Mike Reed says his corners have to "fight, scratch, and claw" every play

Andrew Booth makes an incredible play against MIami. (Photo courtesy of ACC)

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Thu Aug 05 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2021

Simply put, the 2021 Sugar Bowl left a bad taste in the mouths of Mike Reed's cornerback group.

In the 49-28 loss to Ohio State, Justin Fields completed 22-of-28 passes for 385 yards and six touchdowns, and while it might be easy to say the Tigers should just move on, sometimes it's not that easy.

Reed sat down with the media during Clemson's media day last month and said that while his group – and the team – have to move on from the loss to the Buckeyes, there's still plenty they can learn.

"It's still hard. They played a great game," Reed told TigerNet last month. "It's one of those that you tip your hat, and you've got to move on. If not, it's going to haunt you, and you won't ever get over it. You have to press forward. It's one of those situations where you've got to learn from it. It was hard at first, but it's a game."

There was no mystery to what happened on that fateful January night; Ohio State was simply better – Reed saw it. His players saw it.

"We got totally dominated. It is what it is. It wasn't anything mysterious. They saw it as much as I saw it," Reed said. "It's one of those things that left a bad taste in their mouth."

What does Reed's cornerback corps need to do to take the next step?

"One, we've got to fight, scratch, and claw every play," he said. "We've got to be focused in. We can't get caught up in the moment, and we have to stay together through thick and thin. It was one of those unfortunate days, and you can't win them all. You've got to learn from it.

"They've got to work harder. They've got to watch more film. They've got to correct those things that showed its face during the game."

With Ohio State behind them and the dawn of fall camp approaching Friday, Reed likes what he's hearing from the support staff regarding where his players are after summer workouts.

"The guys are excited," he said. "They're working hard. I have a lot of guys who are having personal bests in the weight room. It seems like the feeling is back in the air again."

Reed's group returns senior Mario Goodrich, juniors Andrew Booth and Sheridan Jones, and sophomores Fred Davis and Malcolm Greene, while adding freshman Nate Wiggins to the mix.

Clemson fans – and opponents – will continue to see a steady mix of all the cornerbacks because Reed said every one of his players must be battle-tested.

"That's the beauty about being at Clemson," he said. "We have the opportunity to recruit some good kids. I've had the opportunity of playing a lot of kids in the past, so it's just next man up.

"In our situation, you never know who's going to be the next man up. The old adage is you're one play away from playing, so one injury and someone else is going to be in the game. You've got to be in a situation where guys are battle-tested already."