Tag: Antonio Williams

Swinney and the Tigers are excited for the return of Antonio Williams

Clemson is returning one of their top playmakers this week against Miami, which Dabo Swinney is very excited about.

Like Clemson fans, Dabo Swinney is thrilled that the Tigers’ star wide receiver, Antonio Williams, is set to return for a massive ACC road matchup against Miami.

After practice on Wednesday, Swinney met with the media and discussed the return of Williams to the offense. Missing the Tigers’ last three games with an ankle injury, Williams is back and ready to go against the Hurricanes. 

“I’m really excited,” Swinney said. “Again, it’s been a long three games not having one of our best players out there. So, he’s excited, we’re excited. It’s obviously been a while since he’s played a game, but just glad to get him back going for sure.”

Williams was the Tigers’ leading receiver in 2022 as a true freshman and was on track for another excellent season before the ankle injury. This is a huge addition back into Clemson’s starting lineup that should help starting quarterback Cade Klubnik continue his development and bounce back after a shaky performance against Wake Forest.

Dabo Swinney gives an injury update on Nate Wiggins and Antonio Williams

Swinney gave an update on the health of Nate Wiggins and Antonio Williams.

Dabo Swinney updated the injury status of two key starters during his weekly Tuesday press conference, with some good signals coming from the Clemson head coach.

Shocker, Swinney said star cornerback Nate Wiggins (knee) and star wide receiver Antonio Williams (ankle) both remain labeled day-to-day. According to Swinney, both look good right now, but today is when they’ll really know more about their status.

“It was good. They looked pretty good last night,” Swinney said Tuesday in regard to Monday’s workout. “So, today will be a big day (for them from an availability standpoint) because we’ll load them up a little bit more today with some pads and kind of see how it goes. But I thought they both moved around pretty good last night. So, we’re hopeful, but nothing definite right now.”

Both may be able to suit up for Clemson’s Week 6 matchup with Wake Forest, but we won’t know until later this week.

Brown puts life back into Clemson’s self-proclaimed ‘WRU’

Clemson has needed a playmaker at wide receive the last few seasons, and it appears the Tigers may have one now.

Clemson has needed a true playmaker at wide receiver over the last few seasons, and it appears the team may finally have one.

Starting at slot receiver in the second consecutive game, Tyler Brown caught eight passes for 151 yards in the Tigers’ 31-14 win over Syraucse on Saturday. His eight receptions and 151 yards were career-high marks for the true freshman. From sideline grabs to a 47-yard catch downfield, Brown seemed to always be the player who stepped up when the Tigers needed a play.

Filling in for Antonio Williams, who has missed the last two games with a lower-body injury, Brown was Cade Klubnik’s top target throughout the day. Brown was targeted 11 total times against the Orange, four more than any other Clemson pass-catcher. And through five games, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver now has a team-high 20 receptions for 314 yards.

A Greenville, South Carolina, native, Brown also etched himself in the history books on Saturday, as he is the seventh player in Clemson history to record a 100-yard receiving game within the first five games of a career, according to Clemson football sports information director Ross Taylor.

It took 13 games last year for a Clemson receiver to record a 100-yard game, but through five games this season, the Tigers have two such games, with Brown’s performance and Beaux Collins recording 137 yards against Charleston Southern in Week 2.

While Clemson’s wide receiver room still has work to do to reclaim the title of “WRU,” Brown’s impressive play against the Orange was a sign of life for an offense that needed a boost of confidence.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Clemson down 2 starters vs. Syracuse

Clemson will be without two key starters in its game against Syracuse on Saturday.

Clemson will be without two key starters in its game against Syraucse on Saturday.

Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins and wide receiver Antonio Williams both did not travel with the team and will be out versus the Orange, Clemson Athletics announced.

Wiggins went down with a knee injury last week, and after an MRI, it was revealed that he suffered a bone bruise. Sophomore cornerback Jeadyn Lukus is in line to start opposite Sheridan Jones.

Meanwhile, Williams suffered a lower-body injury against Charleston Southern in Week 3 and missed last week’s game against Florida State. Head coach Dabo Swinney said this week that Williams remained day-to-day, but the Tigers will have to make do without him for the second consecutive game.

In Williams’ absence, true freshman Tyler Brown has flourished in the slot, catching five passes for 84 yards last week.

The Tigers and the Orange will kick off at noon on Saturday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Dabo Swinney gives an injury update for Nate Wiggins and Antonio Williams

Dabo Swinney gives an injury update on two key starters.

Two of Clemson’s top players, cornerback Nate Wiggins and wide receiver Antonio Williams have been dealing with injuries this week, with head coach Dabo Swinney giving an update on each player’s status During his post-practice media availability Wednesday.

According to Swinney, both Wiggins and Williams are currently labeled as day-to-day. This has been a common thing for injuries this season with the Tigers. 

“He had a good day today, so he’s getting better every day, every minute,” Swinney said of cornerback Nate Wiggins. It’s a good sign after a scary-looking injury.

On the offensive side of things, Antonio Williams missed the entire game against FSU due to his injury. He is working hard to get back on the field. 

“It’s just a matter of can he do everything he needs to do safely to be able to plant, cut, change direction, all that stuff. But same thing – he’s just getting better every day,” Swinney said. “He’s living in the training room and making a lot of progress.”

