When 12th-ranked Clemson opens the season on Saturday against Wofford, the Tigers will have nine new starters on defense, and nine true or redshirt freshmen who will be playing.
The Terriers might not be the best opponent for a young and basically inexperienced defense to see in Week 1. Why? Cut blocks.
Like Georgia Tech, Wofford runs a complicated triple-option scheme which has offensive line—legally—cutting down the legs of a defensive line or linebacker on every play. It’s a scheme that is designed to get in the heads of a defender, and usually is very successful against inexperienced players.