D.J. Uiagalelei – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Can Uiagalelei channel previous success at Notre Dame?

Dabo Swinney still remembers the big plays. There were a lot of them from D.J. Uiagalelei, who burst onto the college football scene two years ago filling in for then-Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. All Uiagalelei did in the first road start of …

Dabo Swinney still remembers the big plays.

There were a lot of them from D.J. Uiagalelei, who burst onto the college football scene two years ago filling in for then-Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. All Uiagalelei did in the first road start of his career inside Notre Dame Stadium was throw for a career-high 439 yards and multiple touchdowns with no turnovers.

There was a 53-yard touchdown strike to Cornell Powell, who caught explosive pass after explosive pass from Uiagalelei to the tune of 161 receiving yards on just six catches. Uiagalelei also had a touchdown pass to Davis Allen and ran for another. Clemson lost that game in double overtime before routing Notre Dame in their ACC title game rematch that year with Lawrence back in the lineup, but it was a striking glimpse at Uiagalelei’s potential.

“It wasn’t too big for him,” Swinney said. “Obviously he’s gotten a chance to play against Boston College the week before, so it wasn’t the first time for him to run out there. But he just executed the plan well and made a bunch of big plays. He did everything he could to give us a chance.”

Can Uiagalelei have a repeat performance when the Tigers return to South Bend for tonight’s matchup with the Fighting Irish?

That’s hard to expect considering Uiagalelei hasn’t had many since that have reached that level. The Tigers’ quarterback hasn’t reached the 400-yard passing mark since that night, though his 371-yard, five-score showing at Wake Forest earlier this season was a reminder of his potential.

While external expectations soared following his Notre Dame performance, Uiagalelei said that wasn’t the case personally.

“I expect that out of myself, to be able to play my best game, every time I step on the field,” Uiagalelei said.

Most importantly for Clemson is that Uiagalelei doesn’t have another showing like he did his last time out. Uiagalelei threw two ill-advised interceptions and lost a fumble before getting benched for freshman Cade Klunbik in the second half of the Tigers’ escape of Syracuse two weeks ago.

Returning to a place where personal success came in bunches could inspire some confidence while simultaneously making it easier to move on from his most recent struggle, though Uiagalelei said the biggest help for him going forward will be keeping things simple.

“Just not making the game bigger than what it is,” Uiagalelei said. “It’s going to be a big environment. It’s going to be a night game. A lot of external factors. I think at the end of the day, you just have to go out there and play football.

Swinney and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter quickly squashed any notion of a quarterback controversy, so Uiagalelei will be back in the starting lineup tonight. Regardless of what it looks like, Swinney said he’s expecting a bounceback performance from a quarterback that had been largely improved this season before the Syracuse debacle.

“Our expectation for him is to play his best game and go back to work,” Swinney said.

Photo credit: Matt Cashore/USA TODAY Sports

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As Clemson’s ace, Uiagalelei has to ‘go do your job’

D.J. Uiagalelei isn’t dwelling on the recent past. The most recent performance from Clemson’s QB1 brought flashbacks of his 2021 season that was largely a struggle. Uiagalelei committed three turnovers against Syracuse – matching his total for the …

D.J. Uiagalelei isn’t dwelling on the recent past.

The most recent performance from Clemson’s QB1 brought flashbacks of his 2021 season that was largely a struggle. Uiagalelei committed three turnovers against Syracuse – matching his total for the season coming into the game – that got him benched midway through the third quarter of the Tigers’ 27-21 comeback victory.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter quickly squashed any talk about a quarterback controversy between Uiagalelei and star freshman Cade Klubnik. More than a week removed from that temporary benching, Uiagalelei shot down any notion that Syracuse’s defense confused him into those miscues. Rather, he chalked up his turnovers, including two errant interceptions, to poor decision-making.

“There were some decisions I should’ve never made with putting balls in jeopardy,” Uiagalelei said.

Uiagalelei said he moved on to preparation for Saturday’s game against Notre Dame shortly after reviewing the film against Syracuse. He’ll back behind center to start against the Fighting Irish, who will host Clemson in the Tigers’ first game since that Oct. 22 escape from Syracuse.

