Tag: Tre Williams

Throwback Thursday: Razorbacks defeat Texas A&M to snap nine-game losing streak

Ahead of Arkansas’ rivalry game with Texas A&M, Razorbacks Wire flashes back to the 2021 game, where Arkansas ended a nine-game losing streak to the Aggies.

The No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks travel to Arlington, Texas this Saturday to face the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies for the annual Southwest Classic. In honor of the upcoming rivalry game, Razorbacks Wire is going to take a trip back in time to a classic game in the series.

Today’s rewind takes just one step back to the 2021 season, when Arkansas defeated the Aggies, 20-10. The win was important, as it would be Arkansas’ first win over Texas A&M since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012.

Looking back at the history of this rivalry, Arkansas has had a longstanding success over Texas A&M, as they boast a 42-33-3 record in the series. However, Texas A&M has dominated recent history. The Aggies entered the SEC in a surprising fashion by winning 11 games, which included an upset of Alabama, in 2012. Since then, Texas A&M has become bowl eligible every season.

While Texas A&M has enjoyed early success in this new era, Arkansas seems to be walking away from its “dark time”, as they enjoyed just three winning seasons from 2012-20.

Arkansas had no trouble with Texas A&M in 2021’s game, as they led 17-3 at halftime before a Cam Little 24-yard field goal in the 4th quarter sealed the win.

Quarterback [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] passed for 212 yards on seven completions, which included an 85-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver [autotag]Treylon Burks[/autotag]. [autotag]Bumper Pool[/autotag] led the team with eight tackles, and [autotag]Tre Williams[/autotag] recorded two sacks.

Here is a look back at the best images from last season’s 20-10 victory over Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Will Clemson’s defensive line be whole again against Wake Forest?

Clemson’s defense hasn’t looked like the dominant force many expected to see coming into the season, particularly considering the level of competition the Tigers have faced through three games. Clemson also hasn’t played any of those games at full …

Clemson’s defense hasn’t looked like the dominant force many expected to see coming into the season, particularly considering the level of competition the Tigers have faced through three games.

Clemson also hasn’t played any of those games at full strength up front.

Will that change in time for what will easily be the Tigers’ stiffest test of the season Saturday when they travel to take on No. 21 Wake Forest in an early Atlantic Division showdown? 

The answer is still to be determined, though Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said his team is in a “much better place” from an injury standpoint going into the weekend. The Tigers’ defensive line, widely viewed as arguably the best in college football leading up to the season, has been hit with its share of attrition already.

The patchwork group held its own against FCS foe Furman and, most recently, Louisiana Tech. The Tigers still rank in the top 12 nationally in rush defense and tackles for loss but have just five sacks so far. That ranks in the bottom half of the FBS.

Defensive end K.J. Henry, who’s starting in the place of the injured Xavier Thomas for the time being, said the line is capable of taking its game to another level when intact.

“The sky is the limit for when everybody is healthy,” Henry said. “Now that being said, the game we play, I don’t know if we’ll get everybody healthy, especially not 100%. Ain’t nobody going to be 100%. But as we start to get guys matriculating back in, we’re just going to keep getting better and better.”

The good news for the group is star defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is expected to return to the lineup Saturday after missing the Louisiana Tech game following the recent passing of his sister. But Clemson played last week without two other starters up front in Thomas (foot) and Tyler Davis (undisclosed).

The Tigers were also without a third defensive tackle in Tre Williams, who was held out with a knee injury. Davis, Bresee’s running mate on the interior, has missed the last two games while Thomas has yet to play this season after sustaining his injury during the latter part of preseason camp, though they could be back sooner rather than later.

While Swinney kept things close to the vest when asked Wednesday about the status of the Tigers’ injured players, he said last week that Davis probably could have played against Louisiana Tech if he was needed, an indication Davis may have simply been held out again as a precaution. As for Thomas, Swinney reiterated the senior edge defender is close to returning and cracked a smile when asked specifically if Thomas will be available for Saturday’s game.

