The Notes: No. 4 Clemson 35, Furman 12

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei completed 21-of-27 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns for a pass efficiency rating of 166.7. He also rushed five times for 36 yards.

Uiagalelei’s 166.7 passer rating was a career high, surpassing his 164.7 rating at Notre Dame in 2020.

Other than a 1-for-1 passing performance against Virginia in 2020, Uiagalelei’s 77.8 percent completion percentage on Saturday was the highest of his career.

Uiagalelei threw multiple touchdown passes in a game for the fifth time in his career.

Clemson scored a touchdown on each of the first five drives led by Uiagalelei. Those five drives covered 346 combined yards in 41 total plays.

Running back Will Shipley rushed 10 times for 68 yards with two touchdowns.

Shipley has now rushed for multiple touchdowns in consecutive games for the second time in his career (2021 vs. SC State and Georgia Tech).

Shipley now has six career games with multiple rushing touchdowns, tied with Wayne Gallman for the third-most by a Clemson player in the last 10 seasons. He has scored multiple touchdowns in half of his 12 career games.

Shipley has rushed for a touchdown in five consecutive games, dating to last season. His active streak represents Clemson’s longest since Travis Etienne rushed for a touchdown in seven straight games in 2020.

Shipley added a 17-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.

Tight end Jake Briningstool recorded his first touchdown of the season on a two-yard pass from Uiagalelei on Clemson’s second possession.

The touchdown was Briningstool’s second of his career and his first since Nov. 13, 2021 vs. UConn. 

Clemson scored touchdowns on its opening three possessions of a game for the first time since Clemson’s second game of the 2021 season against SC State.

Running back Kobe Pace recorded his first rushing touchdown of the season — the seventh of his career — to complete a nine-play, 75-yard drive in 1:27 of game play in a two-minute situation to end the first half.

Wide receiver Beaux Collins led Clemson with 57 yards on four receptions and a touchdown.

Collins recorded his second touchdown of the season — the fifth of his career — on a nine-yard pass from Uiagalelei in the third quarter.

Collins has now caught a touchdown in consecutive games for the first time since a three-game streak against Louisville, UConn and Wake Forest last season.

Clemson recorded the game’s first takeaway in the second quarter when cornerback Malcolm Greene forced a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Fred Davis II.

The forced fumble and fumble recovery were the first in the careers of Greene and Davis, respectively.

Linebacker Barrett Carter recorded his first career interception in the third quarter.

With Carter’s pick, Clemson intercepted a pass in a sixth consecutive game for the first time since a six-game streak late in the 2019 season.

Defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro recorded his first sack of the season on Clemson’s first defensive possession. It was Orhorhoro’s first sack since Nov. 13, 2021 vs. UConn.

Linebacker LaVonta Bentley added his first sack of the season in the fourth quarter, pushing his career total to 5.5.

With two sacks in the contest, Clemson became the first program to post multiple sacks in 50 games since 2018. 

Clemson accumulated 306 of its 376 yards in the first half. Clemson has reached 300 yards in 10 consecutive games, dating to last season.

Clemson recorded 22 first downs to Furman’s 19. During Clemson’s active eight-game winning streak, Clemson has a cumulative +58 edge in first downs.

Both teams had two turnovers. Clemson finished even or positive in the turnover margin for a sixth straight game, dating to last season, Clemson's first time doing so since a six-game streak early in the 2020 season.

Clemson played its 122nd home opener in school history in its 127th season, as there were five seasons in which Clemson did not play a game at home. 

Clemson played on a five-day turnaround, its quickest turnaround between games since 2016 when Clemson played a Thursday game against Georgia Tech following a Saturday game against South Carolina State. 

The game was a rematch of the first game in Clemson history. Guided by Head Coach Walter Riggs, Clemson earned a 14-6 road victory against the Furman Purple Hurricane in the Tigers’ gridiron debut on Oct. 31, 1896.

Captains for the contest were defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, placekicker B.T. Potter and wide receiver Drew Swinney. Clemson also named Ella Bresee, sister of Bryan Bresee, as an honorary captain as part of the program’s “Ella Strong” game as she continues to battle brain cancer.