Venables: Tricks Won't Be Enough Against Burrow, LSU

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables wants to see his players rely on fundamentals and execution more than just a scheme to slow down LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and his prolific offense Monday in the national title game in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS — On Alabama’s first drive in last year’s national championship game, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables gave Tua Tagovailoa one look pre-snap and another once the quarterback dropped back to pass.

It led to confusion for the Alabama offense and an interception that was returned for a touchdown by A.J. Terrell for Clemson, which seized early momentum and went on to roll the Crimson Tide 44-16 to win the national title.

Venables was lauded for the scheme and ability to give Tagovailoa something he didn't instantly recognize. Sure, another trick like that could come in handy Monday night, but Venables thinks this game plan will much more than about confusion. 

“So all the disguise stuff to me is overblown,” Venables said. “You try to do that, everybody does on defense. Sometimes, again, they don't allow you to do that. That's how their system is set up to show your hand.”

While Venables believes too much is made out of tricking the quarterback, what he tries to do schematically to LSU’s Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy winner who’s putting up eye-popping numbers, in Monday’s national title game in New Orleans has folks guessing.

Clemson is the stingiest defense in the nation. LSU is the most prolific offense in the nation.

“To me, you're not going to trick (Burrow),” Venables said. “He's got a terrific offensive line. They were voted as the best in the country, right? They're going to give him time. They understand what's coming at them, how to pick everything up.

“He's a very poised, confident quarterback that's going to go through his reads. So, you know, disguising, you try to disguise all the time. Sometimes what they do, they don't give you as much of an opportunity to disguise.”

So how do you slow down a quarterback who’s thrown for 5,208 yards and 55 touchdowns and is completing 77.6% of his passes? You execute, Venables says.

Burrow said Saturday one of the reasons he’s improved so much as a passer from last year to this year is because of the change in formations under passing coordinator Joe Brady and the way that’s opened up his defensive recognition.

"Last year our tight end was attached to the core all the time,” Burrow said. “We had two tight ends sometimes, a fullback, and that just brings more guys into the box, makes it difficult to decipher where the blitzes are coming from.”

This year, LSU uses empty sets, stacked receivers and detached tight ends to not only keep defenses guessing, but to also give Burrow the looks he needs to read what they’re doing.

“It makes the defense really declare themselves for me,” Burrow said. “I think that's been a big difference maker for us as far as getting blitzes picked up.”

Clemson will find out Monday night if it can solve LSU, but Venables trusts his years of experience and the defenders who have proven themselves all season.

“You just make one last go at it, have belief, play with effort, play with physical toughness,” Venables said. “You're going to be in some competitive positions. You got to make plays. If we're successful on defense, it won't be because of me, I can promise you, it will be because of the players that are out on the field.”

Venables has made a career off of disguising blitzes and bringing pressures from places offenses don’t expect. But he says by now, Burrow has seen it all, and the tricks won’t work.

“At the end of the day what it really comes down to is us and trying to create good matchups, play with good fundamentals, good technique,” Venables said. “The flipside of it, they're running great routes, throwing it right on that back shoulder, getting out of the backfield, catching it downhill, timely screens, trying to punch you in the gut in the A gap.

“There's no real secret to how you got to play good defense. You got to play good physically. You got to play good fundamentally. If you pressure, you got to get there quick because the ball is coming out fast.”