Etinosa Reuben – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Davis ‘grateful’ for quick return from his latest injury

It wasn’t pain that let Tyler Davis know something was wrong. It was his range of motion. Or lack thereof. “I just couldn’t move my arm all the way down,” Davis said. “Couldn’t extend it.” Clemson’s defensive tackle was less than three games into …

It wasn’t pain that let Tyler Davis know something was wrong. It was his range of motion. Or lack thereof.

“I just couldn’t move my arm all the way down,” Davis said. “Couldn’t extend it.”

Clemson’s defensive tackle was less than three games into his junior season when the injury happened during the second quarter of the Tigers’ 14-8 win over Georgia Tech back on Sept. 18. Turns out one of Davis’ bicep tendons had detached from the bone, but it didn’t keep him from finishing the game.

“When it first happened, I was like, ‘Yeah, I can still play,” he said. “I was playing on it, but I ain’t know it was going to be a torn bicep tendon.”

Davis underwent surgery the following week, and Clemson coach Dabo Swinney initially said his recovery would likely keep Davis out of action anywhere from seven to eight weeks. The most difficult part, Davis said, was sleeping in a sling for a couple of weeks after the operation.

But Davis was determined to make it back sooner than that. He was “sailing through” his rehab, he said, which first gave Davis an inkling that he’d be able to do just that.

“I guess it’s just the nature of who I am,” Davis said. “I feel like I always try to help my team the best way I can. So if I can play, I can play.”

After just four weeks, Davis made his return in Clemson’s loss at Pittsburgh, giving a defensive line that had already lost its other starting defensive tackle, Bryan Bresee (torn ACL), for the season a sooner-than-expected boost. He was on what Swinney called a pitch count against the Panthers but hasn’t had his snaps limited since. Davis has 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks in seven games this season.

The only lingering sign of Davis’ injury to the naked eye is a bulky brace he’s been wearing on right arm each week. He said the extra support doesn’t hinder his ability to strike offensive linemen or get off blocks, though he’s not always a fan of it.

“We’ve got kind of like a love-hate relationship with the brace,” Davis said. “It helps me out a lot, but I don’t like wearing it sometimes.”

But Davis is just glad to be back on the field after his latest injury. Davis was a second-team all-ACC selection as a freshman in 2019 when he had 51 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, but a knee injury forced him to miss five games as a sophomore. In the seven games he played last season, he had 17 tackles and five tackles for loss.

“You never know when it’s your last play,” Davis said. “Just always stay grateful for every opportunity you get on the field.”

Clemson’s defense is happy to have him back, too, particularly with its depth on the interior of the defensive line starting to thin out more. Tre Williams, who’s dealt with various injuries throughout the season, is set to undergo season-ending surgery, leaving Davis, Ruke Orhorhoro and Etinosa Reuben as the Tigers’ primary rotation on the inside heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale at South Carolina.

Once the season is over, Davis, who’s draft-eligible, may have a decision to make regarding his future, though he said he’s likely to return to Clemson for another season.

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Clemson makes Hartman, Wake Forest ‘uncomfortable’ in strong defensive showing

The word used the most in Clemson’s defensive postgame press conference? Uncomfortable. That was Clemson’s goal coming into Saturday’s game. And even though Sam Hartman threw for over 300 yards, the Tigers rattled Wake’s redshirt sophomore …

The word used the most in Clemson’s defensive postgame press conference? Uncomfortable.

That was Clemson’s goal coming into Saturday’s game. And even though Sam Hartman threw for over 300 yards, the Tigers rattled Wake’s redshirt sophomore quarterback. In the ground game, Hartman was credited with 14 rushing attempts and -37 yards.

Clemson set the tone early. The Tigers recorded a season-high seven sacks, including four in the first quarter. The first play from scrimmage was a sack.

Clemson’s seven sacks were its most in a game since recording eight sacks at Syracuse in 2019.

“Obviously you want to affect the quarterback and we were able to get a lot of pushback and guys were winning one on ones,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said following Clemson’s 48-27 win over Wake Forest. “We wanted to start faster. They have a very rhythmic offense. They’ve had great, great success…you go on the road, you’re playing in a hostile environment and you make them uncomfortable early. That affects them to some degree.”

It certainly affected Hartman, who took an absolute beating all afternoon.

“A big thing we wanted to do this week was making sure he was uncomfortable in the pocket,” Etinosa Reuben told reporters. “He’s had a really great season throwing the ball and making plays, so that was one thing we wanted to do, make sure he was uncomfortable and that he was never able to set his feet and get a good throw off. I feel like we did a good job doing that.”

The redshirt sophomore defensive tackle recorded his first career full sack in the first quarter. He finished the game with a career-high two sacks.