Swinney said he’s expecting a bounceback performance from Uiagalelei, again comparing the Tigers’ experienced signal caller, who’s 19-4 as a starter at Clemson, to an ace in baseball who didn’t have his best stuff.

“He had a bad day. Ain’t no question about that,” Swinney said. “You put your ace on the mound, and there’s a certain expectation. That’s just the way it is. You put Nolan Ryan out there or whoever it is, there’s an expectation of what you’re going to get from your guy. But even the best of the best, next thing you know, they’ve hit three home runs off him in the second inning. It just ain’t his day. And you’re not going to let him give up four runs. If you do, you’re just stupid.

“But that guy is going to come back the next week or whenever his next start is. He’s going to get right back at it.”

Swinney said he’s confident Uiagalelei is in a better place to mentally rebound from his biggest struggle so far this season because he’s already seen it at times. Uiagalelei played turnover-free football with two touchdown passes after losing a first-quarter fumble in the season opener against Georgia Tech. After throwing his second interception of the season early at Boston College, Uiagalelei again stayed away from turnovers the rest of the way and threw three touchdown passes in the Tigers’ 31-3 win.

“He certainly knows he can’t go play like (he did against Syracuse),” Swinney said. “There’s a standard, and there’s the expectation. He’s the ace. You’ve got to go do your job.”

Saturday will provide Uiagalelei with his latest opportunity to respond.

“He’s had some bad moments and snapped out of it,” Swinney said. “He’s a totally different guy, and our expectation is for him to go play his best game. That’s what I expect.”

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Streeter pinpoints area in which Clemson’s offense needs improvement

With Clemson fresh off an open date, the Tigers are continuing preparations for their final road game of the regular season Saturday at Notre Dame. Offensively, coordinator Brandon Streeter said there’s one specific area he’d like to see his unit …

With Clemson fresh off an open date, the Tigers are continuing preparations for their final road game of the regular season Saturday at Notre Dame.

Offensively, coordinator Brandon Streeter said there’s one specific area he’d like to see his unit improve on in order to give Clemson the best chance of getting out of Notre Dame Stadium with its perfect record intact.

“It comes down to our execution and being able to finish some of the drives maybe that we’ve been stalling on,” Streeter said.

Clemson has been one of the best teams in the nation at getting points in the red zone, converting on 38 of its 39 red-zone trips. But Streeter would like even more of those possessions to reach the end zone. Ten of the Tigers’ red-zone scores have been field goals, including one their last time out against Syracuse.

Clemson ended a string of 21 unanswered points for the Orange just before halftime with B.T. Potter’s 44-yard field goal, but the Tigers had a prime opportunity for more when the Tigers drove to Syracuse’s 20-yard line a few players earlier. But Clemson lost a combined 6 yards after getting to the red zone, including an 11-yard sack of quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, before having to settle for Potter’s first kick.

The Tigers erased an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take a 24-21 lead, but Clemson later had another drive deep into Syracuse territory that would’ve put it out of reach had the Tigers scored a touchdown. Instead, with freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik on in relief for a struggling Uiagalelei, the Tigers netted just 8 yards on three plays after reaching the Orange’s 35, forcing Potter to kicker another field goal that kept Syracuse within striking distance with 1 minute, 33 seconds remaining.

It wasn’t until the R.J. Mickens’ interception of Garrett Shrader with just a few ticks left that Clemson sealed the win, something Streeter wished the offense had been able to do when it had the chance.

“When we cross the 50-yard line, there’s been a couple of times where we haven’t finished in the end zone and leave it up to our kicker, who is so good,” Streeter said. “Thank goodness we have B.T. Potter. But just being able to finish in the red zone is something I’d like to see a better job of.”

Streeter threw out one other facet of the offense’s game that he’d like to see shored up, one that isn’t all that surprising given Clemson’s season-high four turnovers that had the Tigers needing to rally in the first place.

“Taking care of the football,” he said.

