Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei had another good game to lead No. 5 Clemson’s offense. The Tigers’ defense finally showed up to the party and looked like the unit it was thought to be, coming into the season.
The outcome was the most complete game thus far for Clemson, a 30-20 win over 10th-ranked North Carolina State on Saturday night.
“That was a great thing to see on both sides of the ball,” fifth-year defensive end K.J. Henry said.
Uiagalelei used his legs for two scores and threw for a third, as Clemson defeated the Wolfpack (4-1, 0-1) for the ninth time in 10 seasons.
The Tigers (5-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) was victorious for their ACC-record tying 37th straight at home, their 11th in a row overall, and a clear road back to the league championship game which they have dominated yearly from 2015 through 2020.
Clemson followed up their 51-45 thrilling overtime win at No. 22 Wake Forest last Saturday, by putting the clamp on North Carolina State in the second half, to earn division tiebreakers over the two programs that many experts believed would be the most likely to keep the Tigers from title contention for a second consecutive year, but Clemson had other ideas, looking like the best team in the conference.
“I thought we did a great job tonight,” Uiagalelei said. “I thought we did a great job in execution, a great job taking what the defense gave us.”
Uiagalelei stole the show in the game’s most crucial point. After NC State quarterback Devin Leary hooked up with Cedd Seabrough on the game’s opening touchdown for a 10-6 advantage with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter, Uiagalelei responded right back with a 75-yard drive he ended by stretching the ball over the goal line to send Clemson into the locker room with a 3-point lead, 13-10.
When Clemson dialed up the pressure on Leary with a pair of sacks to begin the third quarter, Uiagalelei was able to feed off his defense with a 7-yard pass to tight end Jake Briningstool for a 20-10 lead.
“I thought DJ was in total command of what we were doing,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.
Clemson’s defense took over from there, holding the high-octane Wolfpack offense to just three points over the first 29 minutes of the second half, in gaining a 17-point lead. The Tigers also intercepted Leary and recovered a forced fumble when NC State was aggressive on 4th-and-13, down 10, with less than nine minutes left in the final frame.
“Lost the turnover margin, lost the line of scrimmage, you don’t win many games like that,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said.
Clemson, who has not dropped a home game since November 2016, equaled Florida State’s ACC mark of 37 straight at home set from 1992-2001, led by legendary coach Bobby Bowden. The Tigers’ 11 in a row since 2021 is the longest current streak in the FBS.
“We’re definitely not there yet,” Henry said. “But I can say the mindset for four quarters definitely showed up tonight.”
Clemson also holds tiebreakers in the division over the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack.
Uiagalelei completed 21 of 30 passes for 209 yards through the air and ran for a team-high 73 additional yards. He put the game out of reach with a 9-yard touchdown run with approximately three minutes left in the contest for a convincing 30-13 lead.
Leary had an off day by his standards, only completing 28 of 47 pass attempts for 245 yards and a pick. He also ran for a 4-yard touchdown in garbage time, as NC State finished the game with their lowest point total of the year.
The Wolfpack has an abundance of talent on their team, but lost their way about halfway through the game, when they gave up two touchdowns to the Tigers. Now NC State has left their fate in Clemson’s hands, needing them to lose twice in their final five ACC games.
The Tigers have had to prove that their offense was for real all season long and while they did not pile up the points and yards like in their previous four games, they made enough plays on the offensive end to have confidence once again as the favorite to represent the ACC.
Starting defensive tackle Bryan Bresee sat out his second game of the last three after dealing with a non-football medical condition that the Tigers said involved blood test and observation.
North Carolina plays No. 23 Florida State at home next Saturday.
Clemson goes to Boston College next Saturday night.
