Postgame notes on Clemson-Georgia Tech

by CU Athletic Communications - Sat Nov 11 16:18:28 GMT-04:00 2023

WITH THE WIN…

Clemson earned its 36th all-time victory against Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech is one of eight schools against whom Clemson has earned at least 30 all-time victories (South Carolina, Wake Forest, NC State, Furman, Virginia, North Carolina, Duke and Georgia Tech).

Clemson won its ninth consecutive game against Georgia Tech, dating to a 43-24 home win in 2015. It extended Clemson’s longest winning streak in the all-time series and more than doubled its second-longest winning streaks in series history (four-game winning streaks across the 1898-1903 seasons and the 1993-96 campaigns).

Clemson won its eighth straight home contest against Georgia Tech, dating back to 2010. It added to Clemson’s existing longest home winning streak in the series history.

Clemson recorded its 18th all-time home win against Georgia Tech.

Dabo Swinney improved to 12-5 all-time against Georgia Tech, including postseason play. Georgia Tech is one of five schools against which Swinney has recorded double-digit victories (Boston College, 14; Wake Forest, 14; NC State, 11; Syracuse, 10).

Clemson improved to 162-73-3 all-time (and 45-7 since 2011) when facing a coach for the first time.

Clemson improved to 7-2 since 1974 in games against Georgia Tech coaches facing Clemson for the first time. The victory against Brent Key joins Clemson defeats of Yellow Jacket head coaches Pepper Rodgers, Bill Curry, Bobby Ross, George O’Leary, Chan Gailey and Geoff Collins in their first meetings with the Tigers.

Clemson improved to 129-18 against AP-unranked teams under Dabo Swinney and improved to 106-8 in those games since the start of the 2012 season.

Clemson improved to 92-12 in regular season play since the start of the 2015 season. Ten of Clemson’s 12 regular season losses in that span have been decided by a final margin of 10 or fewer points.

Clemson improved to 64-3 at Death Valley in the College Football Playoff era, matching Alabama for the best home record in the nation in that span.

Clemson has won 23 of its last 26 November games.

Clemson improved to 37-1 since 2015 when intercepting multiple passes in a game.

Clemson now has a 128-8 record when totaling more first downs than its opponent since 2011.

Clemson now has a 75-4 record when winning the turnover margin since 2011.

Clemson improved to 79-3 when rushing for 200+ yards under Dabo Swinney.

Clemson is now 60-1 when both passing and rushing for 200+ yards under Dabo Swinney. Overall, Clemson is 110-1 in program history when reaching those marks.

Clemson has now won 111 of its last 112 games when holding teams under 23 points (dates to 2010).

Clemson is now 67-2 since 2015 — and 4-0 this season — when outscoring opponents in the “Middle Eight,” defined as the final four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. Clemson outscored Georgia Tech, 7-0, in that time window.

Clemson has now won 112 of its last 117 games when leading at halftime.

Clemson improved to 133-4 since 2011 when leading after three quarters.

GAME NOTES

Clemson won the turnover margin, 4-1. Clemson is 4-0 this season when winning the turnover margin and 89-6 overall under Dabo Swinney when doing so.

Clemson finished plus-three in the margin for the first time since Sept. 16 against Florida Atlantic. Clemson improved to 21-0 under Dabo Swinney when finishing plus-three or better in the turnover margin.

Clemson has now produced multiple takeaways in back-to-back games for the first time since last year's games against South Carolina and North Carolina.

Clemson has now recorded at least three takeaways in consecutive games for the first time since 2020 against Pitt and Virginia Tech. Clemson is 53-1 under Dabo Swinney when recording three or more takeaways with the only loss coming in the 2008 Sun Bowl against Nebraska.

Clemson’s four interceptions matched the program’s high under Dabo Swinney. It was Clemson’s sixth four-interception game of his tenure and its first since 2020 against Pitt.

Clemson is now 25-0 under Swinney when recording three or more interceptions and 109-13 when doing so since 1954.

