Blue and Gold Illustrated

Nov 4, 2022

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 5, 2022 35 GAME PREVIEW: CLEMSON Carolina State and Boston College only rushed for 34 yards apiece in back to back weeks, but then Florida State and Syracuse went off for 206 and 124, re- spectively, in the next two weeks. The Tigers have next-level talent all over on defense. And yet, Clemson only ranked 27th in total defense with 333.6 yards allowed per game through Week 8. Clemson boasts four players on the roster with at least 5 tackles for loss. That group is led by defensive end Myles Murphy with 9. He also has a team- leading 5.5 sacks. The game-wreckers are still there no matter what the over- arching team statistics say. A bye week might be just what the doctor ordered for the Clemson defense to go from good to great. It's not great timing for Notre Dame, though, to have to face a well-rested Tigers team. That's just the hand the Irish have been dealt. "The bye week is always a good time for coaches to reflect a little bit and hopefully get a head start on Notre Dame," Swinney said. ✦ Three Things To Know About Clemson 1. DJ Uiagalelei Turnaround … For Now Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei made his first start at Notre Dame Stadium two Novembers ago as a sub for eventual No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence. His 439-yard, 2-touchdown outing against the Irish as a freshman ignited visions of stardom and a first-round selection in his future. Uiagalelei's first season as the full-time starter in 2021 was closer to disastrous, though. He threw just 9 touchdowns all season and tossed 10 interceptions. His 6.0 yards per attempt tied for 117th among 124 qualified FBS quarterbacks, and he completed just 55.6 percent of his passes. Clemson went 10-3 — a down year by program standards — despite its quarterback play. Uiagalelei held off five-star freshman Cade Klubnik to keep the job this offseason, and through six games, it was easy to see why. He recaptured that 2020 magic in the first half of the season, nearly doubling his touchdown pass total from last season in seven starts (17) this fall. He threw just 2 in- terceptions in his first seven starts. His completion rate jumped 9 percent and his yards per attempt increased by 1.8. Then came Clemson's game against Syracuse Oct. 22, when he reverted to 2021 form. He committed 3 turnovers in two and a half quarters. He was pulled for Klubnik after the third giveaway with Clemson trailing 21-10. The Tigers came back to win 27-21, though not because of Klubnik's heroics. Klubnik threw 4 passes that totaled 19 yards. The best thing he did was take care of the ball. One poor start wasn't enough to cost Uiagalelei his job. He will start vs. Notre Dame and can prove it was an anomaly. But by benching him, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney made clear that Plan B is not too far away. 2. Star-Studded Defensive Line Clemson came to Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 7, 2020, with a young but talented defensive front that included three five-star freshmen who shined over the course of the season. They were no match for the Irish's veteran offensive line with more than 120 total starts, though. Notre Dame ran for 208 yards and gave up only 2 sacks in a 47-40 double-overtime win. That same group will return to South Bend two years older, smarter and stronger. It has continued the upward trend it established in 2020. Junior defensive end Myles Murphy (a team-high 9 tackles for loss) and junior defensive tackle Bryan Bresee were in the top 10 of Pro Football Focus NFL draft analyst Mike Renner's midseason big board. Junior linebacker and leading tackler Trenton Simpson was No. 28. Elsewhere, former five-star recruits and fifth-year senior defensive ends KJ Henry and Xavier Thomas have combined for 8.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. Senior defensive tackle Tyler Davis has 7 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. The other two linebackers are two sophomores who are former top-35 overall prospects, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (38 tackles, 4.5 tack- les for loss) and Barrett Carter (4 tackles for loss, 4 passes broken up). 3. Chunk Plays For The Taking Clemson's defense has big-play tendencies, for better and worse. The Tigers are one of the bets havoc-creating units nationally, ranking eighth in tackles for loss per game, sixth in passes defended per game and 27th in sacks per game. Allowing chunk gains, though, has been a bugaboo. Clemson is 91st in plays of at least 10 yards allowed (109) and 95th in plays of 20 or more yards allowed (38). That's a per-game average of 13.6 and 4.75, respectively. Most of those have come through the air, with 80 completions of 10- plus yards and 32 of 20-plus yards surrendered. The Tigers have, though, prevented the backbreakers. They have allowed just 10 plays of 30 or more yards (tied for 24th) and 2 of 40-plus yards (tied for third). They are one of three teams that has not allowed a 50-yard play from scrimmage this season. — Patrick Engel Junior defensive end Myles Murphy has compiled a team- high 9 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks during the Tigers' 8-0 start. PHOTO BY DAVID PLATT/COURTESY CLEMSON ATHLETICS

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