Clemson poured on the goals to a 6-0 win.

Brooks Thomason - Correspondent - Tuesday, October 22 2024

The No. 3-ranked Clemson Tigers (9-2-2) picked up a dominant victory over USC Upstate (3-12-0) at Historic Riggs Field, 6-0, to extend their winning streak to four games.

After a testy end of the first half, the Tigers put the game to bed in the second half, scoring four goals in under six and a half minutes.

Coach Mike Noonan spoke on the effort postgame.

“We know we didn’t play well in the first half...but the players turned it around when we came out of the locker room," Noonan said.

Ten minutes in, Clemson broke the deadlock from good fortune. Remi Okunlola blew past the left back, slashing in from the right side. It appeared he crossed the ball, but with perfect precision, he chipped the keeper and hit the ball off the post and in. Clemson grabbed an early lead to settle the team.

After 22 minutes of not finding the back of the net, the Tigers went into halftime with 13 shots and only one goal. The end product not being goals seemed to be a glaring issue in the first half.

The Tigers found the breakthrough they desperately fought for two minutes into the second half. A beautiful cross from Okunloka finds the feet of James Kelly, who volleyed the ball with placement into the top left corner. The Tigers found their cushion.

Two minutes later, Okunlola’s contributions continued. On the right wing, he blistered in another cross from Okunloka and found Wahabu Musah, who rolled it into the back of the net.

After another open play, the Tigers struck gold again. Three minutes after their third goal, Musah played a through ball to Arthur Duquenne, who chipped the keeper.

Two minutes after their third goal, everything the Tigers touched kept turning to gold. After a foul, a quick pass by Antonio Illuminato was played to Alex Meinhard, who slipped past the Upstate defense, rolled it past the keeper, and gave Clemson four goals in six and a half minutes.

Joseph Andema stepped up in the clutch after the four goals. USC Upstate forward Liam Duggan found himself wide open on the left side, very close to the goal, but a shot close to Andema was saved.

In the 75th minute, Jackson Wrobel added Clemson's sixth game goal. After Ransford Gyan slipped Wrobel a through ball, Wrobel snuck past the line of defense and cooly placed a finish in the bottom right corner. The Tigers onslaught ended with their sixth goal of the game.

The Tigers wrapped up their win with 25 shots, ripping twelve on target. Noonan’s Tigers added the pressure, particularly with Okunlola, who delivered three goal contributions.

The Tigers return to ACC play on Friday when the Syracuse Orange visit Historic Riggs Field at 8:00 p.m.

First goal of the year ✅ #ClemsonUnited pic.twitter.com/SWyZPMfKWV
— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) October 22, 2024

Arthur Duquenne just produced one of the best finishes you’ll see all season for @ClemsonMSoccer 🤯⚽️
pic.twitter.com/6HPJX578fk
— Clemson Athletics (@ClemsonTigers) October 23, 2024