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The Clemson Tigers won the “Textile Bowl” over the Wolfpack at Death Valley East in front of almost 80,000 fans. Clemson football prevailed, 30-20. Here are some key lessons from BYU's Week 3 loss to Oregon.
The most highly anticipated ACC game of the season so far turned out to be the setting for No. 5 Clemson to make a huge statement. The Tigers were led by star quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who was absolutely superb. The win enabled Clemson football to improve to 3-0 in the ACC. Take note that two of those victories have come against ranked opponents.
Is this a sign that Clemson is vying to be a national power once more? That is yet to be determined, but there's no doubt that two victories over division and conference title contenders will not only boost coach Deebo Swinney's squad's confidence. Additionally, it will also put the Tigers on the path to a return to the ACC Championship Game.
Now let's take a look at four things we learned about the Clemson Tigers ahead of Week 6 of 2022 season.
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— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) October 2, 2022
4. Clemson football survived the physicality
Head coach Dabo Swinney anticipated a rugged and physical contest, and he was spot on. Remember that entering this game, North Carolina State's defense was reputed to be too strong to allow many scores.
The game started slowly, with the Tigers holding a 13-10 lead at halftime. However, Clemson continued hammering away and expanding their offensive repertoire.
On the other end, N.C. State's offense struggled to sustain drives against Clemson's defense. That was quite surprising for Clemson football fans but in a good way. Remember that the Wake Forest Demon Deacons blasted the Tigers' defense for 447 yards the game prior thanks to Sam Hartman's arm strength. In this game, however, the Tigers secondary performed admirably against the Wolfpack. They severely limited N.C. State's passing game.
Clemson also played really well in the trenches of this matchup. N.C. State was unable to run and was unable to halt the run in important times. QB Uiagalelei was not spectacular on the ground but made some critical runs, including a nine-yard dash to seal the game in the fourth quarter.
Clemson also avoided taking unnecessary gambles and played excellent field position, forcing the Wolfpack to drive the length of the field.
3. Receiving corps is okay but still needs work
Clemson football QB D.J. Uiagalelei and the Tigers' attack put up a strong showing against one of the greatest defenses in the country. However, something is still missing. Clemson's wideouts have a long way to go before the Tigers can call themselves a complete offense. They might fare well next week against Boston College, but when they play Florida State on Oct. 15, things could be very different.
The receiving corps had its moments against the Wolfpack, but it was once again generally uninspired. Jake Briningstool and Antonio Williams led the team in receiving yards with 54 and 45 respectively.
They also failed to produce any huge plays for their squad. To illustrate, Beaux Collins dropped a stunning deep pass from Uiagalelei in the fourth quarter, thus ending the game. Too many times this season, Uiagalelei has thrown a beautiful pass that a receiver has failed to make a play on. It's not the end of the world, but the unit just needs to move on.
2. Defensive front is stout
Even though Clemson football's defensive line was missing their finest player, Bryan Bresee, this unit performed really well against N.C. State. Clemson's “Avengers” just dominated their opponents, especially in the second half.
Defensive end Myles Murphy had his finest game of the season. He showed why he's regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2023 NFL draft with 1.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss. Tyler Venables also impressed with eight tackles including six solo. Meanwhile, Barrett Carter had six tackles, one sack, and one tackle for loss to boot.
When it comes to Clemson's defense, the defensive line's production makes or breaks the team. If they can continue to do this, Boston College will be in for a very tough game next week.
1. Welcome to the show, D.J. Uiagalelei
D.J. Uiagalelei has finally shown up. Welcome to the show, young fella. Uiagalelei's progression from last season to now has been spectacular. The junior quarterback is having the finest season of his career, and it does not appear like he will slow down anytime soon. When you consider all of the hatred and adversity that a person like Uiagalelei has suffered before this season, this kind of performance is even more astounding.
Work ethic and a winning mindset have aided the young quarterback's development into the player we are now seeing. Uiagalelei completed 21-of-30 passes for 209 yards and a score while running for 73 yards and two touchdowns against one of the greatest defenses in the country. If there were any skeptics before this game versus N.C. State, there probably aren't many now.
Against Boston College in Week 6, expect Uiagalelei to be even more of a presence.
