Clemson was already a great defensive team before heading into its game against Wake Forest Thursday night. Now, the Tigers have the best defense in the nation, following the 34-20 win. The Tigers lead the national in total defense, giving up fewer total yards per game (252) than any team in the nation (slightly better than Wisconsin's 253.8 per game). The Tigers also boast the sixth-best run defense, (90.89 yards per game) the fifth-best pass defense (161.1 yard per game), and they're tied for 10th in scoring defense (18.4 points per game.) The Tigers also lead the nation in tackling runners behind the line of scrimmage, with 91 tackles for loss this season. They're the only team to average double figures per game in that category.
