With the third best pass defense in the nation, allowing just 155.5 yards per game, Clemson feasts on teams that throw far more than they run.
Although Duke's offensive attack is relatively balanced between the passing and rushing games, it is safe to say that Duke executes better in the air than on the ground. Thaddeus Lewis has thrown for over 1,000 yards more than the entire team has rushed, and the team has 13 more touchdowns passing than it does on the ground.
So when the Tigers come to town Saturday, they look to stop Lewis from putting his strong arm on display.
"You've got to break the quarterback's rhythm, and to do that, you just have got to give him so looks that won't let him throw," Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden said. "That's what we do best."
On the year, the Tigers have recorded 10 interceptions compared to their opponents' four. Safety Michael Hamlin leads the team with three picks. The other three backfield starters have tallied two interceptions and backup safety DeAndre McDaniel has also gotten a pick.
Clemson also has only allowed six touchdown passes all year, tied for fourth lowest in the nation behind powerhouses such as Ohio State and Southern California. The team's solid defense has allowed its offense to grow. The Tigers have outscored their opponents 279 to 159 and win by an average margin of over two touchdowns.
"Sometimes those statistics are deceiving," Bowden said. "We've been able to keep them out of the end zone pretty good with some of the leads we've had."
Impressive defensive statistics, however, have not necessarily translated into wins. Georgia Tech contained Clemson's offense in a 13-3 win Sept. 29, and a week later, Virginia Tech demolished the Tigers' defense en route to a 41-24 victory.
Although Clemson beat Central Michigan the following week, it still had a lot to prove going into a big game against Maryland last weekend.
The Tigers came through by going back to what they do best-defending against the pass. Jumping out to a 30-3 lead, Clemson held on for a 30-17 victory, holding Terrapins quarterback Chris Turner to 217 yards on 19 completions and intercepting him once. Turner also had no touchdown passes and his longest completion was 22 yards.
The win came at a cost, though, as star wideout Jacoby Ford broke his left ankle in the contest and is out for the year.
The new questions at receiver are not the only ones that plague the Tigers. The run defense has struggled in stopping the rush, as it is currently eighth in the ACC. In the two games that the Tigers lost, the team gave up 343 yards on the ground-versus just 132 in the air-and two touchdowns.
"I wish our running stats were better," Bowden said. "I wish we could defend the run better. A couple of teams we've played have run the ball to let the score not get out of hand."
Although Duke's running game is not one of its strong suits, Lewis could prove to be one of Clemson's biggest tests so far.
"It's going to be a good challenge simply because of the success he's had and because of the confidence I'm sure he has," Bowden said. "We've got to put pressure on him."
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