wes goodwin Standing behind the podium, he comes across as an incredibly calm person.
When it’s game time, it’s like a switch is flipped.
Now, that switch doesn’t involve the returning coach. That someone is now running the show in Norman.
Brent Venables He always seemed to be running at 110 percent and it was almost unnerving to see something slightly off on defense. At the time, Clemson had three current head coaches on the sideline. Of course they had dabo swinney Venables and Tony Elliott too. The trio has had a lot of success, with Venables and Elliott currently enjoying success of their own at Oklahoma State and Virginia.
Back at Clemson, the showrunner changed. now, garrett riley Clemson has won four straight and is now firmly in the top 10. Goodwin complements Riley’s offense’s quick start, as the defense has posted five straight shutouts in the first quarter.
All of these performances didn’t deserve perfect reviews, as there were challenges along the way. Goodwin certainly understands this and wants his unit to find different ways to create more pressure and limit big plays.
As it stands, Clemson ranks 80th out of 134 teams eligible in yards allowed per game (371.4). There are definitely some yards that are clocking up with the reserves on the field (the defense is rated 23rd overall by SP+, which subtracts garbage time points and yards), but this Tiger defense is all about There are moments when I struggle to put things together. Nowhere was this more evident than against Stanford, where Goodwin’s team struggled to contain half of the Cardinal’s option attacks and turnovers diminished any signs of success against Cross Country.
Goodwin’s intensity from the sideline is sometimes reminiscent of Clemson’s former star coordinator. barrett carter A joke about how Green Dot’s communications can be noisy.
Goodwin told the media that his competitive nature sometimes comes out, but he does his best to control it.
“It’s funny about that,” Goodwin said. “I get excited and get caught up in the moment and try to control my emotions as best I can. Sometimes, as a bystander, I think the more I overreact, the more I think it’s no different than raising a child. Some kids can handle it, some don’t, so it’s just that I can control my emotions sometimes, but it’s a very competitive nature that I have, and sometimes I can control it better. I think you can.”
In some cases, technology can fall victim to your inability to tone it down. Goodwin said he believed he was the first ACC coach to break a tablet during the game against North Carolina State.
“I think I was the first coach in the ACC to break a tablet on the sideline,” Goodwin said. “It’s probably shatterproof, but at that moment it wasn’t. But at the end of the day, no one wants to win more than me. No one wants to win more than me. I don’t want to see those players perform at the level that I am. There’s no one who can do the job better than me. I take this job very seriously and it’s given to me now. I’m very grateful for the opportunity. My wife always tells people that they should see my temper, so sometimes I let my emotions show.”
Much like Goodwin’s emotions, Clemson’s defense has shown flashes at times.
Now, the goal is to put everything together. With Wake Forest on the horizon (noon/ESPN), Goodwin is hoping the Demon Deacons’ losses run deeper and don’t leave any tablets behind in the process.