“The way we conduct our defense, we do so many unique things in so many different ways that it’s hard to know where things are going to be coming from,” he said. “So, it’s like you’re always guessing if you’re on offense.”

Wake Forest’s mesh concept often keeps opposing defenses guessing, but Venables had his defense prepared and ready to go. The defense forced three turnovers on the afternoon and held the Deacs to just 36 rushing yards on 31 carries.

While it wasn’t Clemson’s most complete defensive effort of the season, it’s the one they needed to have against one of the nation’s most potent scoring attacks.

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Reuben: ‘You can’t sleep on two nightmares’

Feeling as if he had outgrown his soccer role, 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive tackle Etinosa Reuben decided he would make a transition to the football field. Having not played football until high school, Reuben was noticed early on and quickly bought …

Reuben on his improvement throughout the season and his career…

“Experience has allowed me to adjust to the speed of the game. There is nothing more real than getting the experience in the actual game.”

Reuben growing up playing soccer with his younger brother before both their plans changed…

“It’s what we watched at home a lot. My little brother and I, our dream was to play professional soccer together at some point, but now he’s made the transition to playing football, too, so it’s pretty cool watching his growth.”

Reuben on how he knew he enjoyed football…

“My sophomore year, I was playing (junior varsity), and I pretty much dominated that. Step up to varsity and make a couple plays, and that’s when I realized I belong. Sometimes I had thoughts in the back of my mind that maybe it was luck, but every time I was able to prove that it was something I was supposed to do.”

Reuben’s mindset of his leadership on the team…

“I always prepare a mindset of practice and prepare like you’re going to play. I try to keep that mentality so whenever my name is called I’m ready.”

Reuben on Swinney calling he and fellow defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro the “Nigerian Nightmares”

“They brought that up when we were both getting recruited. They called us insomnia because you can’t sleep on two nightmares. Whenever he wants us both in the game, he’ll say I need insomnia.”

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Grading Clemson’s defense through the first half of the season

Clemson won’t officially hit the halfway point on its 12-game regular season until after its game at Syracuse next week, but it’s close enough. With an open date to take a step back and evaluate where the Tigers are as a team, TCI is handing out …

Let’s hand out some grades for each position on defense through five games:

Defensive line

The front was expected to be the strength of the defense coming into the season given the mix of talent and depth the Tigers had there. Both have taken a hit because of some significant injuries, but the line is still holding its own.

Not many defenses would be able to lose both starting defensive tackles and keep rolling the way Clemson’s has. First, it was Tyler Davis who had to have surgery on his bicep that will keep him out until November. Then it was Bryan Bresee, who went down with a torn ACL against North Carolina State. Ruke Orhorhoro and Tre Williams have now become starters on the interior, and the Tigers have developed some depth with Darnell Jefferies, Etinosa Reubun and true freshman Payton Page having to be part of the rotation, too.

Meanwhile, the Tigers still have their numbers intact at end. Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas (10 tackles for loss and six sacks) have been terrors off the edge while K.J. Henry, Justin Mascoll and Justin Foster (who’s also slid inside some) are there as well. Clemson has ranked in the top 30 nationally in points allowed, yards allowed and rush defense all season, and the front four is a big reason why. Grade: A

Linebackers

Clemson began the season with a strong blend of experience, athleticism and high football IQ at the second level of its defense. The first five weeks have shown the Tigers have more quality depth than they may have initially thought, too.

Super senior James Skalski and Baylon Spector, a fifth-year player, lead the Tigers in tackles with 80 combined stops. Skalski, whom the Tigers consider the heart and soul of the defense, showed his knowledge and instincts in a big way when he snuffed out Georgia Tech’s goal-line shovel pass late in that game to help preserve the victory. Spector has quietly been a productive player on the weakside.

If there’s a weakness for Skalski and Spector, it’s pass coverage. But sophomore Trenton Simpson helps there. The sophomore strong-side ‘backer has shown the physicality to play in the box and the speed to run with tight ends when needed. And then there’s LaVonta Bentley, a backup who hasn’t played like one when filling in for Skalski and Spector, who have been slowed by injuries at times. Bentley is fourth on the team with 24 tackles and has three tackles for loss. Grade: A-

Secondary

Andrew Booth and Mario Goodrich have answered most of the questions about Clemson’s cornerbacks coming into the season. Both have not only played well in coverage, but they’ve been some of the ACC’s top tackling corners when attacking the line of scrimmage. Booth is the Tigers’ third-leading tackler (26 stops) while Goodrich is right behind him (23).

Goodrich has produced his stats in four games after not playing last week against Boston College with a groin injury, forcing Sheridan Jones into a starting role. Jones had seven tackles in that game.

