CLEMSON — Following practice on Friday, Clemson defensive tackle Markus Strong said offensive coordinator Chad Morris is keeping the defense on their toes.

“I have seen him pull some stuff out where I am like, ‘What are they doing?’ It is different,” he said.

One thing Morris has done is reestablished physicality on the lines of scrimmage, something many returning players from last year’s team said the Tigers lacked last year, which was due to the way the team practiced.

That is not the case this year.

Morris was hired, in part, to put an emphasis on running the football and playing more physical at the point of attack. His Clemson’s offenses, for the most part, from 2011-14 were known for being physical, though they had the big-play potential in the passing game, as well.

Morris’ belief is having a physical running game opens things up downfield, while sending a message to opposing defenses – he is not just about throwing the football.

Nine days into fall camp, and the Clemson defense is discovering just that, including in Saturday’s scrimmage where running backs Gideon Davidson, Jarvis Green and David Eziomume made big plays in the running game. Davidson housed a 60-yard TD in the scrimmage.

“It has been good,” head coach Dabo Swinney said when asked about the physicality in camp. “Over the last two days, we have asked a ton of these guys and they have given it.”

Strong confirmed what Swinney is reporting.

“When we have inside period, it is just a physical moment,” the defensive tackle said. “We get physical. The offensive line has been doing their job, as well. They are showing their physicality. They have to show up every day to work too.

“They expect work from us, and we expect the same thing from them. Iron sharpens iron.”

And that is what Swinney and his coaching staff are trying to do every day in camp. Establish a physical mentality now, so it will help them later on down the road when they are in the fourth quarter and they need to get that big stop or that one yard to get a first down or touchdown.

Of course, the 95-degree temperatures and the 104 heat indexes are helping build that mindset as well.

“It has been freakin’ hot! It has been hot, hot,” Swinney said. “It has been good. We need it. They trained in it all summer. Fatigue will coward you, right?”

Unless you train for it.