that they are mobile and they can throw. They can extend plays. We faced (Bonnafon) last year, and in this conference we see plenty of pocket guys that can execute and throw on rhythm.”

Bolin is that pocket guy Venables is referring to. He started the fourth-quarter against the Cougars and led the Cardinals on two scoring drives, while completing 10 of 18 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. Jackson was 17 of 27 for 168 a touchdown, but he also threw two interceptions which led to his benching at the end of the third quarter.

“They can probably look at that single statistic alone and say, ‘That’s why we have lost. That’s why we are 0-2,’” Venables said. “There is always that fine line between winning and losing and I think they are excited about Jackson and what he brings to the table, and the big play capability, but they love the stability of (Bolin).”

Bonnafon started the Auburn game and played into the second quarter before fumbling an attempted handoff which Auburn’s Justin Garrett returned 82 yards for a touchdown. Jackson came in after that and competed 9 of 20 passes for 100 yards and rushed for 106 more in leading the Cardinals to 24 second-half points.

“I expect fully, we will see for sure two quarterbacks just because they like what both bring to the table,” Venables said. “They have had a few mistakes in both games that have been critical.”

Bonnafon was 8 of 13 for 67 yards and no touchdowns before getting benched in the first game.

“We are going to be fine regardless of what they do,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “When (Bolin) comes in there, he really looked like he had great command of their system and of their offense and they asked him to do different things. When (Bonnafon) or (Jackson) were in there they were a little more spread principles with speed motions and a quarterback-run game built in.

“With (Jackson) you have to cover them forever because he has the ability to run around and extend time and there are some plays on tape where with that guy, you just put a clock on him and it is like eleven seconds. It is unbelievable the amount of time he buys. That is a long time and these receivers they have are big, tall, long athletic guys.”

All the Tigers (2-0) can do, says Swinney, is prepare by what they have seen on tape.

“If they get into the spread principals then we have good experience for that. Certainly with what we do from a practice standpoint here, we will be ready for their heavy two-tight end type of stuff, the run game, the shifts and movements that come off that.”

Venables says Clemson has to be ready to adjust no matter who the quarterback is, and more than anything they have to stop the run.

Louisville rushed for 238 yards against Auburn, but just 128 came from the running backs. When Jackson wasn’t affective running the ball against Houston, the Cardinals struggled and managed just 70 yard on the ground and only 54 from the running back position.

“If they are not able to run the ball, they are going to have hard time no matter who is the quarterback,” he said. “That is what they are trying to search through. The other quarterback comes in, and they are starting to run it and throw it because he is successfully throwing their early-and-out quick throwing game. They are throwing it again on time. They’re catchable balls, and the next thing you know they start running the ball better and things of that nature. They always go hand in hand.

“If you can establish the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, then everything flows. When there is disruption in the flow of the offense and they are playing behind the changes, it is an issue. If they are successfully able to average five, six, seven yards a clip on first-and-ten running the ball, it is not a matter of if we lose the game, but it is about how bad we lose the game.”