Humble the Bumble: Tigers blast Yellow Jackets to become bowl eligible

Beaux Collins celebrates his touchdown reception (Photo by Tyler Good).

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Nov 11 15:29:37 GMT-04:00 2023

CLEMSON – Clemson’s defense shut down the Georgia Tech offense and Clemson rang up over 400 yards of total offense for the first time since September as the Tigers routed the Yellow Jackets 42-21 on Military Appreciation Day in Death Valley Saturday afternoon.

Clemson is bowl-eligible with the win and improves to 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the ACC. Tech falls to 5-5 overall and 4-3 in league play. The game marked the 41st consecutive meeting between the two teams, but that streak will be broken next season because the rivalry wasn’t protected under the league’s new scheduling model.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik was 23-of-34 for 205 yards and four touchdowns. Phil Mafah carried the ball 17 times for 96 yards and Will Shipley returned from injury to carry it 11 times for 77 yards and a score. Tyler Brown had seven receptions for 41 yards and Beaux Collins had five receptions for 65 yards. The defense intercepted Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King four times.

Both teams failed to move the football on their first two possessions, but the Tigers handed the Yellow Jackets a gift midway through the first quarter. Facing a 4th-and-9 on their own 21, Clemson punter Aidan Swanson took the snap and tried to run with the ball but was tackled after just a gain of four yards. Four plays later, Tech quarterback Haynes King plunged into the endzone for the score and a 7-0 Jacket lead.

The Tigers answered with a record-setting drive, and had to convert twice on fourth down. Facing a 4th-and-7 at the Tech 38, Klubnik found Beaux Collins for a 20-yard gain to the 18. Three plays later, the Tigers had a 4th-and-1 at the Tech 9, and Mafah bullied his way to the first down. Three plays later, Klubnik found Beaux Collins in the endzone for a 5-yard scoring toss, and early in the second quarter, the Tigers and Jackets were tied 7-7.

The drive covered 18 plays, 75 yards, and 9:51 of game time and 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.

Clemson forced another Jacket punt, and the Tigers took over at the Tech 42, and once again, the Tigers went for it on a fourth-down play. Clemson faced a 4th-and-4 at the Tech 36, and Klubnik flipped it to tight end Jake Briningstool in the flat. Briningstool knew where the marker was and fought his way to the first down. Klubnik hit Mafah for 19 yards and then three plays, on 3rd-and-2 from the Tech 3, Klubnik rolled right and tossed it up to freshman Tyler Brown, who caught the ball with one hand as he fell on his back. For the first time on the day, the Tigers held the lead at 14-7.

Clemson forced another punt that was downed at their own eight, and the Tigers put together a nine-play, 92-yard scoring drive that featured yet another fourth-down conversion. Will Shipley capped the drive with a 32-yard scoring run, and the Tigers led 21-7 at intermission.

The teams traded punts coming out of the half, and following the Tech punt, the Tigers took over at their own 48. A 17-yard run by Mafah and a 13-yard pass to Brown set up Klubnik’s 5-yard missile to Jake Briningstool in the back of the end zone, and Clemson led 28-7 midway through the third quarter.

On the ensuing possession, Kylon Griffin intercepted a pass – this time at the Tech 31 – and the Tigers turned that into a 13-yard scoring pass from Klubnik to Josh Sapp. The Jackets kept the next drive alive with a fake punt on fourth down, but Shelton Lewis read Kings’ eyes and intercepted a pass and returned it 46 yards for a score and a 42-7 Clemson lead early in the fourth quarter. The Jackets added on late against a bevy of Clemson reserves.

Clemson plays host to North Carolina next Saturday at 3:30 pm (TV TBA). It’s the last home game of the 2023 season, and the Tigers will celebrate Senior Day.

Clemson-GT box