Clemson247 went to Sonny Shipp of Geaux247 to gather more insight on Clemson's National Championship matchup with LSU.
1) How have teams varied in their approach to account for CEH as a pass-catcher? I noticed UGA spied him with a defensive back, but he still had 61 receiving yards.
Shipp: There have been three components to Edwards-Helaire as a pass catcher that LSU has used the most – out of the backfield lined up alongside Joe Burrow, in the slot and flexed out wide. The biggest mismatch in my mind is when he flexes wide forcing a linebacker to play on the outside where he can’t get as much help and is exposed in man-to-man coverage.
With tight end Thaddeus Moss, and LSU’s trio of receivers – Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall – opponents have chosen to bracket up on one of the receivers, leaving Edwards-Helaire and Moss one-on-one. Edwards-Helaire has been a mismatch for everyone he has faced.
Clemson is the only opponent with a linebacker capable of hanging with Edwards-Helaire in space with 6-foot-4, 230-pound Isaiah Simmons. If I’m Brent Venables, Simmons goes everywhere Edwards-Helaire goes because I don’t think any other linebacker comes close to matching up that well against LSU’s third-leading receiver.
2) LSU has been susceptible to the big run play this season. What’s the reasoning behind that?
Shipp: Early on and in the middle of the schedule, Grant Delpit was not close to 100 percent with an injury suffered in camp he played through before he injured his ankle against Auburn. With Kelvin Joseph and Keenan Jones hitting the transfer portal and Todd Harris out with a season-ending knee injury a third of the way through the regular season schedule, LSU did not have the horses it needed to play its style of football. Toss in some shoddy tackling and you saw a lot of big plays in the run game.
After Ole Miss torched Dave Aranda’s defense for 402 yards on the ground, two things happened. First, LSU sat Delpit the following week against Arkansas and 6-foot-1, 215-pound true freshman safety Mo Hampton emerged. Suddenly, Delpit was healthier than he had been since last season and Hampton gave the Tigers another big, physical safety that could inch closer to the line.
The results since Ole Miss have been night and day. LSU is yielding only 86 yards a game over the last four contests against Arkansas, Texas A&M, Georgia and Oklahoma. Georgia averaged 200 yards an outing on the ground entering the SEC Championship Game and totaled only 61. OU featured the No. 8 rushing attack in America at 235 yards a game and finished with 97.
LSU must maintain its strong presence in the front seven if it hopes to keep Clemson’s attack well under under the 246 yards a game it averages. But, two bigger key pieces to not allowing the big chunk plays will be Stevens and Delpit providing run support from the secondary.
3) 3rd and 1 or 2, what’s LSU calling? Does it trust its OL to get push in those situations?
Shipp: LSU’s offensive line won the Joe Moore Award that goes to the most outstanding offensive line unit in college football and I think a big reason was its production in the run game. The front has had to piece together different combinations this season with starting tackle Saahdiq Charles suspended for six games and his top backup also suspended at various points of the campaign. That’s played a part in LSU ranked No. 71 in the country and 10th in the SEC, allowing 2.14 sacks a game with 30 total. That’s a big number considering how quickly Joe Burrow gets rid of the ball and avoids sacks moving in the pocket despite how many times they ask the line to protect.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire is as good as anyone in the country at making defenders miss in the backfield and is tough to bring down with his power and low center of gravity. An element that offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger has not had to rely on much is Burrow off the zone-read, but I feel that could be a wrinkle you see more of on January 13 as each team looks for something different that hasn’t shown up much in the 14 games of tape both teams have on each other.
4) Expect to see more LSU linebackers on the field than we have seen in most situations to date in order to key in on Travis Etienne? And how much has LSU actually blitzed this year?
Shipp: LSU had to blitz a lot for much of the season to get pressure on quarterbacks with as many games as starting outside linebacker Michael Divinity missed (9) and K’Lavon Chaisson working off the rust accumulated from missing all but the season opener in 2018 due to a torn ACL. Those two are easily Dave Aranda’s biggest threats at getting after the quarterback. With Divinity back for this one, LSU should not have to blitz as often, though I expect him to play primarily only in dime packages.
LSU is comfortable playing its nickel package if opponents run the ball with big safeties in JaCoby Stevens and Grant Delpit. I expect to see a lot of that look to get an extra defensive back on the field and still have two physical inside linebackers in Jacob Phillips and Patrick Queen with a 225-pound safety in Stevens and a 205-pounder in Delpit.
5) LSU rarely punts or kicks field goals. But what’s the lowdown on those positions?
Shipp: Cade York had a rough patch where he missed an extra point in three straight games but worked his way out of it. Since the midway point of the regular season until the conference championship, he knocked down 11 of his last 12 field goals with three from 50 or more yards out. In the postseason, the true freshman has hit 3-of-5 with misses from 48 and 46 yards. If it comes down to LSU needing a big game-winning kick, York gives them a huge leg but like any kid his age you wonder how he will handle the moment.
Zach Von Rosenberg has punted only 40 times and brings a 42.5-yard average into the contest. I wouldn’t say he’s been a big weapon, but he’s been consistent mostly.
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