CLEMSON -- There was a "yeah but" for almost everything Saturday.
Clemson gave up a bunch of rushing yards. Yeah but it was against an offense they never see.
Jay Haynes looked really good running it. Yeah but he was running it against The Citadel.
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But like we said, almost everything.
Clemson didn't suffer any more injuries in a 51-14 blowout Saturday, and that in itself is a great positive with no ifs, ands or yeah-buts.
The 9-2 Tigers undoubtedly need to get healthy as they look toward next week's visit from rival South Carolina.
But they also didn't need to see any more guys go down after Elyjah Thurmon, Tristan Leigh, RJ Mickens and others suffered injuries over the previous two games.
Some dicey moments early against the Bulldogs on Military Appreciation Day, and some defensive lapses that would be troubling even if they occurred against air.
Yet there simply wasn't a lot to learn in this one, and we knew that going in.
The learning, for better or worse, comes when the Tigers face the Gamecocks at Death Valley.
Clemson's offense (562 yards, 302 rushing, 10.8 per rush) did need a shot of confidence after some nasty droughts over the previous three games, so that box was checked as much as it could be against an FCS team.
Cade Klubnik completed 12 of 16 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns, including long balls of 55 and 30 yards to Bryant Wesco and Antonio Williams, respectively.
After totaling just four plays in the first quarter, the offense finished the first half with 338 yards (173 passing, 165 rushing) on 25 plays while averaging 13.5 yards per snap.
The offense seldom had much problem, but defensive tackle Payton Page provided the real spark late in the first quarter with Clemson up 7-0 and the Bulldogs moving the ball.
With an assist from blitzing Sammy Brown, Page drifted outside and plucked the rushed throw out of the air like a receiver at midfield.
Page got some good blocking and managed to lumber 57 yards all the way to the end zone to put Clemson up 14-0 with 3:17 left in the first quarter.
Page had trouble catching his breath and didn't do a lot to help block on the ensuing extra point, but that was understandable because the 6-foot-4, 310-pound fella probably isn't doing much sprinting this time of year.
It wouldn't be accurate to say the defense never looked back after Page's pick-6.
Still some busted coverages from that point. Still some issues defending the dive and keeping the Bulldogs from finding creases.
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The Citadel had almost 200 rushing yards at halftime and finished with 288 while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Who knows whether Haynes' 118 rushing yards on five carries, including a 70-yard touchdown dash in the second quarter, will be enough to get him on the field at all against South Carolina.
Haynes played just seven snaps the previous three games compared to 250 for Phil Mafah, who needed the rest that he got Saturday after carrying it three times for 14 yards.
After he was ejected from the Pitt game for a targeting penalty, Brown started for an injured Wade Woodaz and totaled a team-high 11 tackles.
Avieon Terrell came up with a spectacular defensive play that might've topped Page's, chasing down Johnny Crawford on a breakaway run and stripping the ball loose. Terrell recovered it at Clemson's 20-yard line.
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Clemson has won nine games for 14 consecutive seasons, and entering this season the Tigers and Alabama (16) had the longest active streaks of nine-win seasons in the country.
There's not really a "yeah but" for that, either.
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