After receiving the lion’s share of the criticism for an underwhelming season by Clemson’s high standards, DJ Uiagalelei needed to get off to a good start in the season opener. With one unbelievable play, the signal-caller proved why the Tigers still have unflappable confidence in him.
Uiagalelei threw for one score and scampered for an additional one, battling through a slow start in the season opener, as No. 4 Clemson pulled away for a 41-10 blowout over Georgia Tech on Monday night.
Possibly the turning point of the contest came in the third quarter, when Uiagalelei was trapped by two Georgia Tech defenders and seemed to be headed for a sack on third down-and-4.
But he eluded the pressure and stayed on his feet just long enough to toss a lateral to running back Will Shipley, who ran 10 yards to keep the Clemson offense on the field.
“I was trying to get out of the pocket, trying to buy some time to get the ball away,” Uiagalelei said. “As I was going to the ground I looked to my left and saw Shipley there. I just pitched it to him. He made a great run.”
For head coach Dabo Swinney, that is the sort of play the Tigers need to display to reclaim their position atop the Atlantic Coast Conference, as well as returning to the College Football Playoff.
“That was a play we didn’t make last year,” Swinney said. “That’s just his strength, his grit, where he’s at physically. Just find a way, man. He’s got some creativity to him.”
Ignited by that play in particular, the Tigers drove 74 yards for a touchdown that finally broke the Yellow Jackets. Uiagalelei ran it from 9 yards away to extend Clemson’s advantage to 24-10.
Uiagalelei completed 19 of 32 passes for 209 yards, including a 6-yard scoring play to wide receiver Beaux Collins that vaulted Clemson into the lead by 11 points, 14-3 in the first half.
Georgia Tech, looking to make a huge leap on three consecutive three-win seasons that have left head coach Geoff Collins’ job in jeopardy, kept it a ballgame longer than anyone expected.
But Georgia Tech could not bounce back from their special teams’ difficulties, two blocked punts, both of which earned Shipley two short touchdowns. It was the first time in 15 years that Clemson has blocked two punts in a game.
“We’ve got to get that fixed. Those things cannot happen,” Collins said. “Very disappointing.”
Georgia Tech got within four points, 14-10, with an impressive series in the third quarter, ending with quarterback Jeff Sims throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to 6-foot-7 transfer from the South Carolina Gamecocks, pass catcher E.J. Jenkins.
Both programs could not find their rhythm out of the gate offensively until the Tigers got their first blocked punt.
Safety Carson Donnelly made his way through the line unscathed and smothered the ball. Wide receiver Brannon Specter picked up the rock at the Georgia Tech 18-yard line and took it down to the 5 before he was knocked out of bounds, setting up Shipley’s 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal.
Sims threw a pick on Georgia Tech’s opening play of the season, an unorthodox deep pass while under siege that was intercepted by Andrew Mukuba. The Yellow Jackets’ junior signal caller is thought to be a critical piece to the program’s resurgence, and he showed glimpses of being a dual threat, both throwing and running.
It was not nearly enough to pull off the upset. Sims concluded with 164 yards passing and led the team in rushing with 41 yards.
The second Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game of the Labor Day weekend was played before an audience of 47, 712 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where the upper deck was closed off to stop it from appearing like a Clemson home game. Still, it seemed like 50% of the crowd appeared to be donning orange.
Highly touted freshman Cade Klubnik got a rousing cheer from the remaining Clemson crowd when he entered the game at quarterback with the victory already decided. Klubnik drove the Tigers to their final touchdown on his only series, completing 4 of 6 passes for 49 yards, including a 3-yard score to Will Taylor.
“That’s the most important position in football,” Swinney said. “You’ve got to have guys who can go in.”
Coming off a 10-3 season, the Tigers still appears to be a work in progress. For the first time in Swinney’s 14 full seasons as coach, Clemson is breaking in two new coordinators, Wes Goodwin as defensive coordinator, who replaced Brent Venables and Brandon Streeter is the team’s new offensive coordinator, so it might take a while to get everyone on the same page.
Clemson faces Furman, a member of the FCS Southern Conference, in its home opener Saturday. Georgia Tech plays its campus opener Saturday when another Southern Conference team, Western Carolina visits Bobby Dodd Stadium.
