Venables: FSU will break scoreboard if defensive woes aren't fixed

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Saturday, September 15, 2012, 9:40 PM

CLEMSON – Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables Brent Venables
Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers
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“We have a lot of work to do,” Venables said following Clemson’s 41-7 win over Furman. “I have a lot of respect for the game, and when you are just a little bit off, you will get exposed. Even the scout team will do that to you. They will break the scoreboard next week if we aren’t better and more consistent. People are going to make plays and make yards, but you have to make them earn it instead of just giving it to them.”

The Tigers travel to Tallahassee next weekend to take on No. 5 Florida St. The Seminoles defeated Wake Forest 52-0 Saturday afternoon, and running back Chris Thompson rushed nine times for 197 yards in the Noles’ victory.

Saturday in Death Valley, the Clemson defense gave up 235 yards of total offense in the first half, allowed Furman to win the time of possession battle and gave up a touchdown pass on a play that saw the Paladin receiver waltz untouched into the end zone.

Venables was once again blunt in describing the first half.

“The first half just made me want to throw up,” he said. “We were pretty sporadic. I was not pleased with first half. Same issues – we were letting them get outside of us and letting them get behind us. We had some execution issues, so we will go back and look at what we are asking our guys to do and why we aren’t executing at times and why at times we look really good and sometimes we don’t. I am tempted to just let them start inside our own 35-yard and just let them play. We usually seem to play better down there. “

Venables did say he was pleased with how his defense performed on third down - Furman was just 2-for-14 – and happier with a second half in which Furman failed to score and put up just over 100 yards of offense.

“Getting them to third down – we are playing pretty good on third down,” he said. “We just executed in a cleaner way in the second half. Our position was better and our leveraging was better. “

Venables said it’s hard to beat Furman – much less FSU – with the way Clemson allowed chunk plays in the first half.

“You can’t take those things [chunk plays] away,” he said. “You can’t beat anybody – let alone a good team –when you are opening the door for them. We have to make them work and earn it, and in the first half we really didn’t do that. Obviously they got around us on a run [defensive end lost contain] and on the pass the guy was just wide open.”