Clowney, Quarles expected to be back and healthy
Even with all the hype around the Palmetto State surrounding this Saturday’s matchup between South Carolina and Clemson, Gamecock defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward has somehow kept his defense focused on one game at a time.
“It’s not about who we’re playing next, it’s about us getting better each week,” Ward said after his defense helped demolish Coastal Carolina. “When we get 11 guys doing what they’re supposed to do each play, we got a chance.”
The Gamecock defense will have their hands full with possibly the most explosive offense they have faced all season in the Tigers.
It is Clemson senior quarterback Tajh Boyd’s last chance against the Gamecocks and he has been consistent throughout the season except for in a blowout loss against No. 2 Florida State. Boyd has thrown for 3,248 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions thus far. His dual-threat ability will be something South Carolina must plan for also, as he has 257 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
Gamecock quarterback Connor Shaw expressed admiration for Boyd’s talent.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for him,” Shaw said. “I love the way he plays. He can move — very versatile athlete.”
Head coach Steve Spurrier also noted Boyd’s ability to make plays, but mentioned something that could slow the quarterback down.
“Well, all quarterbacks don’t like pressure,” Spurrier said. “(But) if you give him time, the good ones will pick you apart, which he can do. He’s such a good runner, too.”
Spurrier added that Boyd reminded him of a certain quarterback who was a former Heisman Trophy winner and now starts for the Carolina Panthers.
“To me he’s a lot like Cam Newton,” Spurrier said. “He and Cam Newton, to me, are very similar-type players. So you do the best you can, you try to get pressure on him, you try to cover the guys, mix up your coverages a bit and do those kind of things to offset really good quarterbacks.”
Getting pressure on Boyd turned out to be a major factor in the Gamecocks’ 27-17 victory over Clemson last season. In that contest, junior defensive end Jadeveon Clowney had 4.5 sacks to help stifle the Tigers’ passing attack.
Fans are wondering if his last game in Williams-Brice Stadium will be the game where Clowney has his best performance of the season. The defensive end has not put up the statistics from last season when he set a school record with 13 sacks. He has two sacks on the year thus far in a season where he has faced mostly double-teams from the opposing offensive line.
Clowney has also seen a lot of plays run away from his side of the field this season, but still has managed 8.5 tackles for loss. If he has even close to a repeat performance of last year’s matchup, the Tigers could be in trouble. It will help that junior defensive tackle Kelcy Quarles should be in line to return after missing the Coastal game with bad headaches.
Clemson may employ junior receiver Sammy Watkins to help counteract Clowney’s pass rush by using quick hitches and screen plays for him. Watkins has been dynamic this season, catching 78 passes for 1,144 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Some people have wondered if redshirt junior cornerback Victor Hampton will line up every play on Watkins after Hampton has proven himself as the best cover player in the secondary. Hampton said after the Coastal game that he usually plays as the boundary corner only and has not watched too much film on where Watkins lines up. So, it will likely be a combined effort from the secondary to slow down Watkins.