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Klubnik looks differently at relationship with Uiagalelei

Cade Klubnik was summoned to start warming up during the third quarter of Clemson’s latest game. Soon thereafter, the true freshman found himself trotting onto the field for the most important snaps of his young career. But not before he got some …

But not before he got some encouraging words from the man he was replacing.

D.J. Uiagalelei was benched against Syracuse after committing his third turnover in two and half quarters, a primary reason why the Tigers found themselves trailing by 11 points when Uiagalelei threw his second and final interception. But before Klubnik took the field in an attempt to give the Tigers’ offense a spark, Uiagalelei approached him on the sideline with some advice and a tap on the helmet.

“He just said, ‘Just go score,’” Klubnik said. “He had full trust in me, and I’m just super thankful for that.”

Clemson did just that on Klubnik’s first series after getting some help from Syracuse, which was flagged for a roughing penalty on Klubnik to keep that touchdown drive alive. The Tigers did it again on their first full possession of the fourth quarter as Will Shipley did most of the heavy lifting, including a 50-yard touchdown run that put Clemson ahead for good in its 27-21 comeback victory.

But the quarterback situation is drawing the bulk of the attention as the Tigers get set to try to navigate the home stretch of its schedule with all of its championship aspirations still intact. That’s not exactly a new development.

Klubnik has been Uiagalalei’s backup ever since signing with Clemson in December as its latest blue-chip quarterback prospect. Given Uiagalelei’s struggles a season ago in his first full season as the Tigers’ starter, the question started almost immediately with a talented Klubnik on his heels: Will Uiagalelei hold onto his starting job?

For the time being, the answer is yes. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made it clear Uiagalelei will be back in the starting lineup for the Tigers’ game at Notre Dame on Nov. 5, though another performance like his last one will create doubt.

But Klubnik said Uiagalelei’s visible response to being pulled a week ago shined a light on the way in which he views the relationship between the two, one that contrasts from public perception.

“D.J.’s just such a loving guy,” Klubnik said. “Our relationship is just so tight. I think a lot of people see it more as a competition, but it’s really a loving opportunity that we have with each other. He’s been able to push me in so many ways, and I think I’ve been able to do the same for him.”

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Klubnik: There’s ‘love’ among Clemson’s QBs

Cade Klubnik didn’t have to do much with his most recent game reps other than hold onto the ball. Clemson’s latest blue-chip quarterback signee found himself getting his most critical playing time of his freshman season last week when he entered the …

Cade Klubnik didn’t have to do much with his most recent game reps other than hold onto the ball.

Clemson’s latest blue-chip quarterback signee found himself getting his most critical playing time of his freshman season last week when he entered the Syracuse game in the second half with the Tigers trailing 21-10. His number was called because of three turnovers committed by D.J. Uiagalelei, who was benched after his overthrow of tight end Davis Allen turned into his second interception midway through the third quarter.

Klubnik is the faster of the two quarterbacks. But on a day when Clemson ran for a season-high 293 yards, Klubnik ran it (six times for 15 yards) more than he threw it primarily because that’s what was working. Most importantly, he didn’t fumble. And none of his four passes ended up the hands of any Orange defenders as Clemson held onto the ball long enough to rally for a 27-21 win that kept their perfect record intact.

“Just excited to get my moment,” Klubnik said.

Klubnik wasn’t perfect. During his first series, the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder took a sack that could’ve been avoided had he stepped up into the pocket instead of trying to escape it, a learning moment for the youngster. But he also flashed his talent on a two-point play after Clemson’s go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, avoiding pressure long enough to find Joseph Ngata tight-roping the back of the end zone for the conversion.

Despite entering the game at an adverse moment, Klubnik said he was confident for a couple of reasons. Some of it came naturally after already playing in four games and trying as much as possible to mimic those kinds of reps all season in practice.

“Coach Swinney has been saying that confidence comes from preparation,” Klubnik said. “We prepare every week like every single one of us is going to start the game.”

Klubnik said some of that confidence given to him by the other four quarterbacks in his position room. Uiagalelei and Klubnik are joined there by transfer Hunter Johnson and former walk-ons Hunter Helms and Billy Wiles.

