Inside the Numbers: No. 10 Clemson 49, Wake Forest 14
1 - Antonio Williams added the first touchdown pass of his career on a wide receiver pass in the third quarter, completing a 28-yard scoring pass to tight end Jake Briningstool. Williams' touchdown pass to Briningstool was the first Clemson touchdown pass by a non-quarterback since Will Shipley's two-yard touchdown pass to Davis Allen against Wake Forest in 2021.
4 - The 2024 season now marks Clemson’s first time compiling four 500-yard games in the first six games of a season since 2012 (four).
5 - Clemson has now reached 400 yards in five straight games for the first time since reaching 400 yards in all 12 games in 2020.
10 - Clemson won the turnover margin, 2-0, and won the turnover margin for the 10th time in an 11-game span, including a five-game stretch to end the 2023 season. Clemson turned those two turnovers into 14 points.
12 - The game marked the 12th time in series history that Clemson has scored 42 or more points against Wake Forest, passing Georgia Tech (11) for the most 42-point games against a single opponent in school history.
22 - Clemson’s first points of the game came on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to wide receiver Antonio Williams.
28 - Troy Stellato’s second-quarter touchdown gave Clemson 28 points in the frame. Clemson (35-point first quarter vs. App State and 28-point first quarter vs. NC State) has now produced at least three individual quarters of 28 or more points in a single season for the third time in school history (three in 2020, four in 2012).
37 - Clemson’s 37 first downs were a season-high and rank tied for third-most in a game in school history, matching a 37-first-down game against Charleston Southern in 2023 and trailing a 40-first-down game against South Carolina in 2016 and a 38-first-down game against South Carolina in 2018.
38 - Klubnik (38) passed DJ Uiagalelei (36 from 2020-22) for seventh on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career passing touchdowns.
40 - Clemson scored at least 40 points for the fourth time this season. It marks the first time Clemson has reached 40 points in four of the first six games of a season since 2020 (five).
50 - Klubnik (50) also entered the Top 10 in school history in career total touchdown responsibility. He passed James Davis (49 from 2005-08) and now stands tied with Travis Zachery (50 from 1998-2001) for ninth on Clemson's all-time leaderboard.
82 - Clemson has now scored a rushing touchdown in 82 of its 88 games since the start of the 2018 season, the most in the nation.
85 - Clemson ran a season-high 85 plays, its most since an 89-play game against North Carolina last November.
100 - Mafah recorded his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season to add to his single-season career high. He has now rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back games for the second time this season. Mafah became the first Clemson player to record four 100-yard rushing games in a five-game span since Travis Etienne's school-record six-game streak of 100-yard rushing games in 2019.
150 - Clemson rushed for 150 yards in a fifth straight game for the first time since a 12-game stretch across the 2019-20 seasons.
200 - Clemson reached both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game for the fourth time this season. Clemson entered the week trailing only Ole Miss (four) in that category nationally.
286 - Clemson scored in a 286th consecutive game to tie the 1993-2016 Ohio State Buckeyes for the 14th-longest streak without a shutout in FBS history. Clemson was the program that ended Ohio State's streak with a 31-0 Fiesta Bowl win in 2016.
500 - Clemson has now recorded 500 yards in back-to-back games for the second time this season. It marks Clemson’s first time posting four 500-yard games in a season since 2020 (five). Clemson has now accrued both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in back-to-back games for the second time this season. It was Clemson's first time reaching both marks four times in a five-game span since doing so seven times in an eight-game span in 2019.
5,000 - During the contest, Klubnik (5,069) became the ninth player in school history to reach 5,000 career passing yards.
Other notes and numbers:
Clemson averaged 6.7 yards per play and has now averaged 6.5 or more yards per play in five straight games for the first time since 2019.
Clemson averaged 5.4 yards per carry and has now averaged 5.0 or more yards per carry in five straight games for the first time since 2019.
Clemson has now recorded consecutive games without a giveaway for the first time since 2022 against Wake Forest and NC State.
Clemson played an eighth consecutive game (dating to last season) with one giveaway or fewer for the first time since a 12-game streak across the 2019-20 seasons. Dating to last season, Clemson has five giveaways over its last eight games and has not had a multi-giveaway game in that span.
Clemson went 5-for-5 in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on all five red zone possessions.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 31-of-41 passes for 309 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. He also added seven rushing attempts for 30 yards.
Klubnik became the first Clemson quarterback to throw multiple touchdown passes in five straight games since Trevor Lawrence's five-game streak in 2020.
During the game, Klubnik (50) became the 10th player in school history to be responsible for 50 career touchdowns (all categories including passing).
Klubnik (21) has now posted the 19th individual season in Clemson history in which a player has been responsible for 20 or more touchdowns.
WIth his fifth career 300-yard passing game, Klubnik passed his former offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter (four) for sole possession of the fifth-most career 300-yard passing games in Clemson history.
During the game, Klubnik (5,588) passed Rodney Williams (5,510 from 1985-88) and Cullen Harper (5,549 from 2005-08) to move into ninth on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career yards of total offense.
During the game, Klubnik (474) passed Nealon Greene (458 from 1994-97) and Woodrow Dantzler (460 from 1998-2001) for seventh on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career pass completions.
