When Aidan Birr’s 55-yard field goal sailed through the uprights as time expired last Saturday, sending Clemson to its second loss in three games, the Tigers’ postseason hopes were dealt a serious blow.

After yet another slow start by the offense, Clemson took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, only to once again come up short.

The Yellow Jackets racked up 104 yards of offense over that final quarter of play, averaging 5.5 yards per play against Tom Allen’s defense. Tech also converted 80% of its third-down attempts over the final 15 minutes, as the Tigers just couldn’t get off the field.

Transfer defensive end Will Heldt, who leads the defense with five tackles for loss and two sacks, readily admits that the unit still has a lot of room for growth.

“I think we are just scratching the surface of what we can become, especially up front,” Heldt said. “We have done some good things, but there’s also a lot of room for growth.”

With the Clemson offense ranking as one of the worst in the country in average time of possession per game, the defense has been on the field a lot over the first three games, but Heldt isn’t using that as an excuse for any shortcomings.

“I wouldn’t say so,” Heldt said. “At the end of the day, we are just going to focus on what we can control. In my position room, and on our side of the ball. I think that is just how you have to approach it, because at the end of the day, how I feel about whatever is happening elsewhere is not going to affect how I play.”

With the team currently sitting at 1-2, there is no more margin for error, and Heldt insists that everyone on the defensive side of the ball is aware of the uphill battle the Tigers currently face. At the same time, he also believes this group is up for that challenge.

“We know where we’re at, and I think we still have a lot in front of us,” Heldt said. “Just ready to get after it again.”

Clemson gets its shot at responding on Saturday when Syracuse (2-1) comes to town. Kickoff is scheduled for noon, and the game will be televised on ESPN. The Tigers opened as a 16.5-point favorite.

Photo by Bart Boatwright