Clemson held Georgia Tech to 254 yards, 142 of which came on the Yellow Jackets’ final two drives of the game. Georgia Tech entered the week ranked 14th in the nation in total offense (465.3 yards per game).

Clemson recorded 465 yards of offense. It was Clemson’s 88th 400-yard game since 2015, third-most in the nation.

Clemson’s 260 rushing yards were its second-most of the season and its most since a 274-yard day against Charleston Southern in early September.

Clemson exceeded 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards in a single game for the third time this season and for the 62nd time in Dabo Swinney’s tenure. Conversely, Georgia Tech had entered the game averaging 200/200 this season before being held to 137 passing yards and 117 rushing yards on Saturday.

Clemson has now held six straight opponents to fewer than 200 passing yards for the first time since a 10-game streak in 2019.

Clemson’s 27 games with 200 or more rushing yards and 200 or more passing yards since 2018 are the fourth-most in the country. Clemson is now 60-1 when both passing and rushing for 200+ yards under Dabo Swinney. Overall, Clemson is 110-1-1 in program history when reaching those marks.

Clemson converted four-of-six fourth downs. It was Clemson’s second-most fourth-down conversions on record in the Dabo Swinney era, one shy of its five against UConn in 2021.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 23-of-34 passes for 205 yards and a career-high tying four touchdown passes.

Klubnik recorded his third passing performance of the season and of his career with at least three passing touchdowns. He had four passing touchdowns against Charleston Southern on Sept. 9 and three against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 16.

Klubnik’s 67.6 percent completion percentage was the second-best of his career against an ACC opponent (min. 5 att.), trailing only his 83.3 percent performance as ACC Championship Game MVP against North Carolina last December.

Wide receiver Beaux Collins caught five passes for 65 yards with a touchdown.

Clemson scored its first points of the game on a five-yard pass from Klubnik to Collins in the second quarter.

Collins’ touchdown was his third of the season and the 11th of his career.

The touchdown pass to Collins was the culmination of an 18-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 9:51, Clemson’s longest drive this season both by number of plays and time possessed.

The drive lasting 9:51 of game time was Clemson’s longest scoring drive in school history and its second-longest drive overall, trailing only its 10:02 drive to run out the clock against Alabama in the National Championship Game to end the 2018 season.

The 18-play drive was Clemson’s longest in terms of total plays since its final drive of its Sugar Bowl game against Alabama to end the 2017 season.

The drive included two fourth-down conversions. It was Clemson’s first time converting two fourth downs in a single drive since 2021 against UConn.

Wide receiver Tyler Brown added a team-high seven receptions for 41 yards with a touchdown.

Brown caught his fourth touchdown pass of the season on a highlight-reel one-handed grab in the second quarter.

Brown has now caught a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

Brown became the first Clemson freshman with a touchdown catch in consecutive games since Beaux Collins' three-game streak late in the 2021 season.

On his seventh reception of the game, Brown (40) became the sixth Clemson player since 2010 to record 40 receptions in a freshman season, joining Antonio Williams (56 in 2022), Justyn Ross (46 in 2018), Artavis Scott (76 in 2014), Sammy Watkins (82 in 2011) and DeAndre Hopkins (52 in 2010).

Running back Will Shipley rushed 11 times for 77 yards with a touchdown and added three receptions for 30 receiving yards.

During the contest, Shipley (2,512) passed Ray Yauger (2,439 from 1968-70) for 12th in Clemson history in career rushing yardage.

Shipley (2,512) also became the 13th player in Clemson history to reach 2,500 career rushing yards.

On a 32-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Shipley became the 11th active FBS player to reach 30 career rushing touchdowns.

Shipley’s 32-yard scoring scamper finished a 92-yard drive, Clemson’s longest drive by yardage this season.

Shipley (30) became the eighth player in school history to rush for 30 career touchdowns, joining Travis Etienne, James Davis, Travis Zachery, Wayne Gallman, Andre Ellington, C.J. Spiller and Lester Brown.

