Tigers brace for hostile environment of Williams-Brice Stadium

CLEMSON — The nightmare for Chris Hairston goes something like this:

On Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium the score is close, it's third-and-long, and at the end of the line the 6-7, 325-pound left tackle feels helpless. He's unable to hear the protection change quarterback Kyle Parker is barking out. Eighty-thousand South Carolina partisans are in a frenzied state, and making the situation worse is Gamecocks linebacker Eric Norwood is assuming a sprinter's stance.

In a season of tests for Clemson, Hairston anticipates another Saturday. The atmosphere in Columbia figures to be the toughest environment the Tigers have faced.

The rookie quarterback-led Tigers have not traveled to a rowdy, SEC-style road venue this season. Land Shark Stadium in Miami was only half full. Maryland's atmosphere was like an acoustic cafe until the second half. The N.C. State crowd was taken out of the game early.

Georgia Tech's environment was the most difficult, Hairston said. The Tigers had three false starts, and each came on third down.

But USC will have 20,000 more fans in house.

'Every Saturday I watch offensive lines make pre-snap penalties because they can't hear,' said Brad Scott, Clemson's offensive line coach and former South Carolina head. 'Certainly Williams-Brice is going to stack up there with the best of them.

'Part of playing in a game like that is being able to communicate.'

Scott said certain protection calls are passed down the line — like the telephone game. Often, you'll see a quarterback in a tough road environment move behind the guards in pre-snap situations to scream out orders.

'And he'll run back and get set, hopefully the center hasn't snapped the ball,' Scott said.

Hairston and Scott think the Tigers, notably Parker, are better equipped for Saturday than they were against Georgia Tech.

'I think our quarterback grew up in that game,' Scott said. 'It is the quarterback and his rhythm and his snap count; sometimes holding the snap count, sometimes giving the offensive linemen time to make adjustments.'

While communication is key, Hairston said it's better to avoid such situations altogether. The prerequisite is first-down success.

Clemson has been much better on first downs during its six-game winning streak, and last season the Tigers rushed for 184 yards on 47 carries in a 31-14 win against USC.

First-down success is critical against a defense ranking fourth in the SEC in sacks (25). It's a defense possessing pass-rushing threats like Norwood who has seven sacks, 16 quarterback hits and two interceptions this season, and defensive end Cliff Matthews, who has six sacks despite being limited by a shoulder injury.

'With the noise of third-and-long,' Hairston said, 'I don't want to have those types of athletes with their ears pinned back.'

Hairston said the Tigers will not alter their game plan to 'account for any one player' but noted USC's stars are just as talented as TCU's Jerry Hughes, or Georgia Tech's Derrick Morgan, who sacked Parker three times.

Hairston said Parker has done a better job of setting up deep in the pocket to create long paths for rushers, and subsequently doing a better job of moving up in the pocket.

All such improvements figure to be tested Saturday.

Reach Travis Sawchik at tsawchik@postandcourier.com and check out his Clemson blog at here.