Sixth-year senior Nolan Turner is holding down one safety spot while true freshman Andrew Mukuba has been a revelation for the Tigers at the other. Mukuba is tied with Goodrich in tackles and leads the team with four pass breakups. But there’s depth at the safety position, too, with Jalyn Phillips, Joseph Charleston and R.J. Mickens, who has two of the Tigers’ five interceptions.

The group hasn’t been perfect. Boston College threw for more than 300 yards last week. But the Tigers are still in the top 50 nationally in passing yards allowed (203 per game), and they’ve done it without nickel Malcolm Greene (shoulder injury) for the last two games. Grade: B+

Overall

Even with the attrition, the defense has been one of the ACC’s best and has carried Clemson while the offense gets things figured out. The Tigers have yet to allow more than 14 points in regulation, though depth will be something to watch going forward if injuries continue to mount. There isn’t a glaring weakness at any level of the defense. Grade: A

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Clemson’s DTs adopting ‘next man up’ mentality

It is no secret that Clemson’s defense has had its fair share of injuries, the most recent being defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, who sustained a season-ending ACL tear in the Tiger’s double overtime loss to NC State last weekend. While the loss of both Tyler Davis and Bryan Bresee early in the season is hard to swallow, veteran safety Nolan Turner has no doubt his teammates will take it in stride with a “next man up” mentality.

“Guys are going to step up,” Turner said on Tuesday. “We have plenty of guys that can play at d-tackle, and you know with him and TD [Tyler Davis] down, guys are going to step up: Tré [Williams], Ruke [Orhorhoro], ET [Etinosa Reuben], you know, all of those guys. I’m excited to watch them come in and compete, you know, it’s the next man up, and they’re very capable of being great players and they’ve shown that playing the last few weeks, so I’m excited to see those guys come in and play.”

Head coach Dabo Swinney has already seen the effects of guys stepping up in the absence of Bresee and Davis. With Tré Williams and Ruke Orhorhoro stepping into the starting roles at d-tackle, Swinney is pleased with the progress they have made so far.

“They’ve all gotten better,” Swinney said. “Obviously Ruke has gotten some great experience, Tré’s had his moments. He’s a little undisciplined at times, [but] a first-year player that didn’t really get to play last year. He’s one of those guys that’s incredibly active and you see him a lot, but he’s not always in the right spot and can be undisciplined with his eyes and things like that, so he’s still becoming a more disciplined guy within the scheme, but as far as just being disruptive and all that… he’s a natural.”

Payton Page and Ruke Orhorhoro have also continued to catch Swinney’s eye and will contend for playing time at the d-tackle position this season.

“Payton Page is getting better and better. He’s still a true freshman and he’s got a lot to learn, especially when you’re going against a team like this, but I’m really pleased with ET. I think he’s making a move. He’s making some good steps forward and he’s quietly, even last week, he’s really started to show some good signs in the last couple of weeks, so he’s a guy that I’m very encouraged by.”

While it is disappointing not having what he consider’s to be two of the top defensive tackles in the country in Bresee and Davis this fall, the breadth of experience these younger guys are getting is huge, something Swinney believes will benefit his team far beyond this season.

“Yeah, it’s disappointing that you don’t have a Tyler Davis or a Bryan Bresee,” Swinney said. “These are two of the best players in the nation, but moving forward, the experience that we are getting with these guys, those guys will be back next year, that’s gonna pay off for us. For guys like ET, because he’s just not played a lot of football, he played two years of high school football, then he’s been hurt, he’s had all kinds of issues since he’s been here, so he’s finally now healthy, but then getting the opportunity. Now with injuries, he’s taking advantage of it, so I’m encouraged with ET. I’m excited to see how he’s going to develop over the rest of the season.”

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Injuries, fatigue take their toll on Clemson’s defense

RALEIGH, N.C. – Clemson’s defense has been one of the best in the country early in the season despite a few nicks and bruises along the way. The list of players banged up on that side of the ball grew considerably Saturday. It played a significant …

RALEIGH, N.C. — Clemson’s defense has been one of the best in the country early in the season despite a few nicks and bruises along the way.

The list of players banged up on that side of the ball grew considerably Saturday. It played a significant role in the group wearing down by the end of Saturday’s double-overtime loss to North Carolina State at Carter-Finley Stadium.

The seventh-ranked Tigers headed to the neighboring state knowing they would be without defensive tackle Tyler Davis, who underwent surgery on his bicep Tuesday that will keep him out indefinitely. On Saturday, other injuries started early and came often.

