ATLANTA, Ga. — A mission so many thought would end in Miami at the BCS National Championship Game will come to a close 661 miles away in Atlanta as No. 9 LSU tees it up against No. 14 Clemson in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Monday in the Georgia Dome.
With its national title hopes dashed after a dismal offensive afternoon in a loss at Florida and a last-second loss to Alabama, LSU (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) will try to win its fifth bowl game in eight seasons under coach Les Miles.
“What we have really encouraged our team to do is improve, and that’s been a focal point really from the beginning of the season right on through,” Miles said. “On certain phases of our offense, defense and special teams, we are playing our best football.”
Anchored by junior linebacker Kevin Minter and the dynamic junior defensive end duo of Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery, the Tiger defense will try to quell a potent Clemson offense littered with playmakers, including ACC Player of the Year Tajh Boyd at quarterback.
Minter, voted the team’s Most Valuable Player by his peers at the annual banquet to conclude the season, will be playing in front of a hometown crowd in possibly his final game as a Tiger after leading the defense on the field with 111 tackles and off the field with his quiet, confident demeanor.
“[Minter] leads by example. He does everything right,” said junior safety Eric Reid. “He’s a great example setter for the young guys, somebody they can look up to and somebody they can count on if they have a question.”
Boyd teamed with junior wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and sophomore wide receiver Sammy Watkins to amass 3550 yards through the air this season, resulting in 34 touchdowns and averaging 9.42 yards per pass attempt.
Add in senior 1000-yard rusher Andre Ellington and Clemson (10-2, 7-1 ACC) presents the most potent offensive attack LSU has faced since tangling with Texas A&M quarterback and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel in College Station.
“[Boyd] can run and throw and they have a lot of options for him,” said LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis. “[I] certainly would rank it with as high as any offense we’ve faced.”
Miles echoed Chavis’ sentiments, comparing the pace and tempo of the Clemson offense to that of Oregon, who the Tigers defeated 40-27 to open last season.
“The preparation for that [tempo] is certainly something that we have undertaken for some time,” Miles said. “You must get ready when they snap the ball and that’s north and south, gearing down on the ball, understanding your responsibility and assignments and doing it like that.”
LSU junior quarterback and Watkinsville, Ga. native Zach Mettenberger and a stable of running backs led by freshman Jeremy Hill and junior Spencer Ware will be tasked with keeping pace with the capable Clemson offense.
Mettenberger, who started the season slowly, gelled with the offense as conference play progressed, according to Miles, and hasn’t looked back.
“I like the chemistry in the passing game, and he understands the running game pretty well,” Miles said. “I’m glad there’s no questions about my quarterback.”
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney gushed over the LSU depth and explosiveness, pointing to LSU’s game against in-state rival South Carolina, where he said the Gamecocks were “physically dominated” in Tiger Stadium.
Swinney said the margin of error with his team is not very big, adding that the most minuscule miscue could spell disaster.
“You throw it a little bit behind, it’s probably a pick, so you have to be very precise with your execution against a team like this,” Swinney said. “You’d better have some balance, because if you become predictable against these guys, it’s a long day.”
