Clemson finds itself licking its collective wounds following a lopsided loss at Notre Dame. The College Football Playoff may be a longshot for the Tigers now, but they can still win the ACC’s Atlantic Division outright this week if they can bounce back with a win over Louisville on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
What does Clemson need to do to ensure that happens? Here are three keys:
Contain Malik Cunningham
Against a largely one-dimensional Notre Dame offense that ranked 106th nationally in passing going into last week’s game, Clemson’s defense had one job. Yet the Tigers couldn’t do it, surrendering a season-worst 263 rushing yards to the Fighting Irish.
Now the Tigers’ suddenly reeling defense gets to deal with one of the ACC’s most dangerous runners.
Cunningham, as Clemson coach Dabo Swinney put it earlier this week, is a problem. The Cardinals’ dual-threat quarterback is in a similar mold of a another do-it-all signal caller that used to terrorize defenses for Louisville, Lamar Jackson. Cunningham has three 100-yard rushing games this season and has already rushed for 11 touchdowns. He’s the catalyst for the nation’s 25th-ranked rushing offense, one that’s averaging more than 200 yards per game.
Whereas Notre Dame did most of its damage between the tackles, Cunningham’s speed and athleticism are often used on the edges on keepers and zone-read plays. And he’s always a threat to pull the ball down and scramble if nothing’s open through the air, so rush-lane integrity and not overpursuing are going to be critical for Clemson’s defense.
Of course, the Tigers are as familiar with Cunningham’s skill set as any defense in the country having gone up against him the last handful of years. That didn’t stop Cunningham from shredding Clemson with his legs in last year’s meeting to the tune of 134 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. If the Tigers can better contain him this time around, it figures to force Louisville to go more to what’s been an average passing game. If not, the Cardinals’ entire playbook remains available, which isn’t what Clemson’s defense wants.
Speaking of running the ball…
Get the run game going again
At just 196 yards per game over the last five, Clemson’s passing game has been trending in the wrong direction for a while. The quarterback situation is in flux, the receiver play has been below average, and, at least in part, the Tigers’ scoring average has dropped from 43 points after four games to 27 over the last five as a result.
What’s a scuffling passing game’s best friend? A solid running game, something the Tigers need to get back on track with this week.
Clemson’s ground game has been hot and cold for most of the season, but it’s been instrumental in helping the Tigers pull out their most recent wins. Clemson ran for 167 yards in its six-point victory at Florida State, and without those season-high 293 rushing yards against Syracuse, the Tigers almost certainly don’t pull off that comeback on a day in which they had to overcome four turnovers.
The Tigers weren’t bad against Notre Dame when they went with the run. Will Shipley averaged more than 5 yards per pop against the Fighting Irish, but Clemson went away from it at times in the first half and then had to all but abandon it in the second trailing by multiple scores. Shipley finished with just 12 carries.
It won’t be easy against a disruptive Louisville defense that’s among the ACC’s top half against the run and ranks 11th nationally in tackles for loss (7.4 per game), but Clemson needs to get back to establishing the ground game with Shipley (who had 20-plus carries against FSU and Syracuse), Phil Mafah and quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who wasn’t featured nearly as often as usual in the running game against Notre Dame. If Clemson can do that, it could help open up some shot plays in the passing game, too.
Stop turning the ball over
It’s been an alarming 180-degree turn for Clemson the last couple of games when it comes to ball security.
After committing just five turnovers through the first seven games, the Tigers have surpassed that total in their last eight quarters. Most of the six turnovers during that span have come at quarterback. Uiagalelei and freshman Cade Klubnik have accounted for all but one of them, something Clemson simply can’t afford at the most important position on the field.
It also wouldn’t hurt for the defense to come up with some more turnovers of its own. Clemson didn’t have a takeaway against Notre Dame and has forced just three turnovers in its last four games. The defense hasn’t come up with multiple turnovers since forcing NC State into two back on Oct. 1.
Clemson is unbeaten this season when it finishes at least even in the turnover margin. That frantic fourth-quarter comeback against Syracuse is the only thing keeping the Tigers from an 0-2 record when they don’t. Keep an eye on that come Saturday afternoon.
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