CLEMSON, S.C. — Will Shipley may only be a freshman, but no moment is too big for him.
The North Carolina native scored a 20-yard touchdown with less than three minutes to go in regulation, giving Clemson the lead. The Tigers’ defense did the rest and the team grinded out a 30-20 win over Florida State in an ACC rivalry game on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers featured a few explosive plays that allowed them to score 17 points in the first half, a couple coming from Shipley, though scoring was hard to come by in the second half. Kicker B.T. Potter missed a total of three field goals in the game. After the Seminoles scored on a turnover with less than 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Tigers answered back late with Shipley’s score and held on.
Barrett Carter put an accent on the win after recovering a fumble as the Seminoles tried to keep the ball alive on the last play of the game.
The Tigers have now won 32 consecutive games at Death Valley.
RB talent
With Kobe Pace out, Shipley got the start. He and fellow freshman Phil Mafah were difference makers for the Tigers’ offense. Mafah had a 63-yard run that was later followed by D.J. Uiagalelei’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Davis Allen, which gave Clemson a 10-6 lead in the second quarter.
On the next drive, Shipley had runs of 7, 14, 22, 2 and 2 with the last one getting him in the end zone as the Tigers pocketed a 17-13 halftime lead. He then had the go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter.
Shipley ended the game with 124 rushing yards, while Mafah had 69.
Defense falters
The Tigers’ defense has been the strength of the team all season, but showed some soft spots against Florida State. The group was called for four offsides penalties in the first half, which kept a couple of the Seminoles’ drives going. The Tigers’ defense gave up a 75-yard touchdown catch on the first play of a Florida State drive less than seven minutes into the second quarter. Aside from that, the Tigers held the Seminoles to less than 100 rushing yards in the first half and forced a turnover on downs to open the second half, while recording the two-quarter shutout to end the game. Trenton Simpson led the way with six tackles, three for loss, and a quarterback sack.
By the numbers
— 8 — Clemson’s struggling offense needs a leader. As the oldest receiver, Justyn Ross, No. 8, must help to set the tone for the Tigers’ pass game. He had a stronger performance in being that leader by example on Saturday afternoon, making six catches out of eight targets for a team-high 85 yards.
He opened up the fourth quarter by bringing down a 25-yard pass from Uiagalelei, his longest reception of the game.
— 3 — For a second straight game, Clemson’s offense had two or more turnovers, all of which occurred in the second half. Late in the third quarter, Uiagalelei threw a pick into double coverage with Joseph Ngata as his target. On the next play, wide receiver E.J. Williams fumbled after a catch.
The Seminoles, however, capitalized on neither. Clemson’s defense forced FSU to punt after the interception. Then right after the fumble recovery, freshman safety Andrew Mukuba returned the favor by recovering a fumble and giving the Tigers’ offense back the ball.
The third was the charm for the Seminoles, as defensive end Jermaine Johnson stripped the ball out of Uiagalelei’s hands and scored from less than 10 yards out during the fourth quarter, giving Florida State a 20-17 lead.
— 5 — With the win, the Tigers improved their record to 5-3, avoiding back-to-back losses after falling to Pitt on the road last week. They’re now one win away from bowl eligibility heading to Louisville next week. The Tigers then return home to play UConn and Wake Forest, the final ACC game of the season, before going to South Carolina for the regular season finale.
Clemson’s bowl projections have included Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte, N.C., the Holiday Bowl in San Diego and the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
