Paws Up: Clemson’s Defense
The defense has been one of Clemson’s most notable aspects so far this season. They reached four sacks in the game and held the Yellow Jackets to only one first down in the first quarter, compared to Clemson’s five.
The entire defensive line received by far the most uproar of support from fans, which seemed to gas up the players. This resulted in the Yellow Jackets having only 106 rushing yards and 203 passing yards. The defense delivered through the end, letting up only two field goals and no touchdowns.
Paws Down: Offensive Line
A lacking offensive line is becoming repetitive this season. This was not the first game that Clemson was met with several defenders behind the line of scrimmage, resulting in no gains or negative gains. While the Tigers’ offense gained more total yardage than the Yellow Jackets, the offensive line still allowed little running room. This lack of running room resulted in the offense finishing with 3.9 rushing yards per attempt.
To add injury to insult, in the final ten seconds of the game, the Jackets achieved a safety against the Tiger offense and gained two points.
Head Coach Dabo Swinney recognized that “the structure of [Georgia Tech’s] defense tonight, that was their weakness. Proud of our guys for doing what they had to do.”
But as for the overall game, Swinney admitted, “When you can’t get points, it’s frustrating… We put the ball into the ground way too much.”
However, Swinney praised his team, calling the performance an “unbelievable effort by our guys. We’re getting better but still a work in progress. This is the type of game we can grow from.”
Paws Up: Will Shipley
Despite his first play on the field being an incomplete catch, Shipley quickly made up for it by scoring the first touchdown of the game only a few plays later. Shipley was on the field from start to finish, and led the Tigers’ rushers with 89 yards on 21 attempts. He also picked up six receiving yards.
Although just a true freshman, Shipley has made quite the name for himself these past few games– and it is only the start of his first season. Yet Shipley admitted after the game that he still has room for growth.
“Pretty much everything. Tonight I look back on the game and the plays and don’t get me wrong, I’m happy with my performance, but there’s just so many little things I gotta get better at….blocking, pushing the line of scrimmage…Those little details go to show that one little thing could count for a touchdown,” said Shipley.
Regarding the safety let up by him, Shipley took the blame for the play.
“It was a rookie mistake. I’m glad the outcome was what it was so that it doesn’t happen again…Still, no excuses,” said Shipley.
In the middle of the fourth quarter Shipley faced a slight shoulder injury but prospered through and was back on the field to finish the game. After his quick recovery, he managed to run the ball for his second touchdown of the game. Shipley scored the only touchdowns between both teams for the entire game.
Swinney smiled and put it simply: “Shipley. What an effort by that kid.”
Paws Down: DJ Uiagalelei
While this was not the sophomore’s worst performance, it certainly was not his best. Uiagalelei hardly threw the ball, and it was a very conservative game for his arm. In the first half, Georgia Tech quarterback Jordan Yates and Uiagalelei had a difference of only one passing yard (64-63). At the beginning of the second half, Uiagalelei fumbled a snap but managed to retrieve the ball for a first down.
By the end of the game, Yates had 203 passing yards in comparison to Uiagalelei’s 126. The Clemson quarterback played the entirety of the game, but his attempted throws seemed to lack significance. In fact, he had an impressive 46 rushing yards, which was the second most of the team, behind Shipley. Most of Clemson’s advances were made by running the ball, calling into question the confidence of Uiagalelei’s passing attack.
After the game, Swinney justified the conservative throws. “We did what we needed to do to win the game,” said Swinney.
And to Swinney, this meant running the ball. “I’m very proud of DJ and how he did in the second half.”
The head coach also noted that the team has “growing pains in a couple spots” that they need to work through, including “the fundamentals” and some bad “habits.”
Offensive Coordinator Tony Elliot mentioned that “DJ is constantly working on his footwork in the pocket” and acknowledged that “he missed a few throws.” Based on both coaches, the quarterback still has some work to do.
Paws Down Honorable Mention: Penalty after Penalty
The Tigers faced eight penalties against them. One of those eight penalties was a targeting call on linebacker Trenton Simpson, who will now have to sit out the first-half of the game against NC State next Saturday.
The Yellow Jackets were penalized three times for targeting and faced ten total penalties for the game.