Clemson started the game with a strong start but struggled in the second half as the Tigers defeated Furman 35-12 in their first home game of the 2022 season.
Underwhelming is the main takeaway I’m walking away from this game with, as the No.5 Clemson defense did not perform near the standard you’d expect out of them. There were some promising signs in the offense’s first half, but the group stalled as they scored just seven points in the second half.
Starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei looked solid, even if the offense stalled in the second half. He completed 21-27 passes for 231 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The interception wasn’t his fault, as a dropped pass led to the pick.
The running game was good but not great, as the team averaged 5.3 yards per carry, totaling 147 yards. Will Shipley took ten carries for 68 yards and two touchdowns.
Though 12-points allowed isn’t a lot, the defense’s performance was somewhat concerning. The group did not look the part of a defense that has been riding off some insane hype heading into the season.
The defense allowed Furman to pick up 256 passing yards and 95 rushing yards, for a total of 351 yards. The starting offense and defense played much more minutes than I would have expected.
Clemson’s next game will be a home matchup against LA Tech on September 17th at 8:00 p.m.
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