CLEMSON, S.C. – Five different Tigers found the endzone and Clemson amassed 262 passing and 242 rushing yards, as the No. 6 ranked Tigers downed SC State, 49-3, on Saturday evening inside Memorial Stadium. A stadium full of 78,609 fans gathered to celebrate Clemson’s first home contest of the season, as well as tributes to 9/11 first responders and C.J. Spiller’s College Football Hall of Fame induction.
DJ Uiagalelei finished the day 14-24 for 171 yards and a touchdown, while also scampering for 23 yards and two touchdowns on five carries. Will Shipley led the Tigers’ ground game, carrying the ball 80 yards on 8 carries for two touchdowns. Thirteen different players caught a pass, with Justyn Ross and Joseph Ngata combining for 103 yards. Ross scored his first touchdown since the 2019 ACC Championship Game vs. Virginia prior to missing the 2020 season.
Clemson’s defense held SC State to 235 total yards of offense (132 passing, 103 rushing) and held an opponent without an offensive touchdown for the second-straight game. This marks Clemson’s first time doing so since holding Kent State and Auburn out of the end zone in the first two games of 2017. Ruke Orhorhoro and Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. tied for the team lead in tackles with five each, while Trotter led the team in solo tackles with four. Clemson tallied just one sack on the day, but combined for 10 tackles for loss.
The bulk of the Tigers’ offense came in the first quarter, when Clemson put up 28 quick points. The Tigers jumped out to a 35-0 lead with just under 7:00 left in the second quarter, before the Bulldogs got on the board just before half with a 27-yard field goal.
Clemson will return to Death Valley again next week on Saturday, Sept. 18, when the Tigers hold their conference opener against Georgia Tech at 3:30 p.m. ET on Family Weekend. The game has also been designated as Football Reunion Day, when Clemson football will honor teams celebrating their five-, 10-, 25 and 50-year anniversaries.