CLEMSON – Through four games, Clemson fans have gone on an emotional rollercoaster while watching the Tigers’ defense, especially in Saturday’s 28-20 win over North Carolina at Memorial Stadium.

Before the weather delay, the Tar Heels owned a 17-15 lead and were driving to put the game away.

In their season-opener against LSU, the Tigers allowed the most points in a Clemson game since 2013, allowing LSU over 300 respective yards on the ground and through the air. In the eventual 51-10 blowout loss, the Tigers struggled to contain any scheme Lane Kiffin’s purple-and-gold Tigers had in store.

Combined with offensive struggles, Clemson trailed by four touchdowns at the half, and a once-hyped up matchup essentially concluded before the third quarter even commenced.

One week later, though, Clemson fans got an injection of hope when a seemingly different defense took the field at Memorial Stadium against Georgia Southern in the Tigers’ home-opener. After allowing over 600 yards of offense to LSU, the Tigers held the Eagles to just 22 rushing yards and 264 total yards to Clemson’s 347 in the victory.

Just like that, with a forced fumble and some pizazz against the Eagles, faith in the Tigers’ defense had been restored, at least partially. After all, the group held Georgia Southern to just one score, and it came on a one-off, flukey passing play.

The defensive line, backed by a strong performance from edge rusher Will Heldt and a secondary chock-full of tenacity, brought “juice” to a team that had not had any one week prior.

The Tigers’ offense, without a doubt, still struggled mightily, only scoring one touchdown against the Group of Six team and punting seven times. The defense however, with its five tackles for loss and seven pass breakups, seemed to have improved under second year defensive coordinator Tom Allen.

As a result, as Clemson fans were preparing to watch the Tigers open their ACC season against the North Carolina Tar Heels this week, the defensive side of the ball seemed to be the least of any concerns– especially with head coach Dabo Swinney starting a true freshman at quarterback.

But after the Tigers’ first offensive possession of the game, which resulted in a quick punt after three plays, Clemson’s defense did not live up to the small hype it built with the win over Georgia Southern.

Instead, the same unit that shut down the Eagles last week and allowed them only 22 rush yards immediately gave up 35 yards on the ground– including a touchdown– to North Carolina on the Tar Heels’ first offensive possession of the game.

After another stint of defensive inadequacy, the Tar Heels extended their lead 14-3 with two minutes to play in the first quarter.

In that span, Clemson allowed 112 rushing yards, failing to shut down any of North Carolina’s speedy running backs, or even at times to contain veteran starter Billy Edwards Jr.,

However, in the final defensive opportunity of the first half, the Tigers forced North Carolina to punt for the first time, garnering some much-needed momentum with a 17-6 deficit. After the break, Clemson’s defensive unit continued to add on to the momentum, forcing Edwards and his band of offensive players to punt three times.

Clemson linebacker Fletcher Cothran and defensive tackle Vic Burley also worked together to force and recover a fumble, setting up a Tiger field goal that cut the lead into one-score territory for the first time since the first quarter.

As the Tigers’ defense continued to get stops, the offense slowly picked up its pace, scoring a late third-quarter touchdown to cut the Tar Heels’ lead to two points.

Later, defensive woes caught up with the Tigers again, and one last drive down the field– split in half by a weather delay–had the Tar Heels knocking at the door. 

But after a two hour delay, Clemson’s front immediately stood strong for two major downs, after North Carolina worked all the way down to the Tigers’ seven-yard line. The Tigers’ front refused to break, forcing a field goal that left open a chance for the offense to come down and take a lead.

In turn, the offense capitalized, going down the field to take 21-20 lead.

With time still on the clock, though, the defense’s job was not done.

After allowing a couple of first downs, the Tigers held the Tar Heels to fourth down. With one chance, transfer safety Jerome Carter III locked up North Carolina’s big tight end and prominent target, getting a second consecutive stop.

After another score from wide receiver Tyler Brown with just under two minutes to play, cornerback Elliot Washington II sealed the game with the first interception of his Clemson career.

It may have been a bumpy ride for Clemson’s defense over the first three games, but in the end, its post-delay dominance may never be forgotten by the 10,000-ish fans that stayed to see some grit in action.