Will Shipley certainly wasn’t disappointed when he experienced “the most exciting 25 seconds in college football” for the first time on Saturday.
Rubbing Howard’s Rock and running down the hill prior to Clemson’s home opener against South Carolina State at Death Valley was even better than the true freshman running back imagined the famed tradition would be like.
“It was definitely more than I expected,” Shipley said following the game. “Just riding around that bus and seeing everybody at the stadium… You really can’t even dream about it. It was something that you’ve just got to see and you’ve got to go through. It was probably the coolest experience that I’ve had since I’ve gotten to Clemson. Just rubbing that rock, running down the hill and going to pray in the other end zone is something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I’m so glad I chose Clemson and that I get to partake in that.”
Shipley, who enrolled at Clemson in January after committing to the Tigers in May 2020, went on to have a great day in his Death Valley debut after the pregame pageantry took place.
The former five-star prospect and nation’s No. 1 all-purpose back in the 2021 class had a team-high 80 rushing yards on eight carries and scored his first two collegiate touchdowns in the Tigers’ 49-3 victory over the Bulldogs.
“It was incredible,” Shipley said of finding paydirt twice in front of the home crowd. “Just to get into the end zone here at Death Valley is unreal. That’s really the only way I can explain it. I’m at a loss for words. Both times I got into the end zone (Saturday), I didn’t know what to do with myself. So, I look forward to every time I can get in there and was very blessed to get in there today.”
Shipley recorded his first career touchdown on a 7-yard run in the first quarter, then added his second touchdown of the day on a 13-yard run in the third quarter.
The Weddington, N.C., native became the first Clemson true freshman with multiple rushing touchdowns in a game since Lyn-J Dixon rushed for two touchdowns at Wake Forest in 2018. Meanwhile, Shipley’s 80 rushing yards ranked as the third-best rushing performance for a Tiger against SC State in five games in the all-time series. James Davis rushed for 95 yards in 2008 and Tavien Feaster rushed for 83 yards in 2016.
“He’s been doing what Shipley’s been doing since he got here,” Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said of Shipley’s performance. “In the spring, he was able to pop some big runs. The biggest thing for him is just he needs repetition. … So, thought he did a good job and found some big runs, ran tough down there on the hill side going in for a touchdown. So, proud of him and just excited to see how he’s going to continue to grow.”
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