“Maybe,” Swinney said. “I’m hopeful.”

In the meantime, Clemson has gotten a closer look at some of its linemen further down the depth chart who have helped fill in. Kevin Swint, a former linebacker who averaged less than eight snaps a game in his first two seasons with the Tigers, has 11 tackles and a fumble recovery as part of the rotation at end with Henry, Myles Murphy and Justin Mascoll. On the interior, sophomore Payton Page logged a season-high 23 snaps last week. Third-year sophomore DeMonte Capehart, who played just 20 snaps all of last season, got in for 17 snaps.

Co-defensive coordinator Mickey Conn said being able to build the kind of depth Clemson is going to need over the course of the season is a silver lining to all the attrition. But now would be a good time for the Tigers to start getting some of their frontline guys back if they want to maximize their chances of disrupting what’s been one of the ACC’s most prolific offenses to this point.

Wake Forest is bringing the league’s second-highest scoring offense and second-best passing offense into Saturday’s matchup.

“When you play hopefully a 15-game season, you’ve got to build that depth. You’ve got to build that confidence,” Conn said. “I’m excited we got to do it here early, but it’ll be great to get (our starting linemen) back. I’m excited about that.”

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The good, the bad and the ugly from Clemson’s win over Louisiana Tech

Clemson overcame a sluggish start to pull away from Louisiana Tech for its latest win late Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. The victory moved the Tigers to 3-0 with their first ACC road test looming against Wake Forest next weekend. Here’s the …

Clemson overcame a sluggish start to pull away from Louisiana Tech for its latest win late Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. The victory moved the Tigers to 3-0 with their first ACC road test looming against Wake Forest next weekend.

Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from the Tigers’ 48-20 victory:

The good

Clemson has been nearly unbeatable when rushing for at least 200 yards during Dabo Swinney’s tenure. Until Saturday, though, the Tigers had not been able to add to their impressive record when pulling off that feat this season.

Clemson’s ground game put it all together against Tech as the Tigers rushed for a season-high 280 yards, improving their record under Swinney to 73-1 when reaching the 200-yard mark. At the center of it was Will Shipley once Clemson started feeding him the ball with more regularity (more on that later).

With Tech opting to play man defense for much of the night, Clemson’s offensive line blocked things up well in the box and seemed to get more consistent push, creating plenty of running lanes for Shipley and company. Shipley rushed for a career-high 139 yards and two scores on just 12 carries. 

Clemson kept its perfect red-zone scoring percentage intact by coming away with points on all six of their trips inside the Bulldogs’ 20-yard line, continuing a strong start to the season in terms of Clemson’s execution near the goal line. The Tigers found the end zone on each of their final three red-zone trips after having to settle for field goals on two of their first three. Clemson is one of just two teams nationally (Michigan) that’s had at least 19 red-zone possessions and scored on all of them.

And the offense got more help in the turnover department from the defense, which had four more takeaways. Clemson scored 21 points off those turnovers, which helped the Tigers pull away in the second half. Clemson, which also had its first turnover-free game of the season on offense, sits at plus-3 in turnover margin through three games.

The Tigers also blocked a field-goal attempt in the first half, running their tally to three blocked kicks on the season.

The bad

As explosive as Clemson’s offense was at times, the Tigers are still trying to put together a four-quarter game in the consistency department.

Clemson started fast the previous week against Furman but ended slow. It was the opposite Saturday when the Tigers mustered just 13 first-half points against what’s been one of the worst defenses in Conference USA this season. After putting together a 79-touchdown drive midway through the first quarter, Clemson punted on three of its final four possessions of the first half, accumulating just 26 yards on those drives.

Uiagalelei wasn’t as precise with his accuracy as he had been the week before, overthrowing a couple of shot plays early before finding a groove in the second half. He didn’t always get consistent help from his receivers. Joseph Ngata’s diving catch to set up the Tigers’ first touchdown followed by a drop on a well-placed ball later in the first half was a prime example.

