Clemson delivers second half knockout to Virginia

Clemson finished off the win.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Saturday, October 19 2024

CLEMSON - Virginia came into Death Valley with plenty of first-half punches.

Clemson came onto the field with brass knuckles in the third quarter.

The Cavaliers held a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter, but 35 unanswered points from the Tigers made the difference, 48-31.

Clemson now heads into the open date with six straight wins, and five in a row in conference play.

Here’s what we saw this afternoon.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Phil Mafah was the star of the show when Clemson needed him the most.

His effect was most felt in the second quarter, as the Tigers trailed early to Virginia.

Mafah scored twice in the quarter on consecutive drives, giving Clemson momentum entering the locker room.

He also hauled in a 22-yard pass from Cade Klubnik, which led to the tying score in the second quarter.

Mafah’s presence has broadly been felt in the second half as the Tigers have put teams away, but his services were required earlier.

He certainly rose to the occasion.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Avieon Terrell’s stock continues to rise.

The sophomore corner has received plenty of praise for his willingness to get into the backfield to make plays.

That applause was certainly warranted Saturday afternoon.

Against the Cavaliers, Terrell posted six tackles, including a sack. He also limited Virginia’s top wideout, Malachi Fields, to only three catches on the day.

Terrell’s made headlines for his play against the ACC’s top receivers, but the physicality in the run game has made him a complete defender for the Tigers.

STAT OF THE GAME: Clemson’s third-down offense made all the difference in the blowout effort.

The Tigers went 9-14 on third down, extending drives at an incredibly high rate.

On an afternoon when everything wasn’t perfect for the offense, they did just enough to move the sticks and put away an improved Virginia squad.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED: Phil Mafah’s second quarter made all the difference in a tight first half. The Tiger offense was unable to sustain any sort of punch through the air.

Garrett Riley shifted gears to Mafah, and he responded.

The Tiger offense averaged over five yards a carry in the second quarter, leading to two consecutive scoring drives.

Then came Clemson’s knockout punch.

Including the second quarter, the Tigers scored 35 unanswered, which came in a variety of ways.

Antonio Williams took one to the house from a jet motion, speeding past Virginia’s secondary. Olsen Patt-Henry collected two touchdowns on two catches.

It wasn’t Clemson’s best day starting out, but they ensured that fireworks would be shot against the Cavaliers.

NEXT UP: Clemson will have an open date before playing five games in November, starting with a home matchup against Louisville on November 2nd.