These are two essential pieces for an upcoming matchup against Syracuse. 

Dabo Swinney gives an injury update on wide receiver Antonio Williams

Swinney gives an update on wide receiver Antonio Williams.

During Clemson’s 31-24 loss to Florida State on Saturday, the Tigers were without their top wide receiver, Antonio Williams, who has been dealing with an ankle injury. 

During Swinney’s weekly press conference on Tuesday, the head coach shared an update on Williams’ status, and many of you will not be surprised by what the head coach had to say. Like Nate Wiggins, Williams has been listed as “day-to-day” by coach Swinney.

Williams has recorded 15 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns in three games this season. He is an important piece of this offense, but the Tigers wide receivers did a solid job on Saturday with him missing. 

Right now, Williams’ status for Saturday’s matchup against Syracuse is in the air. 

Dabo Swinney gives an injury update on starting wide receiver Antonio Williams

Dabo Swinney shared an injury update on Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams.

Dabo Swinney met with the media during a Zoom conference call on Sunday following the Tigers’ 31-24 overtime loss to Florida State and shared an update on the injury status of starting wide receiver Antonio Williams. 

Swinney was asked about Williams’ current status and whether we can expect him to be ready for Clemson’s matchup at Syracuse. Like many other injuries, Swinney is labeling Williams as day-to-day.

“We’ll see tomorrow,” Swinney said. “All these guys are in today and tomorrow, and we’ll see them tomorrow afternoon. But I think he’s gotten better every day. So, he’s still just day-to-day. I’ll know more when we meet with him tomorrow after treatment today. But he’s getting better.”

Williams was a big loss for the Florida State game and will be needed for the Clemson offense to maximize their potential. We will look out for updates on this situation this week.

A big second half lifts Clemson to a 66-17 win over Charleston Southern

Clemson recovers from a poor first half with an excellent second as they handle business against Charleston Southern in Death Valley.

It was a tale of two halves for the Clemson football team as Dabo Swinney and the Tigers beat Charleston Southern 66-17 in Death Valley on Saturday.

Clemson ended the first half with a 24-17 lead over the Buccaneers, in a half that felt very similar to their game against Duke other than them actually being able to score. There were two bad turnovers for the Tigers in the half that led directly to Charleston Southern points, with the first coming on a 4th and 1 fumble on the Tigers’ own 29 and the second on a 67-yard pick-six after a poor decision from starting quarterback Cade Klubnik.

Wide receiver Antonio Williams was one of the few bright spots of the first half, scoring two of three touchdowns. The other first-half score came from Phil Mafah’s touchdown run.

A great sign for Clemson fans was the way Swinney’s squad responded in the second half. The Tigers scored 28 points in the third quarter and completely controlled the game.

It started with a Mafah 5-yard touchdown run, and on the next drive, Wade Woodaz made a huge play. Woodaz took advantage of a pass breakup and took it to the house for a 35-yard pick-six.

These scores were followed by two Klubnik touchdown passes. One was to wide receiver Beaux Collins on a pass down the middle, he took 69 yards to the house, and the other on a Josh Sapp 25-yard touchdown.

In the matchup, Klubnik completed 28-37 passes for 315 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. His top receivers were Antonio Williams (5 catches, 64 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Beaux Collins (7 catches, 137 yards, 1 touchdown). On the ground, Phil Mafah took 9 carries for 59 yards and two scores, with Will Shipley adding nine carries for 72 yards.

Clemson’s defense was dominant in this performance, allowing just 73 yards of total offense.

Halftime Report: Clemson leads Charleston Southern 24-17 as turnover and miscue struggles continue

Swinney and the Tigers continue their struggle as they head into the half, leading Charleston Southern 24-17.

Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are in a close one with Charleston Southern, which feels a bit wild to write but is a reality.

Things feel very similar to how they did in Clemson’s upset loss in Week 1 to Duke, as miscues, poor turnovers, and a lack of consistency see the Tigers leading the Buccaneers 24-17 at the half.

There were two bad turnovers for the Tigers in the half that led directly to Charleston Southern points. The first one, the Tigers, went for it on 4th and 1 on their own 29 that set up an easy score. The second turnover was even worse, with Klubnik making a poor decision to heave the ball into the air as he was taken down, resulting in a 67-yard pick sick. 

In the half, Klubnik completed 21-29 passes for 184 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Both touchdowns went to star wide receiver Antonio Williams, who has five catches for 64 yards along with the touchdowns. 

Phil Mafah is leading the backfield right now, with eight carries for 54 yards and a touchdown. Star running back Will Shipley had just seven carries in the half. 

Clemson will look to bounce back in the second half and perform at a higher level. 

Antonio Williams scores his second touchdown of the game as Clemson takes the lead

Antonio Williams has been excellent as the Tigers retake the lead.

Cade Klubnik and the Clemson offense looked great on this drive as Klubnik found Antonio Williams on a 5-yard touchdown pass where Williams made a nice cut to find the end zone. 

It was a quick drive for the Tigers, who have had an up-and-down start to this game. It was just 3 plays for 39 yards before Clemson found the end zone. 

Besides a five-yard run from Will Shipley, the drive was all Antonio Williams. Klubnik found Williams on a solid 29-yard reception to start the drive, later finding him on a screen for six. 

Clemson now leads the Buccaneers 21-14 in the second quarter.