Will Shipley rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-clinching, 21-yard score with 2:53 remaining, as Clemson rallied for a 30-20 victory Saturday against Florida State.
The victory was Clemson’s 32nd consecutive win at Memorial Stadium, extending the school record as well as the nation’s longest active home winning streak.
Clemson (5-3, 3-2 ACC) continued its recent dominance against Florida State (3-5, 2-3), defeating the Seminoles for a sixth consecutive time and improving to 11-1 in its last 12 games against Florida State at Memorial Stadium.
But the Tigers’ latest victory in the series didn’t come easily. The Seminoles, who entered the game having won three straight after an 0-4 start, took a 20-17 lead on a six-yard fumble return by Jermaine Johnson with 7:39 remaining.
But after trading three-and-outs, Clemson took over on its own 42-yard line with 3:48 remaining and drove 58 yards in 55 seconds for the go-ahead touchdown. Shipley capped the drive with a tackle-breaking 21-yard run for a 24-20 lead.
Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter added a three-yard fumble return on the game’s final play for the final margin.
Shipley, a freshman running back who missed two games with a broken tibia before returning to action in last week’s loss at Pitt, recorded the first 100-yard game of his career, carrying 25 times for his 128-yard total. He also had two kickoff returns for 42 yards and four receptions for 24 yards for 194 all-purpose yards.
Fellow freshman Phil Mafah added 69 yards on nine carries for Clemson, which totaled 188 yards on the ground. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei completed 19-of-31 passes for 189 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Davis Allen. Uiagalelei was intercepted once.
Clemson’s defense held Florida State to 244 total yards, including 68 rushing. Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis completed 14-of-22 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns, including a highlight-reel, 75-yard score to Lawrance Toefili, who spun over a would-be tackler’s body without touching the ground to complete the play.
Toefili’s touchdown gave the Seminoles a 13-10 lead with 8:14 left in the second quarter.
After spotting Clemson a 3-0 lead on a 47-yard field goal by B.T. Potter in the first quarter, Florida State scored on a one-yard pass from Travis to Jashaun Corbin.
Clemson led at the half 17-13 thanks to Allen’s touchdown catch.
The Tigers amassed 10 tackles for loss, including six sacks.
–Field Level Media
