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CLEMSON -- In 2014, Dabo Swinney made his quarterbacks fair game for hits during spring practice.
Saturday showed us why keeping the purple jerseys on DJ Uiagalelei and Cade Klubnik was an inarguably smart decision.
Because making these quarterbacks live might've left them both dead.
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With old Power Rangers Christian Wilkins and Austin Bryant serving as honorary coaches, Clemson's stacked defensive line brought back flashbacks by wreaking havoc.
It felt like the longest time before either offense could muster a first down.
It felt like a miracle when passes were completed beyond 10 yards.
It felt like this defensive line is going to be, uh, every bit as good as advertised.
Some of the guys on offense might justifiably point out the short-handed nature of their side, with injuries aplenty causing absences and reshuffling.
The defensive guys would like to point out that they were missing Bryan Bresee and Tre Williams, so it could've been worse.
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Anyone who came wanting to see offensive fireworks watched the defense pour water over the fuses as Myles Murphy, K.J. Henry, Xavier Thomas and the defensive line exerted total ownership over their counterparts.
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It was early, Klubnik's first possession, when Murphy made Klubnik pay for keeping on the speed option.
The play was ruled a sack without Murphy touching the freshman quarterback.
"You're lucky you ain't live today Klubnik!" the head coach yelled. "He would have knocked you back to Austin."
Later, in the second quarter, Klubnik committed the cardinal sin of failing to get rid of the ball in the red zone before a safety blitz by Jalyn Phillips produced another sack.
Swinney reminded Klubnik that he's going to be fair game for hits when play starts for real in September against Georgia Tech.
Later, Swinney joked that he might have to let Murphy hit Klubnik just once to "bring him to life."
It was hard for either quarterback to show much life amid the fierce pass rush. Nine sacks were recorded in the first half alone, with Murphy and Henry accounting for 6.5 of them.
The return of Bresee and Williams should make things even harder for Clemson's offensive line come August -- and for opponents once play begins for real.
The comparisons with the 2018 defensive line that helped deliver a national championship will continue into the offseason, and justifiably so.
A great quarterback and elite receivers also played a pretty important role in that title, and the jury is still very much out on that.
But at least Uiagalelei and Klubnik are still alive.
Those purple jerseys saved them Saturday.
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