An inspired offensive performance in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has the Clemson Tigers leading Bill Belichick’s UNC 35-3 at halftime. Below is an analysis of what is clicking for Clemson on both sides of the ball.

Offense:

— The Tigers came out of the gates hot. On the first snap of the day, head coach Dabo Swinney called a trick play and caught the Tar Heels sleeping. After receiving a lateral pass in the backfield, wide receiver Antonio Williams played surrogate quarterback, finding T.J. Moore for a quickfire, 75-yard touchdown that silenced the sea of Carolina blue.

— YAC ’em up! Three of Clemson’s four opening plays went for 35 yards or more. For an offense that has struggled with explosivity, 150 yards and two touchdowns on four plays was a great way to start the day.

— Freshman tight end Christian Bentancur scored his first and second career touchdowns in the first half. Bentancur’s first touchdown, a 45-yard strike, was made possible by an unlikely 3rd-and-18 in Clemson’s own half. The offense converted a gutsy 4th-and-3, a call that both set the tone and set the redshirt freshman up for six.

— Prior to Klubnik’s 45-yard strike to Bentancur, the Tigers found themselves staring down the barrel of 3rd-and-18 in their own half. Unphased, the offense orchestrated a big-time fourth down conversion, ultimately setting up the tight end for six.

— As a preseason Heisman favorite, fans have been waiting for a Klubnik breakout — and they got it. In the first half, Klubnik was untouchable. The fourth-year signal-caller was comfortable and composed in the pocket, slinging for 251 yards and four scores. Klubnik’s first-half air yards exceeded his end-of-game totals against LSU, Troy and Georgia Tech earlier this season.

Defense:

— On their first offensive possession, the Tar Heels quickly found themselves in the red zone behind a 4-of-4 start from quarterback Max Johnson, which included a 21-yard completion on a wildly deflected ball from an Avieon Terrell hit on a corner blitz. Inside the red zone, the Clemson defense held strong, holding the North Carolina offense to a field goal.

— The game’s second series exhibited a talented defensive unit coming alive and playing to its full potential. Clemson entered the drive firing downhill with a pair of stuffed runs after a short first-down completion to get North Carolina off the field.

— Clemson forced its third straight three-and-out to start the second quarter, holding the Tar Heel offense to negative 2 yards total amongst the three drives. Cornerback Ashton Hampton led the charge, exciting a rowdy Clemson team with a tackle for loss by rocking an unsuspecting North Carolina receiver on a screen pass.

— The best offense is good defense. The Clemson defense actually gained yards while UNC was in possession over a stretch of four straight three-and-outs, amassing negative 5 yards with three straight drives resulting in negative yards. Aside from the opening drive, North Carolina gained a lone first down against an energized Tiger squad, which saw defensive coordinator Tom Allen coaching his unit on the field for the first time.