Defensively, Clemson’s back seven continues to struggle in coverage. A week earlier, it was Furman’s quick passing game and screens that gave the Tigers fits. Tech’s Air-Raid offense went vertical more often than not, either burning the Tigers’ man coverage or finding soft spots in a zone. Tech quarterback Parker McNeil needed just 23 completions to throw for 311 yards, an average of nearly 14 yards per completion.

Clemson’s defense wasn’t all that disruptive up front with just one sack on more than 40 pass attempts and seven tackles for loss, though the Tigers were playing without a handful of significant contributors on that side of the ball.

The ugly

While the offense struggled to find its overall footing early, Shipley ripped off 20 yards on his first run. He later scored on a 2-yard plunge. Yet despite averaging 7 yards on his five carries in the first quarter, Shipley didn’t get another carry for the rest of the first half.

In a perplexing move, Clemson went away from Shipley and the running game for most of the second quarter despite averaging 6.6 yards a carry as a team through the first 15 minutes, a decision offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter acknowledged afterward was made too quickly.

The Tigers opted to throw a bunch of 50-50 balls to receivers instead trying to take advantage of those one-on-one matchups on the perimeter, but Uiagalelei completed just 5 of 12 passes during a second quarter that saw Clemson muster just 79 total yards. When Streeter went back to the running game with more regularity in the second half – Clemson ran it 25 times in the final two quarters to just 14 times in the first half – the Tigers averaged 7.7 yards on the ground.

Meanwhile, injuries keep mounting. While defensive linemen Tyler Davis (undisclosed) and Xavier Thomas (foot) were held another week as a precaution, fellow defensive lineman Tre Williams (knee), safety Andrew Mukuba (elbow) and cornerback Nate Wiggins (hip flexor) also didn’t play. Starting corner Sheridan Jones got banged up during the game and was unable to finish.

Swinney said he’s not worried about any of those injuries long term. But for a team that was ravaged by injuries early and often a season ago, it’s a situation worth monitoring.

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Swinney gives injury updates following Louisiana Tech game

During his postgame press conference following Clemson’s 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday night at Death Valley, head coach Dabo Swinney was asked how confident he is that the Tigers’ injured players will be back for next Saturday’s game at …

During his postgame press conference following Clemson’s 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech on Saturday night at Death Valley, head coach Dabo Swinney was asked how confident he is that the Tigers’ injured players will be back for next Saturday’s game at Wake Forest.

“I don’t know, we’ll see,” he said. “I feel good about some of them. There might be a couple of them maybe all the way down to game time, I don’t know. But they’ll be close.”

“Nobody that’s got any type of long-term, serious injury that’s going to make them miss a lot of time,” Swinney added. “Just kind of some normal football stuff.”

Among the players who didn’t play in Saturday night’s game were defensive tackles Tyler Davis and Tre Williams, defensive end Xavier Thomas and cornerback Nate Wiggins.

“Tre, just nursing that knee a little bit,” Swinney said. “He was a little sore on it, so we decided to hold him. I think he’ll be ready to go.

“Tyler probably could’ve played tonight, so hopefully we’ll have him rolling. We’ll see where XT is as well. Nate had a little hip flexor. So, just some football stuff. Nothing that’s long-term or anything like that. Hopefully we can get some of these guys back and get back to full strength.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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For Swinney, Power Rangers aren’t the comparison for Clemson’s Avengers

Clemson’s current defensive line is often compared to the group the Tigers had four years ago, and it’s easy to understand why. Much like the 2018 unit that helped lead Clemson to its most recent national championships, the headliners of what’s …

Clemson’s current defensive line is often compared to the group the Tigers had four years ago, and it’s easy to understand why.

Much like the 2018 unit that helped lead Clemson to its most recent national championships, the headliners of what’s expected to be another suffocating defense this season reside up front. Star defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and end Myles Murphy are projected first-round picks while Clemson’s entire starting front four, which includes Tyler Davis and Xavier Thomas, could be drafted the way Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and Austin Bryant all were in 2019. Even the group’s adopted superhero-themed moniker, The Avengers, was inspired by the Power Rangers nickname given to that 2018 group.

