Shipley: Clemson needs ‘sense of urgency’ against Fighting Irish

Will Shipley has proven time and time again that he is an X-factor of the Clemson offense this season. Despite some ups and downs on offense this season, the sophomore running back has been a stone pillar. The North Carolina native comes into the …

The North Carolina native comes into the Notre Dame matchup on Saturday with 739 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns on the season thus far. Shipley explodes off the block and isn’t afraid to play physical, which makes him not only the lead running back for the Tigers but also arguably one of the most if not the most consistent player on offense.

The 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back discussed with the media Tuesday that the Tigers feel a sense of “urgency” ahead of this matchup. Shipley emphasized that the team and himself have actively prepared for this moment and it may be the historic venue, but Shipley indicated the Tigers have no intention of letting that sense of urgency get away.

“It’s a really big deal,” he said. “It is something we have been working toward since January and to be able to have a really big matchup against Notre Dame at their place, which I think I saw something (head) coach (Dabo) Swinney said which was it’s just a place you want to play at. It’s a place you want to compete in. So to be able to have that opportunity to put a full game together, do our thing, it’s something we have been preparing for a long time.

“You mentioned sense of urgency, I think what will help us is that we have that sense of urgency. You just apply this week because it’s Notre Dame, it’s a big atmosphere, it’s a big game. It’s just something that we’ve had, so we need to continue to keep that up. Know the game plan, know how to execute and just make plays.”

In that statement, Shipley emphasized putting a “full game together,” which is something the Tigers have struggled with this season despite an 8-0 record. The running back believes it’s on the leaders on the team to speak up, communicate and become the voices that ultimately guide the team for a consistent four quarters of football Saturday.

“It truly is on the leaders for that,” he said. “That’s something we’ve struggled with, so thankful to be 8-0 with those problems. But I think once we taste it, it will be something like we wanted again. We got to hit that first time, that first full game of great football, offense, defense, special teams. If we’re just able to get a little taste of that, I think we will become what we’re accustomed to. This football team hasn’t really gotten a good taste of that over the last two years or year and a half. As a leader, you have to keep everybody focused. You have to keep everybody in the game.”

The Tigers get another chance at that taste on Saturday in South Bend when they go head-to-head against the Fighting Irish.

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Parks, Shipley believe offense’s communication will be key vs. Notre Dame

Junior offensive guard Walker Parks spoke to the media Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s game against Notre Dame. If there’s something he knows, it’s that you should never underestimate any team going into a highly anticipated matchup, especially not a …

“You can’t count anyone out based on previous performances,” Parks said. “I definitely think they are coming off a good road win and I think they’ll be ready, but so will we.”

Much of that preparation the Kentucky native referenced started long before the season began. Earlier on Tuesday, Clemson running back Will Shipley also spoke to the media and discussed how important the cohesion of the offensive line has been for his success moving the ball downfield. The lead running back noted that the development comes from a camaraderie that has been nurtured on and off the field.

Both Parks and Shipley expressed the key change from last season is the much-improved communication across the entire offensive unit on the field. Shipley was quick to say that he didn’t always feel comfortable asking for the call while in the backfield last season, but now the communication on the field has completely shifted.

“It’s crazy the development we have gone through since last year,” he said. “I would say last year, I would sit in the backfield and I would be afraid to ask who the point is because I didn’t really have much of a voice on the field, but this year, I’ll pause D.J.’s cadence to step up and communicate with them. Who do you all got? What protection do we got here? Are you all changing it? Just the communication on the field, but when we’re talking off the field, the guys I hang around with and spend a lot of my time with, just creating that camaraderie, it definitely travels over to the field.”

Parks reaffirmed Shipley’s assertion that the communication across the offensive unit has shifted. Parks believes despite some miscues that you can expect in any season, the free-flowing communication has been critical to ensure the cadence on offense is not disturbed despite the loud and sometimes raucous environments the Tigers play in.

Parks noted the loudest and most comparable environment to Notre Dame that Clemson has faced this season would be the road game against Florida State in Tallahassee. The guard believes that each week the line just falls more into place and is able to maintain the tempo necessary to facilitate those big plays on offense.

“Our communication was definitely good,” he said. “We’ve had issues all season. I mean there’s always going to one or two plays where there’s an issue there. We’re getting better though. I think as we gel more together, me moving into guard, Putnam taking over the center role. I mean that’s not as easy thing to do. You go from playing guard for two or three years, however long he was here before that, and jumping into center, now you’re directing traffic and everything like that. You have to talk to your left side and your right side. We’re getting better at lane calls, making sure they are on-time, making sure in the cadence so it doesn’t mess up the quarterback and the running back.”

