Woods looks to take Clemson chaos on the road to Austin

Peter Woods will play a key role against the Texas Longhorns.

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Thursday, December 19 2024

CLEMSON - Peter Woods likes to cause chaos.

On the field, he has three sacks and a forced fumble, in addition to five QB pressures this season. Given this liking of chaos, it is rather appropriate that Clemson caused chaos in the playoff picture by defeating SMU in the ACC Championship. Winning that game sent the Tigers to their first playoff game since 2020 and the first for Woods in his collegiate career.

“The whole playoff scenarios that went on. Everybody thought this team and this team was going to get in if Clemson won or if Clemson didn’t lose and it was kind of dependent upon us as people made it seem and then so, with the win, we kind of shook some things up and people didn’t like it. So, it’s chaos,” Woods said. “This is my first ever college football playoff. So, I think what I’ve been telling people is just we’re hungry. We’ve never done it before. It’s part of our lineage and part of our history. But, nobody on this team has ever won a National Championship. So, I think that that’s something that a lot of people aren’t taking into account is how hungry we are to get this thing done.”

Chaos also ensued at the end of the ACC Championship with true freshman Nolan Hauser kicking the 56-yard field goal to win the game. Woods was proud of Hauser for making that kick and took pride in the fact that Hauser’s kick was not blocked, as Woods is a member of the line protecting him on field goals.

“Nolan’s a great kicker. He deserved that opportunity to be on that stage. The kicks that he missed were blocked … because of us not getting our job done up front,” Woods said. “So, we just really took pride in that this week and especially on that rep, just giving him that opportunity (because) he can make it from anywhere and so, that’s what we did.”

Woods embraces the versatility he has developed as a defensive lineman also.

“I’m a defensive lineman. (I) just play wherever (I’m) asked to play. But, I think it’s really helped some of the development of the guys who had to step up at the other positions and you see those guys getting better every week and making plays for themselves,” Woods said. “So, that makes me happy to see and even this year, but for the coming years, some of those guys who we’ve been sprinkling in there that had the opportunity to play with different guys moving around. But, it should be fine. We get our best players out there on the field and dominate.”

Woods will be tasked with facing the Texas Longhorns (4 p.m. / TNT) and their offensive line. They do not allow a lot of sacks, only allowing 28 sacks in their 13 games so far this season; 13 of those came in their two games against Georgia. Besides Georgia, no one has had more than two sacks against the Texas offensive line. It will be a good challenge for Woods and the rest of this defensive line.

“Texas’ offensive line is great. I think that’s one of (the) strengths of their team, and they do disguise screens and stuff very well and we just got to do what we’re coached to do and just reading stuff like that,” Woods said. “I think it’s a great matchup for us. They’re big. They got strong hands, and they’re good at the point of attack. They move (laterally) really well, and they work well as a unit, and so, I think all those things (present) a good challenge for us and I think that I’m ready for it.”