The Notes: No. 4 Clemson 41, Georgia Tech 10

Clemson recorded an interception on the season’s first play from scrimmage. Safety Andrew Mukuba registered his first career interception on the play. The takeaway was Clemson’s first opening-drive takeaway since Nolan Turner recorded an interception on Virginia’s opening drive in the 2019 ACC Championship Game.

Clemson blocked two punts in a game for the first time since 2007 against South Carolina. Nelson Faerber and La'Donte Harris recorded the blocks in that 2007 contest.

Safety Carson Donnelly blocked a punt in the second quarter, Clemson’s first fully blocked punt since Jadar Johnson blocked a punt for a safety against Georgia Tech in 2015. (Note: Tanner Muse tipped a 25-yard punt in the National Championship Game to end the 2016 season against Alabama.)

Clemson added its second punt block in the fourth quarter. True freshman Wade Woodaz was credited with the block in his collegiate debut.

Clemson held Georgia Tech to 75 rushing yards and has now held five straight opponents below 100 rushing yards, dating to last season, for the first time since the final five games of 2010.

Clemson held Georgia Tech to 2-of-16 on third downs, its fewest third-down conversions allowed since holding UConn to zero third-down conversions last season.

Running back Will Shipley opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal in the second quarter. 

Shipley has now rushed for a touchdown in a career-long four consecutive games, dating to last season. The four-game streak represents Clemson’s longest since Travis Etienne rushed for a touchdown in seven straight games in 2020. 

Shipley added his second touchdown run of the game on a three-yard fourth-quarter run, his fifth career multi-touchdown game.

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei improved to 12-4 as a starter and completed 19-of-32 for 210 yards, a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown and no interceptions.

Wide receiver Beaux Collins had a team-high 54 receiving yards on three receptions.

Collins scored his fourth career receiving touchdown on a six-yard pass from Uiagalalei in the second quarter.

Uiagalelei scored his ninth career rushing touchdown on a nine-yard run in the third quarter. It was his first since his fourth-quarter rushing touchdown in a comeback win at Louisville last season.

Linebacker Barrett Carter recorded his first career forced fumble in the first quarter.

Defensive end K.J. Henry recorded a third-quarter sack in which he forced his second career forced fumble. He has now forced a fumble in each of Clemson’s last two regular season games, including a forced fumble at South Carolina to close the 2021 regular season.

Henry has now recorded at least a half-sack in five straight games, dating to last season, for the first time in his career. 

Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. split a fourth-quarter sack.

Kicker B.T. Potter recorded his first field goal of the season on a 29-yard kick in the third quarter. The field goal was the culmination of a 12-play, 63-yard drive, Clemson’s longest drive of the evening in terms of plays.

Potter later added another field goal in the fourth quarter to extend Clemson’s lead to 17. 

With the two field goals, Potter passed Greg Huegel (54 from 2015-18) and tied Aaron Hunt (55 from 2000-03) for fifth on Clemson's leaderboard for career field goals made.

Dating to last season, Potter has now kicked multiple field goals in six consecutive games for the first time in his career. Potter went 3-of-3 against Louisville, UConn and South Carolina, 2-for-2 against Wake Forest and 2-for-3 against Iowa State down the stretch last season prior to his performance against Georgia Tech on Monday.

On a PAT following Uiagalelei’s touchdown run, Potter scored his 350th career point to join Travis Etienne (468 from 2017-20), Chandler Catanzaro (404 from 2010-13) and Greg Huegel (379 from 2015-18) as the only players in school history to reach 350 career points.

Potter (351) became the 15th player in ACC history to record 350 career kicking points.

True freshman wide receiver Antonio Williams recorded four receptions for 37 yards in his collegiate debut. Williams’ four catches in a season opener were the most by a Clemson true freshman in a season opener since Ray-Ray McCloud in 2015 (eight vs. Wofford).

Quarterback Cade Klubnik made his collegiate debut and engineered a 10–play, 66-yard touchdown drive that culminated with his first career touchdown pass, a three-yard completion to wide receiver Will Taylor.

The receiving touchdown was Taylor’s first of his career. Taylor, a dual-sport athlete at Clemson, became the first Clemson Baseball player to score a touchdown for Clemson since Kyle Parker’s three-yard touchdown run against Wake Forest in 2009.

Klubnik completed 4-of-6 passes for 49 yards with the touchdown.

After missing the entire 2021 season, wide receiver Brannon Spector saw his first game action since the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2021, a span of 612 days. Spector finished with two catches for 11 yards.

Offensive tackle Blake Miller started at right tackle and became only the third true freshman to start a season opener at offensive tackle for Clemson since 1944, joining Mitch Hyatt (2015) and Phil Prince (1944).

Punter Aidan Swanson made his first career start and recorded a career-long 51-yarder on his first punt. He finished the game with a 44.0-yard average on six punts with three downed inside the 20-yard line.

Clemson faced Georgia Tech away from one of the teams' campuses for the first time since the 2009 ACC Championship Game in Tampa, Fla. It was the first regular season game away from one of the teams' campuses since 1899, when Clemson defeated Georgia Tech, 41-5, in Greenville, S.C. on Thanksgiving Day.

Clemson played its 19th game in an NFL stadium since 2015. The win gave Clemson victories in 16 of its last 22 games in NFL stadiums and improved the Tigers to 19-10 all-time in NFL stadiums under Head Coach Dabo Swinney. Swinney moved to 3-0 in Atlanta, including a 2-0 record in games played at the old Georgia Dome.

Clemson played its 26th Monday game all-time but only its 10th regular season Monday game in school history. It was Clemson’s first Monday night game since a 24-18 Labor Day win vs. Florida State in the 2007 season opener.

Clemson opened the season on the road for the third time since 2016, including No. 2 Clemson’s 19-13 win at Auburn in 2016 and No. 1 Clemson’s 37-13 win at Wake Forest in 2020.

Clemson opened conference play on the road for the ninth time in the last 11 years. Clemson has now won each of its last eight conference openers since 2015, the longest conference-opener winning streak in school history. This season marked the fifth time in the last seven years that Georgia Tech will be Clemson’s first ACC opponent of the season (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022). 

Clemson opened a season against an ACC opponent for only the 15th time since the conference’s founding in 1953. Clemson is now 12-2-1 against ACC opponents in Week 1 contests all-time.

Captains for the contest were tight end Davis Allen, defensive end Justin Mascoll, wide receiver Joseph Ngata and safety Jalyn Phillips.