Gallman to Elliott: "I have to get it"

Gallman had his first 100-yard day as a Tiger Saturday

by Nikki Hood - Staff Writer - Sun Oct 26 16:05:01 GMT-04:00 2014

CLEMSON – Wayne Gallman Wayne Gallman
RS Fr. Running Back
#9 6-1, 209
Loganville, GA
View Full Profile exited the field late in the fourth quarter of Saturdays win over Syracuse, breathing hard and tired after his biggest workload of the season. Once he reached the bench, running backs coach Tony Elliott Tony Elliott
Assistant Coach / Running Backs
View Full Profile told Gallman that he already had a career-high 80-plus yards, and Gallman told Elliott he needed to go back out on the field to get a hundred.

Gallman reached his goal on the last series of the game when Clemson’s offense ran the final eight minutes off the clock, running the ball 15 times. The Loganville, Georgia native carried the ball nine times for 24 yards, including twice on third and short and a crucial fourth-and-one play that sealed Clemson’s 16-6 victory over Syracuse.

Gallman ended the game with 28 carries for 101 yards and said that his goal ever since he committed to Clemson was to show the coaches that he could be the Tigers leading rusher.

“I told coach that I had to get it [100 yards rushing]. That's been pretty much my goal since high school even though I had Robert [Nkemdiche] at the same school as me and all of the players on the team,” Gallman told the media after Saturday’s game against Syracuse. “This is something that is big for me and my family. That’s been what I've been wanting to since I came here. We have a committee but our mindset is when we get in to do whatever it takes to help the offense.”

The 28 carries in the Syracuse game was a career high for Gallman and he said that he is finally figuring out how to be a college running back and just trying to do whatever it takes to help the team be successful.

“It's something that we emphasize every day in practice,” Gallman said. “For me and with everything going on and Coach Swinney saying that I've got to get better using my speed, I think I started to finally just really get into it. In the game, I wasn't really thinking. I was just going along with it. We're really trying to realize what we can bring out of this team with all of the players that we have.”

With Deshaun WatsonDeshaun Watson
Fr. Quarterback
#4 6-3, 204
Gainesville, GA
View Full Profile out with a hand injury Gallman and the offensive line know Clemson needs to be successful running the ball and he said that being able to wear down opposing defenses gives the Tigers the best chance to win.

“They just pushed. The first half was rough but it seems like our offensive line is just so tough,” Gallman said. “They have the mental mindset to just push and win in the second half. It's all a mental mindset. All of the workouts in the preseason and all of the practices, we really get prepared throughout the week for those types of situations.”