Clemson Football Stock Up
CLEMSON -- A week ago, an emotional Dabo Swinney advised everyone to buy stock in Clemson.
Idea being: This proud program might be down right now, but it won't be down for long.
So it was all too fitting that a group of freshmen stood out for the Tigers in Saturday's 42-21 spanking of Georgia Tech.
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With spectacular one-handed catches, Tyler Brown (touchdown) and Avieon Terrell (interception) suggested this program is going to be in good hands.
Khalil Barnes and Kylon Griffin snared interceptions.
Josh Sapp rose high for a beautiful touchdown catch.
Shelton Lewis got himself a pick-6 and came awfully close to another spectacular pick in his own end zone.
Oh, and some other freshmen (Peter Woods, TJ Parker) have already shown they're really good.
Oh, and the starting quarterback isn't exactly a veteran (Cade Klubnik is a sophomore).
Swinney has been saying for a while now that the young guys in this program are made of the right stuff.
Championship stuff.
Time will tell on that. But the freshmen sure backed their coach up on this day.
ABC analyst Louis Riddick was sold on Clemson stock. His raves about the Tigers were basically a three-hour paw-fomercial as Swinney's team improved to 6-4 with games against No. 24 North Carolina and South Carolina remaining.
"They're loaded with 18-year-olds that are growing up right now before your eyes," Riddick said. "You think Clemson ain't going to be a school to be heard from over the next couple of years? You know they're going to be. It's just a matter of time."
Clemson didn't look like a total juggernaut on this chilly, breezy day. It struggled to run the ball early, and the back end of the defense was quite fortunate that Tech wasn't able to connect on two deep balls to a wide-open Eric Singleton.
But the good vibes have returned over the past two weeks, and that's something not many people were predicting when the Tigers limped home with back-to-back losses at N.C. State and Miami.
After falling behind 7-0 early, Clemson reeled off 42 straight points and flexed its young muscles. The Tigers reached 40 points in an ACC game for the first time since a 40-10 win over Miami last November.
So often a turnover machine this season, Clemson enjoyed a role reversal as Georgia Tech committed four turnovers (all interceptions by Haynes King) to just one for the Tigers.
King entered as a feared threat with both his arm and his legs, but Clemson held him to just a yard passing in the first 30 minutes and held him to minus-3 yards rushing for the game.
King was Tech's second-leading rusher with 545 yards on the season with a 7.17 clip per carry.
The Texas A&M transfer now has 14 interceptions on the season. He completed 13 passes on 31 attempts for just 129 yards.
King's counterpart threw for four touchdowns and 205 yards on 23-of-34 passing. Klubnik added some important plays with his legs to help extend drives.
"I think that's what Clemson football looks like right there," Klubnik said after the game.
Brown's otherworldly one-handed stab for a touchdown halfway through the second quarter brought back memories of Justyn Ross, Tee Higgins and Mike Williams.
Clemson had earlier tied the score at 7-7 on another vintage touchdown, a back-shoulder throw to Beaux Collins for a 5-yard score.
On third-and-2 from the 3, Klubnik scrambled to his right and threw in the general vicinity of Brown.
Brown, who accounted for an important touchdown early last week against Notre Dame, leaped above corner Jaylon King and cupped the end of the football with his right hand.
He completed the catch as he fell to the turf in front of his fellow students.
Last week, Swinney joked that Tyler from Greenville was the real story after a tumultuous few days.
With this catch, Brown suggested he might actually be from somewhere else.
Like outer space.
Clemson was up 28-7 in the third quarter when Terrell made another highlight-reel play.
Some of Singleton's biggest plays this season have come off double moves, but Terrell didn't come close to biting. He was in good box-out position as King threw Singleton's way down the sideline, and he somehow corralled the ball with his left hand before falling down in bounds at the Clemson 8.
Clemson didn't score off that turnover, but the Tigers prevented points as Tech was trying to get back in it.
Clemson piled up 11 tackles for loss and four sacks. Georgia Tech was 6-of-16 on third downs and finished with 254 yards and 117 on the ground.
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The Jackets had averaged 300 yards rushing in their previous three games.
After Phil Mafah was the catalyst in the victory over Notre Dame, Will Shipley returned and was charged up in totaling 77 yards on 11 carries. Mafah added 96 yards on 17 carries.
The Tigers had just 15 rushing yards in the first quarter but piled up 245 from that point.
Collins had five catches for 65 yards, and Brown had 41 yards on seven catches.
Clemson became eligible for a bowl with this victory.
This group of freshmen signaled that the Tigers could be eligible for much bigger things beyond this season.
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