Clemson’s defense got embarrassed in their road loss in Week 8 to Miami.
Embarrassed might feel like strong wording, but it is the feeling I had after watching that game. A usually stout defense had the football run all over them, while a true freshman quarterback starting the first game of his college career looked comfortable under center against this Clemson defense.
Heading into their Week 9 matchup against NC State, veterans have to step up and ensure that what we saw last week will not happen again against the Wolfpack. For that reason, star linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is our defensive X-Factor.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney shared that after the Miami loss, Trotter “asserted himself” in the locker room, showing some emotion and fire he hadn’t seen from the linebacker in his time with the Tigers. This is exactly what this Clemson team and defense needs: some emotion.
Trotter should be in for a huge day against NC State on Saturday.