Clemson defense set for challenge versus Louisville's Cunningham

Barrett Carter says discipline is the key this week.

by Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Thu Nov 10 14:12:03 GMT-04:00 2022

CLEMSON - The Tigers suffered a heartbreaking loss against Notre Dame Saturday night, dropping them from No. 4 to No. 10 in the College Football Rankings. Despite all of the talk about that game, sophomore linebacker Barrett Carter is looking toward Clemson’s next game against Louisville (3:30 p.m./ESPN) instead of focusing on the last result.

“We got to take this loss, watch the film, study it, see what we did wrong and just move on to the next game, move on to Louisville,” Carter said.

Clemson’s loss to Notre Dame marked season-lows in a number of categories, including points scored. The game was dominated offensively and defensively by the Irish, a rare sight for Clemson fans to watch. No matter what the Tigers did, it just did not seem to work in that game.

“During the game, you try to make adjustments and, at the end of the day, they were just the better team,” Carter said.

Even with all of the talk about the Tigers’ loss, Carter and the rest of the team is focusing on the upcoming game against Louisville. The Cardinals are led by their fifth-year quarterback, Malik Cunningham. Cunningham is an incredibly versatile player with great running ability. He has 536 rushing yards so far this season. However, he injured his non-throwing hand in their win against James Madison, but will be playing through it. Overall, Carter sees the Cardinals as a tough and physical team.

“They have a lot of athletes on the team,” Carter said. “They have a good offensive line, a good back. Obviously, Malik Cunningham is a really good quarterback, one of the most, if not the most, athletic that we’re going to see. So, we just have to be disciplined in our run fits and our gaps.”

The Cardinals’ record doesn’t reflect the offensive success that they have had. Perhaps they would have a better record if it weren’t for their red zone efficiency as they have only scored 18 touchdowns in the red zone. Despite the lack of red zone efficiency, they have scored 33 touchdowns this season compared to Clemson’s 38 touchdowns.

In addition to their touchdowns, they also have had a lot of success running the ball. They average 202.2 rushing yards per game and are ranked No. 25 in rushing offense in the country. Given the fact that the Clemson defense just gave up 263 rushing yards to Notre Dame on Saturday, the Cardinals’ success rushing the ball is a great concern and will be an emphasis for the Tigers coming into this game.

Conversely, Louisville ranks No, 85 in passing offense as they are averaging only 221.3 passing yards per game. Similar to the Tigers, the Cardinals rely on their rushing attack to get their offense going. For both defenses, it is key to make the opposing offense one-dimensional and force them to rely on the pass. If the Tigers can get this done, perhaps they can bounce back and continue their win streak at home (38 in a row).