Woods Locked in as he Returns From Injury

CLEMSON — The Clemson defense has long been strong with talented players and united strength, but injuries can quickly change things.

Earlier in the season, sophomore and star defensive tackle Peter Woods was sidelined with a leg injury after getting chop-blocked and injured during the Appalachian State game. He left that game in the second quarter and did not return to the lineup until this past Saturday against Florida State.

“In the FSU game, I definitely had to work through a couple of cobwebs,” Woods said. “I needed that game to see where I was at, and I think I would say Monday was one of the first times that I felt like me, so that feels good.”

The 6-foot-3, 315-pound lineman has been a critical part of Clemson’s defensive front. While the Tigers found success without him, they still imagine what they will be able to do with Woods fully healthy and back on the field.

“I love this game, I love football, and I don’t want to be away from it,” Woods said. “Even the games that I wasn’t playing, I was locked into the game plan. I was running out there that first game and that helped me fall right into FSU and now into Wake Forest week.”

Woods mentioned the possibility of getting onto the field against Stanford, but it was not needed.

“As far as Stanford, I feel like I probably could have got out there and done a little bit,” Woods said. “But it wasn’t really any point because there was kind of a big risk of me getting reinjured.

“We have a lot of guys that we trust in the defensive end room as you’ve seen, that they can just come in and get the job done.”

Woods should be good to go for facing Wake Forest this Saturday (noon, ESPN) in Winston-Salem, N.C.