Run Game Sparks No. 4/4 Clemson Win Over Wake Forest
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Travis Etienne, Lyn-J Dixon and Adam Choice all eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark as the No. 4/4 Clemson Tigers amassed 698 total offensive yards en route to a 63-3 defeat of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field on Saturday afternoon. With the win, Clemson remained undefeated on the year at 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the ACC, while Wake Forest fell to 3-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
Between Etienne, Dixon, Choice and three other rushers, Clemson ran for 471 yards, the team’s most in a single game under head coach Dabo Swinney. Through the air, a balanced effort quarterbacked by Trevor Lawrence powered the Tigers. Lawrence completed 18 of his 21 pass attempts in the first half alone, connecting with nine different receivers to amass 173 yards and two touchdowns in the first 30 minutes. Chase Brice also added a scoring pass in the fourth quarter and ended his action with four completions on four attempts for 50 yards. On the defensive side of the ball, the Tigers held Wake Forest to 77 yards to Clemson’s 312 in the first half, with just three of those offensive yards coming on rushes for the Demon Deacons. For the whole game, Tre Lamar led the way with six solo tackles and two of Clemson’s three sacks.
The Tigers held a 7-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter courtesy of a 59-yard scoring run by Etienne, and it was Etienne again who found the end zone less than two minutes into the second quarter on a three-yard rush. Just over three minutes later, Justyn Ross hauled in a 55-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence. A Tee Higgins 20-yard touchdown reception with 30 seconds left in the second quarter rounded out the first half scoring, which saw Clemson take a 28-0 lead into the break.
The Tigers broke free for three 50-plus-yard scoring plays in the third quarter, with the first coming with just over a minute gone in the quarter in the form of an Etienne 70-yard rush. Choice and Dixon also accomplished the feat on the ground, with the former finding the end zone on a 64-yard run with 4:41 remaining in the quarter, and the latter besting him by one yard with a 65-yard score two minutes and 20 seconds later. Wake Forest posted its first and only points of the day between Etienne’s and Choice’s touchdowns, bringing the score to 49-3 heading into the final quarter.
Five minutes into the fourth quarter, Brice connected with Diondre Overton on a two-yard scoring pass, and Dixon rushed for a 52-yard touchdown with less than a minute left in the game, marking Clemson’s sixth scoring play of 50 yards or more on the day and bringing the final score to 63-3.
Clemson has its bye next weekend before hosting NC State for homecoming at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 20. A kickoff time for the matchup with the Wolfpack has not yet been announced.