Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney envisions a bright future ahead for his program at the running back position, based on what he’s seen this season from true freshmen Will Shipley and Phil Mafah as well as sophomore Kobe Pace.
“We’re excited about what we have at running back and how they’ve developed throughout the season,” Swinney said Thursday in his weekly interview with Mark Packer on Packer’s Off Campus radio show. “Kobe Pace is a true sophomore. He wasn’t able to play the other night, but he’s had an excellent year. And then those two freshmen, Shipley and Mafah … It’s just a really special little trio of guys.”
Pace (COVID-19 protocol) missed Clemson’s game against Florida State at Death Valley last Saturday. But Shipley stepped up big time in Pace’s absence, rushing for 128 yards on 25 carries and scoring two rushing touchdowns in the 30-20 win over the Seminoles, including the go-ahead score from 21 yards out with 2:53 remaining.
Shipley also grabbed four receptions for 24 yards.
“Shipley just gets better,” Swinney said. “He just gets stronger as the game goes. He’s a very dynamic guy and had 120-something yards rushing and a lot of plays in the passing game.”
Meanwhile, against FSU, Mafah rushed for 69 yards on just nine totes, including a 63-yard run — the Tigers’ longest play of the season to this point.
“Mafah, he rolled his ankle and wasn’t able to play the last quarter,” Swinney said. “But he still averaged 7 yards a carry and had our longest play of the season on an outside zone run. He’s going to be a great one. He’s a big, strong, fast guy, 228 pounds.”
Shipley leads Clemson with 391 yards rushing and has a team-high seven rushing touchdowns despite missing a couple games due to a lower leg injury, while Pace is second on the team with 327 yards rushing to go with his three rushing scores.
Mafah didn’t see his first action until the Boston College game on Oct. 2, as he was originally expected to redshirt this season, but has totaled 171 yards on the ground on 29 carries across four games, averaging a team-leading 5.9 yards per carry.
“We’ve got a really, really bright future with those guys in the running back room,” Swinney said. “They’re great kids, they’re passionate about their craft, and so that bodes well for us for a good finish in the next couple years with that room.”
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