Clemson walloped FCS-foe South Carolina State 49-3 at Memorial Stadium in its first home game in front of a full-capacity crowd since November 2019.
The sixth-ranked Tigers’ win secured a program record 18th straight win in a home opener which bested a 17-year streak from 1944-60 under late head coach Frank Howard.
They also improved to a perfect 36-0 record against FCS opponents since the division’s inception in 1978.
Clemson relied on a steady rushing attack in the lopsided victory with 242 yards rushing on 37 carries with five touchdowns on the ground. The Tigers finished the game with 504 yards of total offense.
Will Shipley led the way on the ground with eight carries for 80 yards and his first two touchdowns in a Clemson uniform. The freshman scored on a seven-yard carry in the first quarter and added a 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Kobe Pace added seven carries for 68 yards and a touchdown.
The Tigers (1-1) opened the game with four touchdowns in the first quarter to jump out to an early 28-0 lead. It marked the first time in head coach Dabo Swinney’s tenure a Clemson team scored three touchdowns on the ground in a frame.
Clemson added another touchdown in the second quarter on a five-yard run by D.J. Uiagalelei to extend its lead to 35-0 with 6:43 to play in the first half.
South Carolina State eliminated the possibility for a shutout after recovering a fumble by Mikey Dukes at the Clemson 36 yard-line gave it a short field in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs (0-2) capped off a six play 26-yard drive with a 27-yard field goal by Dyson Roberts to cut the score to 35-3 with 0:19 remaining in the second quarter.
Uiagalelei showed improvement from a rough start in the season opener against Georgia. He completed 14-of-24 passes for 181 yards a touchdown and an interception.
The lone passing touchdown by the sophomore was an 11-yard toss Justyn Ross that put the Tigers up 28-0 with 2:21 to play in the first quarter.
Uiagalelei added five carries for 23 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground from four and five yards out respectively.
Defensively Clemson built onto its already stellar reputation as it held the Bulldogs to 235 total yards in the contest.
The Tigers also kept S.C. State out of the end zone and have not surrendered a touchdown through the first two games this season.
Clemson returns to action next Saturday as it hosts Georgia Tech (1-1) at Memorial Stadium.
Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!
