Wes Goodwin says Clemson defense reclaimed its swagger in Blacksburg

Wes Goodwin saw the response needed at Virginia Tech.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Tuesday, November 12 2024

CLEMSON - Sometimes, it is just a bad day in the office.

That’s how Wes Goodwin attributes the defensive performance against Louisville, as the Cardinals upset the Tigers at home in emphatic fashion.

Was the writing on the wall for a performance like that? Goodwin certainly doesn’t think so.

“Sometimes you just show up and have a bad day at the office,” Goodwin said. “Big plays happen. Heat of the moment, you end up on one side of the other on a block or give up a big play in the passing game or whatever. Just lose focus in the moment. I don't think that had been building throughout the year necessarily, but just you have seen a lot of young guys learning through trial by error at times and in the heat of the battle, and guys have been preparing the right way, doing things and just have seen a lot of young guys getting trial by fire.”

Rather, he saw the days leading up to Virginia Tech as a chance for his defense to regain their confidence.

Where it seemed Louisville got whatever they pleased against Goodwin’s defense, the Hokies' offense had trouble finding its footing, especially in the ground game.

Louisville found chunk play after chunk play, averaging over eight yards on the ground against the Tigers. The only chunk the Hokies seemed to find was the distance from the line of scrimmage to the sticks, only mustering 1.9 yards per play on the ground.

From the aftermath of the upset loss to the trip to Blacksburg, Goodwin saw what he thinks makes this defense special and the restoration of the unit’s belief.

“I think you saw the toughness, the grit, the character of our guys on defense and in that locker room just to respond the right way. There was great leadership from all our guys, and it was awesome to see them respond, let one loss lead to another, and they all responded the right way. It was really cool to see them go up there and get their confidence back, play with a swagger and belief and have a good day on Saturday.”

Part of that newfound confidence might’ve come from the boost Sammy Brown brought to the Tiger defense.

In Brown’s first start, he led the team in sacks and tackles, taking control of the situation in his opportunity for added reps. In addition, Brown leads all freshmen in the nation in TFLs (tackles for loss).

For Goodwin, he’s seen Brown continue to master that position, growing as a player on and off the field.

“You guys see a guy flying around being productive, who loves to play the game, he loves the process, loves football,” Goodwin said. “I mean, just shows up every day with the right mindset. I see a guy gain his confidence on a week-by-week basis. The game is starting to slow down for him. You can see early on just processing things, got to see it, that sort of thing in real-time and getting those reps and every week he's gotten better and better. Obviously, the sky's the limit for him, but it's just a credit to who he is as a young man, his preparation habits, and his love for the game of football.”

As the defense begins to regain its confidence, they have a shot to stack consistency against Pittsburgh.

Goodwin knows what he has in this unit and will once again rely on them to stifle another tough opponent in the face of the ACC's growing stakes.

What was once a tough day in the office became a return to business in Blacksburg, with a chance to find a promotion in the conference standings.