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It is Game Day, as No. 9 Clemson travels to Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina to take on NC State. Clemson Ring of Honor Member and former linebacker Levon Kirkland and myself break down this big game for the Tigers. Can the offense …
It is Game Day, as No. 9 Clemson travels to Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina to take on NC State. Clemson Ring of Honor Member and former linebacker Levon Kirkland and myself break down this big game for the Tigers.
Can the offense finally get things going, and who will win this key ACC Atlantic Division Showdown? They also have interviews with Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, center Matt Bockhorst and defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
Clemson’s offensive struggles have been well-documented through three games. Part of the issue has been inconsistency in a running game that ranks 93rd out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams (134 yards per game). Fixing that, Clemson coach Dabo …
Clemson’s offensive struggles have been well-documented through three games. Part of the issue has been inconsistency in a running game that ranks 93rd out of 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams (134 yards per game).
Fixing that, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said, starts with the offensive line giving itself and the Tigers’ backs a chance with better communication up front.
“We’ve got too many guys that should be blocked unblocked,” Swinney said. “It’s one thing to get beat on a block. It’s another thing when we’re not targeted properly because we didn’t communicate, somebody didn’t get the point and we’re working to the wrong (line)backer or whatever. Just cleaning up our communication is the main thing.”
Chemistry and cohesion among the retooled unit has been a work in progress since fall camp. Clemson has two first-year starters on the line, including true freshman Marcus Tate at left guard. And of the three starting linemen back from last season, two of them — center Matt Bockhorst and left tackle Jordan McFadden — are playing new positions.
Swinney has never questioned the line’s effort, but breakdowns in fundamentals and technique up front have been too frequent. Against a Georgia Tech defense that routinely devoted more defenders to coverage than run support, Clemson ran the ball a season-high 41 times. It was effective in spurts (Will Shipley and quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei averaged better than 4 yards per carry), but the Tigers only averaged 3.9 yards per attempt.
Clemson has netted just 160 rushing yards against its first two FBS opponents, which includes Georgia, the nation’s stiffest run defense the last two seasons.
Swinney said it was “just not fair” to Tate at times given the freshman’s lack of experience against a Tech that showed a completely different look than Clemson was expecting. Swinney didn’t allude to any changes among the starting five for Clemson’s game at North Carolina State on Saturday but reiterated he wants to get more linemen in the game after the starters logged all 66 snaps against Tech.
“We think we have eight guys that really deserve to play,” Swinney said. “That was a disappointment from the other night.”
As for the communication, Clemson has almost gone overboard in trying to get the team adequately prepared for its first true road game of the season. The Tigers amped up the volume and piped in artificial crowd noise during Wednesday’s indoor practice to mimic the environment that will accompany their trip to Carter Finley Stadium.
“My ears are still ringing,” Swinney said after the practice. “We try to make it unrealistic because if you can function in practice with the type of noise that we pipe in here for practice and being inside, if we can function that way, then we’ll be fine on game day.”
Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!
It’s been said over and over again, but Georgia Tech showed Clemson a bunch of looks that the Tigers weren’t expecting. Clemson had to adjust. But, it’s easier said than done for veteran offensive linemen, who’ve been there, done that. Not so much …
It’s been said over and over again, but Georgia Tech showed Clemson a bunch of looks that the Tigers weren’t expecting.
Clemson had to adjust.
But, it’s easier said than done for veteran offensive linemen, who’ve been there, done that. Not so much for a true freshman experiencing the first conference matchup of his collegiate career.
That was apparent last Saturday for Marcus Tate, who struggled to deal with Georgia Tech’s interior front during Clemson’s 14-8 win over the Yellow Jackets.
On Monday, Tate’s teammates and coaches came to his defense. The Tigers touted their offensive line depth coming out of fall camp, but they haven’t exactly had the opportunities to utilize it, which left Tate in a sink or swim situation Saturday.
“In fairness to Marcus, that’s tough on a freshman,” Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. “You go in, you prepare all week and then you get into the game and you’re looking at something that you hadn’t seen. We’re on the sideline, we’re able to make adjustments with some of the older guys, so it was a little bit tough on him. We got to help him with trying to find some more depth at that left guard position to help him in some situations.”
Matt Bockhorst, who was fiery as can be on Saturday and then peeled back the curtain a bit further Monday, echoed Eliott’s sentiment.
