CLEMSON — Four first downs. That’s all Charleston Southern’s offense could muster against the Clemson defense in Death Valley, which lived up to its name Saturday in the home opener. The 66-17 final score may not show it as much, but defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin put on a clinic against the Buccaneers.

Both of Charleston Southern’s touchdowns came on offensive blunders. One was a fumble on fourth down that set the Buccaneers up at the 1-yard line while the other was a pick-six. Take those two plays away, and it was just three points surrendered against an FCS opponent.

That should be the standard, and the defensive talent we heard all about in the fall was on display. This was especially evident on the defensive line, which allowed 0.4 yards per carry against an option offense. Sophomore linebacker Wade Woodaz, beneficiary of this success, was amazed by their performance postgame.

“How bout that D-line? Oh my lord, like dude, that was like running into a brick wall every play. They were trying to go outside and they couldn’t so the D-line, they make it easier for me as a linebacker personally,” Woodaz said.

While the trenches stepped up, Woodaz made splashes of his own in the home opener. He finished the game with two tackles and had the most emphatic play on defense with a pick-six.

Complimentary football was a key for the Tigers heading into this week and it was obvious on all accounts. That doesn’t just go for the offense and defense, and it was most evident in the defense being a cohesive unit.

With the performance Goodwin’s unit put on Saturday, it’s clear what the strength of the 2023 Clemson team is. Looking forward, it must stay consistent. If the offense eliminates the mistakes, the Tigers defense can hang 0’s on the scoreboard and that’s a great sign for the future.