Five things we learned about Clemson in Tigers’ home win over SC State
Sixth-ranked Clemson’s home opener Saturday was much more pleasant than when the Tigers left Bank of America Stadium a week earlier in Charlotte.
The group cleaned up some of its offensive miscues and scored 49 points with 504 total yards of production. The Tigers (1-1) won 49-3 over South Carolina State and extended their home-field winning streak to 29 games.
Here five things we learned in Week 2:
Blooming young talent
Whether it’s offense or defense, Clemson’s younger players continue to prove they belong and can contribute right away. Eight of the team’s starters Saturday were freshmen or sophomores, including quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. Freshmen Will Taylor and Will Shipley were major contributors to the special teams and offense. The Tigers’ three leading tacklers were redshirt sophomore Ruke Orhorhoro (5), freshman Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (5) and sophomore Kevin Swint (4).
“The more you play, the better you get. That’s how you develop,” Tigers defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “It’s a developmental game, so that’s encouraging to see — one, for them to go out and not only play, but play pretty well. And then just building our team for the season, you know, continue to develop our depth.”
Deep receiving corps
By the end of the game, 13 Tigers caught at least one pass. Justyn Ross was back to his usual form, recording a team-best 52 yards and a touchdown on three receptions. Joseph Ngata had a second consecutive solid outing with 51 yards on three receptions. E.J. Williams even gave it a go, opting out of surgery after injuring a thumb against Georgia. The sophomore started the game and caught a 10-yard pass.
Beaux Collins, Dacari Collins and Troy Stellato all had their first career catches with three, two and one, respectively.
Uiagalelei still settling in
Uiagalelei seemed more comfortable in front of his home crowd Saturday evening, playing a cleaner game this week. He completed 14 of 24 passes for 171 yards with a touchdown and interception while also carrying the ball five times for 23 yards and two more scores.
“I just wanted to come back out and just play with a little more fire,” the Southern California native said. “I felt like I left a lot of stuff on the table against Georgia. I just wanted to come out and prove to myself and just come out and play a great game — play a focused, locked-in game.”
There were still some errors, though, with the biggest one being a blown screen pass, coach Dabo Swinney noted. It’s not a concern, though, as coaches expect the young Tiger to continue making strides over the course of the season.
Much-needed run game shines
Clemson more than made up for the lack of running back touches this week, with rushing yards (242) accounting for 48% of its offensive yardage. Senior Lyn-J Dixon got the start in the backfield but was limited in his overall touches. When asked about it, Swinney said Dixon needed to “grow up” and “stay out of (running backs coach C.J. Spiller’s) dog house.”
Meanwhile, Shipley and sophomore Kobe Pace combined for 148 yards and three TDs to power a 1-2 tailback punch.
“I thought he did a good job, found some big runs, ran tough down there on the hillside going in for a touchdown,” Tigers offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said of Shipley, who had a Clemson-best 80 rushing yards. “So proud of him and just excited to see how he’s going to continue to grow.”
Clemson defense adds another TD shutout
For a second straight game, the stifling Tigers didn’t allow the opposing offense to reach the end zone, with both Georgia and S.C. State only getting a field goal each. It’s the first time the unit has held an opponent without an offensive touchdown in back-to-back games to start the season since 2017 when the Tigers kept Kent State and Auburn from scoring. R.J. Mickens helped with an interception to give the Tigers consecutive games forcing at least one turnover.
The strength of the defense comes in its depth, with no drop-off coming between the starters and the backups. The Tigers displayed this with a goal-line stand at the 4-yard line to start the fourth quarter. Bulldogs quarterback Corey Fields had his fourth-down pass broken up by redshirt sophomore linebacker Keith Maguire.
“I can tell you that that’s been some of the most frustrating times around here, especially with Venables, is when you get in games like that and you sub guys,” Swinney said. “All of a sudden, you see it fall off and guys give up the score and things like that. Man, those guys played their tails off.”
Next Clemson game
Who: Clemson vs. Georgia Tech
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18
Where: Memorial Stadium in Clemson
TV: ESPN or ABC
This story was originally published September 12, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
