Vic Beasley needs to do some research

Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley made some waves at ACC Media Days when he was asked about dealing with constant attention and double-teams from opposing offensive lines this year, much like former Gamecock Jadeveon Clowney dealt with last season.

Beasley responded by stating that “Clowney didn’t have the supporting cast I have.”

Really? Well, let’s take a look at the numbers.

Beasley’s teammates on the defensive line this season will be Grady Jarrett, Corey Crawford and Josh Watson. We’ll compare their 2013 stats to those of Kelcy Quarles, Chaz Sutton and J.T. Surratt.

Clemson’s defense played 921 snaps last season, compared to South Carolina’s 833. The Tigers also made 1,221 tackles, while the Gamecocks only made 810. These numbers would make it appear that Clemson’s defensive line would clearly have superior stats, if only because they had more opportunities to make plays. Total tackles favor the Tigers; Jarrett, Crawford and Watson combined for 182 tackles in 2013, while Quarles, Sutton and Surratt combined for just 104.

However, 26 of the Quarles/Sutton/Surratt tackles were in the backfield, meaning 25% of their tackles were for loss. Jarrett/Crawford/Watson only made 23.5 tackles for loss, just 12.9% of their total. The Gamecock trio racked up 14 sacks, while the three Tigers combined for only six. Clemson allowed 155.7 rushing yards per game last season, compared to 153.8 for South Carolina’s defense.

None of the Tigers were named to any All-ACC teams after the season, although Jarrett and Crawford were both honorable mentions. Meanwhile, Quarles was named as an All-American by seven different publications.

Quarles and Sutton are both currently in the NFL. Only time will tell if Beasley truly had the better supporting cast, but it’s probably too early for him to be making such statements.

Especially when the numbers don’t support it.