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Rex Brown

Clemson's Crezdon Butler (18) looks to avoid the tackle of Coastal Carolina's Jamie Childers (6) while Coty Sensabaugh looks to make a block during an interception return last Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Clemson.

CLEMSON — Clemson leads the ACC by a wide margin in both pass defense (146.2 yards per game) and interceptions (15) and allowed just 27 yards through the air in its 49-3 win over Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

“I don’t care who you’re playing, that’s a phenomenal accomplishment right there,” Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said during a Sunday teleconference.

All in all, it’s probably safe to say the Tigers are feeling pretty good about their ability to defend the pass right about now.

Of course, their confidence level in that department at, say, midnight this Saturday will be a much better indicator of the Tigers’ chances of playing in the ACC Championship game.

Clemson (5-3, 3-2 ACC) will look to remain in control of its own destiny in the ACC Atlantic when it hosts division rival Florida State and the league’s leading passer in redshirt junior Christian Ponder on Saturday at 7:45 p.m. in a game that will be nationally televised by ESPN.

“They’re as good offensively as we’ve played, just really kind of studying them all day (Sunday),” Swinney said. “They make a lot of plays and they’ve scored a bunch of points and have really gotten it going. Heck, they’re throwing the ball and catching the ball as well as anybody. … They seem to really be getting their confidence.”

And while Ponder leads the ACC in passing yards per game (306.6) and completion percentage (69.4), Swinney said his ability to run with the football makes him doubly dangerous.

“Ponder is a very, very good quarterback,” he said. “He is dangerous. Loves to run the ball, runs the ball with some passion and some purpose and some toughness. He’s as good as we’ve played.”

The Seminoles (4-4, 2-3) opened their conference slate in uncharacteristic fashion, with three straight losses, but have since rebounded to beat North Carolina and N.C. State in back-to-back weeks and have a chance to place themselves squarely back in the divisional race with a win Saturday.

“It’s a really talented team, always is,” Swinney said. “I don’t care what their record says or whatever. These guys have really created some momentum going up and winning at North Carolina and then winning against N.C. State, so they’ve got a little momentum going. This is the biggest game of the year for us.”

Of course, Swinney made the same statement prior to last week’s game against Coastal Carolina. And though he no doubt understands the implications of this Saturday’s game are significantly greater, he said the team wouldn’t approach the contest against the Seminoles any differently than it had the one against the Chanticleers.

“Well, it’s big, but it ain’t any bigger than any of the rest of them,” Swinney said. “They’re all big. It’s the next game. We have goals and all that — and I know I’ve been saying that every week, but that’s because it is. That game’s the biggest game. And next week that’ll be the biggest game of the year. And that’s just how we go about our business.”

However, further complicating matters against the Seminoles and their high-powered passing attack is the fact the Tigers will be without perhaps their top pass rusher in sophomore defensive end Da’Quan Bowers.

Bowers hurt his knee in Saturday’s win, and while initial reports suggested the injury wasn’t serious, Swinney said there had been some “miscommunication,” and Bowers actually had sprained both his PCL and MCL and could miss multiple games.

“I would say he’s very doubtful for Saturday,” Swinney said. “But fortunately, it’s not any more serious than that, where he’s going to have to be out for the season or anything like that.”

And while the Tiger head coach indicated he was fairly pleased with his team’s performance against Coastal, citing the play of his offensive line in particular as a bright spot, he also noted there was little time to relish the Homecoming win.

“We had a couple of guys that just didn’t play with the fire I would’ve liked, but overall (it was) a good win,” Swinney said. “Now we’ve got to turn the page. We’ve got a really big game to play this week.”