Clemson's great awakening
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CLEMSON | Clemson's ever-growing injury list made it natural to feel like the Tigers needed some sort of miracle to get past Wake Forest.
A lot of wide receiver talent was in street clothes, including Justyn Ross, Joseph Ngata and E.J. Williams. Former walk-on Will Swinney was in uniform and a starter alongside two freshmen.
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But it turns out divine intervention wasn't necessary. Nor was a perfect game, or anywhere close to it.
In the craziest of seasons during which it seems everything that can go wrong will go wrong, Clemson proved it can still pillage Dave Clawson's Wake Forest team.
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The 8-3 Tigers stayed alive in the Atlantic Division with a 48-27 trouncing, asserting their physical superiority with a smashing running game (333 yards) and a frequently overwhelming defensive effort that forced three Wake Forest turnovers and piled up 10 tackles for loss.
The Demon Deacons were supposedly different this year, bringing a high-flying offense into Death Valley hoping to clinch their first Atlantic Division title since 2006.
Wake might well go on to Charlotte for the ACC championship game. But whatever happens, the Deacons and everyone else present for this one will know this hobbled Clemson team punked the Deacons once again.
After a frequently lifeless offensive showing against Connecticut, you wondered how this offense could sustain enough drives to have a chance to win. Clemson piled up 543 yards and was 7-of-11 on third downs.
Kobe Pace rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, and Will Shipley added 112 on 19 attempts.
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Playing on an injured knee and with a wounded index finger on his throwing hand, DJ Uiagalelei threw for 208 yards on an 11-of-19 clip with a touchdown an interception and a lost fumble. He had a miraculous escape of a third-down sack early to enable a 52-yard strike to Beaux Collins that helped put Clemson up 10-0, and he later connected with Collins on a third-quarter touchdown pass.
Wake Forest's 27 points were well below the Deacons' season average of 44.7. It's the first time they've been held under 35 this year.
Wake Forest had 406 yards but just 36 on the ground on 31 carries. Sam Hartman threw for 312 yards on a 27-of-43 clip with a touchdown and an interception.
You could argue that everything turned on a two-play sequence in the third quarter, after Clemson took the opening kickoff and pounded chunk running plays right down the field.
On first-and-goal from the Wake Forest 7, Uiagalelei went option left and chose the pitch option to Kobe Pace when that option wasn't there.
Rondell Bothroyd disrupted the play and recovered the fumble at the Deacons' 15-yard line. Clemson already had two big turnovers in the first half in Deacons territory, one on a fumble by Pace and the other a tipped-ball interception thrown by Uiagalelei.
Clemson was up 17-10, and Wake's offense was ready to keep moving after a big second quarter.
And then Myles Murphy saved the day on the very next play by swiping the ball free from Christian Turner. Baylon Spector recovered, and two plays later Pace ran for an 8-yard touchdown to put Clemson up 24-10.
Uiagalelei gave his head coach a nice 52nd birthday gift on Clemson's next drive, after Wake drove for a field goal that trimmed it to 24-13.
The Deacons had two rare stops of Clemson's running game, leaving the Tigers with a third-and-8 from their 42-yard line.
Collins was in the slot and got separation from man coverage down the left sideline. Uiagalelei, who has struggled mightily with the simplest throws this season, let it fly and it was absolutely perfect on a difficult one. The ball dropped right over Collins' outside shoulder and into his left hand. He corralled it and ran the rest of the way for the score that put Clemson up 31-13.
Swinney could only smile as he looked at the replay on the big video board. A few moments later, Hartman lost a fumble and Clemson capitalized on that with a touchdown and that was pretty much it.
Wake Forest hasn't beaten Clemson since 2008, Swinney's last game as an assistant coach. The Tigers have reeled off 13 straight wins in the series, and Dave Clawson has lost all eight of his attempts by an average of 28 points.
In the last five seasons under Clawson, Wake has averaged 40.51 points against everyone but Clemson and 12 points against the Tigers.
Odds still seem slim Clemson can get to Charlotte for a seventh straight title game.
Then again, odds seemed slim Clemson's offense could get a first down Saturday and look what happened.
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