Today at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN from the Florida Citrus Bowl the No. 17 Clemson Tigers (9-3) will face a stiff test in the Russell Athletic Bowl when they take on the Oklahoma Sooners (8-4) and their record-breaking running back Samaje Perine. Live stream the game free by clicking this link; Clemson fans can find the radio broadcast on WCCP 104.9 , while Oklahoma fans may do likewise on News Talk KOKC 1520.
Clemson's defense was ranked the best in the nation this season and allowed a mere 17.6 points per game. The rushing defense was particularly stout in 2014, allowing less than 100 yards per game on the ground and holding opposing rushers to less than three yards a carry.
That could prove difficult today with the NCAA's single-game rushing king on the field. Freshman Samaje Perine has totaled 1,579 yards on the ground along with 21 rushing touchdowns. His record-breaking performance came against Kansas, a week after Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon had broken the mark. Perine chewed up 427 yards on 34 attempts and scored five times in a rout.
The Sooners are not intimidated by Clemson's top-ranked D.
"It's awesome knowing you can go out there against the No. 1 defense and knowing that you can compete," senior tight end Blake Bell told Oklahoma's official website. "We see our offense as a top in the country too, and just to be able to go out there and play against them, it's going to be fun."
Clemson has their own freshman running back that head coach Dabo Swinney has a lot of faith in named Wayne Gallman. He racked up 191 yards against South Carolina in Clemson's last regular season game, but may find holes harder to come by against a tough Sooners run defense.
"As I said at the beginning of the season, 'Y'all are going to like Wayne Gallman,'" Swinney said. "He's going to be a really good player."
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
