The Notes: No. 4 Clemson 48, La. Tech 20
Clemson gained 521 total yards, a season high. It was Clemson’s 79th 400-yard game since 2015, tied for second-most in the nation, and its 49th 500-yard game in that span.
Clemson recorded 280 rushing yards and 241 passing yards, its 57th game exceeding 200 yards in both categories under Dabo Swinney. Clemson is now 57-0 when both passing and rushing for 200+ yards under Swinney.
Clemson’s 280 rushing yards were a season high, its highest single-game rushing total since a 332-yard rushing effort against Wake Forest last season.
With four rushing touchdowns Saturday, Clemson has now rushed for at least three touchdowns for the sixth time in a seven-game span for the first time since the 2019 season finale and first six games of 2020.
Clemson reached the 40-point threshold for the first time since back-to-back 40-point games against UConn and Wake Forest last season. It was Clemson’s 49th game with 40 or more points since 2015, fourth-most in the nation.
Clemson reached the 30-point mark for the eighth time in a nine-game span, dating to last season. Clemson has averaged 36.2 points per game in its current nine-game winning streak, dating to last season.
Clemson never trailed in the contest and has not trailed in 348:03 of elapsed game time, dating back to Clemson’s game against UConn on Nov. 13, 2021. Clemson trailed 7-3 in that game until a six-yard touchdown run by Will Swinney on a fake field goal with 3:03 remaining in the first quarter.
Clemson won the turnover margin, 4-1, its first time finishing plus-three or better in the category since last year’s Boston College game. Clemson now has a 68-4 record when winning the turnover margin since 2011.
Clemson produced three interceptions among its four takeaways, its most interceptions and takeaways in a single game since picking off four passes against Pitt in November 2020.
Clemson scored 21 points off of the four takeaways. Clemson also scored an additional seven points following a turnover on downs.
Clemson finished even or positive in the turnover margin for the seventh straight game, dating to last season. It represents Clemson's first time doing so since a nine-game streak in 2019.
Clemson yielded just six rushing yards. That was the third-fewest for the Bulldogs in a game dating back to Oct. 23, 1999. It was the lowest rushing total allowed by Clemson since holding UConn to -21 rushing yards last November.
Clemson’s 280-6 margin (plus-274) in rushing yardage was Clemson’s largest since out-rushing Wake Forest by 296 yards last season.
Running back Will Shipley rushed 12 times for a career-high 139 yards with two touchdowns. His previous career high was 128 rushing yards, set against both Florida State and South Carolina in 2021.
Shipley (11.6-yard average) became the first Clemson player to average 10 yards per carry on at least 10 attempts since Travis Etienne in the 2020 ACC Championship Game against Notre Dame.
Shipley’s 100-yard rushing game was Clemson’s first individual 100-yard rushing game of the season and the fourth of his career. Clemson is now 57-2 when having a 100-yard rusher since 2011.
Shipley, who had two touchdowns against both Georgia Tech and Furman, became the first Clemson player to rush for multiple touchdowns in three straight games since Travis Etienne later in the 2019 season (vs. Boston College, Wofford and NC State).
Shipley became the first Clemson player in records back to 1950 to open a season with multiple rushing touchdowns in each of the first three games of a season.
Shipley added his fifth rushing touchdown of the season on a two-yard touchdown run on Clemson’s second drive.
Shipley became the first Clemson player to score at least five rushing touchdowns in the first three games of a season since Kelly Bryant in 2017. Shipley became the first Clemson running back to accomplish the feat since James Davis in 2006.
Shipley added a 32-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, the longest scoring run of his career.
Shipley has rushed for a touchdown in six consecutive games, dating to last season, Clemson’s longest streak since Travis Etienne rushed for a touchdown in seven straight games in 2020.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei improved to 14-4 as Clemson’s starting quarterback in his career. Uiagalelei completed 17-of-29 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Uiagalelei also rushed nine times for a season-high 62 rushing yards, one shy of his career high set in 2021 at NC State.
Running back Phil Mafah scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a four-yard run in the third quarter. It was his fourth career rushing touchdown.
Wide receiver Beaux Collins scored on a 32-yard catch-and-run from Uiagalelei on the first play following a Louisiana Tech turnover on downs.
Collins has now caught a touchdown in three consecutive games, tying his career-long streak set last year against Louisville, UConn and Wake Forest.
Collins became the first Clemson player to catch a touchdown pass in each of the first three games of a season since Sammy Watkins in 2011.
Wide receiver Antonio Williams scored his first career touchdown on a 19-yard pass from Uiagalelei in the fourth quarter.
Williams also recorded a career-long 38-yard reception in the second quarter.
Running back Kobe Pace rushed for a three-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and has now rushed for a touchdown in back-to-back games for the third time in his career (vs. Boston College and Syracuse in 2021 and vs. Wake Forest and South Carolina in 2021).
Clemson opened the scoring on a nine-play, 70-yard drive on the game’s opening possession culminating with a 22-yard B.T. Potter field goal.
With the field goal, Potter (57) passed Aaron Hunt (55 from 2000-03) for sole possession of fifth on Clemson's leaderboard for career field goals made.
Potter added a 36-yard field goal in the second quarter.
With 12 points in the game, Potter (371) passed Pitt's Chris Blewitt (363 from 2013-16) for 14th in career scoring and 13th in career kick scoring in ACC history.
Potter’s sixth PAT of the game was the 200th of his career, making him only the sixth kicker in ACC history — and third in Clemson history — to reach the mark.
Clemson recorded the game’s first takeaway on an interception by safety R.J. Mickens, his first of the season and the third of his career.
Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. recorded his first career interception on Louisiana Tech’s first possession of the second half. Trotter’s interception immediately preceded Shipley’s 32-yard touchdown run on the following play.
Cornerback Malcolm Greene recorded his first interception of the season on Louisiana Tech’s following possession. It was his second career interception and his first since Nov. 28, 2020 against Pitt.
Clemson recorded its fourth takeaway of the game on the first career fumble recovery by linebacker Kevin Swint.
Defensive end Myles Murphy recorded his first sack of the season in the second quarter. It was his first sack of the season and his first since Nov. 20, 2021 against Wake Forest.
Clemson’s defense recorded 12 pass breakups, surpassing Clemson’s 10 against Wake Forest last season for the most by the Tigers under Dabo Swinney.
Clemson has now intercepted a pass in seven consecutive games for the first time since an eight-game streak across the 2018-19 seasons.
Defensive tackle Payton Page recorded his first career field goal block on a 56-yard attempt in the second quarter. It was Clemson’s first field goal block since the 2020 season opener at Wake Forest (Bryan Bresee).
The block was Clemson’s third special teams block of the season, including two punt blocks in the season opener. This season marks Clemson’s first with three blocked kicks (placekicks and punts) since 2016 (five).
Quarterback Hunter Johnson made his season debut in the fourth quarter. After spending the 2018-21 seasons at Northwestern in between his two stints at Clemson, the game marked 1,750 days since his last appearance for Clemson in the 2017 ACC Championship Game.
Clemson has now scored on its opening possession in seven of its last eight games, dating to last season. Clemson is now 69-4 when scoring first since 2015.
Clemson faced a Conference USA opponent for only the second time in school history. Clemson defeated Charlotte, 52-10, in its first game against an active Conference USA opponent in 2019.
Clemson faced Louisiana Tech Head Coach Sonny Cumbie for the first time. Clemson improved to 41-4 since 2011 when facing an opposing head coach for the first time.
Captains for the contest were safety Carson Donnelly, cornerback Sheridan Jones, offensive tackle Jordan McFadden and tight end Luke Price.