Clemson playmaker Phil Mafah says Tiger offense improvement all starts upfront

Phil Mafah broke through for an 83-yard TD run in the win. He says the Clemson O-line has keyed improvement overall on offense.

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - Wednesday, September 11 2024

CLEMSON - Graduate running back Phil Mafah got a little room, and he was off for an 83-yard rushing touchdown on Saturday, the longest of his career.

He says confidence from the pregame preparation carried out on the field.

“We know we put in the work in practice. We know what we can do in practice. So, we just had to translate (that) today to the game field, and that was just a big emphasis of just showing that all the work that we put in, we got to go out there and show it,” Mafah said. “App State did a good job, honestly, having a lot of guys in the box, the safeties crashing down. But, just on that play in particular, they just didn’t have any outside (containment) and (as) a running back, (if you) get a little bit of room, it can turn into a big play, and that’s just what happened.”

BUH BYE 👋

Phil Mafah hits the gas and goes 8️⃣3️⃣ yards for the score!

📺 @accnetwork x @ClemsonFB pic.twitter.com/oP8JBwG4qy
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) September 8, 2024

The season started out for the Tigers against No. 1 Georgia, a 34-3 defeat. After a game like that, Clemson needed a comfortable victory and solid performance on offense to get the season back on track and restore confidence in the program. It also showed just how explosive the offense can be under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, something fans longed to see out of the Tiger offense last season.

“I felt like the guys were just ready this week to go out there and show what we had. To lose a game like that last week and only get three points on the board, we knew we had more in us. So, we just really wanted to prove that to ourselves and especially to the defense. They gave us a lot of help. So, we just wanted to prove that today,” Mafah said. “This team is very explosive, and it all starts with our O-line. They’ve gotten so much better, have gotten so much important over this offseason and they’re allowing us to make those throws, make those runs, know it all starts with them. But, we definitely got the keys in this offense.”

As Mafah alluded to, the offensive line has been critical. A quarterback will struggle when they are constantly under pressure. Klubnik is going into his second year as a starter, and he is gaining more comfortability within the offensive scheme. Against Georgia, the Tigers did not give up a sack, and that continued against the Mountaineers. This allowed Klubnik to make big plays and quickly give the Tigers all of the momentum.

“The O-line, Coach Swinney talked about it, they gave up no sacks last game or this game. They’ve been doing a great, unbelievable, job honestly and we just got to execute. That’s really been the thing, just execute. Momentum’s a big thing in this game,” Mafah said. “So, it’s all about the details, especially in a game like last week. The details are what matters, especially, when Coach Swinney likes to say, ‘When talent meets talent, the details are what matter.’”

Perhaps the best thing about the victory against the Mountaineers was how many players had the opportunity to get some snaps in. In total, the Tigers had 105 players take the field. This included numerous freshmen. Some freshmen made an immediate impact, such as wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr., who scored the opening touchdown of the game. Overall, all of the young players showed they can compete at Clemson’s standard.

“Just showed that the moment wasn’t too big for them,” Mafah said. “When they got their opportunity, they made the most of it and those guys, they work hard. They make plays in practice. So, I expect nothing less than for them to make that on the game field.”

Now, No. 22 Clemson will have two weeks to prepare for the NC State Wolfpack who will be coming off a game against LA Tech this Saturday. For both teams, this will be their first conference game of the season. Conference games are more crucial than ever, with the ACC Champion guaranteed a spot in the playoffs under the new 12-team format.

“The bye week’s perfect honestly just because it allows us to recover anyone that’s injured to get back right, and it just allows us to have more focus on NC State,” Mafah said. “We have two weeks of preparation instead of a couple days. So, it gets us more locked in on the opponent.”