CLEMSON — One of the keys in Clemson’s 30-point victory over Miami last year was the play of the Tigers’ defense.

It was perhaps their best game of the season, as they limited the Hurricanes to just 98 total yards. That is correct, Miami had just 98 yards of total offense.

Part of that was due to the fact Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke did not play. The other part was due to the way Clemson tackled in the game.

The Tigers, who visit the ‘Canes Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., finished the afternoon with seven tackles for loss, including five sacks. It was one of the best tackling games they had all year.

Clemson (4-2, 2-2 ACC) will need a similar performance on Saturday against a Miami offense that is light-years better than it was in 2022.

“Tackling is always at a premium, especially when you have been off,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “We have done a lot of competitive work, last week and this week, yesterday and today. We have tried to make sure we are sharp and ready to go as best we can.”

The Hurricanes (4-2, 0-2 ACC) lead the league in total offense (501.8 yds/game) and are second in scoring offense (37.7 pts/game). They also rank second in passing yards (310.8 yds/game) and third in rushing offense (191.0 yds./game).

“They have excellent skill,” Swinney said. “They have broken a lot of tackles on about everybody they have played. They are a big screen team. They do get a lot of yards after the catch. A lot of them are screens that they execute very well.”

Miami creates a lot of its offense with its passing game, using screens and drag routs as just a few examples of how fast they want Van Dyke to get ride of the football.

“They have some guys that can create a little bit of space with their route running and technique that can turn it into yards after the catch, so they are a really good group. The quarterback is accurate, good player. It is important. It is going to be very important in a game like this that we tackle well for sure.”

Once again, Clemson’s defense is pretty good. The Tigers lead the ACC in total defense (261.8), yards allowed per play (4.16), rushing defense (86.3) and rushing yards (2.74) allowed per play.

They also lead the league in tackles for loss per game (7.33).

Clemson and Miami will kick off at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACCN.

We have just added a new special to our store. Get the Two Pack of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 and 2023 classes and save $75. Thanks for your support of Clemson football.