There are many reasons why Saturday’s game between Georgia State and Clemson has a “cover your eyes” feel if you are fan of the Panthers.
Not only are the Tigers a national championship-pedigree team with a bevy of five- and four-star recruits, but they are an angry group of five- and four-star players after last week’s loss to Georgia Tech ended their hopes of playing in a major bowl.
“We will let our aggression out on Georgia State,” defensive lineman DeShawn Williams said.
The Tigers looked lost on offense last week against the Yellow Jackets. Backup quarterback Cole Stoudt, in for an injured Deshaun Watson, threw as many interceptions (three) as incomplete passes. He will start Saturday’s game, which also is the final home game for the team’s seniors.
“We have to get a good plan and do a great job executing offensively, which is something we have not done, especially well in this last ball game,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.
To give Stoudt confidence, Clemson likely will start by running, which Georgia State is not good at stopping, and then move to play-action. The way Georgia State defends the run, the play-action may not happen.
In the past three games, the Panthers allowed more than 1,200 rushing yards and are on pace to give up 2,000 yards in that category in the season’s final five games. For the season, the Panthers have allowed 309.2 rushing yards per game. Only New Mexico State is worse.
Conversely, the Tigers have averaged 139.6 rushing yards per game.
“Certainly, their offense is predicated on running the ball and plays off the run game,” Georgia State defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said. “If you don’t stop the first part of that they might not put (the ball) into the air.”
The inability to stop the run or create disruptive plays is a combination of factors, according to Minter.
He said it starts with what he calls and what the players are asked to do. The defensive linemen have no sacks and just 81/2 tackles for loss this season, part of the reason that opponents are averaging 6.2 yards per carry.
“Whatever we are doing it’s not getting the job done in that category,” he said. “We’ve got to get better.”
With the season-ending loss of outside linebacker Mackendy Cheridor a few weeks ago, Minter switched the base scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-3 and changed the roles of the linemen.
Instead of trying to tie up blockers so that the linebackers can make the tackles, he has given the linemen the freedom to try to get up the field and make plays.
Minter said he likely will try to mix it up against the Tigers because doing the same thing over and over likely won’t lead to good results. Some of the decision will depend upon the game situation and Clemson’s formation.
Defensive end Shawayne Lawrence said he prefers to be able to attack, but acknowledges that the group still has to work together to avoid large holes opening in the line. He said the group worked on becoming more “in tune” with each other in practice during the bye week and he thinks they are improving.
“It’s helping a lot,” he said.
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