“Obviously, Marcus Tate is in there as a true freshman,” Bockhorst said. “He’s a young guy, he’s got a lot to learn. He’s gonna be a very good player and you know what? I’m not sure many other true freshmen could do what he’s doing, regardless of the mistakes he’s making.”
Jordan McFadden was asked about how hard it is for a true freshman like Tate to be thrust into the fire in a big conference matchup like that.
“It’s absolutely tough for him,” McFadden said. “Being a freshman, being in that position in a big game. It’s definitely gotta be stressful, it’s gotta be hard. I’m super confident in him. He puts in the work. He’s out here asking questions, he’s watching film on his own, watching film with me, different things like that. As challenging as it is for him, I know that he cares so much, that’s he trying to learn, grow and get better.”
Bockhorst was asked about his view of the collective offensive line coming into the season and why things may not be going the way they want. The effort is there, but there are minute details, like communication that just haven’t been there, when the Tigers need it to be.
It’s worth mentioning that both Bockhorst and McFadden have changed positions since last season, going from left guard to center and right tackle to left tackle, respectively. Tate is obviously in there as a true freshman, while Will Putnam and Walker Parks have experience, but not as vast as the other veterans on the line.
“First off, you have a lot of guys at different positions, myself included,” Bockhorst said. “You got a true freshman there at left guard, who is gonna be a great player like I said. Marcus is gonna be a very, very good player. There’s just a lot of things to learn as a true freshman. To go and play offensive line as a true freshman is really, really hard.”
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As Clemson’s first game against Georgia grew closer in late August, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney expressed optimism about the depth being built along the Tigers’ offensive line. There were nine – and as many as 10 – linemen Swinney said he’d be …
As Clemson’s first game against Georgia grew closer in late August, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney expressed optimism about the depth being built along the Tigers’ offensive line. There were nine — and as many as 10 — linemen Swinney said he’d be comfortable playing if Clemson had to play a game then.
Fast forward three games into Clemson’s season, and those words haven’t exactly translated onto the field.
The Tigers have played more than 10 offensive linemen in a game, but the only time the count has been that high was their 49-3 rout of FCS member South Carolina State when the lopsided score allowed Clemson to empty its bench. Clemson played just six linemen in that opener against Georgia. And in the Tigers’ great escape against Georgia Tech over the weekend, the starting five logged all 66 offensive snaps.
“Yeah, we’ve got to play more guys,” Swinney said this week.
Some of the depth up front has taken a hit with three backup linemen already done for the season. Tayquon Johnson, John Williams and freshman Dietrick Pennington have all sustained season-ending injuries, but the bulk of Clemson’s top nine up front remains intact.
Hunter Rayburn and Mason Trotter competed throughout camp for the starting center job along with Matt Bockhorst, who slid over from left guard after winning out. Swinney said Rayburn and Trotter were capable of playing guard if that competition didn’t go their way.
But Trotter is dealing with an injury of his own. A broken hand means the sophomore is limited to repping at guard for the time being, but Rayburn is the only one of the two that’s gotten game reps to this point. Paul Tchio, the only lineman outside of the starting five that got in against Georgia, has seen the most playing time of any backup as freshman Marcus Tate’s backup at left guard, though that’s not saying much.
The same could be said for the tackle spots, where Mitchell Mayes and freshman Tristan Leigh have only spared Jordan McFadden and Walker Parks during the S.C. State game. Swinney said he planned on playing more linemen against Tech, but the competitiveness of the game didn’t provide many opportunities to do so.
Still, Swinney said it’s on the coaching staff to find spots to rotate more linemen.
“Being able to get (Trotter) in there some,” Swinney said. “We need to get Rayburn going. Give them some more opportunity and let them see what they can do in some game situations.”
McFadden shared his coach’s sentiment. While Clemson’s senior left tackle said he likes the challenge of playing every snap, he added he has confidence in the depth behind the starting five to perform well. He also acknowledged there’s no better way for some of the younger linemen to develop while simultaneously giving the starters a breather than to get in-game experience.
“The only way to grow is you make mistakes. You have to learn from them,” McFadden said. “So I think once they get in, they’ll see the film and see areas they need to improve. And I think they’ll get better.”
While right guard Will Putnam is the only starter back up front playing the same position he did last season, offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said the group’s collective performance during camp gave the coaching staff hope that it would be further along in its development than it is through three games. But it’s clear there’s plenty of work still to do.