The first was middle linebacker James Skalski, who appeared to injure his shoulder in the first quarter. The senior briefly returned but continued to grab his arm in pain. Skalski threw his helmet a couple of times on the sideline in apparent frustration and exited permanently not long after, shedding his pads and watching the majority of the game from the sideline while Kane Patterson filled in.

Then came other hits to the defensive line, none of which were more impactful than Bryan Bresee’s injury. The sophomore defensive tackle went down in pain to his leg early in the third quarter with the game still tied at 7. Bresee limped off the field with the help of medical personnel and draped a towel over his head, signaling the end of his day. He had ice on his knee while sitting on the bench.

“It has a cumulative effect,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “We’ve got to be more efficient so we can get off the field, but guys had to really bite down and take more reps that we’d like them to take.”

Even some of those filling in for Davis and Bresee went down, leaving the Tigers’ depth scarce on the interior of the defensive line as the game wore on. Etinosa Rueben and true freshman Payton Page were in the game together at one point in the second half after Tre Williams and Ruke Orhorhoro were injured, though Williams and Orhorhoro returned to finish the game.

But having to rely on less frontline players up front combined with another lethargic showing from an offense that had six three-and-outs in a seven-possession span (not counting a kneeldown before halftime) at one point, fatigue eventually took over. Clemson defended 96 plays while N.C. State’s defense played just 49 snaps, which left the Tigers’ defense on the field a whopping 41 minutes, 48 seconds in regulation.

“We just got worn down with their time of possession and the amount of plays,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “We’ve got a bunch of guys hurt. My heart just breaks for those guys. We’ve got a physically hurt team and mentally hurt team right now.”

By the time the Wolfpack scored a touchdown in each overtime period, the only FBS defense that hadn’t allowed an offensive touchdown coming into the day had surrendered four. N.C. State had 233 of its 386 yards after halftime and had a couple of chances to break a 14-all tie late in the fourth quarter with drives setting up field goals that were missed.

“We had a chance to win the game at the end because of their resolve,” Venables said of his unit.

Swinney said he didn’t have an update on the status of Bresee or Skalski afterward, but it’s clear the Tigers now have concerns on both sides of the ball.

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Besides usual suspects, D-Line has other players standing out

Clemson’s defensive line is set to possibly rival the 2018 front, which was notably known as the Power Rangers. Though preseason All-American Bryan Bresee and others on the defense feel they should never be compared to those Clemson legends, the …

Clemson’s defensive line is set to possibly rival the 2018 front, which was notably known as the Power Rangers.

Though preseason All-American Bryan Bresee and others on the defense feel they should never be compared to those Clemson legends, the Tigers are still expected to have the best defensive line in college football in 2021.

Everyone knows about Bresee, Tyler Davis, Xavier Thomas, Myles Murphy and K.J. Henry. But what could make this year’s group so good is its depth.

In the first week of camp, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, along with defensive coordinator Brent Venables and several defensive players, have talked about how other members of the defensive line are making plays, too.

Defensive ends Justin Foster and Justin Mascoll have stood out to this point, as have defensive tackles Etinosa Reuben and Ruke Orhorhoro.

“We got so many veterans over there, but I would probably just have to say Ruke,” Swinney said. “He has just missed a lot of time, but he is the guy, if I had to pick one guy that I think has a chance to have a great season, I would say Ruke. He is ready. He is ready to be the guy.”

Venables and Bresee both mentioned how much big, stronger and faster Mascoll is and how he is really standing out in camp, while safety Lannden Zanders thinks Reuben has been the most improved player on the defensive front.

“[Kevin] Swint, he would probably be the other most improved, especially because he moved to a new position,” Swinney said.

In the spring, Swint moved from linebacker to defensive end.

“He is a great football player,” Swinney said. “Then you throw in Regan Upshaw, who is just a problem. I know we don’t talk about Regan Upshaw a lot, but that dude, if you line up on him and you are not ready to practice, he is going to kill you.

“This guy is really a good, tough, hard-nosed football player. We just have a very veteran group. That defensive line is special.”

Clemson’s head coach says all of his safeties have improved too, but Orhorhoro has made big strides in camp. Swinney has also liked what he has seen from Foster, who has returned to football after initially retiring following issues with COVID-19 last fall that kept him sideline and wondering if he would ever play football again.

“He looks great. He is doing everything,” Swinney said. “He had just had a little test that first day, so we held him because he literally had something stuck down his throat. But he has done everything and is doing great.

“We will probably keep him on a little bit of pitch count, but it is kind of easy to do that when you have five guys that have started there at that position. Then you have Swint. So, we are in a good spot there. But he does everything and looks great, but we don’t need him to have to play fifty snaps. We don’t need him to have to play two series in a row. We are very fortunate with the type of depth we have.”

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