CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has no illusions about what’s ahead for the 11th-ranked Tigers, both this week and for the rest of the season.
Clemson (6-1, 5-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) comes off its second bye week into what looks like a difficult November, starting with offensive-minded Louisville (5-3, 3-2) on Saturday. Swinney called the Cardinals and seventh-year quarterback Tyler Shough the best attack Clemson has faced since getting steamrolled by Georgia, 34-3, in the opener in August.
The Cardinals’ three defeats, Swinney pointed out, have come by a total of 21 points.
“So, they’ve been in some very, very competitive games,” the coach cautioned. “We’ve got our hands full there.”
And maybe for much of November, where the Tigers have gone a combined 30-4 since the 2015 season with only two of those defeats coming at home. Following Louisville, Clemson goes on a tricky, two-game road stretch to Virginia Tech and No. 18 Pitt. It closes the year at home against archrival South Carolina.
The Tigers must continue to show the discipline and attention to the little things that’s led them to six straight wins and get through the month with their championship goals intact, Clemson safety R.J. Mickens said.
“If we really want to win this whole thing, we’ve really got to be more detailed and more precise because things like that can cost us,” he said.
Missing Brown
Clemson’s leading receiver from last year, Tyler Brown, will miss his second straight game due to an ankle sprain. Brown has played in just four games this season with five catches for 30 yards. Swinney was more hopeful that freshman wideout Bryant Wesco Jr. could return after being out the past two games with an ankle injury.
Improving defensive efficiency
The Cardinals’ defense has looked confused at times this season, which high-octane SMU and Miami have exploited for explosive plays. That has either created deficits or allowed leads to slip away, which coach Jeff Brohm hopes can be eliminated with streamlined play calling.
“Sometimes it’s things we’ve done for years, but you know what? It’s not working,” he said. “Maybe it’s just a tad bit too complicated. We’ve got to simplify, so we’re working through that. And it seems like we’re getting simpler and simpler as we go.”
Talking history
Clemson has won all eight meetings since Louisville joined the ACC, but some of the games have been close. The Tigers needed a fourth-down goal line stop to beat the Cardinals 23-17 in 2014. A year later, Clemson held on for a 20-17 win as the defense posted five sacks and had a late interception. In 2016, Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson put on the show, the Tigers surviving for a 42-36 win on a fourth-down pass short of a first down.
All-around Brown
Louisville running back Isaac Brown enters the game ranked fourth in the ACC with 122.9 all-purpose yards per game and its most productive rusher at 7.6 yards per carry. His 649 yards are the second-most by a Cardinals freshman and he’s just 312 from passing Lamar Jackson, who rushed for 960 in 2015.
Revived offense
Clemson’s success has largely come from an offense that’s performing at a much higher level and last year’s maligned group. Quarterback Cade Klubnik has thrown for a career-high 20 touchdowns against just three interceptions. The Tigers are the only Power Four school averaging 45 points a game in conference games this season.
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AP Sports Writer Gary B. Graves contributed to this report.
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