GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
CLEMSON, South Carolina – LSU’s assistant coaches have not been available for interviews after games for a few decades now, going back to when Gerry DiNardo was the coach from 1995-99, but particularly under Nick Saban from 2000-04, with rare exceptions.
At times, this ridiculous practice is made to be ignored, though. Like after the Blue Grass Miracle at Kentucky on Nov. 9, 2002, when LSU wide receiver Devery Henderson caught a deflected pass in full stride on the last play of the game for a 33-30 win as Kentucky fans celebrated on the field and in the end zone where he ended up.
After the game, I just grabbed then-LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, who called the play, as some former media relations assistant tried to stop me. But he couldn’t stop Fisher from talking about it.
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Another example was Saturday night at No. 4 Clemson, where LSU’s defense finally played like an LSU defense of old in a 17-10 win over a high quality opponent that was a 10-4 College Football Playoff team (7-1 ACC champs) a year ago and returned fifth-year senior quarterback Cade Klubnik and seven other offensive starters.
Clemson, which was 11th in total offense last year at 451.9 yards a game with Klubnik 10th nationally at 3,639 passing yards, managed just 31 rushing yards, 13 first downs and zero touchdown passes. Clemson leading rusher Adam Randall had all of 16 yards on five carries. LSU shut out Clemson in the second half, stopping six straight possessions.
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Klubnik was sacked twice, hurried five times and threw an interception.
Defensive coordinator Blake Baker had his players blitzing and rushing from all points during the Tigers’ suffocating win, much like Saban’s top defenses in the nation more than two decades ago at LSU.
When cornerback P.J. Woodland sprinted 15-20 yards from the secondary and nailed Klubnik on 3rd-and-8 on Clemson’s first possession for a 12-yard sack, it was on. Klubnick was 0-for-3 on his first two series and 3-of-8 for 31 yards with a false start by his offensive line to start the game.
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On Clemson’s last drive after Klubnik passed his team to a first down at the LSU 21 with 1:33 to play, Klubnik finished 2 of 4 for six yards, including 0-for-his-last-2. On 4th-and-4 from the LSU 15 with 1:03 left after an LSU timeout, star linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. sprinted 15-20 yards, scooted around the line of scrimmage to hurry Klubnik into a desperation pass that fell incomplete.
And it was over.
“How about that defense?” LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier would say.
Baker exited the locker room as Kelly was finishing his press conference and just stood there for a few moments smiling, talking to other staff and various folks. I’m not saying he was waiting to be interviewed, but he sure didn’t hurry to the bus. After he said hello and shook hands with a few reporters while we waited for players to come out for interviews, I asked if he had a minute.
“Sure,” he said right off.
Remember, these coordinators want to be head coaches, so they like a little of the spotlight on occasion and deserve it, particularly after a game like that.
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“That’s a really good offense, and we were able to eliminate the run and really put the quarterback on the run all night long. I was really proud of the guys,” Baker said. “The big thing there at the end was we’d run that same pressure when they had that false start, so I was a little worried about running it twice. But they fell right into it. Perk did a great job, and they did a really good job on the back end in coverage. Executed to perfection. The pressure was on them (Clemson).”
Perkins was running free most of the night from edges. He also had a sack and two quarterback hurries. Woodland finished with five solo tackles and that early sack. Linebacker Whit Weeks had two quarterback hurries. Defensive tackle Bernard Gooden also had a hurry, and with tackle Jacobian Guillory he and others provided key interior pressure, which was something LSU had little of last year.
“We were getting pressure from everywhere, not just defensive ends,” Weeks said. “That’s just coach Baker. He rushes, safeties, cornerbacks, linebackers. He’ll send anybody.”
When LSU got pressure last season, it was usually only from its excellent ends – NFL draft picks Bradyn Swinson and Sai’vion Jones, who had 13 of LSU’s 34 sacks last year.
Clemson struggled to handle Baker’s constant movement overall and larger size on the defensive line.
“It started with stopping the run, absolutely,” Baker said. “That’s our number one goal. And number two – confuse, harass and hit the quarterback. We executed both of those.”
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It was just one game, though. And Clemson was without top junior wide receiver Antonio Williams, who injured a hamstring on Clemson’s first series and never returned to the game. A mid-first round projection in the next NFL Draft, Williams caught 75 passes for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
“Big loss,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.
And Baker’s defense had a good start to last season before it failed miserably against running quarterbacks as the season went on.
But Baker now has much more speed and talent on this defense with roster additions, particularly from the transfer portal. Transfer cornerback Mansoor Delane (or Woodland, a sophomore returnee) would have been a good match for Williams and had an interception in the second half. Transfer safeties A.J. Haulcy and Tamarcus Cooley were very good in coverage. Gooden and other defensive line transfers Jack Pyburn, Patrick Payton and Jimari Butler played well.
“I just talked to Whit and the guys, and they’re going to be sick when they watch the film, because we can be so much better,” Baker said. “But that’s encouraging. This group will do a really good job.”
Just then, the interview was ended.
“Thank you,” Baker said. “Appreciate you.”
We may not get another postgame interview with Baker this season, but we will continue to hear from that defense.
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