They all compete with each other, but they’re also each other’s biggest fans. That was no more apparent than when Uiagalelei pulled Klubnik aside before entering Saturday’s game, offering some words of advice and tapping him on the helmet for good measure.

“D.J.’s going to lead us,” Klubnik said. “We’re right behind him. So that whole QB room, it’s all so tight. Just the love that we have in there. There’s not really one guy that stands out. Obviously D.J. obviously is the guy, but we’re all just so tight and all have so much trust. When I finally got in there, I was kind of ready.”

Swinney betting on Uiagalelei again

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is well aware of the narrative about his quarterback. With D.J. Uiagalelei having thrown 14 interceptions in 21 career starts, he also understands why it exists. “That’s his story,” Swinney said this week. But Swinney has …

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is well aware of the narrative about his quarterback. With D.J. Uiagalelei having thrown 14 interceptions in 21 career starts, he also understands why it exists.

“That’s his story,” Swinney said this week.

But Swinney has already made one prediction about his quarterback that has largely come to fruition, and he’s betting on Uiagalelei again.

“He certainly didn’t have a good day (against Syracuse), but he’s played really well,” Swinney said. “There’s no way we’re 8-0 without him. He’s made huge plays with his legs and huge plays with his arm. He’s been a great leader, and he’ll respond.”

Swinney is once again coming to Uiagalelei’s defense after an outing that more closely resembled one from last season than this one for Clemson’s quarterback. Uiagalelei was benched midway through the third quarter of the Tigers’ win over Syracuse last week after committing three turnovers.

It was an outlier this season for Uiagalelei, who had only been responsible for three turnovers through Clemson’s first seven games. Swinney backed Uiagalelei after the game, immediately shooting down any notion of a quarterback competition between Uiagalelei and true freshman Cade Klubnik, who played the final 21 minutes and change of Clemson’s comeback win over the Orange. It’s a position Swinney similarly found himself throughout the offseason, including in July during the ACC’s annual preseason kickoff media event in Charlotte.

Swinney said then that he believed Uiagalelei was going to be much improved from a forgettable sophomore season, one in which the former five-star signee threw more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9). For the most part, he has been.

Uiagalelei has still accounted for more than three times as many total touchdowns (21) as turnovers (6) so far this season. His completion rate (63.8) is up eight percentage points from what it was last season.

Saturday’s game was an outlier. At least that’s Swinney’s belief. Uiagalelei’s two interceptions matched his total for the season coming into the game, and his red-zone fumble in the first half turned into a scoop and score.

After the way things went for Uiagalelei and the rest of the offense a season ago, Clemson’s coaches and players said the Tigers lost confidence on that side of the ball. First-year offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter, who’s been Uiagalelei’s position coach for the last three seasons, said a focus for him during the bye week will be to make sure Uiagalelei doesn’t let one bad performance take away the cache he’s built for himself in that department throughout the course of this season.

“Playing quarterback, it’s 80 to 90% mental. It really is,” Streeter said. “So continuing to build him up and look at what he’s accomplished already as a starting quarterback. (Our winning streak) is at 14 in a row now. We’ve got the longest streak in the country, and he’s been our starting quarterback every single game the last 14 games. So just continue to build his confidence. He’s got a lot of it, but just making sure that it doesn’t waver at all.”

Uiagalelei will get his chance at further redemption when Clemson returns to action Nov. 5 at Notre Dame.

“He’s earned that, and I’ll go to battle with that guy any day,” Swinney said. “Now he’s obviously got to clean it up a little bit from the things he did (Saturday), and he will.”

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Swinney has simple demand of Clemson’s QBs as stakes rise

Dabo Swinney made it crystal clear following Saturday’s game that, at least for the time being, there’s no quarterback quandary at Clemson. That could always change. But D.J. Uiagalelei will be the first quarterback to trot onto the field with the …

Dabo Swinney made it crystal clear following Saturday’s game that, at least for the time being, there’s no quarterback quandary at Clemson.

That could always change.

But D.J. Uiagalelei will be the first quarterback to trot onto the field with the Tigers’ offense at Notre Dame Stadium two Saturdays from now. He might be the only one Clemson uses. Depending on how he performs, he might not.