While the group hasn’t allowed a sack since Georgia racked up seven in Week 1, technical breakdowns and missed assignments are still issues at times, particularly in the running game. With their backs not having much room to operate, the Tigers’ 4.02 yards per rush are the fourth-fewest in the ACC.
The bond up front is a work in progress regardless of who’s doing the blocking.
“It’s just taking a little bit of time for the cohesion and chemistry of those guys to come together,” Elliott said. “In the past, we’ve had it happen quickly, but this is a situation where it’s taking a little bit of time. And, as coaches, we’ve got to do a good job of just trying to help them week in and week out as they kind of find their rhythm and cohesion together as a unit of five.”
Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!
Matt Bockhorst came into Monday’s media availability with reporters clearly frustrated. There’s no question that Bockhorst is Clemson’s leader upfront. His voice is one that often rings the loudest within the confines of the Tigers’ locker room. He …
Matt Bockhorst came into Monday’s media availability with reporters clearly frustrated.
There’s no question that Bockhorst is Clemson’s leader upfront. His voice is one that often rings the loudest within the confines of the Tigers’ locker room. He also knows the standard that it takes to win and right now, Clemson’s offense isn’t reaching that standard.
During Saturday’s battle in the trenches, Bockhorst pulled back the curtain on his fiery side. He played with intense passion and effort in Clemson’s 14-8 win over Georgia Tech Saturday because this season, at least to him, means more than ever.
“We only scored seven points in the first half,” Bockhorst said in response to a question about why he was so fired up Saturday. “This offense has traditionally done a lot better than that. So, I know that there’s a standard here. There’s a standard that’s been set by the guys before us. We owe something to that standard. I’m not gonna relent on that and I’m not gonna let those guys down because I know what they gave. The guys that came before us, I know what they sacrificed. I know what that looks like. I’m gonna bring out of everybody some way.”
From a leadership standpoint, Bockhorst believes that there’s a time and place for everything.
Because there’s so much going on during the course of a game, It’s hard to realize what truly transpired for 60 minutes, until they have a chance to turn on the tape.
“It’s funny because a lot of people have opinions on things, but they really don’t look at the tape,” he said. “They just have an emotional reaction about what they perceive to be what happened during the play. But, on Sunday, we take a chance to take a look at the tape, to correct the things that need to be corrected and come back in here on Monday, evaluate that and we close the book and move forward.
“I’ll tell you if you look at the tape, it’s really not that bad, but I think everyone’s got this preconceived notion that the offense is falling apart, that Coach Elliott needs to go and that D.J. isn’t this and isn’t that. Those things are wrong. We know that here. We just have to keep doing what we need to do and continue to improve and we’ll be just fine.”
Bockhorst realizes that the narrative is going to be what it is.
He can’t change that and as an offensive lineman, he’s learned how to deal with the criticism and tune out the outside noise. Still, Bockhorst realizes that Clemson can’t continue to leave points on the field and eke out wins against tougher conference opponents
“At the end of the day, we’re here to get an education and win football games,” he added. “We’re winning, yes, but, we’re cutting it close. There’s a standard like I said, that has been set and needs to be met. So, when we come and talk about execution, football, it’s a game of execution. The scheme can only take you so far. We need to finish drives. We need to get on the same page, get all the young guys on the same page. Make sure receivers are getting the signals. Everything, all of the little details it takes to be successful as an offense, that’s what we need to do.”
Speaking of criticism, it’s Bockhorst’s quarterback, who has received the bulk of it through Clemson’s first three games.
Bockhorst acknowledged that everyone’s human, even D.J. Uiagalelei. Despite what people may otherwise think, Clemson’s offense isn’t totally immune from making mistakes.
“That kid’s come in here and worked harder than anybody else,” Bockhorst said of Uiagalelei. “His dedication and commitment and drive are unmatched. I know that [the critics] see maybe a missed throw, I know that there’s throws from Saturday that D.J. wants back, but D.J.’s improving and he’s a proven leader. We have faith in D.J. I’ll ride with 5 until it’s over. I don’t care.
“If he’s not doing as well as they think he should, then so be it. But, I know that myself and the other guys around him, we got all the confidence in the world in him.”
He has that same level of confidence in the guys around him.
“I’m taking the guys around me and we’re going,” he said.
