The Clemson defense has been on the precipice of an extremely dominant performance all season, and in the first half against Miami, everything seemed to be working.
At the end of the first half, Miami’s offense had just 8 total yards, and much of that had to do with the efficiency of Clemson’s run defense. The Hurricanes couldn’t seem to get the ball moving anywhere downfield and walked away with just one first down in the entire half. Even with the dual-threat nature of Miami quarterback Jacurri Brown and the talent of running back Jaylan Knighton, the team had an average of -0.5 rushing yards.
All season the defensive line has been called upon to play more consistently and that message was answered by the Tigers in the opening two quarters against the Hurricanes.
Even with the absence of starting defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, the defensive line was a force to be reckoned with. Myles Murphy continually applied pressure to Brown and it seemed to be too much for the Hurricanes to handle after a few series of three and outs.
Last week in the win over Louisville, the performance of the Clemson linebackers were some of the best we have seen all season and that momentum and confidence carried over in the first half against the Hurricanes. Sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. came up with a huge sack deep in Miami’s territory, putting the Miami offense at just another deficit.
Early in the second quarter, Miami was able to finally pick up a first down, but soon thereafter, Clemson safety Jalyn Phillips picked up an interception after fellow Clemson safety R.J. Mickens deflected a pass from Brown at the Miami 30-yard line. The interception set the Tigers up in prime territory on offense and displayed the complimentary football Clemson has been looking to sustain all season.
The Tigers left the first half with a 24-0 lead and an abundance of confidence to carry over the dominant performance on defense in the second half.
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