As some may say, communication is key. The free-flowing communication and ability to play cohesively on the road will be a key factor in Clemson’s performance against Notre Dame this Saturday.

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Collins on playing: ‘If I have to have a full game of blocking, that’s what I’ll do’

Beaux Collins, who has picked up five receiving touchdowns during the 2022 season, has not seen any touches of the ball in the last two games versus both Florida State and Syracuse. The Clemson sophomore wide receiver plays an integral role in the …

Collins spoke to the media on Monday and disregarded any notions that he felt mad or discouraged about not getting those big plays in the last couple of weeks. Instead, he feels like the priority for him should always be on what he can do to help the team as a whole.

“Just keeping the main thing the main thing and that’s winning,” he said. “If I have to have a full game of blocking, that’s what I’ll do. There hasn’t been much time where I’ve really been pissed off or anything like that. I’ve just handled it well like a pro would and I just go back to work the next week, hoping to get a catch that week. It’s just whatever it takes, so I wasn’t really worried about that, for sure.”

The lack of opportunities for the 6-foot-3, 210-pound pass catcher has been something that has weighed on offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter. Streeter, who knows the talent and maturity Collins brings to the wide receiver room, emphasized to reporters that it’s sometimes on him to give Collins the opportunity to make the play.

However, Collins quickly put the worries of Streeter to rest, always going back to his priority, which is helping the team find a way to win.

“He’s [Streeter] expressed that before, but I told him not to even worry about it,” he said. “He told me that after one of our games a few weeks ago, but I can tell he really means it and that’s all I could ask for really.”

The California native knows the opportunities to make catches and make those big plays is also sometimes dictated by the coverages they are facing from opposing defenses. Clemson has had to run the ball more in both the Syracuse and Florida State games, which by virtue has naturally given Collins less opportunities.

“Just the defense that we’ve played, they’re basically daring us to run the ball,” he said. “They had light boxes. Syracuse had a light box, Florida State sometimes had a light box, things like that. It’s what we had to get done at the moment.”

Collins thinks that it’s not only him, but the entire wide receiver unit that wants to see each other succeed, which makes it all that easier to watch the other guys come up with some big plays.

“Not at all,” he said. “We all want to see each other succeed at the end of the day. That was one of Coach [Tyler] Grisham’s main goals this year, was just being each other’s biggest fan and I think we’re really displaying that for sure.”

The mentality and the maturity of Collins resembles that of a professional out there, which Streeter values about the wide receiver, calling him “selfless” on the field.

Collins reacted to what a comment like that means to him, especially in the college football environment we live in.

“It means a lot,” he said. “Just, there’s a lot of crazy things going on in the football world, players doing stupid things. So, it really means a lot for someone to say that about me in today’s time period.”

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Mafah, Shipley push each other to reach that ‘running back standard’

After rushing for a career-high 94 yards vs. then-No. 14 Syracuse on Saturday, Clemson’s Phil Mafah spoke to the media on Monday about how the relationship between him and fellow running back Will Shipley has allowed him to grow and become a better …

“My relationship with Will, honestly he’s like a brother to me,” he said. “We push each other all the time on and off the field to do better, get better, and that’s what I love about our relationship, it’s constructive. I really feel like I have definitely gotten better because of him and vice versa. Our relationship is going to last forever.”

It’s the camaraderie, the friendship and the respect they have for one another that has contributed to the success of Clemson’s run game this season. This was more evident than ever in the 27-21 win over Syracuse, where for a period in the third quarter, Clemson relied heavily on the running backs to move the ball downfield. Mafah described how him and Shipley remind each other of that Clemson “running back standard.”

“If one of us is having an off day, we’ll remind one another of the standard, of the running back standard,” he said. “We will remind each other what our goals are, what our aspirations are and keep each other accountable in that way.”

With 283 rushing yards this season so far, Mafah discussed momentum and how getting into a groove during the game is key for him to play at his best.

“I feel like for running backs, especially, once you get into the swings of things in game, you start to see things differently, you start to see things faster,” he said. “I have had this conversation with Will a lot. When you’ve been through it already, you can just tell, it’s just a feeling you get after all that repetition in game.”

Even with a career-best rushing day for Mafah, much of the attention and accolades following the game went to Shipley, who repeated as ACC Running Back of the Week after also having a career-best day with 172 rushing yards and 242 all-purpose yards.

