Jahmyr Gibbs was compared to a five-time Pro Bowl running back. Jeff Sims was likened to a baby giraffe. And, on the whole, the offensive and defensive coordinators at No. 1 Clemson lobbed compliments at Georgia Tech Monday in advance of the teams' 85th meeting on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
“They’re special,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said of Gibbs and Sims via videoconference. “They’re really good. They’re different.”
“I think the biggest thing is they’re a lot more confident,” Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said of the Tech defense. “You can see everybody’s heading in the right direction. They’re a lot more confident. They’re playing hard. They’re playing with some swagger.”
Coaches praising opponents is not a surprise. But Venables and Elliott’s assessments stood as something of a confirmation of what Tech has shown in four games – clear improvement in many areas, and budding stars in Gibbs and Sims.
Also, it’s not every day that a college freshman is compared with Marshawn Lynch, the Seattle Seahawks great whom Venables likened Gibbs to. Gibbs' relentless will and tackle-breaking power, perhaps reminiscent of “Beast Mode,” have helped him average 171.7 all-purpose yards, third in the ACC.
“He’s got that juice to him,” Venables said. “Inside, outside, breaks tackles, plays with passion and with a real presence. You don’t see it a lot, but you know it when you see it. Certainly know it when you don’t. But he’s just got a great presence to him, and a really special player. He’s got great speed, great lateral speed, he can make you miss in the hole, excellent ball skills as a receiver.”
Speaking of Sims, who was named ACC rookie of the week for the second time on Monday after leading the Jackets to their 46-27 win over Louisville on Friday, Venables made a diagonal motion with his hand, indicating the freshman’s potential and the upward trend in his play.
“Like a baby giraffe out there, but he’s got speed, he’s got length, got a big arm,” said Venables, architect of a defense that has helped Clemson capture two national championships in the past four seasons. “Good instincts for a freshman. The game is slow for him.”
Tech’s receivers, Venables said, “are on a different planet from where they were a year ago, just as far as their development, what (coaches) are doing with them. Their line’s playing tough and physical. They impose their will. In their last game, particularly in the fourth quarter when they needed to make some plays, they just physically dominated Louisville.”
Tech has permitted a total of two sacks in four games, with 125 passes attempted. The Jackets are fourth nationally in sack percentage (teamrankings.com) after finishing 105th last season. The Jackets are 16th in rushing offense (213.8 yards per game) after they were 72nd (152.4 yards per game) last season. Wide receiver Malachi Carter (14 catches, 213 yards, two touchdowns) has made a particular jump, almost matching his 2019 production (16/240/2).
Elliott, in assessing a defense that Clemson gouged for 632 yards in the teams' 2019 season opener, said he was struck by its effort.
“They’re playing really, really hard for those coaches down there, and you can see that they believe in the scheme,” he said. “They’re very, very confident. They’re communicating well, the defensive linemen are getting after people.”
He pointed out that Tech’s shift to using three down linemen vs. Central Florida, a change from its standard alignment with four down linemen (the shift was attributed to a shortage of defensive linemen) demonstrated players' flexibility and effort in learning the scheme.
“Great length on the back end,” Elliott said. “Defensive line, they try to get after you, and a ton of experience at linebacker, so it’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
It will be a bit of a challenge for Tech, as well. The Tigers' backfield is unparalleled, with the expected No. 1 overall draft pick at quarterback (Trevor Lawrence) and a two-time ACC player of the year at running back (Travis Etienne).
Likewise, the Clemson defense isn’t shabby, either. The Tigers are fifth in FBS in defensive yards per play (4.21) and tied for seventh in tackles for loss per game (9.5).
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