Notebook: Clemson defense looked tired
By: will-vandervort November 29, 2015

COLUMBIA — A week after they responded to his tough love in a win over Wake Forest, Brent Venables’ defense took another step back in Saturday’s 37-32 victory over rival South Carolina in Columbia.

Clemson’s fifth-ranked defense yielded 32 points and 402 total yards to a Gamecocks’ offense that was putrid at running the football and average at best in the passing game. In the last two weeks, USC rushed for a combined 93 yards against the Citadel and Florida, but they totaled 181 against the Tigers on 38 carries.

South Carolina (3-9) gained 252 of its total yards in the second half and scored 29 points. After being shut out for the better part of the first half when they had just 75 total yards, the Gamecocks ran off plays of 25, 47, 48 and 57 yards in the final 34 minutes.

“In the third quarter, we did not play great and they made some big plays,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said afterwards.

But why did South Carolina make those plays? When Lorenzo Nunez ran for 47 yards at the end of the first half that got the Gamecocks rolling, he broke what looked like a sure tackle for loss by defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. Later on the same drive, Shon Carson broke the tackle of linebacker Ben Boulware before rumbling for a 25-yard gain.

Overall, USC ran 68 plays against a Clemson defense that has lacked depth all year. The Tigers have played nine straight games where some of its top players—Shaq Lawson, Kevin Dodd, Ben Boulware, B.J. Goodson, Jayron Kearse and T.J. Green—are playing anywhere from 55 to 65 plays a game.

So is fatigue part of the issue?

“I don’t know. I don’t know. We won. I don’t know,” Venable said.

“We came out and dominated them in the first half and we played real well. For ten straight games we came out, that tenth game or whatever it is, I don’t know what it is but we came out and played real well. I think they made some plays and we got a little bit sloppy in the third quarter. They had two drives and then we turn the ball over and give up twenty-six yards, it was bang, bang, bang just like that.”

Giving up touchdowns like that will not get it done against North Carolina in the ACC Championship game. The Tar Heels rank 11th nationally in scoring offense (41.3 ppg) and 16th in total offense (495.7 ypg). They run an offense whose tempo is faster than the Tigers’ and will challenge Clemson’s defensive depth.

If Clemson plays sloppy defensively against UNC, like it did against South Carolina, then all of its hopes and dreams of winning an ACC Championship and playing in the College Football Playoffs could fall by the wayside.

“We just have to play well. That’s what matters,” Venables said.

The Tigers might have to call on some of their backups if they are to slow a North Carolina offense that is filled with playmakers at quarterback, running back and wide receiver.

“Maybe so,” Venables said. “We will be tested that way. We will need to have our full arsenal ready to go in Charlotte next week for sure.”

Here is some other news and notes from Saturday’s win over the Gamecocks.

  • Clemson tied the school record for wins in a season with today’s victory over South Carolina.  The Tigers are now 12-0 for the season.  The only other year Clemson won 12 games was 1981 when the Tigers were 12-0 in winning the National Championship.  Clemson will have the opportunity to establish the school record for wins in a season next week at the ACC Championship Game against North Carolina in Charlotte.
  • This is just the second time Clemson has started a season 12-0. The other year was 1981 when Clemson finished 12-0 and won the National Championship.
  • Clemson tied its school record for consecutive victories with today’s win. The Tigers have now won 15 in a row dating to last year, the same streak Clemson had from 1947-49. Clemson has the longest active winning streak in the nation.
  • Today was Clemson’s 50th all-time victory over South Carolina in Columbia. That includes a 31-20-2 mark in games played in Williams-Brice Stadium. Clemson has a 50-32-3 lead in the series in games played in Columbia and a 67-42-4 lead overall.
  • Clemson ended a three-game losing streak in Columbia with today’s victory. Clemson had not won in Columbia since a 23-21 victory in 2007.
  • Today was Clemson’s fifth win on an opponent’s home field in 2015, tying the record of five set many times. The last time Clemson won five games on an opponent’s home field was 1995.
  • This is the first time Clemson has won an afternoon game in Columbia since 1999.
  • Clemson is now 44-7 over the last four years. It is the most victories in a four-year period in Clemson history.
  • Clemson surpassed 500 yards of total offense for the eighth straight game, a school record.
  • Clemson rushed and passed for over 200 yards. The Tigers are 72-0-1 in history, and 5-0 this season, when posting at least 200 of both.
  • Dabo Swinney is now 73-26 in his Clemson head coaching career. He moved ahead of Tommy Bowden into third place on the Clemson coaching victories list with today’s win.  Bowden was 72-45 between 1999-08. The only coaches with more are Frank Howard (165) and Danny Ford (96).
  • Swinney has moved into 13th place on the all-time ACC coaching victories list. He had been in a tie with Tommy Bowden and Dick Crum (UNC).
  • Deshaun Watson is now 16-1 as Clemson’s starting quarterback, 15-0 when he starts and finishes a game in a healthy state.
  • Watson tied Homer Jordan’s school record for wins in a season by a starting quarterback with the 12th Jordan was 12-0 as the starter in 1981.
  • Deshaun Watson accounted for 393 yards of total offense Saturday, and had a hand in four of the Tigers’ five touchdowns.
  • Watson rushed for three touchdowns, a career high. He now has five scores on the ground against South Carolina the past two seasons.
  • Watson rushed for a career-high 114 yards against the Gamecocks.
  • Wayne Gallman added 102 rushing yards, his seventh such game of the season. He tied Kenny Flowers and Raymond Priester for the single-season school record.
  • Saturday was the second time this season both Watson and Gallman rushed for 100 yards or more in the same game (Florida State).
  • Deon Cain caught a touchdown pass for the fifth straight game, the only Tiger freshman in history to have a receiving touchdown in five straight. Sammy Watkins was the previous record-holder, with four consecutive as a freshman in 2011. Cain’s 55-yard catch was his longest touchdown of the season.
  • J. Fuller scored his first career touchdown on a four-yard rush in the third quarter.
  • Shaq Lawson went over 20 tackles for loss on the season after collecting a first-quarter sack. He moved ahead of Jim Stuckey and Trevor Pryce (20 TFLs) for the 10th-most in a season in Clemson history.
  • J. Goodson had 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in the opening half, giving him 10.5 for the Tiger defense over a five-game stretch. He has had at least two tackles for loss in four of Clemson’s past five games. Goodson finished with three tackles for loss and was credited with 12 tackles from the press box.
  • Greg Huegel’s 36-yard field goal with 1:21 left was his 16th consecutive made field goal. He finished the regular season a perfect 10-10 on the road, and is now 21-23 overall in 2015.
  • Adrian Baker intercepted his second pass of the season, both in the red zone. He previously picked off a Florida State pass in a similar situation on November 7.