Will Shipley put on a show — and made history in the process — in fourth-ranked Clemson’s 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech at Death Valley on Saturday night.
The sophomore running back had a big game against the Bulldogs, rushing for two touchdowns and a career-high 139 yards on just 12 carries for an average of 11.6 yards per tote.
Shipley surpassed his previous career high in rushing yards of 128, which he set vs. Florida State on Oct. 30, 2021, and tied at South Carolina on Nov. 27, 2021.
After rushing five times for 35 yards and a touchdown in the first half, Shipley racked up 104 rushing yards and another score on seven attempts in the final two quarters.
Shipley scored the lone touchdown of the first half when he powered into the end zone from 2 yards out to give Clemson (3-0) a 10-0 lead with 6:24 left in the first quarter.
The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder later notched the first of what would be five Clemson touchdowns in the second half, when he turned on the jets for a 32-yard score 20 seconds into the third quarter that put the Tigers ahead 20-6.
Saturday night marked Shipley’s sixth consecutive game scoring a touchdown, dating to Clemson’s game vs. Wake Forest on Nov. 20, 2021.
Shipley had two rushing touchdowns in the 2022 season opener against Georgia Tech and added two more scores on the ground in last Saturday’s game against Furman.
On his 32-yard touchdown run against Louisiana Tech, Shipley became the first Clemson player in records back to 1950 to open a season with multiple rushing touchdowns in each of the first three games of a season.
Additionally, Shipley is the first Clemson player to score at least five rushing touchdowns in the first three games of a season since quarterback Kelly Bryant in 2017. Shipley is the first Clemson running back to accomplish the feat since James Davis in 2006.
Including Saturday’s performance against Louisiana Tech, Shipley now has 32 carries for 249 yards and six touchdowns through three games this season.
As a team, the Tigers ran for 280 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries against the Bulldogs, averaging 7.2 yards per attempt.
.@willshipley2021 was MOVIN’ 💨
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) September 18, 2022
Ship happens@willshipley2021 pic.twitter.com/b9Bszziqk5
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) September 18, 2022
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