CLEMSON – Tom Allen walked out of practice and into the interview room Wednesday evening with a smile and a hoarse-sounding voice. Neither one of those things wavered during a 43-minute session in which the message was clear: The film doesn’t lie.
Allen was brought in to fix a Clemson defense that finished 85th nationally against the run last season, giving up an average of 4.71 yards per carry (99th nationally) and an average of 160 yards per game. The Tigers last ranked out of the top 20 in rush defense in 2016, when the defense finished 24th.