Inside the Numbers: No. 17 Clemson 51, The Citadel 14
5 - Clemson scored a touchdown on each of its first five possessions of the game for the second time this season (first eight drives vs. Appalachian State). Clemson added a field goal on its sixth possession before finally being held off the scoreboard on its seventh drive.
40 - Clemson produced a sixth 40-point game in a season for the eighth time in school history (10 in 2019, nine in 2018, eight in 2020, eight in 2013, eight in 2012, seven in 2015 and seven in 2016).
50 - Clemson reached the 50-point mark for the third time this season, its most in a season since scoring 50 points seven times in 2019.
50 - On his third touchdown pass, Klubnik (50) joined Tajh Boyd (107), Trevor Lawrence (90) and Deshaun Watson (90) as the only players in school history to throw 50 career touchdown passes.
59 - Clemson has now rushed for a touchdown in 59 consecutive home games, the nation’s longest active streak. The last team to hold Clemson without a rushing touchdown in Death Valley was Troy in 2016.
86 - Clemson has now scored at least one rushing touchdown in a national-best 86 of its 93 games since the start of the 2018 season. Clemson has also now rushed for multiple touchdowns in a national-best 71 games in that span.
118 - Running back Jay Haynes rushed for a career-high 118 yards on five carries with two touchdowns. Haynes’ performance marked the fourth time in school history that a Clemson player rushed for 100 yards in a game on five or fewer carries. He joined Lyn-J Dixon (four carries for 116 yards vs. Louisville in 2018), Ken Moore (five carries for 152 yards vs. The Citadel in 1954) and Jim Reynolds (five carries for 105 yards vs. Presbyterian in 1945).
200 - Clemson reached both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game for the sixth time this season. Clemson entered the week tied for the national lead in this category in 2024. Clemson has now recorded its first season with at least six games with both 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards since 2019. It is Clemson's fifth such season in school history (10 in 2019, eight in 2015, seven in 2018, six in 2016). With its sixth 200-yard rushing game of the season, Clemson has now rushed for six or more 200-yard games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since a five-season stretch from 2015-19.
302 - Clemson’s 302 rushing yards were a season high and were Clemson’s most since rushing for 333 yards against Wake Forest in 2021. The game was Clemson’s 21st 300-yard rushing effort under Dabo Swinney. Clemson averaged a season-high 10.79 yards per carry, the fifth-highest yards-per-carry average in school history.
500 - Clemson recorded its sixth 500-yard game this season. It marks the first time Clemson has recorded six or more 500-yard games in a single season since 2019 (10).
562 - Clemson recorded 562 total yards, including 260 passing yards and 302 rushing yards. Clemson averaged 9.53 yards per play, its second yards-per-play average of 9.5 yards or better this season (9.75 vs. Appalachian State).
2,000 - Clemson (2,148) has now reached 2,000 rushing yards for the ninth time in the last 10 seasons.
3,000 - Clemson (3,021) has now produced the 16th 3,000-yard passing season in school history.
5,000 - Clemson (5,169) has now produced the 20th 5,000-yard season in school history and the 14th such season in Dabo Swinney's 16 full seasons as head coach.
Other Notes and Numbers
Haynes’ two rushing touchdowns were a career high, and his two total touchdowns tied his career high set against Charleston Southern in 2023 (one rushing, one receiving).
Haynes scored his second rushing touchdown of the season — the third of his career — on a career-long 70-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Haynes’ 70-yard touchdown run was Clemson’s second-longest rush of the season, trailing only Phil Mafah’s 83-yard touchdown run against NC State.
Haynes’ 70-yard touchdown run was Clemson’s fourth touchdown run of 50 or more yards this season. The 2024 season marks Clemson’s first with four or more touchdown runs of at least 50 yards since 2019 (four).
Haynes scored his second touchdown of the game on a nine-yard run in the second quarter.
Haynes also recorded a 25-yard kickoff return to finish the game with a career-high 143 all-purpose yards.
Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 12-of-16 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns before exiting early in the third quarter. He also added four carries for 34 yards.
Klubnik (18-7) tied Harvey White (18-7 from 1957-59) for the 13th-most wins as a starting quarterback for Clemson since World War II.
On his third passing touchdown of the game, Klubnik (50) passed Charlie Whitehurst (49 from 2002-05) for fourth on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career passing touchdowns.
During the contest, Klubnik (29) passed Cullen Harper (27 in 2007) for the eighth-most passing touchdowns in a single season in Clemson history.
Klubnik (34) surpassed Trevor Lawrence's 2020 Heisman Trophy finalist campaign (32) for seventh in touchdown responsibility (all touchdowns scored or thrown) in a season in school history.
Klubnik (61) also passed Charlie Whitehurst (59 from 2002-05) for sixth in school history in career touchdown responsibility.
During the game, Klubnik (6,998) passed Nealon Greene (6,786 from 1994-97) for sixth on Clemson's career leaderboard for yards of total offense (combined rushing and passing yards).
Klubnik (3,146) has now broken his single-season career high of 3,026 yards of total offense set in 2023.
Wide receiver Antonio Williams caught five passes for 72 yards and tied his career high with two receiving touchdowns.
The game was Williams’ third multi-touchdown game of the season, the fourth multi-touchdown game of his career and his second in his last two games.
Williams became the first Clemson player to catch multiple touchdown passes in back-to-back games since Tee Higgins caught multiple touchdowns in three straight games against Wake Forest, South Carolina and Virginia in 2019.