Earlier Monday, Tony Elliott said that he expects other teams going forward to mimic Georgia Tech’s defensive approach, which helped limit Clemson to just 14 points on Saturday. Bockhorst welcomed other ACC teams to try and do the same.
“If the rest of the ACC wants to come out and play an odd front with two-cloud coverage, then let’s spot the ball and play because we’re ready for it,” Bockhorst said.
Behind Bockhorst and Co. on Saturday, Clemson rushed the ball for 158 yards. And with that, Bockhorst delivered a warning to the rest of the conference.
“We did it all day Saturday and we’ll do it again, so buckle it up tight,” he added.
Through and through, Bockhorst is the bonafide leader of this team. He’s been here since 2017 and he’s deeply embedded into this program. The bottom line is, he’s going to be himself because that’s all he knows.
“Each person has their own style and not everyone’s gonna be like me. and that’s a good thing,” he said. “You don’t need a bunch of people hootin’ and hollerin’ and making a scene. That’s my style. That’s the way I play the game. That’s the way I’ve always played the game. As an offensive lineman, I feel like you have to bring that because putting your hand in the dirt and run blocking somebody for 50 plays is not fun, but that’s what your job is. That’s what you signed up for. If you don’t bring the fire, then I don’t know how you’re gonna get through that.”
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Clemson center Matt Bockhorst isn’t one to hide his emotions. Instead, he wears them on his sleeve, and he did just that this past Saturday during the Tigers’ 14-8 win over Georgia Tech at Death Valley. The fifth-year senior said during his media …
Clemson center Matt Bockhorst isn’t one to hide his emotions. Instead, he wears them on his sleeve, and he did just that this past Saturday during the Tigers’ 14-8 win over Georgia Tech at Death Valley.
The fifth-year senior said during his media availability Monday that he was fired up on Saturday because he was upset Clemson only scored seven points in the first half and knows the Tigers’ standard is much higher than that.
“It’s an emotional game. I’m an emotional guy,” Bockhorst said. “I try to play the game the right way and play with fire. At the end of the day, everyone’s got a job to do, and you’ve got to be held accountable when you don’t do your job. If I don’t do my job, I’m held accountable, and same goes for everyone else. It is what it is, and whatever it takes to get that fire out of everybody, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
In his final season at Clemson, Bockhorst isn’t worried about hurting anybody’s feelings.
Rather, he is more concerned about being a leader and pushing his teammates to be the best they can be for the good of the team as a whole.
“For me, it’s kind of a burn-the-boats mentality,” he said. “You know what, at this point, there’s no going back. This is my last year, my last go-round, and I’m going to do what I have to do to get it out of everybody. It’s not about making friends, it’s about winning games.”
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Clemson’s offensive line had a rough go of it in the Tigers’ season-opening loss to Georgia, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney praised the performance of one of his veterans up front. After plenty of speculation during the preseason, Matt Bockhorst’s …
Clemson’s offensive line had a rough go of it in the Tigers’ season-opening loss to Georgia, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney praised the performance of one of his veterans up front.
After plenty of speculation during the preseason, Matt Bockhorst’s move to center became official Saturday. It was the first career start at the position for the fifth-year senior, who started every game at left guard last season.
“He actually did a pretty good job,” Swinney said. “I was fairly pleased with him, his effort and his knowledge. First time really playing that many snaps at center and live reps there. In an incredibly difficult matchup, I thought he did a solid job.”
Bockhorst, who played all 60 of Clemson’s snaps, began repping at center in the spring along with Mason Trotter, Hunter Rayburn and Trent Howard following the departure of Cade Stewart, the starter there last season. Bockhorst nor coaches never said during fall camp whether he’d be starting at center for the first game, but with Bockhorst getting more and more reps there with the first-team offense as the preseason went on, the writing was seemingly on the wall.
Bockhorst and the rest of the line had few answers for Georgia’s prolific defensive front seven. Clemson only netted 2 rushing yards, and quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was sacked seven times, tied for the most allowed by Clemson since the program began officially keeping the stat in 1981.
Swinney said Bockhorst had one bad snap. But all things considered, Swinney liked what he saw from Bockhorst in handling all facets that come with playing his new position.
The coaching staff’s plan, Swinney said, is to keep Bockhorst at center for now. Trotter wasn’t available to play Saturday for undisclosed reasons, and his status going forward is unclear.
