CLEMSON – One quick look at the box score and some might assume the Clemson defense struggled in the 9th-ranked Tigers’ 48-31 win over Virginia.

A deeper dive would prove that is not exactly the case. At least not with the starting unit. Clemson led 38-10 entering the fourth quarter. To that point, the Tigers’ defense had held the Cavaliers to just 173 yards of total offense.

With less than five minutes remaining in the game the Tigers were up 41-17 and that is when Dabo Swinney started to go deeper into his bench, rolling in a lot of youngsters in an effort to gain them some valuable experience.

Virginia would promptly go on a 9-play, 65-yard touchdown drive and convert the two-point conversion making it 41-25. The Cavs then attempted an onside kick that Clemson recovered. After Dabo Swinney inserted his first-team offense back into the game, Cade Klubnik’s 34-yard touchdown strike would quickly push the lead to 48-25.

However, the backups would remain in the game on the defensive side of the ball and on Virginia’s next possession, the Wahoo’s would go right back at the Tigers’ inexperienced backup defensive backs. After a pass interference call on freshman corner Ashton Hampton put the ball on the Virginia 35-yard line, backup quarterback Tony Muskett would connect with Ethan Davies for a 65-yard touchdown strike.

“When the young guys got in and they started giving up points, I told them, ‘The standard don’t change because you guys get in the game. You guys have to be ready, you got to be prepared,'” starting defensive end T.J. Parker said after the win. “Because at the end of the day, they’re not gonna take their starters out.'”

In less than three minutes of game play, the backups on defense had allowed 15 points, with the end result being a final score than was not indicative of just how one-sided this game had gotten in the second half of play.

“So my mindset for them is, you’ve got to lock in, key in,” Parker added. “Because what you watched us do, you’ve got to go out and do the same thing. Just because we get out don’t mean the game is over with, you get to be lackadaisical. No, they’re going to see that and they’re going to attack that.”

It was a performance very reminiscent of the Tigers’ 59-35 win over NC State in September. Clemson led that one 59-14 heading into the fourth quarter but the reserves would allow three touchdowns over the final 15 minutes of play.

It’s an area the defense will work to improve over the upcoming bye week and the performance in the fourth quarter against Virginia will give the staff much more film to use in an effort to coach them up.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got a standard to play to,” Parker said. “We don’t play down to our opponent, regardless of what it is. So we’ve got some things to fix for the young guys and we’ll attack it in the bye week.”

“We’ve just got to keep playing to our standard. No matter who’s in the game. If we had a play go our way or not. We’ve just got to keep playing, forget about the last play. Next-play mentality. You’ve got to treat every play like it’s the most important play of the game.”

A limited number of signed replica road signs from Cade Klubnik are available!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!