Regardless of whether it’s his experienced yet sometimes erratic junior quarterback or true freshman Cade Klubnik taking the snaps, Clemson’s head coach on Monday laid out his expectations for his signal callers.

“I prefer points, taking care of the ball and crisp execution,” Swinney said. “What that looks like to everybody else, I really don’t care.”

It’s a pretty straightforward ask of the most important position on the field regardless of the situation. It’s also one that takes on even more significance for Clemson given where the Tigers find themselves heading into November.

The only 8-0 team in America, No. 5 Clemson controls its own destiny in the race to the ACC championship and potentially the College Football Playoff, a reality that was very much in doubt over the weekend in large part because of the kind of sporadic quarterback play that hasn’t been the norm this season.

Uiagalelei entered Saturday’s game against Syracuse having accounted for 21 touchdowns with just two interceptions, but he matched his turnover total for the entire season in just two and a half quarters against the Orange. One of them was a red-zone fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the second quarter, and after his second interception midway through the third, he was benched for Klubnik.

Klubnik finished out the game with a showing that Swinney called “an experience he can grow from.” He wasn’t asked to do much through the air (2 of 4 passing for 19 yards) on a day the Tigers ran 60 times for a season-high 293 yards. Yet Klubnik took a sack while trying to outrun a Syracuse defender on his first series that set the Tigers well behind the chains, a predicament Syracuse helped bail Clemson out of on a third-and-25 when the Orange were flagged for a roughing penalty.

“The sack was really bad,” Swinney said. “(Klubnik) just hasn’t played a lot. He’s a fast kid, and he’s always been able to probably get away with stuff like that. But that was really poor.”

But Klubnik stayed away from turnovers. The Tigers, who committed all four of their turnovers at or on the plus side of midfield, held onto the ball long enough to score a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, which helped them escape with all of their championship goals still intact.

“He had a couple of mistakes, but he settled us down,” Swinney said.

It was a reminder that Swinney can’t take any chances behind center. Not with so much at stake and a somewhat favorable schedule left. The Tigers will finish the regular season with three straight home games against Louisville, Miami and South Carolina. Those teams are a combined 12-9.

But the first order of business is trying to get past a three-loss Notre Dame team that may also need some help from the Tigers if it’s going to ruin Clemson’s perfect season. Swinney sent another message regarding the plan at quarterback with his hook Saturday: He’ll ride with whichever one is better at not providing that assistance.

“I just think they’ve got to be who they are and channel who they are into crisp execution. That’s all I care about,” Swinney said. “Take care of the football, play within the system and execute.”

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Bye-week musings

Saturday made for some anxious moments for Clemson’s coaches, players and fans. But the Tigers rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter against Syracuse to win yet another game at Memorial Stadium. And with that, Clemson takes an 8-0 …

And with that, Clemson takes an 8-0 record into the bye week.

The Tigers will get a little R&R while having an extra week to prepare for their next game at Notre Dame on Nov. 4. With Clemson taking a break in the action, it’s a good time to take inventory of the Tigers’ season so far while offering up some thoughts and observations as the Tigers get set to start a pivotal stretch run.

First of all, D.J. Uiagalelei deserves a shot at further redemption. Clemson’s quarterback has been one of the ACC’s biggest stories this season for most of the right reasons following the well-documented struggle that was 2021 for him. But Uiagalelei is coming off a performance that looked more like last season than this one. One of the primary reasons Clemson found itself in a 14-point hole at one point against Syracuse was Uiagalelei’s three turnovers, including that long scoop and score in the first half. It matched Uiagalelei’s turnover total on the season coming into the game, and it ultimately got him bench for the last quarter and a half.

But Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter quickly shot down any notion of an open quarterback competition heading into this week of practice, and rightfully so. Because, at least for now, Uiagalelei is still the quarterback that gives Clemson the best chance to win the ACC and national championships.

Cade Klubnik is talented in his own ways, but he’s still a true freshman that went just 2 of 4 passing for 19 yards once he came into the game. Clemson’s comeback had more to do with the fact that it quit turning the ball over in the final 21 minutes and change and a defense that pitched a second-half shutout and less to do with the quarterback change.

