Swinney starting to see that ‘edge’ from Tigers
Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott believes the third-ranked Tigers are on the right track to get back to playing aggressive, dominant football — something the team had to be reminded of the past couple of weeks.
Elliott said Monday the Tigers (6-0, 4-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) had slipped into a funk after the season’s first month and needed reminding how they had won two of the past three national championships. Clemson’s players got the message, pounding Florida State 45-14 on Saturday.
“Overall, we wanted to let these guys know who we are, what’s made us successful,” said Elliott, who shares coordinator duties with receivers coach Jeff Scott.
Still, Clemson dropped in the national rankings again after a victory. The Tigers, who started the year at No. 1, fell to No. 2 behind Alabama after their close call in a 21-20 win at North Carolina on Sept. 28. Clemson was passed by LSU this week, despite rolling over the Seminoles.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said his focus is on Louisville, not the Top 25 poll.
Swinney said the win against Florida State was his team’s best overall showing of the year and that it’s essential to carry the dominant play against the Seminoles into its matchup at Louisville (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday. He said the Tigers aren’t worried about their poll position, only about being in the right spot at the end of the year when the College Football Playoff participants are picked.
Right now, the Tigers simply need to “continue to have the edge that it takes,” Swinney said.
Clemson got strong showings from its best players, which Swinney said is a sign his team is on the winning path.
Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes and Travis Etienne ran for 127 yards and caught a scoring pass.
A midseason slump is natural, said senior right tackle Tremayne Anchrum.
“It’s usually after the monotony of the day-by-day (routine), it can really take a toll on you,” Anchrum said. VOLS QB AVAILABLE FOR BAMA GAME >> Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt believes quarterback Brian Maurer will be available Saturday at No. 1 Alabama after a concussion prevented the freshman from finishing a 20-10 victory over Mississippi State last week.
“Brian took some reps last night at practice,” Pruitt said Monday. “So he’s going to be fine, I’m sure.”
Maurer was making his second career start last week when he scrambled for a 13-yard gain late in the second quarter and landed head-first. Maurer initially stayed in the game, handing the ball off twice before throwing an interception.
That interception ended Maurer’s afternoon, as Jarrett Guarantano handled Tennessee’s quarterback duties for the rest of the game. Pruitt said afterward that his quarterback had sustained a concussion.
Pruitt was asked Monday why Maurer wasn’t evaluated immediately after the 13-yard run.
“He hit his head on the ground, he jumps up and runs back in the huddle, gets a call, calls the next deal,” Pruitt said. “Every play there’s a lot of people running into each other and they’re hitting their heads. I guess we could stop the game and evaluate everybody out there, but I don’t think we have time for that.”
Maurer’s condition isn’t the only issue facing Tennessee as it prepares for its toughest challenge of the season. Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC) has beaten Tennessee 12 straight times by an average of 25.6 points. LONGHORNS’ DEFENSE STRUGGLING >> The defensive numbers for No. 15 Texas are bad and getting worse.
After losing to No. 5 Oklahoma on Saturday, the Longhorns rank last in the Big 12 in pass defense and total defense, and their current pace of 453.3 total yards allowed per game would break some dubious records set during the disastrous three years of the Charlie Strong era.
What shocked coach Tom Herman about the 34-27 defeat was how easily the Sooners pushed around, ran through or simply ran past the Longhorns (4-2, 2-1 Big 12).
Texas struggled to contain quarterback Jalen Hurts, who threw for 235 yards. Sooners wide receiver CeeDee Lamb left defenders flailing in his wake.
“We got exposed by some really good athletes. But we’ve got some good athletes ourselves that we need to teach how to tackle better,” Herman said.
FOR WOLVERINES, ‘IT’S BIG TIME NOW’ >> Michigan linebacker Josh Uche recalls being excited when he saw the second half of this season’s schedule.
The 16th-ranked Wolverines (5-1, 3-1 Big Ten) kick off a tough closing stretch of games at No. 7 Penn State (6-0, 3-0) on Saturday night.
They host No. 8 Notre Dame next week in the Big House under the lights and close the regular season against rival and fourthranked Ohio State at home.
“It’s big time now,” Uche said Monday. “Prime-time television. We have a chance to be legendary.
“We just got to do our jobs, execute and the rest will take care of itself.”
The Nittany Lions are favored to win by more than a touchdown, perhaps because Jim Harbaugh is 1-6 against ranked teams on the road at Michigan.
NHL standings