So far, so good for Clemson defense as Irish come to town

Before this season, everyone around the Clemson program was wondering about the same narrative- How far would the Tigers' defense, which was ranked No. 1 nationally in 2014, fall in 2015?

After all, there was no way this unit could go up. And with the loss of the entire starting defensive line, two starting linebackers and host of defenders that gave Clemson an unusual amount of depth, it's pretty clear why every player on that side of the ball fielded questions during fall camp.

Three games into this season, despite the loss of nine starters and inexperienced players serving as backups, there hasn't been much noticeable, tangible change -- on the stat sheet or on the field.

"A lot of people expected us to have a major drop off and that's what we really wanted to prove to everybody," junior defensive tackle Carlos Watkins said. "We really did not want to have a drop off this year at all. Our goal is to be the No. 1 defense again. We've still got a lot more games to play so we'll see how it goes."

So far, it's been a good start. The No. 12 Tigers rank ninth in the nation in total defense (260.7), third in passing efficiency (80.36), second in first downs allowed (12.3), fourth in third-down conversions (.196) and sixth in tackles for a loss (9.3). They led the country in every one of those categories a season ago.

"Our defense is kind of right where I thought they'd be," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "I didn't think we'd have a big drop off if we could stay healthy with our first group. That's kind of how it's played out. As you know, we're really young and inexperienced behind those guys. That's why getting guys playing time here and there is huge for us because somewhere along the line as we go through the course of the season, some of those guys right now that nobody's talking about, nobody's asked me about, nobody, some of those guys somewhere are going to have to step up for us by November."

That's because three games can't make a season, and Saturday's opponent, No. 6 Notre Dame (4-0), comes to Tiger Town for an 8 p.m. contest with possibly the most potent, diverse offense Clemson will face all season.

"The book is still being written, but whatever conclusions you guys want to draw from the three games that we've played, go ahead, but I don't feel comfortable saying we're this or we're that after three games," SAM linebacker Travis Blanks said. "We still have a lot of football to play."

Behind a multifaceted scheme that aims to balance the run and the pass, the Fighting Irish rank 15th nationally in total offense with an average 531.3 yards per game. They're putting up 41 points and 284.8 rushing yards per contest -- despite losing their starting QB, running back and tight end to injuries this season.

"At the end of the day, the scheme really doesn't mean much if you don't have good players, but that's what makes them a good team," Blanks said. "That's what makes us a good team. We both have good players."

There's simply not one guy the Tigers can focus on stopping. QB DeShone Kizer has completed 67.7 percent of his passes and thrown for 541 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions in relief of Malik Zaire, who's out for the season. RB C.J. Prosise is a converted receiver who's scored six touchdowns and averaged 8.1 yards per carry. His backup, Josh Adams, is posting 8.7 yards per tote.

And then there's Will Fuller, who Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables calls the best receiver in the country. He's caught 22 passes for 454 yards and six touchdowns.

"They're really, really good offensively," said Venables, whose unit is allowing 12.3 points per game. "They put them in very successful situations. Stressful for you defensively with their ability to run the ball and the play-action game."

It's the Irish offensive line, though, that's keeping Venables up at night; when asked how ND's big boys up front compare to others Venables has prepared for the last few years, he responded with, "best one."

"If that battle (in the trenches) is lost, we're probably not going to win the game," Venables said.

The Clemson D-line has been an extremely productive unit thus far, helping Clemson hold opponents to 2.9 yards per run and posting seven sacks. The Tigers will be challenged by an offense that will max protect on early downs and try to run passing routes that take time to develop but are hard to cover.

"They really force you to defend the whole field that way," Venables said.

Clemson knows, of course, that it must continue to stop the run; Louisville had just 19 rushing yards in the Tigers' 20-17 road win Sept. 17. Notre Dame is going to force that issue, and if the Irish can move the chains with the ground game, it will be a much tougher game for Venables to call.

"The more versatile a team can be the more dangerous they are," Blanks said. "If you let anybody run on you it's going to be a tough day, regardless if they can pass the ball or not."

If the Tigers can get ND into long third-down situations, they feel like they can challenge the young Kizer and force him into mistakes.

"We're going to need to get pressure on the quarterback because he likes to stand in the pocket," Clemson DE Shaq Lawson, who has 2.5 sacks and five tackles for a loss this season, said. "We trust our DBs ... one of the best secondaries in the nation. I feel they're going to do their job and we're going to do ours up front."

No. 6 Notre Dame (4-0) at No. 12 Clemson (3-0)

8 p.m. Saturday, ABC

Line: Notre Dame by 1

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 11:09 AM with the headline "So far, so good for Clemson defense as Irish come to town."