Having said that, the quarterback situation is now a precarious one. Because the stakes are high (more on that later). Uiagalelei knows he can’t keep playing like he did against the Orange if he wants to keep his job, but Klubnik doesn’t have much big-game experience to this point. He’s only played in five games this season with his other appearances coming against Georgia Tech, Furman, Louisiana Tech and Boston College. His most extended playing time before Saturday came in mop-up duty against Georgia Tech. Are those the kind of reps that have him ready to help Clemson win meaningful games in November and potentially beyond if needed?

Perhaps the coaching staff’s biggest challenge over the next two weeks is helping keep Uiagalelei out of his own head. Staying positive with Uiagalelei and reinforcing the good he’s done this season are things Streeter mentioned after Saturday’s game. But Uiagalelei, who has still accounted for more than three times as many touchdowns as turnovers this season and is 19-4 as a starting quarterback at Clemson, deserves a chance to prove that Saturday’s performance was simply a bad day at the office.

Regardless who the quarterback is, Clemson needs to get its passing game back on track. Specifically, the explosives on the outside. Part of the Tigers’ offensive improvement this season has come in the big-play department as Clemson’s 29 passes of at least 20 yards are fourth-most in the ACC. But the Tigers have connected on just three such plays the last two weeks, and only one of those was caught by a wide receiver. Beaux Collins, who leads the team with five touchdown receptions, hasn’t caught a pass the last two games. That needs to change.

The defense is an enigma. At times – the six straight punts and 119 yards Clemson held Syracuse to in the second half being a prime example – the Tigers show the ability to take over on that side of the ball. Other times – think the first half against Syracuse and that Swiss-cheese fourth quarter against Florida State – opposing offenses make marching the length of the field look easy. There are times the pass rush is relentless (four second-half sacks against Syracuse). There are times it’s non-existent.

The defense has rarely been the dominant force many anticipated coming into the season. Even the group’s usual reliability in stopping the run – Clemson still ranks seventh nationally in that category – was shaken against Florida State when the Tigers allowed 206 yards on the ground in that six-point win. And not enough people, including this writer, made a big enough deal about just how difficult it was going to be to replace all the high-end talent Clemson lost in the secondary from last season, including a pair of all-conference corners and a sixth-year safety in Nolan Turner.

But there’s still plenty of talent on that side of the ball, even if some of it is younger and greener at some spots. Now the Tigers need to put it all together more consistently if they’re going to get to where they’re ultimately trying to go this season.

Is the offensive line starting to hit its stride? One lingering question after the first half of the season, at least in this writer’s mind, was could Clemson get enough push up front to balance out the offense against some of the better teams on the Tigers’ schedule?

Don’t look now, but Clemson has one of the top 40 rushing offenses in college football.

The line paved the way for a season-high 293 rushing yards last week, consistently getting movement against what was statistically the ACC’s top defense coming into the game. Take away sacks (which count against teams’ rushing totals in college football), and that number was well above 300.

That was after Clemson ran for 167 yards at Florida State, its best rushing output since going for more than 180 against Wake Forest three weeks earlier. The Tigers are averaging nearly half a first down per carry (4.4 yards) over the last two games and have rushed for at least 188 yards in four of their last six games.

The pass protection has been solid all season. Clemson is allowing just 1.75 sacks per game, fourth-fewest in the ACC, and some of those, as Swinney has noted, have been a result of the quarterbacks holding onto the ball too long or trying to extend plays. Continuity has been vital for the offensive line as Clemson has had the same starting five in every game, and the group appears to be playing its best football heading into the home stretch.

Clemson needs to continue getting touches for Will Shipley. The Tigers have done that more the last two weeks than any other point in the season, and the sophomore running back has responded by averaging 8.1 yards per touch during that span. Shipley needed just one week to set a new career-high in all-purpose yards after going for 238 yards against Florida State, racking up 242 against Syracuse. That included a career-high 172 rushing yards, including the go-ahead, 50-yard scoring scamper in the fourth quarter.

