Offense clicks early as Clemson tops Wofford

First games are often dress rehearsals with plenty “oops” moments, which was why Wofford was the perfect first act for a relatively young Clemson football team.

Clemson scored on six of its first eight possessions and beat a team Saturday with a reputation for creating angst and exploiting it.

The Tigers’ 45-10 victory before a sellout crowd in Death Valley was remarkable for the offensive precision and the discipline of the defense against Wofford’s option.

“We played to our pace, our speed and our standard,” said quarterback Deshaun Watson. “I was just out there playing and having fun.”

Back on the field for the first time since December surgery to repair a torn knee ligament, Watson was the picture of a man in command.

“Deshaun came out the way you want him to,” said Jeff Scott, in his first season as co-offensive coordinator. “And if you watched the last couple of days, a lot of high-profile teams came out and were not real sharp. We remind our guys of that.”

Watson completed 18 of 22 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, ran twice for 22 yards and orchestrated touchdown drives each time he was on the field.

“I wasn’t satisified,” he said. “There were a few things I think we left out on the field.”

Extending its record to 75-0-1 in games with at least 500 yards, Clemson totaled 533, with 367 coming in the first half when the Tigers built a 35-7 lead, playing at a pace that saw the Tigers hit their goal of 80 snaps.

Wofford, with 10 returning starters on offense and eight on defense, struggled to gain traction. Until the Terriers recovered a fumbled punt with 2:38 to play in the first half, they had 32 yards and no first downs.

“I liked the intensity that we had, the focus, the attention to detail,” said defensive coordinator Brent Venables. “We’ve got some more things we’ve got to show more discipline on, but not many.”

Third in FCS rushing last season, Wofford totaled 213 yards, 123 rushing. Chase Nelson scored the Terriers’ touchdown as time expired in the first half, and David Marvin kicked a 37-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

“Offensively we struggled with what Clemson did,” said Wofford coach Mike Ayers. “It was not that complicated. We just didn’t do a good job of adjusting to it.”

Venables and Scott were effusive in their snapshot evaluations of the youngest players.

A record 13 freshmen played, the most since Clemson’s entire junior and senior class was drafted in 1943 for World War II. Mitch Hyatt was the first freshman to start at left tackle since Phil Prince against Presbyterian College in 1944, and the first offensive lineman since James Farr against Rice in 1980.

“You saw a bunch of those guys all over the field,” said Coach Dabo Swinney. “It was just great. That was the best part of the day.”

Freshman Ray Ray McCloud was the leading receiver, catching 8 passes for 80 yards.

“Ray Ray played like he’s practiced,” Scott said. “The biggest number today was 20. That was the number of different guys that touched the ball. We really like the depth and we recruit to that. One way we recruit well to the offensive skill positions is they see freshmen getting the ball year after year.”

Sophomore Artavis Scott, one the team’s most productive receivers as a freshman, had 141 total yards. And sophomore Wayne Gallman, last year’s leading rusher, had a game-high 92 and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

“We didn’t have a lot of first-game mistakes,” Swinney said. “We played a lot of people and were able to get a bunch of guys some much-needed experience so we can build on it and keep improving.”

THREE POINTS

Star of the game: This may quickly become redundant. Deshaun Watson completed 18 of 22 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns for a 185.9 rating.

Stat of the game: Clemson did not punt in the first half, scoring on six of its first eight possessions (the other two were fumbles, one attempting to field a punt).

Play of the game: Mike Williams leaped to catch a four-yard pass from Deshaun Watson for the season’s first touchdown then collided with the padded goal post. Williams was diagnosed with a neck injury that wasn’t expected to be serious.

OBSERVATIONS

Hey you, get off McCloud: As his coaches said frequently in August, freshman Ray Ray McCloud was “as advertised,” catching a team-high 8 passes for 80 yards. And if Williams is sidelined for any length of time, there shouldn’t be a hiccup with 12 different players catching a pass.

The kid was all right: Freshman left tackle Mitch Hyatt, nephew of former Clemson player Dan Benish, handled his first start without incident against a vastly over-matched opponent, protecting Watson’s blindside and helping Clemson accumulate more than 533 yards. Benish, a member of Clemson’s national championship team, was one of the game’s honorary captains.

That’s not special: Five different players returned punts, but two muffed Wofford’s rugby-style kicks. A third punt deflected off a Clemson player. Clemson punter Andy Teasdall wasn’t crisp.

THEY SAID IT

“We were just hunting and pecking for plays.” – Coach Mike Ayers

“Our guys were locked in and ready to play. I think we played that way.” – Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott

“We know (Mike Williams) will be back. He told us he’d be back.” – Clemson running back Wayne Gallman

UP NEXT

Who: Clemson vs. Appalachian State

When: 12:30 p.m., Sept. 12

Where: Memorial Stadium

TV: ESPN3

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 3:56 PM.