Tigers spear Seminoles late as Shipley, defense lead the way

Will Shipley screams after his late score.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Oct 30 19:19:18 GMT-04:00 2021

CLEMSON – And a freshman shall lead them.

Freshman running back Will Shipley said earlier this week that he wants to be leader of the offense, and he put his words into action by scoring a tough, 21-yard go-ahead touchdown with 2:53 to play that lifted Clemson to a 30-20 over Florida St. Saturday afternoon in Death Valley.

Clemson’s defense also played a big part, holding FSU to just two touchdowns and just 244 total yards. Clemson improves to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the ACC while Florida St. falls to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in league play.

Shipley carried the ball 25 times for a career-high 128 yards and two scores. Phil Mafah added 69 yards on nine carries. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei was 19-of-30 for 189 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Clemson becomes the first school to defeat Florida St. six consecutive times in ACC play. Clemson also won its 32nd consecutive home game to extend its school record for both the longest home winning streak and longest home unbeaten streak in school history (as well as extend the nation’s longest active home winning streak).

"It was the way intended to be: the offense had to go win the game, with how bad we've been this year," head coach Dabo Swinney said. "Most of our drives were scoring opportunities, even if we didn't finish. Our running backs were two freshmen. You think they're going to get better or worse? We ran the ball tremendously.

"B.T. Potter had his worst night in a long time. After the game, I told him to shake it off. He's been money for us all year and had our back. Tonight, the offense and defense needed to have his back."

Swinney said the defense responded after issues in the first half.

"Defensively, we didn't line up well, we were soft in the run game in the first half. I was really disappointed. Four offsides penalties. But man, in the second half, they did a good job," he said. "We played a lot of nickel/dime/robber coverage. Nobody has been able to get to him all year. This QB is the most difficult guy to get down. We did an awesome job."

The teams traded punts to start the game, but the Tigers found a little traction on their second drive. Justyn Ross caught passes of 10 and 18 yards and Joseph Ngata added a 10-yarder as the Tigers moved into Seminole territory. The drive stalled, however, and Clemson settled for a 46-yard field goal from BT Potter and led 3-0.

Clemson's miscues aided Florida St. on the ensuing possession and the Seminoles found some answers in the running game. Two more offsides penalties (there were two on the first drive as well) helped FSU drive down for a one-yard scoring toss from Jordan Travis to Jashaun Corbin. The extra point was blocked by Myles Murphy and with 19 seconds left in the first quarter, FSU led 6-3.

The Tigers answered with a nice nine-play drive, but Potter missed a field goal from 49 yards out, giving the ball to FSU. Clemson’s defense stiffened, forcing a 3-and-out, and the Tigers took over at their own 23. Phil Mafah started the drive with a 63-yard run – the longest play from scrimmage this season for the Tigers. Three plays later, on third down, Uiagalelei floated a pass to tight end Davis Allen in the endzone that saw Allen go up and over the defender to catch for an 11-yard score. The extra point gave Clemson a 10-6 lead midway through the second quarter.

It took the Seminoles exactly one play to answer. On first down at their own 25, FSU running back Lawrrence Toafili ran a wheel route out of the backfield and Travis hit him in stride. It looked like Toafili was tackled on the sidelines, but he landed on the defender and popped up and ran the rest of the way to complete a 75-yard touchdown. With 8:14 to play in the second quarter, FSU led 13-10.

It didn’t take the Tigers long to answer. Shipley had rushes of seven and 14 yards, and Uiagalelei floated a 19-yard pass on the sideline to Ross to move Clemson into FSU territory. An 11-yard completion to Jake Briningstool and a 22-yard Shipley run was followed by a two-yard Shipley rush, and then a two-yard Shipley carry into the endzone for the score. The drive covered 83 yards in 10 plays and with just under four minutes to play in the half the Tigers led 17-13.

Clemson held Florida St. on the first drive of the second half, and a promising Clemson drive ended with another missed field goal by Potter, this one from 37 yards out. The rest of the third quarter was a replay of many games this season – missed blocks, turnovers, and good defense by Brent Venables and company. The Tigers turned it over twice, the second one early in the fourth quarter, but the Clemson defense forced a fumble and recovered it on the next play, giving the Tigers the ball at FSU 46.

The Tigers drove the ball inside the FSU 15, but had to settle for another field goal attempt. However, Potter’s 30-yard attempt was missed – his third of the day – and the Tigers held on to the 17-13 lead.

Following yet another FSU punt the Tigers were pinned deep, and mistakes once again cost in a big way. A false start penalty pushed the offense backward. On third down, Uiagalelei was stripped of the football as he dropped back to pass and Jermaine Johnson scooped up the loose ball and ran it in from six yards out for the go-ahead touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, FSU led 20-17.

The teams traded punts, and Clemson took over at its own 42 with 3:48 to play. A pass interference penalty on FSU was followed by a two-yard Uiagalelei run, and then Uiagalelei was flushed from the pocket and picked up six yards but was hit out of bounds, and the 15-yard penalty placed the ball ay the FSU 21. Then it was all Shipley.

Shipley burst through the middle of the line on the ensuing play, sidestepped two tacklers and then carried a defender the final three yards for a 21-yard score. With 2:53 to play the Tigers led 24-20.

The Seminoles couldn’t mount any threat, and after Travis was sacked for a second time on the drive (and sixth time on the day, FSU faced a 4th-and-32 at its own 17. The Tigers ran three plays and FSU used its last two timeouts – and the ‘Noles had a final shot after the punt, taking over at their own eight with just 23 seconds remaining.

The Seminoles tried one last trick play, but a backward pass was scooped up by Barrett Carter and he rumbled in from three yards out for the last score.

Clemson travels to Louisville next weekend, the first time the teams have matched up since 2019.

Clemson-FSU box