Shipley also had another kickoff return that he nearly broke. He’s too dynamic and versatile of an athlete to not continue featuring, and Clemson needs to keep feeding him in as many ways as possible.

Speaking of dynamic players, Antonio Williams should be the primary punt returner. Clemson has tinkered with putting Williams and Will Taylor back at the same time the last couple of weeks, but that’s an experiment that should end. Taylor hasn’t looked completely comfortable coming back from his season-ending knee injury last year.

But even if he did, Williams looks like a natural fielding punts and brings a different level of playmaking ability in that role. Williams also leads Clemson in receptions, by the way, but the true freshman brought many of the fans in attendance last week to their feet with a zig-zagging 18-yard return in which he avoided numerous would-be tackles and nearly broke free down the sideline. He’s averaging 7 yards per return compared to Taylor’s 2.6.

Is Clemson a national-championship caliber team? From a results standpoint, the Tigers’ perfect record looms large. Because if the Tigers run the table, they’re almost certainly returning to the College Football Playoff (no, three one-loss SEC teams aren’t getting in over Clemson or any other Power Five unbeaten should things play out that way. At least, I don’t think so?). But is Clemson elite? Would the Tigers beat Georgia or Ohio State or even Michigan, Tennessee or Alabama (whose only loss came on the road by three to the Vols) on a neutral field?

That’s hard to say right now based on some of the close calls the Tigers have had, but there’s still a lot of football to be played. Go back to 2016 when Clemson didn’t always look great – a six-point escape from Troy and that home loss to Pittsburgh come to mind – before going on to win the national championship that season.

If feels like there’s another level this year’s team is capable of reaching, but, at some point, Clemson will have to show it can get there by putting it all together for four quarters. Because that’s what the Tigers’ title aspirations will require.

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Clemson survives an uncharacteristically ‘sloppy’ day

Clemson was down bad. In fact, sitting in a 14-point hole late in the second quarter against Syracuse, the Tigers were staring at the largest deficit they’ve seen all season. And the primary reason for it was uncharacteristic for this Clemson team. …

Clemson was down bad.

In fact, sitting in a 14-point hole late in the second quarter against Syracuse, the Tigers were staring at the largest deficit they’ve seen all season. And the primary reason for it was uncharacteristic for this Clemson team.

The Tigers entered Saturday’s game with the 18th-best turnover margin in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Clemson had turned the ball over just five times all season and once in its previous four games combined.

But the Tigers deviated from their usual knack for ball security against the Orange, reaching a degree Clemson hasn’t seen in years. The Tigers remained unbeaten Saturday but not before surviving four turnovers. It’s the most for Clemson since coughing it up three times in a win over Wake Forest last November, and the Tigers had not had a four-turnover game going back at least five seasons.

The Tigers may have had to go to overtime or worse against Syracuse if not for R.J. Mickens saving the day with his interception of Garrett Shrader on the Orange’s final possession on Clemson’s side of midfield. It was Clemson’s lone takeaway on a day in which it finished minus-3 in turnover margin, the first time the Tigers have finished in the red in that department in 12 games dating back to last season.

It’s only the third time during Dabo Swinney’s 15-year tenure as head coach that the Tigers have won when finishing minus-3 or worse.

“That’s something we’ve been doing very, very well,” offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said of Clemson’s ball protection. “And I hate that today we just struggled taking care of the ball.”

D.J. Uiagalelei was the primary culprit. Clemson’s quarterback had turned it over just three times through the first seven games as part of his renaissance campaign. But Saturday was a flashback of sorts to Uiagalelei’s 2021 struggles with accuracy and decision-making.

He matched his turnover total on the season in two and a half quarters, tossing a pair of interceptions and losing a fumble that was returned 90 yards midway through the second quarter to give Syracuse a 14-7 lead. For Swinney, it brought back unpleasant memories of West Virginia’s 99-yard house call following a goal-line fumble in the Tigers’ forgettable postseason showing in south Florida in 2012.

“The last time I saw that was in the Orange Bowl, and we didn’t recover,” Swinney said. “We never recovered, but we were a very immature program then, too.”

