Elliot Washington II made sure Clemson had the final word.
North Carolina spent part of the buildup to the Tigers’ Week 3 home game jawing with Clemson during pregame warmups, first at The Paw midfield about two hours before kickoff and later along the Clemson sideline. The back-and-forth set a charged tone before the ACC opener, and Washington said it stuck with him once the game started.
"It most definitely gave me some motivation for sure, I can't lie," Washington said of the pre-game scuffles Clemson had with North Carolina ahead of the Week 3 ACC opener. "It's funny to see guys mouthing [off].
It's just something that ... you're on our turf. You guys came into our house.
Now, we have to show you guys what it's really about."
By the end of the day, Clemson did exactly that. North Carolina stayed in it for a while, but the Tar Heels unraveled in the second half and then completely fell apart after the two-hour rain delay. Billy Edwards Jr. had a rough afternoon, and Washington was there to help make it worse.
Washington’s comments lined up with the edge Clemson carried throughout the game, and his confidence has become part of the story for a Tigers secondary that looks nothing like the group that bled yards a season ago. Since transferring from Penn State, Washington has played three games for Clemson, and the addition of him, Jerome Carter III and Corey Myrick has turned the defensive backfield into one of the team’s strengths.
Clemson also showed the kind of in-game adjustment that swung the night. The Tigers were the better team at reacting as the game wore on, with Chad Morris’ play-calling sharpening in the second half and Tom Allen’s defense showing up from the opening kickoff. Washington was right in the middle of that effort.
For Clemson, the bigger picture is simple: the defense keeps getting more confident every week, and the schedule offers plenty of room to keep improving in a down ACC. The downside is that the conference may still be headed toward a one-team race for the College Football Playoff.
As for Washington’s pregame message, it landed in two ways. UNC’s chippiness came back to haunt the Tar Heels, and Clemson’s secondary looks increasingly sure of itself. If the Tigers are going to keep making noise in the ACC, Washington’s teammates will need to keep matching that standard.
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