With the 32nd total touchdown of his career, Shipley tied Lester Brown (32 from 1976-79) for the seventh-most career total touchdowns in Clemson history.

Clemson has now rushed for a touchdown in 52 consecutive home games, the nation's longest active streak. The last team to hold Clemson without a rushing touchdown in Death Valley was Troy in 2016.

Clemson has now scored at least one rushing touchdown in a national-best 76 of its 79 games since the start of the 2018 season.

Tight end Jake Briningstool recorded his career-high-tying fourth touchdown reception of the season on a five-yard pass from Klubnik in the third quarter.

The touchdown reception was Briningstool’s ninth of his career, matching K.D. Dunn (nine from 1981-84) for seventh-most by a tight end in Clemson history.

Tight end Josh Sapp recorded his second touchdown reception of the season on a 13-yard pass from Klubnik in the fourth quarter.

Running back Phil Mafah led Clemson in rushing yards with 96 on 17 carries. He also added a 19-yard reception.

Both Shipley (107) and Mafah (115) reached 100 yards from scrimmage in the contest.

Clemson recorded four sacks, one shy of its season high. Georgia Tech entered the game having allowed only eight sacks in nine games this season.

Clemson had 10 different players contribute to its season-high 11 tackles for loss.

Defensive end Justin Mascoll returned to action after missing the last two games. In the first quarter, he recorded his first sack of the season, the third of his career.

Linebacker Wade Woodaz added to his single-season career high in sacks with his fourth of the season in the first quarter.

Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. recorded the 12th sack of his career in the second quarter. He has now recorded at least one full sack in back-to-back games for the first time this season and the first time since a three-game streak against Miami (Fla.), South Carolina and North Carolina in 2022.

Defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart recorded his first sack of the season in the third quarter. It was the second of his career and his first since 2020 against The Citadel.

Safety Khalil Barnes recorded his second interception of the season late in the second quarter. It was his first since Sept. 16 against Florida Atlantic.

Barnes became the first Clemson freshman to record multiple interceptions in a season since safety Jayron Kearse in 2013 (four).

Cornerback Avieon Terrell recorded his first career interception in the third quarter, snuffing out a Georgia Tech drive that followed an interception thrown by Clemson.

Now with two forced fumbles and two interceptions on the season, Barnes became the first Clemson player in the Dabo Swinney to record multiple forced fumble and multiple interceptions in a freshman season.

Safety Kylon Griffin recorded his second career interception — and his second in as many weeks — in the fourth quarter.

Griffin has now recorded a pick in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. It is the second time this season a Clemson player has recorded an interception in consecutive games, joining Wade Woodaz against Charleston Southern and Florida Atlantic.

Cornerback Shelton Lewis recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown.

The pick-six by Lewis was Clemson’s fourth interception return touchdown this season, tying the school record of four set in 1990.

All four of Clemson’s interceptions were recorded by interceptions, three by true freshmen (Barnes, Terrell and Lewis) and one by a redshirt freshman (Griffin). It was the first time since Clemson’s 2013 game against Virginia that multiple Clemson freshmen had an interception in a single game (Korrin Wiggins and Jayron Kearse).

Defensive tackle Tyler Davis made his 49th career start to tie offensive linemen Landon Walker and Dalton Freeman (49 each) for the fifth-most career starts in Clemson history.

Clemson faced Georgia Tech Head Coach Brent Key for the first time. Key became the first interim coach at an ACC institution elevated to a full-time head coaching role since Dabo Swinney accomplished the feat at Clemson in December 2008.

Captains for the contest were running back Phil Mafah, wide receiver Brannon Spector and defensive end Xavier Thomas.

Prior to the contest, Clemson wide receiver Blackmon Huckabee Jr. sang the national anthem on Military Appreciation Day. Defensive end T.J. Parker carried the American flag down the Hill in honor of his father, Sgt. Tommy Parker, an 11-year U.S. Army veteran.