The Clemson Tigers got a decisive win over the UConn Huskies, 44-7, on Saturday afternoon. An easy win has been hard to come by this season for the Tigers (7-3) but the win over one of the worst teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision still left a lot of questions unanswered.
Clemson’s offense continued to sputter as signal caller D.J. Uiagulelei completed 21 of 44 pass attempts for 241 yards through the air, a touchdown and a pick. He continued to have difficulties connecting with his pass catchers. He played into the third quarter, despite dealing with a sprained knee ligament that hampered him during last week’s win against the Louisville Cardinals.
Clemson scored two touchdowns on their first eight possessions of the game. One was on a fake field goal attempt and the other was thanks to backup quarterback Taisun Phommachanh, who was under center for four plays before leaving the game with an apparent shoulder injury.
Uiagalelei is normally a duel threat quarterback who runs the ball nine times a game on average, but Saturday was different. He rushed just once on a 1-yard quarterback sneak on 4th-and-1 in the third quarter.
Clemson’s defense took control of the game early and often. They forced two giveaways and had six sacks for 44 yards against the Huskies (1-9). UConn came into the game ranked 126th out of 130 FBS programs on offense. The Huskies had just 99 yards of total offense, and the sacks left them with -17 yards on the ground.
The win for the Tigers may have come at a cost, who at times during the season have played without 18 scholarship players.
Along with Phommachanh, at least three other Clemson players left the game early due to injuries. One of them was No. 1 receiver Justyn Ross, who returned to the sideline in a walking boot and crutches after limping off the field after a 25 yard reception in the first quarter. He had 3 receptions for 40 yards. The other two players were linebacker Sergio Allen and defensive end Xavier Thomas.
The Huskies only touchdown of the day came on a 99-yard kickoff return by running back Brain Brewton. The freshman also had a 76-yard kickoff return late in the final quarter, but the Huskies could not manage to get the ball into the end zone that started on the Clemson 12 yard line. Quarterback Jack Zergiotis struggled throughout the game, passing for only 90 yards, had no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Aaron Turner had 5 catches for 59 yards.
The next UConn head coach, Jim Mora Jr., was present to watch the game from the sideline. The former UCLA, Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks coach was hired Thursday. He is working as an assistant so he can start the recruiting process early.
The Huskies are at the University of Central Florida next Saturday. The Tigers host Wake Forest in a crucial game to determine the winner of the Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division.