“He was not bad,” Swinney said. “Definitely got to get better, but I thought he did a nice job.”
Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!
It’s not uncommon for Power Five teams to ease into their schedule with an opponent or two they know they can physically overwhelm. And while that usually guarantees wins early on, beating inferior opponents by four or five touchdowns doesn’t …
It’s not uncommon for Power Five teams to ease into their schedule with an opponent or two they know they can physically overwhelm. And while that usually guarantees wins early on, beating inferior opponents by four or five touchdowns doesn’t exactly give the victors the most accurate assessment of where they are in terms of their strengths and weaknesses.
Clemson doesn’t have to worry about that this season.
“This could be a possible playoff matchup down the road,” Clemson guard Will Putnam said.
Clemson and Georgia both have those aspirations, and one of them will get an immediate boost to their College Football Playoff resume when they meet Saturday in the marquee matchup of college football’s opening weekend. With the Tigers having made six straight trips to the CFP and Georgia having made two CFP appearances under Kirby Smart, the matchup of preseason top-5 teams could pit the best collection of talent and athleticism that either team will see all season against each other off the rip.
“I think it’s no-nonsense,” fellow offensive lineman Matt Bockhorst said. “Let’s spot the ball and play. I don’t like having a false sense of security and then getting exposed. Let’s just spot the ball and play, and let’s see if we’re about it.”
Clemson’s offense is ushering in a new era with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, the ACC’s all-time leading rusher, off to the NFL. Yet quarterback D.J. Uiagalalei is already generating buzz as a Heisman Trophy candidate after excelling in the two spot starts he made as a true freshman last season against Boston College and Notre Dame.
Meanwhile, J.T. Daniels is set to take over behind center at Georgia on a full-time basis for the first time after transferring from Southern Cal following the 2019 season. A former five-star recruit himself, Daniels was the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback for the last four games last season and threw for more than 400 yards in Georgia’s Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati.
But perhaps the biggest reason expectations are still high for both teams heading into the new season is the opposition that each offense goes up against in practice each day. Clemson, which has all but one regular starter back on defense, is led by one of the deepest, most experienced defensive lines in the country, which includes All-America candidate Bryan Bresee in the middle. Georgia also has a wealth of experience on defense headlined by an All-America candidate of its own at nose tackle, senior Jordan Davis.
Some of the matchups within the matchup? Clemson’s top-25 passing attack from a season ago against Georgia’s 88th-ranked pass defense. Clemson’s 15th-ranked run defense against the Bulldogs’ 56th-ranked rush offense (which has its top three running backs returning in Zamir White, James Cook and Kendall Milton). And Clemson’s 75th-ranked rush offense against a Georgia run defense that’s been the best in the country the last two seasons.
“This is a playoff-caliber game, 100%,” linebacker Baylon Spector said. “And I think that’s what makes it so exciting for the first game of the year.”
As for the playoff chances for the loser, recent history has shown they won’t completely evaporate. Just last season, Clemson lost to Notre Dame during the regular season before getting into the playoff as a one-loss ACC champion. Georgia was blown out at Auburn in 2017 but still won the SEC title that season and advanced to the CFP championship game.
The margin of error, though, would decrease dramatically, particularly if it’s the Tigers who come up on the short end. Unless one of Clemson’s ACC opponents — say an N.C. State, Pittsburgh or Boston College — cracks the top 25 by the time those games roll around, the Tigers won’t play another ranked team until a potential ACC championship game matchup.
Who knows? Maybe these teams will meet again in four months. Regardless of the outcome of this one, though, Clemson is guaranteed to have a pretty good gauge of what’s going well and where it needs to improve on its quest to get back to the CFP once again.
“Everything is going to be put to the test,” Putnam said. “This is a heavyweight matchup. Some people might be kind of timid and kind of looking at this like, man, we’re coming out of the gate against a really good team. But I do think I can speak for everyone else in that we’re genuinely very excited to play a great opponent coming out of the gate because we’ll know kind of what we’re made of.
Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!
Inconsistencies across the offensive line culminated in a disappointing end to Clemson’s 2020 campaign. Heading into the 2021 season, while the offensive line isn’t a position of concern, it’s certainly a group worth monitoring as the season …
Inconsistencies across the offensive line culminated in a disappointing end to Clemson’s 2020 campaign.
