Clemson Football: Brian Kelly compares Etienne to Chubb, Michel of UGA
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly believes Clemson football running back Travis Etienne is one of the best his program has faced in recent history.
Clemson football running back Travis Etienne has been absolutely explosive for the Tigers all season.
The talented sophomore won the ACC Player of the Year award, finished second in the nation for the Doak Walker award and is a consensus All-American.
Etienne currently has 176 attempts for 1,463 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. That’s good enough for 8.3 yards per carry, which is just an absolutely ridiculous number.
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has taken notice of Etienne and his talent. The head coach praised Etienne when he spoke to the media a few days ago and said that he was the best running back his program has faced since they went up against Georgia’s Sony Michel and Nick Chubb last season.
Brian Kelly says Clemson running back Travis Etienne is the best back Notre Dame has faced since Sony Michel/Nick Chubb against Georgia.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) December 15, 2018
Explosive Ability:
Kelly isn’t going to say anything that will be used as clipboard material. He is a very smart coach and really does respect Clemson football and the program that Dabo Swinney has built.
I think he recognizes Etienne’s explosive ability. Since the beginning of the season, teams have really tried to zero-in on stopping Etienne.
You’ve constantly seen opposing defenses stack the box, send extra pressure and disguise their blitzes with the hopes of taking Etienne out of the game plan and forcing the Tigers to beat them through the air.
Fortunately for Clemson, Trevor Lawrence has been very good passing the ball and that has opened up some holes for Etienne at times.
Next. When it comes to Travis Etienne, mom knows best. dark
Even so, I expect Notre Dame to stack the box and bring pressure. I think they’ll try to focus in on slowing down Etienne, but it only takes one miss and he’ll be gone.
I absolutely love watching Etienne play and for him to be compared to Michel and Chubb really shows how good he is. He can make opposing defenses pay in a heartbeat and it’s clear that defending him is going to be a big part of Notre Dame’s game plan when they face the Tigers in the Cotton Bowl.