CLEMSON — It is easy to be a leader when everything is going well.

However, it is not easy when things get tough. Like when a team falls behind by 13 points to an opponent it was supposed to easily take care of.

“It is a tough spot to be in,” Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik said. “Nobody wants to lead in a situation like that.”

Peter Woods isn’t just anybody.

That is why Clemson’s 6-foot-3, 307-pound defensive tackle got up in the middle of the locker room at halftime last Saturday and spoke his mind.

“It’s impressive to have someone of that caliber in the locker room,” fellow defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart said. “Two, I think it makes you want to play a little harder when you get somebody that reassures you that (they) have your back.”

Already disappointed with the results from the LSU game the week before, the Tigers were staring 0-2 in the face, something no Clemson has done since 1974. Down 16-3 to Troy, Clemson’s goals and dreams for the 2025 season were in danger.

So, Peter Woods got up in the middle of the locker room and spoke his mind.

“That was a positive that came from a funky game, if you will, especially offensively,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “It can create a lot of frustration where two games in a row you don’t play well on (offense) and defensively you got points on the board, and you have only given up one true touchdown.

“So, it can get a little frustrating.”

Instead, Woods brought the team together, and his teammates responded by scoring 24 unanswered points in the second half. The defense pitched a shutout the rest of the way, as Clemson rallied for a 27-16 victory.

“I was proud of them. I was proud of how they hung together and kept encouraging each other,” Swinney said. “People say adversity builds character, but it really reveals character. I think you saw the character of our team and how they fought back, hung in there and found a way to win.”

We also saw Peter Wood’s character. And the strength it took for him to stand up and speak his mind when nobody else would.

“To see him really step into that role and take control of that moment was awesome,” Klubnik said. “His words were impactful… Obviously, it helped our team a lot. We came out hot in the second half and I think it was because of (Woods). It was really helpful.”

Klubnik said Woods spoke from the heart, and it was just what the team needed.

“It was kind of a reset, honestly,” the Clemson quarterback said. “It was kind of a wild first half. It was kind of like, ‘Alight, here we go!’ I felt like halftime was good for us.”

And it was even better that Peter Woods stood up in the middle of the room, took ownership of his team and brought them together.

However, is it enough to get the Tigers past Georgia Tech on Saturday (noon, ESPN)?