This is not something Mafah thinks twice about. The running back believes that their relationship is built on respect and the desire for each other to grow, so he encourages all praise that comes Shipley’s way.

“That’s not frustrating to me,” he said. “I just feel like that’s God blessing him and I feel like God’s blessing me too also from him doing good. I believe that he deserves whatever comes to him, whatever people want to say to him, he deserves all the praise he gets. I never wish people would show him less and more of it to me, more attention to me. He deserves all of it.”

The close relationship between these two running backs exemplifies the culture of this Clemson team, which is all about effort and playing as a team. Mafah takes Shipley’s success in stride, knowing he is finding his form and becoming the best Phil Mafah he can be out there on the field.

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Shipley says this moment made ‘inner Will Shipley’ come out

Clemson running back Will Shipley may have had an uncharacteristic fumble on Saturday, but that didn’t define his performance in the comeback 27-21 win over Syracuse. With 27 carries for 172 yards and two touchdowns, the sophomore led the team in …

Clemson running back Will Shipley may have had an uncharacteristic fumble on Saturday, but that didn’t define his performance in the comeback 27-21 win over Syracuse.

With 27 carries for 172 yards and two touchdowns, the sophomore led the team in rushing.

Advancing to 739 total rushing yards on the season, Shipley is a pillar for the Clemson offense and his relentless pursuit for that 1 extra yard was what the Clemson offense needed on Saturday.

Shipley rushed for a 50-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, which ultimately helped them secure the victory. Shipley’s ability to drive play after play and still come up with big plays is a defining factor in what makes him the lead running back for the Tigers.

Shipley spoke to the media after the game and reflected on how after such a big play “the inner Will Shipley” just came out.

“I couldn’t tell you what happened during the celebration,” he said. “Kind of like the crazy eyes from earlier in the season. I think it’s just the inner Will Shipley kind of going crazy.”

One could assume that the 50-yard touchdown rush felt like a sigh of relief for Shipley, who had a fumble earlier in the game. Shipley expressed he felt the touchdown felt like redemption.

“Yes, 100%,” he said. “I was very frustrated.”

The defining factor in the game did not end up being the four turnovers, rather how the Clemson team responded. Shipley regarded the fumble as a learning experience, but credited the support of his teammates for getting his mind back into a positive space before he reentered the game.

“I get to the sideline and I get four or five of my teammates coming up to me and really just pumping me up,” he said. “Helping me keep a positive attitude and that is why this team is so special.”

When Clemson was down in the latter stages of the third quarter, it was up to true freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik to come in and turn the tide of the game. With such a significant call to action, Shipley knew he had to relieve some of that pressure off Klubnik’s shoulders.

“It’s a big thing to come in against Syracuse, with everything surrounding this game, down 21-7, I believe, and he was able to do it and that is what matters,” he said.

Going forward, the question remains whether Klubnik will have a more significant role on offense. Prior to this game, the freshman had very few snaps under his belt, but in the face of pressure he saved Clemson’s undefeated record. Shipley quieted any speculation about where Clemson is in terms of a quarterback battle.

“There wasn’t much conversation,” he said. “We have confidence in both guys. For Cade to come and do what he did is really special, but to also see No. 5 [DJ Uiagalelei] on the sideline helping him, taking him through different situations, giving him different tips to help him, that’s the epitome of this football team.”

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Why Shipley’s confident that Clemson’s offense will be better this season

There’s a different feel about Clemson’s offense leading into this season. Just ask Will Shipley. Speaking with reporters for the first time since the end of last season, Clemson’s sophomore running back dished on a number of topics, but mainly …

There’s a different feel about Clemson’s offense leading into this season.

Just ask Will Shipley.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since the end of last season, Clemson’s sophomore running back dished on a number of topics, but mainly focused on the team’s “new look” offense and why they should be able to produce more going forward.

“It’s totally different than last year,” Shipley said. “I feel like just the camaraderie and chemistry…we’re all tighter and everybody’s so locked in. We just all have a common goal and you’re either helping that goal or hurting that goal. Everybody in that room wants to help it, whether that’s studying a couple extra minutes of film or picking up different playsheet installs to really get locked in — we’re all doing it.”

Shipley admitted that things got put into perspective for the Tigers this past season, taking a line from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. If he learned anything from last season it’s that they have to respect each opponent and appreciate every win.

Needless to say, the unit is galvanized by last season’s struggles and Shipley even said that as an offense, Clemson needs to produce to help out its defense a little more than it did the season before.

