Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson previews Clemson

Top-ten offense versus top-five defense; Miami offense coordinator Shannon Dawson knows his unit is going to have to make some big, contested plays against Clemson.

Miami's offense has been one of the best in college football this year. The Hurricanes are currently ranked seventh in total offense, putting up over 500 yards of total offense per game behind quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and first-year offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. 

Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson / Miami Athletics

Dawson spoke about Clemson's defense on Monday, giving the unit that's currently ranked fifth nationally in total defense a lot of credit.

"They're the best defense we've played all year from top to bottom," said Dawson. "Very, very aggressive up front in the run game, they do not mind getting dirty and doing what it takes to stop the run. They're also very athletic in the back end there. Linebacking core, [Jeremiah] Trotter Jr. is as good as we've seen this year. I thought 33 for North Carolina was going to be him and now I watch this kid and I'm like, well, heck, he's he's probably the best. His dad was a pretty good player too. Right? But yeah, I mean top to bottom in there, and they played a lot of football on the back end. You know, everything's pretty much contested, but then, you know, passes down the field, you got to make contested plays."

One of the keys for Clemson on Saturday will be getting after the quarterback. Miami has given up just eight sacks on the year and provided Van Dyke with plenty of time to torch defenses. If the Tigers can get pressure, they should be able to slow down Miami's high-powered attack.