Kyle Richardson expects NC State to try and bully the Clemson offense

DJ Uiagalelei has proven to be a tough runner in the early going of the season.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Sep 28 07:00:05 GMT-04:00 2022

CLEMSON – North Carolina State’s defense doesn’t back down from a challenge. In fact, they want to attack and bully the opposition.

Clemson passing game coordinator Kyle Richardson met with the media earlier this week to discuss this Saturday’s matchup against the Wolfpack (7:30 pm, ABC). The game pits Clemson’s rejuvenated offense against an NC State defense that has playmakers at all three levels, a group that Richardson says is aggressive.

“You're talking a team that's got nine or ten starters back. You have some guys that were hurt against us last year that were starters that are back,” Richardson said. “They're really good players and they just fly around. I mean, they're super aggressive. Probably the most aggressive defense out of all. Eleven guys that you'll face at one time, and they close gaps really quick. They bully you. That's something that I've seen. They're so aggressive and they want to attack, and it's like you can mess around and get bullied by them.”

Richardson said the Clemson offense will have to hit back.

“We've got to match that intensity, we got to match that effort, and we got to be physical, and that's across the board at all positions, because if not, they'll pin you up against wall and you won't get out,” he said. “And that's the type of defense they have. I don't know much about rankings and I don't keep up with all that stuff, but I do know just walking in here and hearing some of the guys talking, they're top-3, top-4, in all your categories in the ACC and top-10 in a couple of categories defensively, so we have our work cut out for us.”

NC State is ranked 13th nationally in total defense, 10th in rushing defense, 8th in scoring defense, and 25th in pass defense. The group is led by defensive linemen Cory Durden, Savion Jackson, and CJ Clark.

“They're not a team that gets a lot of sacks and a lot of tackles for loss based off the scheme that they play,” Richardson said. “But the three different defensive linemen are really good at being really big and physical and they can really free up the game for the linebackers and the safety to make a big difference in the run game and just run east to west. You look at like last year, you look at all the people in their defense that made all-ACC, you're talking linebackers and safeties and it's because the defensive linemen frees them up to just run free and make a lot of plays.”

The aggressiveness of the safeties reminds Richardson of what the Tigers saw against Iowa St. in the bowl game.

“It's very similar. Their safeties are so aggressive, especially in the run game,” Richardson said. “It's very similar to Iowa State defense and what we faced last year in the Cheez-It Bowl. It's not your normal style of defense that you're going to face week in and week out. So you do have to make some adjustments and you do have to really account for that.”