CLEMSON, S.C. — On an afternoon that nearly spelled disaster for other teams lingering in the College Football Playoff conversation, Clemson didn’t miss a beat.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei had three total touchdowns and 316 total yards and running back Will Shipley added 99 all-purpose yards and a score as the No. 9 Tigers blew out Miami, 40-10, Saturday in Memorial Stadium.
Clemson’s defense also limited the Hurricanes to 98 total yards and registered an interception, a fumble recovery, a safety and a fourth-down stop as the Tigers moved to 9-1 and 8-0 in the ACC heading into next weekend’s regular-season finale against rival South Carolina.
Clemson, which will play No. 13 UNC in the ACC title game two weeks from now, recorded its 40th consecutive home win and looked mostly dominant as nearby teams in the CFP Top 25 rankings — namely, No. 3 Michigan and No. 4 TCU — did not.
The Wolverines and the Horned Frogs are two teams Clemson probably need a loss from to make the four-team field. And both needed fourth-quarter rallies to sneak past Illinois and Baylor, respectively, and stay undefeated by a combined three points on Saturday.
Granted, those contests came against teams far more capable than Miami (5-6, 3-4 ACC), which played Clemson without starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke for a second straight game. Still, they underscored Clemson’s need to keep on winning — and keep on winning by drastic margins — to stay in the CFP hunt after a season-altering loss at Notre Dame earlier this month.
Coach Dabo Swinney’s Tigers did as much last week in a 15-point win over a hot Louisville team and kept the good times rolling on Saturday, which was also the program’s Senior Day.
A week after a “do or die” game in which he was at risk of losing his starting quarterback position to backup Cade Klubnik, Uiagalelei played with accuracy and poise in leading Clemson to touchdowns on three of its four possessions.
Uiagalelei hit tight end Davis Allen for a seven-yard touchdown to go up 7-0; avoided multiple defenders on a eight-yard touchdown run to go up 14-0; and found tight end Luke Price for a wide-open three-yard touchdown after a play-action fake to go up 21-0. That was the first career touchdown for Price, a sixth-year senior.
The Clemson defense did its part, too, by forcing three-and-outs on four of Miami’s first five possessions. The Hurricanes’ only other first-half possession ended with Clemson safety Jalyn Phillips picking off true freshman Jacurri Brown, who started in place of Van Dyke.
Kicker B.T. Potter added a chip-shot field goal from 32 yards to give Clemson a 24-0 halftime lead over Miami, which had minus-11 total yards after a quarter and eight total yards at halftime.
Brown, a talented runner, got Miami down to Clemson’s goal line with a 40-yard run to start the third quarter but that was a fruitless drive: Tigers linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. stuffed a run for zero-yard gain on a Miami fourth and one from the 26-yard line.
Clemson’s offense had a messy third quarter, with Uiagalelei throwing his fourth interception in four games and Allen, his top tight end, losing a fumble in the red zone. Tight end Jake Briningstool and running back Will Shipley each fumbled the ball, too, with Clemson recovering both, and Potter came up short on a 59-yard field goal.
The Tigers’ only points of the quarter came on a safety, as true freshman cornerback Toriano Pride Jr. sacked Miami quarterback Brown in the end zone to put Clemson up 26-3. Earlier, the Hurricanes added a 44-yard field goal to avoid a shutout.
Clemson turned it over a third time when Miami strip-sacked Uiagalelei in the fourth quarter, and Brown followed that up with a one-yard touchdown to bring Miami within 26-10. The Hurricanes also played backup quarterback Jake Garcia in the second half.
Shipley added an insurance rushing touchdown from three yards out late in the fourth quarter to put Clemson up 33-10. It was the sophomore’s team-leading 13th touchdown of the season. Klubnik, Uiagalelei’s true freshman backup, played the final offensive series of Clemson’s blowout win, which ended in a Kobe Pace touchdown run.
Clemson welcomed starting linebacker Trenton Simpson (ankle), starting right guard Walker Parks (concussion) and backup running back Pace (ankle) back to the lineup while playing without starting defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (undisclosed) and starting wide receiver Beaux Collins (shoulder).
The Tigers still have some serious turnover issues to correct after Saturday’s 30-point win. Over their last four games, they’ve coughed it up 12 times and forced five turnovers for a final margin of -7. Somehow, they’re 3-1 in those contests, but that sloppiness will catch up to them sooner rather than later.
Clemson also fumbled the ball five times for a second straight game and lost the turnover margin for the fourth consecutive game for the first time since 2011.
