Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables says the Tigers will have to bring a level of toughness and physicality on Saturday that they have not needed all season when the they travel to No. 14 Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

The second-ranked Tigers will have to deal with the Eagles multitude of tight ends it uses as well as their power running game and ACC leading rusher A.J. Dillion.

Venables on if the Tigers have enough tight ends on the scout team to simulate BC

“We are probably going to have to use some of those bigger receivers. What roster has all those tight ends? We will find some bodies.”

Venables on how BC uses the tight ends

“They will run them out there and then release. They get in wings and slots. They motion and they shift. They swap them out of the backfield. They find a lot of different ways. They get in a lot of ten sets and four-wide looks as well with their two-tight packages and create ten and eleven sets both, three and four wide looks. They’re big body guys that have excellent hands and body positioning that have some savvy-ness and craftiness to them.”

Venables on facing A.J. Dillion and the BC offense

“They give you a whole different level of physicality and their ability to play action of it. They can create a lot of issues.”

Venables on the freshness of his defense

“Maybe the freshest, whatever that means. There is just less wear and tear on the bodies which is good for a lot of guys that have played a lot of football, like some of our older guys.”

Venables on BC’s physical toughness

“The success of their team on both sides of the ball on the lines of scrimmage and doing it the right way and the purest way of doing it. They have created a level of toughness that you cannot shy away from. It is hard to hide. They have physically posed their will on a lot of people this year.”