As the Clemson defense prepares to face off against Texas in the college football playoffs, defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin shared insights into the challenges posed by the Longhorns’ elite offense and what the Tigers need to do to slow them down.
Goodwin praised Texas offensive coordinator Coach Sark as an “unbelievable coordinator and play caller” who he has tremendous respect for. The Longhorns boast a complete offense, averaging 33.6 points per game, which ranks 24th nationally. They are led by a smart, savvy quarterback who excels at game management, elite skill position talent at wide receiver and running back, and a massive offensive line, contributing to an average of 445.3 total yards per game.
“I think he manipulates and has a lot of eye candy,” Goodwin said about Sark’s play calling. “If you boil down his system, it’s not, I wouldn’t say simple, but they do what they do from a play standpoint, and they have a million different ways to window dress it. You know, so you got to be great with your adjustments, all the motion shifts, pre-snap stuff.”
Wes Goodwin
To combat Texas’ offensive firepower, Goodwin emphasized that Clemson needs to focus on the fundamentals and details. Staying disciplined in pass coverage, tackling well in space, and maintaining leverage on the quarterback during scrambles will be critical. The Longhorns have shown a balanced offensive attack, averaging 281 passing yards per game (12th nationally) and 164 rushing yards per game (60th nationally), which creates significant challenges for opposing defenses.
One of the biggest reasons that could turn the tide in the Tigers’ favor is the pass rush of the defense. Clemson ranks 32nd nationally in getting sacks, averaging 2+ sacks per game. If Clemson can force Texas into 3rd and long situations, their pass rush could significantly affect Texas’ offensive rhythm.
On the other hand, the Longhorns give up a decent amount of sacks, ranking 71st nationally (allowing 2+ sacks per game) in sacks allowed. Additionally, Texas ranks 64th nationally in rushing, which may limit their offensive options and further expose them to Clemson’s pass rush.
One crucial aspect of the matchup will be turnovers. Clemson’s defense has been remarkably effective this season, forcing 25 turnovers (averaging 2 per game), and their turnover margin ranks 5th nationally. In contrast, the Texas offense has turned the ball over 22 times (also averaging 2 per game). This turnover battle could be pivotal in determining the outcome of the game.
Additionally, Clemson has been solid in red zone defense, ranking 52nd nationally, which will be crucial against a Texas offense that has demonstrated effectiveness in the red zone, scoring 78.85% of the time (though this statistic suggests some room for improvement, as it ranks 92nd nationally).
Goodwin noted that Sark does an excellent job utilizing pre-snap motion and eye candy to disguise their plays and put stress on the defense. Texas likes to take deep shots off play-action while also featuring their running backs heavily in the screen game and as checkdown options.
To match up, Clemson plans to stick with their base 3-linebacker package to get their best players on the field and have the size to set the edge against the run and run-pass options (RPOs). Breakout star freshman linebacker Sammy Brown’s rapid development and high football IQ should help the Tigers match Texas’ offensive speed and versatility.
While slowing down the Longhorns’ attack is a tall order, Goodwin expressed confidence that if Clemson can swarm to the ball, win the turnover battle, and avoid giving up big plays, they have the talent on defense to get key stops. It should be a fascinating chess match between two elite units as the Tigers look to advance to the Quarterfinals in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
