Capehart Feels Defense has Improving to do

CLEMSON – The 10 ^th ranked Clemson Tigers will be back at Memorial Stadium on Saturday as they host Virginia in the only home game for Clemson in October.

Defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart spoke with the media and shared a recap of his thoughts this season and more.

The Tigers held Wake Forest last week to 233 total yards, including just 38 yards in the second half. However, the defense got off to a slow start in the game, and area Capehart feels they need to improve upon.

–Through the first five games of the season, the Tigers defense did not allow any points in the first quarter. The Demon Deacons changed that statistic and Capehart’s reasoning was, “I think we started slow, but we gained confidence as we got going. We definitely have to start better and not be starting later on in the game.”

–The graduate was asked what it was like to see younger guys like Stephyilan Green and Vic Burley get into the mix on the field. He said, “those guys put in the same amount of work that we do and we want the best for everybody that’s in our room. They come in ready to work and they get their results.”

–Peter Woods was out with an injury for two games and has slowly worked his way back onto the field. He played 20 snaps against Florida State but made a bigger impact against Wake Forest. Capehart said, “Peter is great talent and having him on the edge is an uplift to all of us.” He added, “we all want to win, so when one guy goes down, you just have to fight for your brother until he’s back.”

–The defensive tackle spoke high praise for coach Nick Eason and what he has done so far at Clemson. Capehart said Eason is a “generational coach” and “it’s just amazing to me how he just handles life and everything.” He said learning from Eason is special and he is glad for the opportunity to learn from him.  He added, “I want the best for him and that’s why I play my hardest for my coach.”