Klubnik (738) also entered the Top 10 in school history in career pass attempts, passing Kyle Parker (710 from 2009-10) and Rodney Williams (717 from 1985-88) for ninth.
Klubnik’s 31 completions were a season high and represented his first 30-completion game since the 2023 Gator Bowl against Kentucky (30).
Williams finished the contest with six receptions for 69 yards with a touchdown reception and a 28-yard touchdown pass.
With his fifth touchdown reception of the season, Williams set a new single-season career high in touchdown receptions.
Williams has now caught a touchdown in back-to-back games for the second time this season.
Williams became the first Clemson player to catch a touchdown pass and throw a touchdown pass in a single game since C.J. Spiller accomplished the feat (and rushed for a touchdown) against NC State in 2009. Williams joined Spiller and Jacoby Ford (2009 against Coastal Carolina) as the only Clemson players to accomplish the feat since 1996.
Briningstool posted a season-high 104 receiving yards on a season-high-tying seven receptions with one touchdown.
The 100-yard receiving game was Briningstool’s third of his career, a school record for a tight end. He has now been responsible for three of the eight 100-yard receiving games by tight ends in school history.
On his fifth reception of the game, Briningstool (102) became the second tight end in Clemson history to reach 100 career receptions (Jordan Leggett, 112). The milestone catch gained 14 yards on third-and-9.
With the performance, Briningstool (1,139) passed Bennie Cunningham (1,044 from 1972-75) and Dwayne Allen (1,079 from 2009-11) to move into third on Clemson's all-time career receiving yardage leaderboard for tight ends.
Briningstool’s 28-yard touchdown reception from Williams was the 14th touchdown reception of his career, pulling him within four touchdowns of the school career record of 18 held by Jordan Leggett.
Running back Phil Mafah rushed 19 times for 108 yards with two touchdowns.
The game was the fifth multi-touchdown game of Mafah’s career and his first of the season.
Mafah gave Clemson the lead for good with a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter two plays after an interception by the Clemson defense.
Mafah scored his second touchdown of the second quarter on a two-yard run on fourth down. On the play, he received key blocks from defensive linemen DeMonte Capehart and Peter Woods.
Clemson produced a 300-yard passer (Klubnik), 100-yard rusher (Mafah) and 100-yard receiver (Briningstool) in a single game for the second time this season (Klubnik, Mafah, Briningstool and Bryant Wesco Jr. vs. Appalachian State).
Wide receiver Troy Stellato recorded a career-high 72 receiving yards on a season-high six receptions with a touchdown.
Stellato recorded his first touchdown catch of the season — the second of his career — on an eight-yard pass from Klubnik in the second quarter.
The touchdown was Stellato’s first since last season at Syracuse.
Stellato’s touchdown reception gave Clemson multiple touchdown passes in five straight games for the first time since an eight-game streak in 2020.
Wide receiver Adam Randall scored his second career touchdown on a nine-yard pass from Klubnik in the third quarter.
Running back Keith Adams Jr. recorded his first career rushing touchdown on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter.
The touchdown by Adams was the culmination of a 17-play scoring drive, Clemson’s longest since an 18-play touchdown drive against Georgia Tech last season.
Wide receiver T.J. Moore recorded career highs in receptions (four) and receiving yards (46).
Wide receiver Misun Kelley recorded his first career reception on an 11-yard pass from Klubnik in the third quarter. He finished with three receptions for 17 yards.
Clemson allowed only one sack and has now surrendered one sack or fewer in five straight games for the first time since an eight-game streak in 2019.
Safety Kylon Griffin recorded the game’s first takeaway, picking off Hank Bachmeier in the second quarter to set up a two-play Clemson scoring drive.
The interception was Griffin’s first of the season and the third of his career.
On Wake Forest’s next possession, safety Khalil Barnes, a former Wake Forest commit, recorded his first interception of the season, picking off a deflected third-down pass.
The interception was Barnes’ fourth of his career.
Defensive tackle Peter Woods secured a three-and-out on Wake Forest’s first drive with a tackle for loss on third down, his first tackle for loss since posting 2.5 in the season opener against Georgia. He already has a career high in tackles for loss this season (3.5).
Defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart reached double-digits in tackles for loss for his career in the second quarter, notching the 10th tackle for loss of his career.
Linebacker Barrett Carter recorded his third sack of the season in the third quarter.
Carter has now posted a sack in three straight games for the first time in his career. It marks the first time a Clemson linebacker has posted a sack in three straight games since Jeremiah Trotter Jr. accomplished the feat against Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and North Carolina last season.
Linebacker Wade Woodaz notched his first sack of the season in the third quarter.
Safety Ricardo Jones recorded his first career sack in the fourth quarter.
Wake Forest scored a touchdown with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter, marking the first points surrendered by Clemson in a first quarter this season. Clemson played 88:28 of game time in first quarters this season before allowing a first-quarter point.
The game marked the 72nd consecutive year Clemson has played Wake Forest in football, as the last year the two schools did not play was 1952. With the pandemic interrupting Clemson’s series against South Carolina in 2020, Clemson’s 72 straight years facing Wake Forest is its longest active string of consecutive seasons against one opponent. That streak is scheduled to end in 2025 by virtue of the ACC’s new scheduling rotations.
Captains for the contest were defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart, quarterback Cade Klubnik, defensive tackle Payton Page and wide receiver Adam Randall.