CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so

Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so


by - Senior Writer -

Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino and a few of the Cardinal players spent much of last week uttering comments that caused Clemson fans and players alike to bristle.

Boston College head coach Steve Addazio isn’t falling into that trap, and spent much of his Monday press conference praising the Clemson defense.

Boston College and Clemson will face off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU. The game is also Homecoming for the Eagles, but Adazzio said the Tigers weren’t scheduled because of their weakness and compared Clemson’s defense to the 2009 Alabama squad.

“As we move forward this week, that’s our biggest challenge. “I've come in here and talked about opposing defenses before,” Addazio told the media. “I did that with USC and said we had a challenge. I will tell you that after watching Clemson right now - last year I told you they had a great defense and everyone knows they're a really good defense - I'm saying that in my career--predominantly in the SEC--I haven't seen a defense like this since we played Alabama in the [2009] SEC Championship Game.

“This is the most dominant defense I have seen. Period. I'm just amazed watching them. They're all back. [The staff has] done an unbelievable job of coaching these guys. They're really super talented and really well coached. That's what I'm seeing and I'm believing when I watch this film. People make plays on them--they're broken plays. They're not really well executed plays, because it's really difficult. That's how completely dominant they are.”

Addazio said the game against the Tigers is both an opportunity and a challenge.

“It's an unbelievable opportunity for us to play them at home. It's an unbelievable challenge,” he said. “I'm sitting here saying, `How are we going to move the ball against these guys?' That's how good they are. And they're that good. They're relentless. Where do you start with them? Do you want to start with Vic BeasleyVic Beasley
RS Sr. Defensive End
#3 6-2, 236
Adairsville, GA

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? Watch him. He must run a 4.50. I don't think I've seen a guy that fast. [Former BC Eagle] Matt Patchan is a legitimate, bonafide left tackle and he was struggling with him [last season]. The guy is unbelievable. He's a great pass rusher. He'll be a first-round draft pick. He's already got eight sacks.

“Number 90 Shaq LawsonShaq Lawson
So. Defensive End
#90 6-3, 269
Central, SC

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? Number 50 ( Grady JarrettGrady Jarrett
Sr. Defensive Tackle
#50 6-1, 290
Conyers, GA

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), their interior lineman? He's completely dominant. No one blocks him. Not a soul. Not Florida State. Not Georgia. Nobody. In No. 42, Stephone AnthonyStephone Anthony
Sr. Linebacker
#42 6-2, 244
Polkton, NC

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, I think he's the best in the country. He makes more plays, more broken tackles. They're a great tackling defense. They're an amazing tackling defense. I have a world of respect for what they're doing down there on the defensive side of that ball. I'm just focusing on the defense right now.”

He then said that Clemson’s offense can’t be overlooked, even with starter Deshaun WatsonDeshaun Watson
Fr. Quarterback
#4 6-3, 204
Gainesville, GA

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sidelined.

“On offense, they're averaging about 140 rushing, 306 passing, 447 yards per game. I heard that Deshaun Watson might be out,” Addazio said. “He is a tremendous athlete, but Cole StoudtCole Stoudt
Sr. Quarterback
#18 6-4, 231
Dublin, OH

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's a really good quarterback and a really good player. They have talent everywhere. Their receivers are unbelievable. They've got a great scheme. They're explosive. This is a top-caliber team coming in offensively and defensively. They are one of the elite teams of the country. They've had some tough losses, but they're as good as anyone in America.”

Addazio said the Eagles will have to “throw caution to the wind” in order to pull off the win.

“We have to figure out how to create an advantage for Boston College. We have a great opportunity to go out there and play as hard as we can and put caution to the wind and just go, just roll,” he said. “No one gives us a chance to win, that's terrific, and understandable given how talented they are as a football team. I think their staff has done an unbelievable job. This team here, they're coached well, and I really mean that and respect that. We have to have a really good game plan. We have to play hard. We have to be physical. We have to be opportunistic. That's my mindset.”

