On paper, N.C. State has one one of the best defenses in the country.

Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott told reporters on Monday that the Wolfpack look pretty strong on film, too.

Against the pass, N.C. State is third in the country, giving up an average of 144 yards per game. The scoring defense is 11th (16.1 points/game). Opponents have rushed for an average of 107.14 yards per game, which is 15th-best.

“If you watch them, compared to last year, they’re a little bit lighter, a little bit quicker,” Elliott said, “Creating a little bit more disruption inside.”

Linebacker Airius Moore leads the team with 37 tackles.

Defensive end Mike Rose is first with 6.5 sacks. Freshman Darian Roseboro has four. B.J. Hill, a defensive tackle, has a team-high seven quarterback pressures.

“If you look at them on the edges, they look like they’re a little more quick-twitch. They’re a little bit longer. They’re playing faster,” Elliott said. “They’re playing with a lot of confidence all the way around.”

The defensive backfield is anchored by cornerbacks Jack Tocho and Juston Burris and safeties Hakim and Josh Jones.

“They’re confident in their secondary to where they can lock you up in man-coverage and be able to load the box and have extra hats to stop the run, so they’re playing at a high level, got a lot of confidence, and they’ve earned the ranking that they’ve got when you cut on the tape,” Elliott said.

Besides, N.C. State’s Carter-Finley Stadium has been a scary place for Clemson over the last few years.

In 2011, the unranked Wolfpack knocked off a top-10 team that had already clinched its spot in the ACC Championship. Two years later, the Tigers narrowly escaped with a 26-14 win.

“We couldn’t get out of our own way,” Elliott said of the 2011 game. “We gave them the momentum very early in the game and we could never recover. That’s what I remember most about it.”

That trip, along with the one in 2013, will be a topic of conversation among this year’s team.

“They’ll be made fully aware of it. I know coach (Dabo) Swinney will do a great job, which he always does a great job, and I know, offensively, I was here when we went up there,” Elliott said. “I think we were undefeated going into that game, but they’re a very good football team. They’re playing with a lot of confidence, and so they’ll be reminded of that, but when they cut on the tape, it’s like watching Boston College.

“I know, from an offensive perspective looking at the defense, their attention is going to be gathered very quickly when you cut on the tape.”