No. 9 Clemson vs. Duke Game Notes

Clemson outgained Duke, 422-374, and led the Blue Devils in first downs, 29-17. Clemson is now 142-9 under Dabo Swinney when outgaining its opponent.
The game was Clemson’s 59th contest under Swinney in which the Tigers exceeded 200 rushing yards (213) and 200 passing yards (209), but it was Clemson’s first loss when reaching those totals in his tenure. Clemson is now 58-1 under Swinney when exceeding 200 yards in both categories.
Clemson dropped to 76-3 when rushing for 200 yards under Swinney.
Clemson now has a 123-4 record when totaling more first downs than its opponent since 2011.
Running back Will Shipley rushed 17 times for 114 yards and caught a career-high-tying six passes for 29 yards with a touchdown.
With 114 rushing yards in the contest, Shipley (2,034) became the 21st Clemson player to reach 2,000 career rushing yards.
The 100-yard rushing game was the ninth of Shipley’s career. He now needs only one more 100-yard performance to become the 11th Clemson player ever to record at least 10 career 100-yard rushing games.
Clemson dropped to 61-4 since 2011 when having a 100-yard rusher.
Shipley (3,145) also surpassed 3,000 career all-purpose yards during the contest.
Shipley became the 18th Clemson player ever to reach 3,000 career all-purpose yards, joining C.J. Spiller (7,588), Travis Etienne (6,894), Sammy Watkins (5,129), Derrick Hamilton (4,839), Andre Ellington (4,585), Travis Zachery (4,391), James Davis (4,335), Raymond Priester (4,282), Jacoby Ford (4,083), Wayne Gallman (3,902), Artavis Scott (3,568), Buddy Gore (3,273), Aaron Kelly (3,151), Kenny Flowers (3,146), Ray Mathews (3,128), Terry Allen (3,101) and DeAndre Hopkins (3,020).
Quarterback Cade Klubnik completed 27-of-43 passes for 207 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also added 34 rushing yards on 12 carries.
Clemson’s first points of the season came courtesy of a two-yard touchdown pass from Klubnik to running back Will Shipley in the second quarter.
Though Shipley entered the game with 26 total touchdowns and a two-point conversion in his career, the touchdown was the first of his career via reception.
Running back Phil Mafah recorded a 49-yard rush early in the third quarter. It was the second-longest rush of his career, trailing only a 63-yard rush against Florida State in 2021.
Wide receiver Antonio Williams led Clemson with seven receptions, his second-highest total in a game. Williams’ career high is 10 receptions, set against Louisville in 2022.
Duke opened the scoring on a 22-yard field goal on the Blue Devils’ opening possession. It marked the first time in Dabo Swinney’s head coaching tenure that Clemson surrendered points on the defense’s first drive of the season. The last time Clemson allowed points on the first defensive possession of the season was against Alabama in 2008.
Clemson recorded the game’s first takeaway when linebacker Wade Woodaz recovered a muffed punt in the second quarter.
It marked the second straight season opener in which Woodaz had a momentum play on special teams, as he blocked a punt against Georgia Tech in the 2022 season opener.
Woodaz’s recovery set up a five-play, 18-yard drive that culminated in the touchdown pass from Klubnik to Shipley.
Clemson’s second takeaway of the game helped end a Duke drive into Clemson territory in the final minute of the first half. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. notched his second career forced fumble, which was recovered by safety Andrew Mukuba for the second recovery of Mukuba’s career.
The defeat snapped Clemson’s 12-game winning streak against conference opponents, the fourth-longest streak in school history.
The game snapped a 45-game streak in which Clemson had recorded at least one sack. Prior to Monday, the last time Clemson was held without a sack was in November 2019 against Wofford.
Clemson was held without a rushing touchdown for only the second time since the start of the 2018 season. Clemson has now rushed for a touchdown in 68 of 70 games in that span.
Clemson dropped to 37-17-1 all-time against Duke.
Clemson dropped to 95-25-8 all-time in season openers and 12-3 in its last 15 season debuts.
Clemson dropped to 31-8 in games following a loss under Swinney, including season openers following a loss in the previous season finale. Clemson has not lost back-to-back games in the same season since November 2011, a streak it will attempt to keep intact next week.
Clemson faced Duke in the Tigers’ first ACC contest of a season for the first time since 1972.
Clemson played its 27th Monday game all-time. It was only Clemson’s 11th regular season Monday game in school history.
Clemson opened a season in prime time for the fifth consecutive year, the second-longest streak in school history behind Clemson’s nine consecutive season debuts under the lights from 1948-56, all of which came against Presbyterian.
Clemson and Duke played a third consecutive night game in the series (2012, 2018 and 2023) after not playing any night games against one another in the series’ first 52 contests.
Clemson opened a season on the road for the fourth time since 2016, including No. 2 Clemson’s 19-13 win at Auburn in 2016, No. 1 Clemson’s 37-13 win at Wake Forest in 2020 and No. 4 Clemson’s 41-10 win against Georgia Tech in 2022.
Clemson opened conference play on the road for the 10th time in the last 12 years. Monday’s game marked Clemson’s first loss in an ACC opener since 2014.
Clemson opened a season against an ACC opponent for only the 16th time since the conference’s founding in 1953.
Captains for the contest were defensive tackle Tyler Davis, offensive lineman Mitchell Mayes, defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro and center Will Putnam.

Football

2025 SPRING GUIDE

No. 9 Clemson vs. Duke Game Notes