Uiagalelei’s fumble was preceded by an underthrown ball on a corner route that was intercepted on another drive deep in Orange territory. Running back Will Shipley also lost the ball with Clemson closing in on the red zone on its second possession of the second half, the lowlight of an otherwise career day for the sophomore running back.

All of the Tigers’ giveaways occurred at midfield or on Syracuse’s side of it, making the turnovers even more frustrating for the Tigers on a day when Clemson had 10 more first downs than Syracuse and racked up 450 yards of offense.

“I’m proud of our staff, especially our offensive staff, especially Streeter” Swinney said. “Because it’s kind of frustrating when you’re moving the ball, you’re going up and down the field, you have almost 500 yards, you rush for (close to) 300 yards, and you feel like you have control of the game. You have 27 first downs, and we had at least five trips into plus territory where we got no points.”

When Uiagalelei was picked off again later in the third quarter on a pass that sailed well over the head of tight end Jake Briningstool – a miscue that set Syracuse’s offense up near midfield already leading 21-10 – Clemson’s coaches had seen enough. The Tigers turned to true freshman Cade Klubnik, who ran it (six rushes) more than he threw it (four pass attempts) on a day when Clemson ran for a season-high 293 yards.

“Just one of them days,” Swinney said. “D.J.’s been awesome all year, and sometimes the ball doesn’t go in the basket. Sometimes Steph Curry goes 3-for-22. Sometimes it won’t go in. Sometimes you’ve got to give someone else an opportunity.”

Klubnik helped lead a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives, and, most importantly, Clemson played turnover-free ball the final 21:27 minutes of game time. The defense also kept the Tigers within reach by forcing six straight punts before Mickens’ game-sealing pick, holding the Orange to 1 of 7 on third down and 119 yards in the final two quarters.

“We just kept believing,” Streeter said. “Overcoming four turnovers, that’s hard to do. So you know you’ve got something special when you can do that.”

It all helped the Tigers escape with a win that keeps them in control of their own destiny in the ACC and beyond, even if it was one they felt like they were trying to give away at times.

“We can’t be sloppy with the ball and expect to win games like that very often,” Swinney said.

Dear Old Clemson is excited to announce a limited edition football and poster signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Clemson makes history with latest win

Clemson’s latest win was a historic one. The fifth-ranked Tigers on Saturday earned the distinction as the last remaining unbeaten in the ACC with a 27-21 win over No. 14 Syracuse at Memorial Stadium, a place that’s been good to Clemson over the …

Clemson’s latest win was a historic one.

The fifth-ranked Tigers on Saturday earned the distinction as the last remaining unbeaten in the ACC with a 27-21 win over No. 14 Syracuse at Memorial Stadium, a place that’s been good to Clemson over the years. The Tigers kept the nation’s longest active winning streak alive, making it 38 straight wins in their own stadium since that Pittsburgh stunner in 2016.

It’s the longest home winning streak the ACC has ever seen.

Clemson began the day tied with Florida State for the most consecutive home wins in conference history. The Seminoles were equally as hard to beat inside Doak Campbell Stadium during the peak of the Bobby Bowden era from 1992-2001 when they won 37 games in a row there.

Clemson is now in sole possession of not only the longest home winning streak in the ACC but also one of the longest in the country. The program has tied Notre Dame’s 38 straight from 1919-27 for the 10th-longest home win streak in Football Bowl Subdivision history.

But the Tigers had to dig deep to keep the streak intact.

Clemson was uncharacteristically plagued by the turnover bug Saturday, finishing minus-3 in the turnover department. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who’d thrown just two interceptions all season coming, was responsible for three of them. It marked the first time in 12 games dating back to last season that the Tigers have finished in the red in the turnover margin.

Uiagalelei threw his final pick midway through the third quarter with the Tigers trailing 21-10, forcing Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to bench him in favor of freshman Cade Klubnik. The Tigers didn’t turn the ball over the rest of the way, the defense held Syracuse to 119 yards in the second half, and Clemson scored the game’s final 17 points to escape with a victory that puts the Tigers in the record books.

Clemson, which has an open date next week, will try to keep the streak going when it returns home against Louisville on Nov. 12 following a trip to Notre Dame the previous week.