In advance of Clemson’s matchup with Notre Dame in the College Football Semifinal, here are three keys that should give the Tigers an advantage in the Cotton Bowl.
1. Contain the edge
Notre Dame running back Dexter Williams has been one of the major influences in Notre Dame’s success this season. He stands at just under 1,000 rushing yards for the season at 941 with 12 touchdowns to go along with it. If Williams has a good day, the Fighting Irish will believe they have a shot at winning the game.
The most important thing to know when trying to stop Williams is that he excels at getting to the edge of the line of scrimmage and taking off down the sidelines.
Obviously the absence of Dexter Lawrence due to suspension will be felt throughout the game, but veteran defensive tackle Christian Wilkins should be more than capable of picking up a heavier workload on the interior of the defensive line. The players who will really need to bring their A-games will be defensive ends Austin Bryant and Clelin Ferrell.
Ferrell is in the middle of one of the most outstanding seasons that a Clemson edge rusher has ever enjoyed and is projected to be a top prospect in the upcoming NFL draft. Similarly, Austin Bryant combines freakish athletic ability into a 6-foot-6, 280 pound body. As long as the two stay healthy and play to their talents, Clemson should be able to neutralize one of Notre Dame’s most effective weapons.
2. Defend the middle of the field
While the first step in stopping the Fighting Irish’s offense should be to neutralize the run, the Tigers cannot afford to give up big plays over the middle of the field on defense.
The defensive secondary looked comparable to the lockdown units of yesteryear against teams like Boston College, Duke and even the aerial attack of NC State. However, the group has also had some horrendous performances, specifically against Texas A&M in the second game of the season and against South Carolina in the last game of the regular season.
While the South Carolina game may have spooked some observers, the Tigers had a signature performance the following week in the ACC Championship when they held Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett to just eight passing yards. The group has the talent to shutdown any offense they matchup with and playing in the College Football Playoffs should be enough of a spark that the players perform to their full potential.
In the games against Texas A&M and South Carolina, the achilles heel of the defense was over the middle of the field. Kellen Mond and Jake Bentley were allowed to stand in the pocket, look straight ahead, and sling the ball right over the middle to open receivers over and over again.
To combat this, defensive coordinator Brent Venables will have to get creative with how he uses his versatile defenders like safety Isaiah Simmons and linebacker Kendall Joseph. Both players are strong enough to contend on the line of scrimmage, yet they also have the quickness and anticipatory skills required to defend the pass.
3. Get Trevor Lawrence going early
Trevor Lawrence is already having the best freshman season that any Clemson quarterback has ever had, and is having one of the best freshman years of anyone ever. With how deep he can throw the ball, how fast he can air it out, and how accurately he can dial in passes, it gets very easy sometimes to forget that he’s only 19 years old.
In this game, likely the biggest one of his life thus far, it is imperative to get his confidence rolling early. There has been no sign so far that he is a player who can quickly get down on himself or that he lacks confidence in any way; but there have been several games this year in which Lawrence starts out slow and doesn’t really start to heat up until the second quarter or even the second half.
When you also take into account the layoff that these teams have had (the Tigers haven’t played in four weeks and the Irish haven’t played in over a month), it becomes even more apparent how important it is to get Lawrence in a rhythm right off the bat.
The offensive line will have their hands full against an exceptional Notre Dame defensive line. If they can buy Lawrence enough time for plays to develop and for Lawrence to go through his progressions, he should pick up right where he left off, tossing lasers to some of the most athletic wide receivers in the country.
