Playing time breakdown: Clemson offensive rotation continues to fight through injuries

Shipley and Briningstool (right) both made an impact with increased playing time Saturday.

by Brandon Rink - Staff Writer - Mon Nov 01 11:19:58 GMT-04:00 2021

Clemson's offense welcomed back two starters at receiver from injury and COVID protocol with Joseph Ngata going 60 snaps and EJ Williams going 46 to bolster the offense Saturday against Florida State.

But as the story goes this season, for every player back -- someone seems to be out, with the running back group down to a 2-man (and highly-productive) rotation of freshmen Will Shipley and Phil Mafah after Kobe Pace went into protocol.

Center Mason Trotter was hurt early and that meant Hunter Rayburn was in the mix for his second-most action of the season (62 snaps).

Publicly announced by Dabo Swinney as not redshirting now, freshman tight end Jake Briningstool continued to see his impact increase with nine snaps and his first career catch for 11 yards.

On defense, sophomore Trenton Simpson was highly-productive in his 34 snaps, with eight tackles, 2.5 for loss, with a sack.

Junior safety Jalyn Phillips also posted six tackles and a pass breakup with the most snaps out of the secondary (56).

On the D-line, Myles Murphy tallied three TFLs and two sacks out of that with five total tackles in 43 snaps. Opposite him, Xavier Thomas posted six tackles and a sack and ran up his team-best QB pressures total to 12.

Clemson snaps breakdown: Florida State

(Players' snaps assigned positionally by place on the depth chart below; the initial participation report is provided by Clemson and represents all non-special teams snaps; season totals in parentheses; this breakdown notes all depth chart contributors and select scholarship players)

Offense

Quarterback: DJ Uiagalelei 76 (513).

Running Back: Will Shipley 56 (210), Phil Mafah 20 (80).

Wide Receiver: Justyn Ross 67 (394), Joseph Ngata 60 (354), EJ Williams 46 (202), Beaux Collins 26 (179), Ajou Ajou 13 (200), Will Brown 5 (27), Will Swinney 4 (18), Dacari Collins 3 (29), Drew Swinney 1 (14).

Tight end: Davis Allen 47 (269), Sage Ennis 21 (125), Jake Briningstool 9 (18).

Offensive Line: Jordan McFadden 76 (525), Walker Parks 76 (515), Will Putnam 75 (432), Marcus Tate 62 (379), Hunter Rayburn 62 (162), Mason Trotter% 25 (164), Paul Tchio 1 (101)

Defense

Defensive End: Myles Murphy 43 (343), Xavier Thomas 41 (343), Justin Mascoll 17 (156), KJ Henry 15 (193), Kevin Swint 4 (39).

Defensive Tackle: Tyler Davis 38 (134), Ruke Orhorhoro 33 (327), Etinosa Reuben 7 (120), Tré Williams 6 (221), Payton Page 2 (45).

Linebacker: Baylon Spector 49 (389), James Skalski 42 (445), Trenton Simpson 34 (325), Barrett Carter 10 (118), LaVonta Bentley 4 (142).

DB (CB/S/NB): Jalyn Phillips 56 (230), Andrew Booth Jr. 49 (443), Mario Goodrich 47 (339), Nolan Turner 36 (402), Tyler Venables 31 (195), Andrew Mukuba 25 (340), RJ Mickens 24 (199), Malcolm Greene 23 (124), Fred Davis 10 (71), Sheridan Jones 8 (246), Nate Wiggins 5 (75).

Special teams-only: LB Kane Patterson (36), LB Keith Maguire (35). DB Ray Thornton (29), DE Regan Upshaw (21), RB Darien Rencher (14), LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (13), LB Sergio Allen (13).

On game’s unavailable list (players on that week’s depth chart not playing): RB Kobe Pace (188).

Did not play (on depth chart or select scholarship players with no announced season-long injury): OL Mitchell Mayes (45), Taisun Phommachanh (30), OL Trent Howard (29). OT Jaelyn Lay (18), DT Darnell Jefferies (17), OL Bryn Tucker (15), WR Troy Stellato (11), DE Greg Williams (11), OT Tristan Leigh (10), QB Hunter Helms (7), DT DeMonte Capehart (4), C Ryan Linthicum (3).

True freshman participation* (tracking for 4-game redshirt rule): S Andrew Mukuba (8), OG Marcus Tate (8), DEF Barrett Carter (8), LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (8), DT Payton Page (8), CB Nate Wiggins (8), RB Will Shipley (6), WR Beaux Collins (6), QB/WR/PR Will Taylor (5), RB Phil Mafah (4), WR Dacari Collins (4), TE Jake Briningstool (3), OG Dietrick Pennington (1)*, OL Tristan Leigh (1), WR Troy Stellato (1), C Ryan Linthicum (1), DE Cade Denhoff (0), DE Zaire Patterson (0).

* Redshirting this season due to injury.

% Announced as out with injury by Dabo Swinney or injured in-game.

Clemson stats and snaps