A new week presents a new set of challenges for Clemson’s football team.

This is basically a nothing statement. It provides no new information. It merely states a fact that each week of preparation is different.

After hearing all weekend how great its 58-0 win at Miami was, however, a reminder of the importance of meeting a fresh set of challenges might be more valuable to the Tigers now than ever. Leaders like safety Jayron Kearse have made that their focus as the third-ranked team in the nation prepares to take on N.C. State.

“When we get worse,” Kearse said, “that’s when become one of those teams that loses to someone we shouldn’t lose to.”

The old cliché about trying to get better each week might seem foolish after administering such a bludgeoning to a nationally prominent program. After all, Saturday’s game provided Miami with its worst loss in school history.

As fans and national media fall over themselves trying to jump onto the bandwagon, within the program, there is still latent dissatisfaction with the level of performance to date. There probably always will be, at least during film study and prep.

The recognition that improvement is possible with each passing day is a driver for the Tigers—especially on defense, where Brent Venables is open about his habit of being nitpicky about his team’s play on the field. Kearse and others have bought into this relentless approach to self-scouting, and there is a real trickle-down effect that is present.

Kearse gave an example when speaking to the media about the play of the reserves on defense. Against Appalachian State, he said, some of the second- and third-stringers came in and gave up some big plays that allowed the Mountaineers to score a touchdown late after the first team had previously held them out of the end zone.

Just a few weeks later, against Miami, there was a shutout on the line when the backups entered the game. The stakes were the same, but the result was different.

“Those backups get in—the same guys—and they go out there and keep them out of the end zone,” Kearse said. “They get a big stop. We had a muffed punt that had them in good position down at the 30-yard line, and those guys went and got that stop. It just shows the maturity of this team, the leadership of this team.”

Saturday’s shutout was the third in 16 games for Clemson’s defense. The first in that trio of goose eggs came against the Wolfpack, who no doubt have revenge on their minds with the Tigers paying a return visit to Raleigh.

Kearse says the approach this year will not waver—not even with last year’s shutout win, and not even given the exceptional performance his unit produced a week ago on the road.

“With this, we’re coming in the same way,” he said. “We’re going to attack the film, see weaknesses they have in their offense, and we’re going to attack those guys.”

The message to Clemson’s defense this week is that, regardless of results, improvement is expected. The concept of a better unit than the one that faced Miami might seem like a pipe dream, but the fact that Clemson’s believes it can and will be better should frighten the Wolfpack, as well as the rest of the teams left on the schedule.