Clemson’s Secondary Eyes Georgia Test After Gator Bowl Struggles
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Clemson's defensive backfield finished 2023 as one of the top units in the nation against the pass. In the final four regular season games, the secondary faced quarterbacks Sam Hartman (Notre Dame), Haynes King (Georgia Tech), Drake Maye (UNC), and Spencer Rattler (South Carolina) and held each under 220 yards passing and a sub-50% completion rate.
The unit was exceptional during the four-game winning streak, including limiting Hartman, King, and Rattler to only 146, 129, and 112 passing yards, respectively, and picking off the quarterbacks seven times.
The Tigers finished the season winning five consecutive games after defeating Kentucky 38-35 in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, FL, where the offense exploded for a school-record-tying 28 fourth-quarter points and the defense forced four turnovers. However, the secondary had a tough evening against Kentucky’s Devin Leary, who passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns. It was the only time in 2023 that Clemson allowed a quarterback to eclipse the 300-yard mark.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney didn’t mince words when addressing the struggles against Kentucky. "We did some dumb stuff now," Swinney said after the thrilling Gator Bowl win. "We had four starters out on defense and we had base cover two [defense], and we let a guy run right by us -- one of our best players. So, we did some dumb stuff that we'll grow and learn from." The Tigers were missing key defensive starters Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Nate Wiggins, Ruke Orhorhoro, and Andrew Mukuba, forcing the team to rely on three freshmen – cornerbacks Avieon Terrell and Shelton Lewis, and safety Khalil Barnes – in the secondary.
Looking back at that game, Terrell acknowledged the issues but focused on the positives. “We had a couple of issues in that game,” he said. “But as a whole, I think we played decent.”
On Kentucky’s three scoring drives of 75 yards, the Tigers allowed passing plays of 72, 60 (TD), and 58 yards totaling 190 of Leary’s (306) total. Entering the bowl game, the secondary had only allowed three plays of over 40 yards – 41 (Johnny Wilson - FSU), 43 (Devontez Walker - UNC), and 72 (Kevin Concepcion - N.C. State) – on the season.
“It was just the first game [for] me and the other freshmen out there starting [together], so it was just moving a little fast,” said Terrell, who had 18 tackles, six pass breakups, and an interception in 13 games (five starts) last season. “But we look passed that. We’re ready for what’s coming next. We’re locked in.”
Barnes, honored as a Freshman All-American with 41 tackles (5.0 for loss), six pass breakups, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles, was uncharacteristically out of position on the 60-yard touchdown pass to Barion Brown, and he was pushed to the ground on Dane Key's 58-yard reception.
A week ago, he discussed his growth since last year. “I think it’s actually kind of dangerous how much I know now because last year I was just playing [and] reacting,” Barnes noted. “This year, I know a lot, which is good because you play faster, but I still want to be able to make plays.”
Lewis, another key sophomore, picked off Leary to seal the victory and finished his rookie campaign with seven pass breakups and two interceptions. He highlighted the confidence within the secondary this year. "The work we put in, we believe in that. We’re not thinking about the bad results; we’re thinking about the plays we’re gonna make," stated Lewis. "I’d say the vision we have in that room is everything. It’s all positive."
When the secondary battled the Wildcats, they were also without cornerback Jeadyn Lukus. Lukus missed six games in 2023 and sat out the spring to recover from hip surgery. The junior is back and adds experience and knowledge to the group.
Terrell spoke about Lukus’ return: “It’s good having Jay Luk back because he’s been here longer than me and everybody else. Just listening to what he says in the meeting rooms, we talk about notes. So, it’s good to have Jay Luk back in there so I can hear him more.”
The upcoming 2024 Aflac Kickoff Game showdown against No. 1 Georgia on Aug. 31 will be a homecoming of sorts for the young secondary. Barnes, Lewis, and Terrell all hail from Georgia, and they’re eager to perform in front of their friends and family in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"I really wasn’t home that much this summer because of it. To be honest, for three or four weeks," said Barnes, an Athens native. "It’s gonna be cool, for sure, but at the end of the day, it’s just another game."
"It’ll be the first game I ever played in a dome," added Lewis, from Stockbridge. "I just want to go out there and execute. My whole family is gonna be there, so putting on for them and this team is the most important thing to me."
"It’s a great experience. You know, in my city, we in Georgia. So, it’s only right I put on a show in front of my crowd," said Terrell, who played at Westlake High in Atlanta, where his older brother A.J. Terrell also starred. AJ, a former Clemson cornerback (2017-19) and four-year starter for the Atlanta Falcons, will be an honorary captain for No. 14 Clemson on Aug. 31.
"So yeah, I can’t wait to play with the home crowd," Terrell concluded.
Clemson’s secondary will have its hands full with Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck, a 2024 Heisman candidate who averaged over 281 passing yards per game in 2023, and Georgia’s high-powered offense. But with the lessons learned from last season, the return of key players, and the added motivation of playing in their home state, the Tigers’ defensive backs are ready to meet the challenge head-on.