Of course, Clemson’s offense will look a little different this upcoming season, as Brandon Streeter was promoted to offensive coordinator, while Kyle Richardson became the team’s passing game coordinator, in addition to coaching the tight ends.

“It’s just more simplistic and more genuine,” Shipley said. “Coach Streeter, he’s really listening to us. He’s not only the authority, but we feel like there’s respect both ways. Not saying there wasn’t with Coach (Tony) Elliottt, but kind of stepping up from that freshman to sophomore year, taking a little bit of a bigger role, I’ve definitely noticed it. It’s just like I said, a little more simple. Everybody can understand it better, but we’re moving faster. It’s more efficient. We’re trying to up the tempo a little bit and get the ball in the (playmakers) hands.”

So with that, why is Shipley so confident that Clemson’s offense will be better this upcoming season?

“Experience, chemistry, just the feel around the locker room,” he said. “Everybody’s got confidence and like I said, me from my freshman to my sophomore year, I can tell you that the game has slowed down tenfold from what it was last year. I can remember the first time I stepped on the field against Georgia, I didn’t know what the hell was going on. Today, I see things happening before they do. I see stunts. I see where the backers are going. It’s just little things like that and so many things go into it, but I can already notice it.”

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Breaking down the production returning to Clemson’s offense

With Monday’s NFL Draft deadline having come and gone and most players having already decided whether or not they want to transfer, Clemson’s roster for the 2022 season is largely set. Dabo Swinney and his staff are working to finalize Clemson’s …

With Monday’s NFL Draft deadline having come and gone and most players having already decided whether or not they want to transfer, Clemson’s roster for the 2022 season is largely set.

Dabo Swinney and his staff are working to finalize Clemson’s recruiting class, some of which has already arrived on campus in order to go through spring practices. But as far as which players are leaving and which are staying on the current roster, the Tigers have the majority of those answers at this point.

With that in mind, The Clemson Insider is taking a closer look at the amount of production the Tigers are returning on both sides of the ball. First up is the offense, which is in line to return more than half of its starters, including quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, leading rusher Will Shipley and all but one starter along the offensive line.

Here’s a look at exactly how much production Clemson is set to return to all facets of its offense:

NOTE: Football players who have yet to transfer during their collegiate careers have until May 1 to do so and be immediately eligible at their next Division I school, so there could be more players leave Clemson’s program in the coming months. These numbers reflect the composition of the Tigers’ roster as of Monday’s NFL Draft deadline.