Heading into the 2021 season, while the offensive line isn’t a position of concern, it’s certainly a group worth monitoring as the season progresses.
Even before the start of the season, Dabo Swinney and Co. have been adamant about finding the best five players across the board. That’s seen players like Matt Bockhorst cross-train at multiple positions throughout spring practice and the duration of fall camp.
Bockhorst started all 12 games for the Tigers last season, seeing a lion-share of his 753 snaps at left guard. Now, the fifth-year senior could be snapping the ball to D.J. Uiagalelei come Sept. 4 against Georgia.
Speaking with reporters during Thursday’s media availability, Swinney agreed that it was “absolutely” beneficial for Bockhorst’s draft stock and the team for him to make the transition to center.
Though, he was merely echoing the same sentiments that Bockhorst made on Tuesday, during his session with reporters.
Swinney acknowledged that Clemson has had Bockhorst do a lot of snapping over the past three years, the Tigers just haven’t played him a ton at the. center position.
“He’s worked it forever,” Swinney said. “There’s a lot of guys that have done that, but there’s no doubt for him, to be able to demonstrate because he’s going to have to play center and guard. For him to demonstrate that he can do that, it’ll definitely benefit him because now you’re a three-position guy, instead of just a guard. He’s certainly got the mentality. He’s got the intelligence that you need. He’ll play both (guard and center) throughout the season for sure.”
Swinney was then asked about Clemson’s offensive line depth, which has also been a storyline worth monitoring. Reserve offensive lineman Tayquon Johnson underwent surgery earlier this month after tearing his pectoral muscle, additionally, Swinney announced that John Williams will be out for the season after also undergoing surgery.
Even with that, Swinney’s seemingly confident in the group Clemson will head into the season with.
“I think we have nine guys today that I feel good about,” he said. “I think we’re very functional, I think we’re there at 10-11.”
Swinney said that the Tigers have a No. 10 guy that’s right there. He’s not quite ready for where they want him to be for the Georgia game, but he’s right there. Swinney added that the No. 11 guy is also “pretty close too.”
He reiterated that he feels “pretty good” about the depth of the group heading into next Saturday’s matchup against Georgia.
Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!
When Clemson and Georgia kick off the season a week from Saturday, it is a game that will be won in the trenches. Yes, that sounds cliché, but in this top 5 matchup, it has never been truer. The fifth-ranked Bulldogs have what is arguably one of the …
When Clemson and Georgia kick off the season a week from Saturday, it is a game that will be won in the trenches.
Yes, that sounds cliché, but in this top 5 matchup, it has never been truer. The fifth-ranked Bulldogs have what is arguably one of the best offensive and defensive line combos in the SEC.
Though the offensive line is a question mark for No. 3 Clemson, the defensive line is considered to be the best in all of college football. So, it is safe to say this will be one of the more physical games this season.
Heading into the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, most wonder if the Tigers can handle Georgia’s defensive front, especially nose tackle Jordan Davis. The 6-foot-6, 330-pound senior is projected to be an All-American and can really cause havoc up front.
Davis will team up with fellow senior Devonte Wyatt. He is just a small guy at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney says Georgia’s defensive line is the strength of their defense, much like his defense, as he pointed out the Bulldogs have led the nation in rushing defense in each of the last two seasons.
The opposition averaged just 72.3 yards per game in 2020 and 2.39 yards per carry, which also ranked first nationally.
On the other side, Clemson has a new starter at left tackle, right tackle and center. Jordan McFadden, who started all last year at right tackle, will get the start at left, while sophomore Walker Parks is the new guy at right tackle.
Who the starting center will be is still in question?
Though Swinney will not say it, it appears Matt Bockhorst might be the guy after moving over from left guard. If Bockhorst is the new center, then it means the Tigers will have a new left guard, as well. Freshman Marcus Tate appears to be the likely candidate there.
Going up against a Georgia defensive front that has three seniors and a junior, is going to be a tall task for what looks like a patch-work offensive line for Clemson.
The good news for the Tigers’ new line is the fact they have been going against their own defensive front the last three weeks, so they will be ready for the physicality Davis and company are going to bring.
“Going against the defense we have, we get to go against really good players,” Bockhorst said. “So, it is really nice to be challenged in that fashion early on, so we are not rolling out there against Georgia and kind of having our hands full because we have never seen someone of that caliber.”
Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!