Yet that’s not the comparison that comes to mind for Dabo Swinney.

“On paper, it reminds me of our ‘14 defensive line,” Clemson’s veteran head coach said.

While his current defensive front may possess the same kind of front-line talent that the 2018 group did, Swinney said the two don’t share the same quality depth.

Clemson returned its entire two-deep up front from a defense that yielded the second-fewest points in the country last season. The Tigers have nine defensive linemen on their roster that have started at least one game. Of those, seven have started multiple games, including another projected draft pick in senior K.J. Henry, who will fill in opposite Murphy on the edge as Thomas works his way back from a foot injury that will sideline him for Clemson’s Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech if not longer.

“Everybody talks about ‘18, and that was a great group, but really very young behind (our starters),” Swinney said. “We got lucky, and you’ve got to have some luck to win a national championship. There’s so much that’s got to go into that. You’ve got to get a little luck along the way, and we were very, very fortunate that Christian, Dexter, Clelin and Austin played every game.

“And we had (defensive tackle) Albert (Huggins). We kind of had five guys, and if you really look at the roster, we were really young, very inexperienced and very unproven behind those guys. Those guys had to play a lot of snaps.”

With another senior end, Justin Mascoll, also part of the rotation at end as well as juniors Ruke Orhorhoro, Tre Williams and Etinosa Reuben on the interior, Swinney said the depth along the current defensive front is at a point where he doesn’t feel like there is “anybody that’s got to go play 60 snaps.” That’s why he said the makeup of this year’s line reminds him more of the 2014 group that had a comparable blend of talent and depth.

Future first-round picks Shaq Lawson and Vic Beasley manned the end sports then, but Kevin Dodd, Tavaris Barnes and Corey Crawford were also part of the rotation on the edge. Yet the Tigers may have been even deeper on the interior that season.

“You look at that (defensive) tackle group, DeShawn Williams, he’s on Year 8 with the (Denver) Broncos,” Swinney said. “Carlos Watkins, D.J. Reader, Grady Jarrett. I think Josh Watson was in the group.

“The only guy I knew was going to start was Grady, and it wasn’t because he was more talented than anybody. He just separated himself in every area. But at that spot, (former defensive tackles coach) Dan (Brooks) would grade them all through Tiger Walk and how he felt like they looked in pregame. And then he’d say, ‘All right, you run out there.’ I never even worried about who was playing.”

The 2014 line spearheaded what was statistically the nation’s best defense that season, so Swinney doesn’t want to get carried away with the comparison. At least not yet.

“I can’t mention this group in the same breath because they haven’t done anything,” Swinney said. “You don’t play it on paper, but it’s a talented group that has the opportunity to do something special this year if we can stay together.”

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

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Goodwin gives update on injured defensive lineman’s status

Clemson defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin today gave an update on an injured defensive lineman’s status. Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Tre Williams missed time last season and this spring with various injuries, including both shoulders that …

Clemson defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin today gave an update on an injured defensive lineman’s status.

Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Tre Williams missed time last season and this spring with various injuries, including both shoulders that were operated on this offseason.

Head coach Dabo Swinney said following practice on Aug. 9 that Williams sustained a knee injury in the weight room that would keep him sidelined for an unspecified amount of time.

Goodwin was asked today if he has any feel for when Williams might be back.

“He’s progressing right along, so hopefully sooner than later,” Goodwin said. “But I can tell you he’s at a really good spot and has done a tremendous job of rehabbing and putting in time in the training room, and hopefully get him back here soon.”

Williams enters 2022 with 17 tackles (5.0 for loss) and a sack over 257 snaps in 13 career games (one start).

In 2021, he battled through injuries to his foot and both shoulders to play 243 snaps over 11 games (one start) and finish the year credited with 13 tackles (4.0 for loss) and one sack.

