Sports > October 16, 2008

By Martin Rickman | Staff writer

Last Thursday, Oct. 9, Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper was running for his life. Close behind him on almost every play were the Deacon linebackers and the defensive linemen.

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(Graphic by Bobby O’Connor/Old Gold & Black)

The front four is often unheralded on football teams. When they do their jobs well in the trenches, their work goes largely unnoticed — holes are plugged and the offense cannot run the football, while the linebackers and defensive backs rack up the stats. When they screw up and the holes open up, their mistakes are magnified.

In a really dominant game though, the defensive line can lead the charge and get their names called play after play. Against Clemson, seniors John Russell and Boo Robinson, sixth-year senior Matt Robinson, fifth-year senior Anthony Davis and sophomore Kyle Wilber were everywhere.

“What the front four did tonight?” fifth-year senior cornerback Alphonso Smith, who recorded his 17th career interception against Clemson, said. “Do I really have to answer that? They made it really easy for us out there.”

The Deacon defense sacked Harper four times. What doesn’t go down in the stats is just how uncomfortable Harper was the whole game. He was constantly scrambling and was forced out of the pocket and his throws were frequently off-line.

“Our kids were really tuned in mentally, they recognized formations and key players,” Head Coach jim Grobe said. “The defensive guys communicated and talked to each other. What helped us as much as anything was when we got pressure.”

Harper completed just 15 of his 35 passes and the vaunted Clemson rushing attack, led by the 1-2 punch of James Davis and C.J. Spiller was completely negated as the Tigers rushed for just 21 yards on 23 carries.

“We are kind of known as a gap-oriented defensive front,” Russell, who is tied for the team lead in sacks with 2.5, said. “But Coach Lambert let us loose to make plays and use our athleticism.”

The Deacon defense was blitzing to perfection, picking their spots, shooting the gaps and completely blowing the Clemson linemen off the ball. Robinson, who has 3.5 tackles for a loss this year, had one of his best games in his career and Robinson, who is tied with Russell with 2.5 sacks this year, appeared faster than he ever has in uniform.

“Boo is a monster,” Russell said. “He’s lost some weight — he’s fast out there, and man he’s strong.”

Stopping Clemson, which has a relatively inexperienced offensive line and has had their share of problems this year, recently capped off by the firing Head Coach Tommy Bowden, is one thing, but this week provides a very difficult challenge.

In the last three years against the Deacs – although Wake Forest has won the last two games – Maryland has rushed for an average of 188 yards per game.

“Coach Lambert had us all together on Friday and showed us the Maryland rushing yards in the Grobe era—200 yards, 200 yards, 150 yards,” Smith said. “They’re going to run the football.”

Despite being shut out against Virginia, Maryland has 991 yards rushing so far this season, good for 4.9 yards per carry and 165 yards per game. Leading the Terrapins is Da’Rel Scott, who has 482 yards this season.

The Deacs have held opponents to 107 or less rushing yards in four of their five games this season, but against Navy, another run-oriented football team, they gave up 292 rushing yards.

“It’s going to be a really tough game,” senior Anthony Davis said. “They’re coming off a bye week and a tough loss against Virginia, and I’m pretty sure they remember the last two years when they’ve played the Deacs. They’re going to come in with the mentality that they’re going to try to beat us down. So we have to come in and be physical with them, do our assignments and, hopefully, we can get a win.”

The Deacs face Maryland Saturday, Oct. 18 in College Park. Kickoff at Byrd Stadium is set for 12 p.m. and the game will be televised by Raycom Sports.