Oct. 02--Accompanying Chris Brown to his homecoming this weekend in South Carolina will be dozens of his closest companions, among them fellow receiver Will Fuller.
They all will don identical outfits for one of this season's most anticipated dances between No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 12 Clemson on Saturday in Death Valley, about 31/2 hours from Hanahan, S.C.
That's where Brown, a Notre Dame senior, became a two-time state champion in track and field in high school and an admirer of Florida's and South Carolina's football teams as a child before setting his heart on the Irish.
What of the Tigers, who recruited Brown early during his high school career?
"I visited there a lot my sophomore year," Brown said. "But not a Clemson fan."
Just as Clemson is not a fan of Fuller, he of the 22 catches for 454 yards, six touchdowns and one tweet, sent shortly after Notre Dame's victory last weekend against Massachusetts.
"Clemson ... promise it's gonna be #savage," Fuller dished about Saturday's game, which Clemson reconfirmed Friday will go on at its scheduled 7 p.m. CDT time despite predicted torrential rain.
Fuller's message caught the attention of Tigers safety Jayron Kearse, who told The State newspaper he would be "a little chippy" and to "expect some trash talking." Kearse also said he's "ready to go up against Will Fuller."
"After the kickoff, we'll see if he still has that same mindset," Kearse told the paper.
For his part, Fuller opted not to partake in Word War I.
While he and Brown and the rest of Notre Dame's receivers plan to attack Clemson's stout secondary -- the Tigers have five interceptions -- Fuller insisted his social media message wasn't the beginning of that attack, that he didn't intend any offense.
"It just means two top teams playing," Fuller said. "Everyone's going to be watching. It's going to be a real great game. If I would have said it like that, I think they would have taken it better."
As far as Brown is concerned, it won't get much better than being at Memorial Stadium. He is on track for his best season. His two touchdown catches match his career total from the previous three years. He has 178 yards and 14 other grabs to go with those scores.
He called his return this weekend "a business trip" but said he would make time to enjoy some home cooking from his mother, Latisha Stembridge, at the team hotel Friday.
"He's always talking about some soup, I forget what he called it. Some crazy name," Fuller said.
"She-crab soup," Brown said before shifting his attention back to business.
"It's definitely going to be rocking. It's going to be a big environment. The entrance is one of the best in college football."
So, too, is Clemson's defense, which has allowed the ninth-fewest yards per game (260.7) and is 12th in the nation against the pass (146 yards per game). It's a challenge Fuller and Brown said they look forward to.
"We look at ourselves as one of the best receiving groups in the nation," Fuller said. "We did it last year and the year before and we really didn't get recognized. We're starting to get recognized this year. This is another chance to prove ourselves."
While Fuller has the numbers, not to mention the double teams, to suggest he's the leader of that group, Brown has earned the title.
"He breaks us down every day," Fuller said. "He's been here the longest. He probably knows the playbook the most. On the field, especially, he's always getting us up. He always has the most energy.
"He's our leader, and everyone in our receiver group will agree with that."
Coach Brian Kelly didn't disagree.
"We've come full circle from a freshman that was struggling away from home to the leader of that group," Kelly said.
Struggling at home is not in the plans this week for Brown.
pskrbina@tribpub.com