Passing yards

Sticking around

D.J. Uiagalelei – 2,246

Hunter Helms – 58

Billy Wiles – 31

Will Shipley – 2

On the way out

Taisun Phommachanh (transfer) – 131

Will Spiers – 17

Total passing yards: 2,485

Passing yards lost: 148

Production returning: 94%

Passing touchdowns

Sticking around

Uiagalelei – 9

Wiles – 1

Shipley – 1

On the way out

Phommachanh – 1

Total passing TDs: 12

Passing TDs lost: 1

Production returning: 91.6%

Rushing yards

Sticking around

Shipley – 738

Kobe Pace – 641

Uiagalelei – 308

Phil Mafah – 292

Will Taylor – 20

Ty Lucas – 13

Helms – 4

Wiles – 2

On the way out

Phommachanh – 69

Darien Rencher – 62

Lyn-J Dixon (transfer) – 48

Michel Dukes (transfer) – 7

Will Swinney – 6

Total rushing yards: 2,210

Rushing yards lost: 192

Production returning: 91.3%

Rushing touchdowns

Sticking around

Shipley – 11

Pace – 6

Uiagalelei – 4

Mafah – 3

On the way out

Phommachanh – 1

Will Swinney – 1

Total rushing TDs: 26

Rushing TDs lost: 2

Production returning: 92.3%

Receptions

Sticking around

Beaux Collins – 31

Davis Allen – 28

Joseph Ngata – 23

Dacari Collins – 16

Shipley – 16

Pace – 12

E.J. Williams – 9

Mafah – 7

Jake Briningstool – 3

Troy Stellato – 2

Taylor – 2

Max May – 1

Sage Ennis – 1

Hampton Earle – 1

Drew Swinney – 1

On the way out

Justyn Ross – 46

Will Swinney – 7

Ajou Ajou (transfer) – 6

Frank Ladson Jr. (transfer) – 4

Braden Galloway – 4

Will Brown – 2

Rencher – 2

Dixon – 2

Luke Price – 1

Dukes – 1

Total receptions: 228

Receptions lost: 75

Production returning: 67.1%

Receiving yards

Sticking around

Beaux Collins – 407

Allen – 208

Ngata – 438

Dacari Collins – 221

Shipley – 116

Pace – 131

Williams – 66

Mafah – 50

Briningstool – 67

Stellato – 15

Taylor – 6

May – 32

Ennis – 8

Earle – 6

Drew Swinney – 4

On the way out

Ross – 514

Will Swinney – 27

Ajou – 73

Ladson – 19

Galloway – 14

Brown – 38

Rencher – 8

Dixon – 7

Price – 7

Dukes – 3

Total receiving yards: 2,485

Receiving yards lost: 710

Production returning: 71.4%

Receiving touchdowns

Sticking around

Beaux Collins – 3

Allen – 3

Ngata – 1

Briningstool – 1

On the way out

Ross – 3

Dixon 1

Total receiving TDs: 12

Receiving TDs lost: 4

Production returning: 66.6%

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Venables reveals Clemson’s mindset in midst of struggles

At the halfway point of the season, it’s no secret Clemson’s offense leaves a lot to be desired. Currently the unit ranks 115 th in the FBS in total offense, 114 th in points scored, 107 th in passing offense and 84 th in rushing offense. …

At the halfway point of the season, it’s no secret Clemson’s offense leaves a lot to be desired.

Currently the unit ranks 115^th in the FBS in total offense, 114^th in points scored, 107^th in passing offense and 84^th in rushing offense.

Defensively, the Tigers boast one of the stingiest units nationally, ranked second nationally in scoring defense and 24^th in total defense.

But Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables warned against segregating the two groups and emphasized the culture in the program does not allow for that type of thinking regardless of the statistics.

“We don’t look at it like that at all,” Venables said on Monday. “You have success as a team, you have failure as a team, and I think it’s easy to try and segment one side of the ball to the other.

“But that’s the game. Cohesively, can you play together, complement one another and help one another?”

In Venables’ view, an outsider cannot parse out Clemson’s early season struggles on offense from the success and failure of the team as a whole. Because that’s not how the Tigers approach their own issues in season.

The defensive coordinator approaches the sport with the perspective that if you win the battle defensively and make plays on special teams, any added success on offense is gravy.

Through the first six games, the Tigers answered that call, and the game at Syracuse proved a prime example.

On defense, Clemson responded and held Orange running back Sean Tucker to 25 yards rushing in the second half. In the opening two quarters, Tucker, the nation’s leading rusher, carried the ball 12 times for 132 yards.

The special teams unit also answered the call and kept Syracuse from exploding on kickoff and punt returns. The fake punt pass by punter Will Spiers also extended a scoring drive and proved the difference in the game for the Tigers.

“There’s no division or disappointment in worrying what is or isn’t going on on the other side of the ball man,” Venables said. “That’s how we have built the program to be that way and make the most of your opportunities.”

He pointed out the success of Clemson’s offense over the last decade and how it helped cover up deficiencies on defense.

But at the end of the day, Venables is okay with the fact Clemson has yet to peak.

“We just aren’t reaching our potential yet, which is a good thing if you put it all together on both sides of the ball and get some guys healthy to still have a great year,” Venables said. “For us as coaches, we have to do a great job of shielding our players, keeping it real with them, being matter of fact and keep getting better because that’s what the good teams do.”

Venables sees the incremental improvement on both sides of the ball despite a host of injuries and adversity. And he truly believes this team is a few plays away from turning the corner as they gear up for a big-time matchup at Pittsburgh on Saturday.

“That’s the thing you love about college athletics is the passion, the live-or-die mindset of everybody involved, the passion the fans have and the pride for their school and all that,” Venables said.

“But it can be a fatalistic mindset that is unrealistic at times, too, so somewhere in between is where it all lies,” he continued. “And I would just say that we truly are, with wherever we are or whatever deficiencies we have, we are a couple of plays away from being in a pretty dang good position.”

Venables’ positive mindset sheds light into the culture of the Clemson locker room and program.

It also gives depth to head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott’s comments about this team hanging on the verge of a breakthrough despite the evidence.

“You want to see that growth happen and it’s never as fast as you want,” Venables said. “Sometimes when we get so stuck on what you don’t do then you don’t see the progress that has been made, and that’s a bad place to live in any phase of your life to be negative and not finding ways to see the positive in the storm.”

For now, the Tigers are sticking with the positives and building on the positives they have seen throughout the season, even when it’s hard for people on the outside to see.

