Refreshed, Recharged, Refocused: Clemson ready for matchup with NC State
Brent Venables doesn’t spend any time throughout the course of the year wondering when the bye week is coming
But when that week without a game to play finally arrives, you won’t hear the defensive coordinator complaining.
“It’s always a good time (for a bye week),” Venables said Monday. “You won’t be hearing a coach say, ‘oh, this is a terrible time for a bye week.’ It just gives you an opportunity to go look at yourself, try to make some improvements, and get better.”
Venables makes a good point. There is no wrong time for a bye week. But there are certain benefits to having it sandwiched in the middle of the season. There’s another added benefit of getting an extra week to prepare for undefeated North Carolina State.
But as we noted last week, Clemson had been through a season’s worth of emotional highs and lows in a matter of a few weeks. So there may not be a perfect time for any week off during the season, but last week was pretty dang close.
The team still went through the week business as usual with a light Monday practice, followed by the annual community service project on Tuesday. Preparations for the Wolfpack began, but there was also a period of self-reflection - another added benefit.
Venables studied his own defense, watching and looking for clues of consistent tendencies his defense may show at times. Co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott broke down his own offense and keyed in on minor details that could make a difference in the second half of the season. Or perhaps he even added a few new wrinkles to the offense to surprise the Wolfpack.
The weekend was where the effects of the bye got to sink in on Clemson’s players. The team got to spend some time away from the facility and away from a football field. It was a chance for players to escape, relax, or just enjoy some much-needed downtime.
Offensive linemen John Simpson spent his Saturday off fishing with Cade Stewart. He also got his CWP (concealed weapon permit) with his girlfriend, the only two in the class to get a perfect score.
Wide Receiver Amari Rodgers took the time to get as far away from Clemson as possible. He hopped on a plane and went to Southern California to watch his dad, Tee Martin, coach the Trojan offense to a 31-20 win over Colorado.
Rodgers is known for his consistent drive and worker mentality. The weekend away was a chance for him to recharge his batteries.
“We definitely needed it,” Rodgers said of the time off. “We’ve been going at it since August. I think
we needed a weekend to unplug and get away from football a little bit. I feel like we are ready to go and get back to it.”
But one player who may have needed the weekend away as much as anybody was Trevor Lawrence. The freshman, still kind-of-new starter has been right in the middle of the drama surrounding Clemson in the middle of the season.
No matter how calm or even-keeled he may seem on the outside, the events that have transpired - Kelly Bryant’s transfer mixed with coming off an injury as the new starter - could have been enough to rattle any 18-year-old.
A weekend to lay low and watch as four top-10 teams fell was not only recommended, it was healthy.
Lawrence got to travel back home to Cartersville, GA to spend time with close family and friends. He fished on Saturday and watched a few highlights of some of the big games that weekend.
But most importantly, he was able to decompress and take a breath after what has been a whirlwind first half to his first season at Clemson
“You don’t really even realize it yourself until you get a week off and you’re like, ‘Whew. A lot’s happened this past month.’ It was good to be able to relax and have the week off,” Lawrence said.
“It was really good just to be able to be like, ‘Okay, we’re halfway through the season. This is where we’re at,’ and kind of unwind a little bit and get ready for the second half.”
The second half of Clemson’s season will begin with the division matchup with No. 16 North Carolina State, the final battle between undefeated teams this season. It’s a game that could more than likely decide the Atlantic.
Lawrence is looking forward to the challenge of facing the veteran Ryan Finley and an improved Wolfpack squad that is 5-0 for the first time since 2002.
“I feel like this is a big game for us to kind of prove how much we’ve grown throughout the season and just how much better we’ve gotten,” Lawrence added.
Yes, Clemson is heavily favored in this one - by 17 points to be exact. But this game still has all the makings of a classic just as the games the last two years between these two teams have been.
So before Clemson’s biggest game of the season, there’s comfort in knowing Clemson got some much-needed time away from the football field.
It couldn’t have come at a better time.