He was asked if quarterback Tyler Murphy could be an “X-factor” against Clemson’s defense, and he said that quarterbacks have to be careful and not take too many hits when playing against the Tigers.

“This is a physical, fast, strong, tackling team. We got a lot of games. We're going to do what we have to do to play wide open,” Addazio said. “When I watched NC State play Clemson, Jacoby Brissett took an unbelievable amount of hits. Then I went back and watched Ohio State. I watched Braxton Miller get hurt and the amount of shots that he took. You have to be really careful in the drop back game right now. You drop back with these guys, you better have a plan and you better get that ball out. That's where these quarterbacks are taking these unbelievable hits. Yes, we'll need his legs and his mobility, but we have to be careful because there's a price to pay there.

“When you play great teams like this, you have to make your physicality go. You have to have diversity in your attack. You can't be a one-dimensional team. You have to be patient in your power game. It's going to be a couple of bad-looking deals then hit a little something. You have to make them play inside-out. If you just try to turn it into some finesse perimeter game, there's a big, physical team on the other side that can flat and run. Just take Beasley alone. He runs as well as any running back. At some point you have to make him defeat a block and make a tackle coming right at you.”

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Subject (Replies: 46) Author
spacer New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
TigerNet News®
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
deleted
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
york_tiger
spacer FOUCS! 900,000 words of praise for the team ...
Centennial Tiger
spacer Re: FOUCS! 900,000 words of praise for the team ...
slumdog
spacer Re: FOUCS! 900,000 words of praise for the team ...
DUFFER®
spacer ^^^this coach gets it***
JohnFBell®
spacer while you can cut through his coach speak
TigerTown
spacer Re: while you can cut through his coach speak
slumdog
spacer Re: while you can cut through his coach speak
DUFFER®
spacer Re: ^^^this coach gets it***
1988NC
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
Dugatiger®
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
slumdog
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
PawtyP
spacer C'mon Addazio. Give us something!!
Tigersense®
spacer Re: C'mon Addazio. Give us something!!
slumdog
spacer I'd say all that publicly as well if I were coaching.
Caddie
spacer Reverse Psychology***
NC_Orange
spacer dang lie
Tiger Woods
spacer Re: dang lie
TC_CU90
spacer Re: dang lie
Tiger Woods
spacer Re: dang lie
slumdog
spacer scheduled us for homecoming?
rgby83®
spacer FOUND SOMETHING!!! GET 'EM!!!!!!***
Completely Solid Orange
spacer After reading how awesome we are, now I'm worried.***
Completely Solid Orange
spacer Re: After reading how awesome we are, now I'm worried.***
slumdog
spacer Re: After reading how awesome we are, now I'm worried.***
ddclemson
spacer Does he have a vote in the Coaches Poll?
89tigergrad
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
Jcouch
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
slumdog
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
92TigerJohn
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
slumdog
spacer He is keeping his friends close and his enemies CLOSER! *****
MizArazi
spacer Sounds to me like he's going to run straight at Beasley and
DMDRanch
spacer Re: Sounds to me like he's going to run straight at Beasley and
slumdog
spacer Don't believe the hype, D.
wildblulou®
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
allorangeallthetime52®
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
gville76
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
NorCATiger®
spacer Hackneyed coachspeak but this time he rightly BELIEVES it!***
Razzmatazz
spacer BC will try to pound the rock every which way like vs USC.***
Razzmatazz
spacer Re: BC will try to pound the rock every which way like vs USC.***
DUFFER®
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
Tgrlvr1989
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
T1G3R 4 L1F3
spacer Sounds like Addazio's had a little too much
silvavocati
spacer Re: New Story: Clemson best defense since 2009 'Bama? BC's Addazio thinks so
CinTiger1
spacer I'm expecting another defensive struggle.
Lilnaitch