Clemson headed into halftime holding onto a 13-6 lead over Louisiana Tech.
The Tigers, who entered Saturday’s contest as 33.5-point favorites, recorded 214 yards of total offense in the first half and had just 13 points to show for it. Clemson had to settle for field goals on two of its three trips inside the 20.
As for Clemson’s starting quarterback, D.J. Uiagalelei’s touch on the ball was off at times during the first half of Saturday’s game, and yet he completed 12-of-20 passes for 144 yards. He also added 42 yards on the ground on six carries.
Will Shipley carried the ball five times for 35 yards, averaging seven yards per carry. The sophomore running back had Clemson’s lone touchdown of the first half.
Clemson’s first drive from scrimmage ended in three points off the foot of B.T. Potter, but it was an anti-climatic finish after a rather promising start. Uiagalelei completed screen passes to Brannon Spector and Joseph Ngata, respectively, before taking off for a 19-yard run.
While Clemson’s red zone offense stalled on the first drive, the Tigers would follow that up with a six-play, 79-yard drive, culminating in Shipley’s fifth rushing touchdown of the season. In order for Shipley to find paydirt again, Uiagalelei completed two passes for 56 yards, including a 41-yard strike to Ngata, who finished the first half with three catches.
Clemson would turn the tables on Tech on the ensuing drive.
While moving the football down the field, the Bulldogs attempted a double pass. Clemson didn’t bite and stayed home, and yet sophomore receiver Tre Harris decided to throw the football anyway. R.J. Mickens tracked down the ball for his third career interception.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Sonny Cumbie had his kicker, Jacob Barnes, line up for a 56-yard field goal. Payton Page blocked the kick, which stood no chance, but the Bulldogs ended back up with the football after Barrett Carter fumbled away the recovery.
Barnes later would connect on field goals of 27 and 35-yards to get Tech within one possession.
Tech quarterback Parker McNeil accounted for 152 of the team’s 151 yards of total yards, completing 12-of-20 passes for 152 yards. Meanwhile, Tech netted a negative rushing yard on 10 attempts.
The Bulldogs will receive the second-half kickoff.
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