Clemson opened the scoring on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to Williams.
Williams added his second touchdown of the game on a nine-yard pass from Klubnik in the third quarter.
With his ninth and 10th touchdown receptions of the season, Williams (10) became the first Clemson player with double-digit touchdown receptions in a season since Tee Higgins in 2019 (13).
Williams has now recorded the ninth season in school history with double-digit touchdown receptions and is tied with Derrick Hamilton (10 in 2003) for eighth-most receiving touchdowns in a season in school history.
On his fourth reception, Williams (58) broke his single-season career high in receptions set in 2022 (56).
Wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. caught three passes for 75 yards with a touchdown.
Wesco scored his third touchdown of the season on a 55-yard pass from Klubnik in the second quarter.
Including a 76-yard touchdown reception against Appalachian State earlier in the season, Wesco became the first Clemson player to catch multiple touchdowns of 50 yards or more in a single season since Cornell Powell and Amari Rodgers in 2020 (two each).
With three carries for 14 yards, running back Phil Mafah (1,012) posted the 24th 1,000-yard rushing season in Clemson history. He became the 18th player in Clemson annals to record at least one 1,000-yard rushing season, joining Travis Etienne, Wayne Gallman, Raymond Priester, James Davis, Andre Ellington, Woodrow Dantzler, Terrence Flagler, C.J. Spiller, Kenny Flowers, Terry Allen, Will Shipley, Deshaun Watson, Cliff Austin, Buddy Gore, Travis Zachery, Roderick McDowell and Lester Brown.
Mafah (1,012) has now recorded the 11th 1,000-yard individual rushing season by a Clemson player in Dabo Swinney's tenure.
Mafah (2,784) passed Terry Allen (2,778 from 1987-89) for ninth on Clemson's all-time leaderboard for career rushing yards.
Linebacker Barrett Carter scored his first career offensive touchdown on a four-yard run on his first career carry in the fourth quarter.
The touchdown was the second of Carter’s career, joining a three-yard fumble return touchdown against Florida State in 2021.
Carter became the first Clemson defensive player to rush for a touchdown since defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney’s one-yard run at Georgia Tech in 2020.
Quarterback Christopher Vizzina completed 6-of-14 passes for 62 yards.
Vizzina recorded a career-long 35 yard run in the third quarter.
Defensive tackle Payton Page recorded his first career interception in the first quarter and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown.
Page’s pick-six was Clemson’s second defensive touchdown of the season.
Clemson extended its streak of scoring multiple defensive touchdowns to 15 straight seasons. Clemson's 15-year streak is the nation's longest active streak. The last time Clemson had fewer than two defensive touchdowns in a season was 2009, Dabo Swinney’s first full season as head coach, when the Tigers supplemented a single defensive touchdown with six special teams touchdowns.
Page’s touchdown was the first of any kind by a Clemson defensive lineman since defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney’s one-yard run at Georgia Tech on offense in 2020.
Page’s pick-six was the first defensive touchdown by a Clemson defensive lineman since defensive end Logan Rudolph returned a fumble 39 yards for a touchdown against Boston College in 2019.
Page became the first Clemson defensive tackle to return an interception for a touchdown since Carlos Watkins’ 15-yard pick-six against Appalachian State in 2015. Page’s pick-six was the longest by a Clemson defensive tackle since Jock McKissic’s 82-yard interception return for touchdown against South Carolina in 2006.
Cornerback Avieon Terrell recorded a remarkable takeaway in the second quarter, chasing down The Citadel’s Johnny Crawford 50 yards downfield and stripping the ball from behind for both a forced fumble and fumble recovery in one motion.
The takeaway was Terrell’s fourth of the season, including two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. It was also Terrell’s second forced fumble of the season and of his career.
Defensive lineman Peter Woods recorded his third sack of the season in the first quarter.
Woods has now recorded a sack in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.
Linebacker Jamal Anderson recorded his first career sack in the fourth quarter.
Clemson did not punt in the contest. It was Clemson’s first time punting zero times in a game since 2014 vs. South Carolina State.
Clemson won the turnover margin, 2-1. Clemson has now finished even or better in the turnover margin in 10 straight games for the first time since an 11-game streak across the 2021-22 seasons. Dating to last season, Clemson has lost the turnover margin only once in its last 16 games.
With only one giveaway in the game, Clemson has now played 13 consecutive games (dating to last season) with one giveaway or fewer for the first time on record back to at least 1981. Dating to last season, Clemson has nine giveaways over its last 13 games and has not had a multi-giveaway game in that span.
Clemson won the turnover margin for the 106th time under Dabo Swinney, and Clemson is now 100-6 under Swinney when the Tigers win the turnover margin.
Former Clemson tight end and current student coaching assistant Jason LeMay was selected to run the American flag down the Hill prior to the game. A native of Black Mountain, N.C., Hospital Corpsman Petty Officer 2nd Class LeMay served nearly 10 years in the United States Navy as one of only roughly 300 Diving Medical Technicians and as a military free fall jumper. He served on the USS Harry S Truman, with Naval Special Warfare Group 2 at Little Creek, and as part of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group including a deployment in Afghanistan.
All of Clemson’s seniors were declared as captains for the game. Team representatives at the coin toss were wide receiver Hampton Earle, offensive lineman Trent Howard, defensive tackle Payton Page and punter Aidan Swanson.