Swinney updates injured lineman’s status

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney today updated one of the Tigers’ first significant injuries of preseason camp. Tre Williams missed time last season and this spring with various injuries, including both shoulders that were operated on this offseason. Less …

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney today updated one of the Tigers’ first significant injuries of preseason camp.

Tre Williams missed time last season and this spring with various injuries, including both shoulders that were operated on this offseason. Less than a week into camp, Swinney said the junior defensive tackle recently sustained a knee injury in the weight room that will keep him sidelined for an unspecified amount of time.

Swinney said following Wednesday’s practice that Williams recently had a scope to clean up his latest injury and that the operation went well. He added it’s not out of the question that Williams is ready for the Labor Day opener against Georgia Tech.

Clemson DT to miss time with injury

Clemson will be without Tré Williams for the next couple of weeks after the veteran defensive lineman suffered a lower-body injury in the weight room, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney confirmed while meeting with the media Monday evening. That could …

Clemson will be without Tré Williams for the next couple of weeks after the veteran defensive lineman suffered a lower-body injury in the weight room, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney confirmed while meeting with the media Monday evening.

That could jeopardize Williams’ status for Clemson’s season-opener against Georgia Tech on Sept. 5. Swinney doesn’t envision the injury, which requires a procedure, keeping Williams out long-term.

Williams, who was fully cleared to return to action in late June, dealt with numerous injuries a season ago, including both shoulders. Williams, one of the Tigers’ top backups at the position, still managed to play 11 games but also missed the spring after undergoing surgery.

In 13 career games, Williams has recorded 17 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack.

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Eason discusses Bresee’s health, challenge for interior defensive linemen

As Nick Eason sat down to begin his availability with the media Tuesday inside the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, the first question for Clemson’s first-year defensive tackles coach pointed at the health status of his position, particular star …

As Nick Eason sat down to begin his availability with the media Tuesday inside the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, the first question for Clemson’s first-year defensive tackles coach pointed at the health status of his position, particular star lineman Bryan Bresee.

Asked if Bresee and fellow defensive tackle Tre Williams are fully healthy with the start of fall camp just weeks away, Eason answered in the affirmative.

“We’re ready to rock and roll,” Eason said.

Eason’s comment applied to the position as a whole, but Bresee is the headliner coming off a major injury. Widely projected to be a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft, Bresee missed all of spring after recovering from ACL surgery that limited his sophomore season to just four games.

Meanwhile, Williams dealt with numerous injuries a season ago, including both shoulders. Williams, one of the Tigers’ top backups at the position, still managed to play 11 games but also missed the spring after undergoing surgery.

Eason said he’s challenged not only Bresee and Williams but all of the Tigers’ defensive tackles to train their bodies like professionals. With veteran Tyler Davis and Ruke Orhorhoro among those also in the fold, Eason knows the position doesn’t lack for players who could have the opportunity to play at the next level sooner rather than later.

“Brian and Tre have done a really tremendous job of taking care of their bodies this offseason,” Eason said. “That’s going to be a constant thing they’re going to have to continue to work on throughout the year. They’re going to have to learn to be pros before they become pros, but right now, they’ve got to be the best Clemson Tigers they can be for themselves.

“We’ve got to do a good job being proactive with our bodies and stretching and doing all the things to prevent injuries, which we’ve had a lot of them at the defensive line positioin in the past. So I’ve challenged (all of our linemen) to do that, and they’ve stepped up to the challenge thus far. They’ve just got to be consistent throughout the season.”

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Good news on the injury front for Clemson

Injuries had a significant impact on the Tigers last season. One player who battled injuries for much of the season is ready get after it when camp starts in just over a month. Clemson defensive tackle Tre Williams took to Twitter Tuesday to …

Injuries had a significant impact on the Tigers last season.  One player who battled injuries for much of the season is ready get after it when camp starts in just over a month.

Clemson defensive tackle Tre Williams took to Twitter Tuesday to announce that he has been cleared to return to action for the Tigers.

Williams battled through foot and shoulder injuries last season and had his second surgery in January.  He has played in 13 games with 17 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack.