Howell: Clemson one of the best teams he’s faced in his coaching career

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Probably sooner than Virginia would have preferred, the Cavaliers get another shot at No. 1 ranked Clemson and big-boy football.

UVA was blasted, 62-17, by the Tigers in last December’s ACC Championship game. Clemson led, 31-7, at halftime. While the Cavaliers were dominated, they became the first team all season to reach 300 yards of offense against Clemson.

Tiger quarterback Trevor Lawrence and receiver Tee Higgins were unstoppable as Lawrence passed for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Higgins hauled in nine passes for 182 yards and three scores. Neither played in the fourth quarter.

Virginia co-defensive coordinator Nick Howell remembers that night well, and what a juggernaut offense he had to prepare his unit to face. Now, he’s got to do it again.

“They’re one of the best teams that we’ve coached against … definitely up there,” Howell said after Wednesday morning’s practice. “I don’t know if they’re the best, but yeah, they’re one of the best teams we’ve ever played against over the past 15 or 16 years (including he and his fellow coaches’ time at BYU).”

There’s not much difference between last year’s Clemson team and this year’s edition.

“They return a lot of guys,” Howell said. “Obviously, the running back (Travis Etienne) and the quarterback (Lawrence) are the same. Their offensive line, I feel is really good. I think they’ve probably improved at tight end. I like the guy that’s back for them. They lost receivers (including Higgins), so I think there’s youth there at receiver that’s different. I’m not saying they’re less-than or greater-than … just different. They look very similar-type bodies and they’ve had some explosive plays, but I think they’re very much the same.”

Last year’s Clemson team, which didn’t lose until it was itself somewhat dominated by LSU in the national championship game, averaged 43.9 points per game, 240 yards rushing per game and 288 yards passing per game.

Etienne averaged 7.8 yards per carry and scored 19 touchdowns, but rarely played an entire game because Clemson was so far ahead. Ditto for Lawrence, who completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,665 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Lawrence has taken up where he left off and has completed 84 percent of his passes. He hasn’t thrown an interception since last October.

Then there’s Etienne, who is a threat to score any time he gets his hands on the ball. Howell knows just how dangerous.

“You have to keep number 9 (Etienne) in front of you and tackle him, which we didn’t do,” Howell said. “And you have to not let them launch the ball down the field, which is what they want to do. They’re built on explosion and we gave up a ton of explosive plays (in the championship game), and we can’t allow that to happen. So that is the area of emphasis with us.”

The Tigers have annihilated their first two opponents, The Citadel (49-0) and Wake Forest (37-13).

UVA Defensive Notes

JMU LENDS A HAND: A pair of JMU starters transferred to UVA in the offseason and both made immediate impacts in the Cavaliers’ season-opening win over Duke.

“I thought they both did really, really well,” Howell said about safety D’Angelo Amos and defensive lineman Adeeb Atariwa. “D’Angelo had an interception. He has an edge to him that I really like, which I think we need. It’s just a little bit of toughness and nastiness that he’s showed in his body language and how he is physical, so I like that.

“Adeeb really plays hard, so I’m really pleased with him. He’s a guy that, down in and down out, while he’s been out there, has played extremely hard. He’s been really coachable. So those two guys have been a great addition and we’re extremely happy to have them.”

BLOUNT 100%: Safety Joey Blount, who slowly exited the field after being shaken up late in the win over Duke, is confirmed healthy for the Clemson game.

“Yeah, he’s good,” Howell said. “He’s been full go since Monday.”