If you want to know what Clemson's defense will look like under new coordinator Tom Allen, he's made the formula crystal clear.
"Tackling, effort, takeaways. That's our DNA," Allen stated Tuesday.
After a full offseason of work, Allen is ready to unveil a defense he hopes will be defined by its relentless physicality and fundamentals. The number one priority? Bringing the ball carrier to the ground.
"That is the expectation, to be an elite tackling defense," Allen said, revealing he was recently mic'd up at practice yelling, "Best tackling team in the country!" "It's critical. You gotta be able to tackle in space... at the end of the day, get the guy on the ground consistently."
A key part of his job since arriving nearly nine months ago has been restoring the swagger of a unit that faced struggles at the end of last season.
"It's been a daily objective for me to build the belief and the confidence of our players defensively," Allen explained. "When you know the last four times you took the field previously, you know it wasn't positive for that unit... that can kind of weigh heavy on you."
Now, after months of work "behind closed doors," Allen is thrilled to finally see his product in action in front of a sold-out Death Valley.
"My guys have worked so, so hard," he said. "You want to see them go out there and just play free and play their best and enjoy what they worked so hard to do."