“But we do and that’s what good coaches do — you find the things you’re doing well and try to build on those,” Venables said.

Clemson travels to Pitt on Saturday at Heinz Field with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.

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Swinney: ‘We are not getting it done right now’

RALEIGH, N.C. – Clemson fell short at North Carolina State in a 27-21 double-overtime loss at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday. For the fourth straight week the Tigers’ offense failed to meet the standard of head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive …

RALEIGH, N.C. — Clemson fell short at North Carolina State in a 27-21 double-overtime loss at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday.

For the fourth straight week the Tigers’ offense failed to meet the standard of head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott.

Elliott and the staff re-evaluated and self-scouted themselves after last week’s anemic performance in the win over Georgia Tech. But in the coordinator’s assessment the Tigers failed to execute in their first true road test.

“We did some self scouting and tried to break up a couple of tendencies,” Elliott said. “But at the end of the day our job as coaches is to put together a plan that gives our guys the best opportunity to be successful and from there they have to do their part and go make plays.”

The Tigers amassed just 214 yards of total offense in the game that included two overtime periods. But the biggest issue on Saturday was moving the chains on third down.

Clemson (2-2, 1-1 ACC) finished the game just 2-of-11 on third down with its only two conversions coming in the fourth quarter and the first overtime period.

In the passing game D.J. Uiagalelei completed 12-of-26 passes for 111 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

The offensive line surrendered three sacks for a loss of 27 yards and did not get the push it wanted in the run game. Clemson rushed for 103 yards on 23 carries for an average of 4.5 yards per rush.

Swinney expressed his disappointment after the loss because the Tigers have yet to reach the program’s standard. And he also responded to criticism of the team’s lack of offensive prowess.

“You are going to get comments and things like that and it comes with a territory because the expectation and the standard at Clemson and who we are, we aren’t meeting that,” he said. “It’s just that simple, so people can say whatever they want and there’s not really anything we can say because we are not getting it done right now.”

The Tigers showed flashes of rhythm on Saturday particular in their first quarter scoring drive and at the end of the game. But they have yet to reach their standard.

Clemson hopes to right the ship before it hosts undefeated Boston College at Memorial Stadium next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Elliott: ‘We did a good job they just had a really good game plan’

Clemson struggled to find momentum on offense again in a sluggish 14-8 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Yellow Jackets out-gained the Tigers 309-284 in total offense. And they took the game to the final seconds before James …

Clemson struggled to find momentum on offense again in a sluggish 14-8 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets out-gained the Tigers 309-284 in total offense. And they took the game to the final seconds before James Skalski made a game saving tackle with 0:15 remaining in the contest and the defense came up big again after Tech recovered an onside kick.

Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott expressed pride in his unit for finding a way to win the game. But admitted Georgia Tech surprised the Tigers early by dropping eight in coverage to take away the opportunity for explosive plays.

“I’m really really proud of our guys because we prepared for who we thought they were going to be and they came out in a structure that was completely different than what we’ve seen,” Elliott said. “And we only saw that one other time, last year against UCF.”

The move by Georgia Tech forced Elliott to reevaluate the Tigers’ game plan. And he felt like they responded well in the second half except for the pivotal fumble by D.J. Uiagalelei in the red zone at the start of the fourth quarter and a turnover on downs in the red zone in the second quarter.

The Yellow Jackets also limited Clemson to nine possessions on the afternoon including the one play fumble that Clemson recovered for a safety with 0:07 to play.

Moving forward Elliott wants to see Clemson limit turnovers and come away with more big plays to get in a rhythm.

“We put together some good drives we just didn’t finish,” Elliott said. “Two times in the red zone we had a fumble and got stopped on fourth down.”

Uiagalelei finished the game 18-of-25 passing for 126 yards and added eight carries for 46 yards on the ground.

He agreed that Georgia Tech out schemed Clemson with unique coverages and credited his team for responding to walk away with a win.

“For the most part we did a good job they just had a really good game plan, hats off to Georgia Tech,” Uiagalelei said. “They did a great job and made it difficult on us but we found a way to win and we got the W.”

The sophomore quarterback has not hit the panic button yet and thinks Clemson is due for a breakout performance on offense.

“(We) just (can) not press man, it’s going to bust open one of these games,” Uiagalelei said. “It’s going to bust open, and we are going to keep rolling. We just have to stay the course, keep going into practice, stay patient and not press.”

Clemson returns to action next Saturday as it continues ACC play against N.C. State at Carter Finley Stadium Raleigh, North Carolina at 3:30 p.m.

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!