CLEMSON -- Halfway through the third quarter against Stanford, Clemson's defense faced a critical situation with the Cardinal 8 yards from the end zone and the score 20-7.

It was third-and-3, and Wes Goodwin brought in Sammy Brown to play MIKE linebacker flanked by Wade Woodaz and Barrett Carter.

Quarterback Justin Lamson faked a handoff and rolled to the wide side. Woodaz engaged with the tight end. End TJ Parker engaged with the right tackle.

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Brown saw a clear path between Woodaz and Parker and took off in pursuit of Lamson, who couldn't find any open passing options. As Lamson tried to run it himself, Brown was already there and brought him down for an emphatic 2-yard loss.

Brown came off the field. Stanford went for it on fourth down and Clemson snuffed out a reverse for a turnover on downs.

The third-down play was a big moment in the game, with the Cardinal threatening to make it a 20-14, and Brown delivered in a big way.

Now the question moving forward: Has the supremely talented freshman made a case for more meaningful playing time with the Tigers trying to find a way to shore up some of the defensive flaws and inconsistencies present through the first four games?

Brown's numbers would suggest yes. He played just 15 snaps against Stanford and totaled four tackles (two of them sacks).

Over the three-game homestand he played 90 snaps and totaled 23 tackles (5.5 for loss).

Twenty-three tackles and 5.5 for loss in 90 snaps.

Yes, a good portion of that was garbage time. And yes, Brown also put plenty of mistakes on film as he learned that the speed of an actual game makes split-second decision-making a lot harder.