Christian Wilkins sacked Lamar Jackson on the final play of the first quarter in Clemson's win over Louisville last week. Dexter Lawrence did the same on the final play of the first half. Albert Huggins sacked Jackson early in the fourth, and Sterling Johnson recorded their fourth takedown of the night six minutes later.
While an army of All-American candidates and first-day NFL Draft prospects headline the ferocious unit yielding 10 points per game, their true strength comes via depth and balance. Clemson had four sacks and seven tackles for loss in the 47-21 win over the Cardinals. No player had more than one apiece.
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They are tied for second in the FBS with 15 sacks on the season. Austin Bryant and Christian Wilkins rank among the nation's best sack duos with a combined seven but they are among 12 Tigers who've recorded a sack (or half). And they're two of 19 players with a tackle for loss (or half).
"It's not always the same guy," Swinney said via phone this week. "Sometimes it's the D-line and sometimes it's the secondary and sometimes it's the linebacker, so just mixing it up, and guys just taking pride in doing their job."
Swinney and defensive coordinator Brent Venables credit the disruption to offseason preparation — for the entire unit, not just Bryant, Wilkins and others in the front seven finishing plays.
“Our secondary was terrific against very skilled receivers and a really good quarterback,” Venables said after their 11-sack game vs. Auburn in Week 2. “We just played with so much passion, physical toughness and mental toughness.”
Clemson hosts Boston College on Saturday. The Eagles are allowing 1.33 sacks per game, tied for 37th in the nation.
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