No Smoking Cigars, Drinking From Red Solo Cups for Clemson After Beating NC State

Defensive end K.J. Henry said the Clemson defensive line took a big step in its 30-20 win over NC State, noting the Tigers brought the right mindset for four quarters for the first time this season.

There were no big celebratory statements after the Tigers knocked off NC State 30-20 on Saturday night in Death Valley.

Last season after the Wolfpack beat Clemson for the first time since 2011, Dave Doeren was seen smoking a cigar and drinking from a red solo cup, as he celebrated his first career win over Dabo Swinney.

After the clock hit zero on Saturday night and the stadium had emptied, the Tigers did what they always do. As usual, they danced in the locker, then began turning their attention towards Boston College, the next opponent on the schedule.

"This is just a game we wanted to win because there was another team in our way," K.J. Henry said. "There won't be no smoking cigars or drinking out of red solo cups tonight. It's just water bottles, getting ready for the next one. It's all we worried about."

For the Tigers, it was about continued growth, on both sides of the ball, but especially on defense, after the unit gave up 337 passing yards to Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman, along with six touchdown passes. 

For much of that game, Hartman had too much time in the pocket, and Clemson's defensive front was dead-set on not having a repeat performance against the Wolfpack. 

After what Henry said were a handful of self-inflicted wounds in the first half, the group really settled in after halftime, finishing the night with three sacks and five hurries. NC State QB Devin Leary, the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, was never allowed to settle in and looked rattled for much of the night.

"I think we took a great step tonight," Henry said. "We're definitely not there yet but I can say the mindset for four quarters finally showed up, for sure. That was a great thing to see on both sides of the ball. And obviously, we had some self-inflicted issues out there that we really got to still work our way out of, but you could feel the mindset was there all night. It was fun to be part of that."

At the end of the day, the season is a process, and the performance against the Wolfpack was the next step for the Clemson defensive front. Coming in, the Tigers knew they had yet to play up to their potential, according to Henry, and as well as they played against NC State, the veteran defensive end still thinks they can be better.

"Great physical, offensive line we've played against, but it was all about us," Henry said. "We knew we could play better. We hadn't necessarily played up to our standard really, as a collective for four quarters long all season. We played better tonight and we feel that when we play our best, it really doesn't matter who we're playing, we're gonna be a problem."

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