On ACC Network‘s “The ACC Huddle” show following Clemson’s 48-20 win over Louisiana Tech at Death Valley on Saturday night, ACCN analysts Eric Mac Lain and EJ Manuel gave their takeaways from what they saw from DJ Uiagalelei and the Tigers’ offense against the Bulldogs .
Uiagalelei was 17-of-29 for 221 yards and two scores through the air and picked up 62 yards on the ground on nine carries, guiding a Clemson offense that gained a season-high 521 total yards, including 280 rushing on 39 attempts (7.2 average).
The Tigers (3-0, 1-0 ACC) put up 35 points in the second half and outscored the Bulldogs by 21 over the final two quarters.
“I mean, that’s what you wanted to see,” said Mac Lain, the former Clemson and All-ACC offensive lineman. “We talked about halftime adjustments, what do you need to see from this offensive line, and those guys picked it up. They ran the ball extremely well. When you outgain your opponent and you’re rushing for 7 yards every time you hit the rock, that’s an impressive thing.
“So, to see the growth there, the response there to put up 48 points, and then just the continued response from DJ – to see a guy that struggled so much a year ago and is just finding his groove, is proving people wrong each and every day, and to keep seeing that growth. He admitted that there were a couple of flashes where there were some drops or some miscues. But overall, a very impressive two weeks in a row for DJ.”
A week earlier against Furman, the junior quarterback threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns while completing 21 of 27 passes for a completion percentage of 77.8 percent — the highest completion percentage Uiagalelei has posted when attempting at least 25 passes.
Manuel, the former Florida State and NFL quarterback, believes Uiagalelei’s play so far this season has solidified his spot as Clemson’s QB1.
“When you talk about DJ Uiagalelei and this quarterback (controversy), that’s dead,” he said. “DJ’s the starter. I think that team obviously knows that. They’re going to follow as he goes, and he’s playing really clean football.”
Manuel added that he thought Uiagalelei’s wide receivers played better against Louisiana Tech.
Freshman Antonio Williams had a team-high 57 receiving yards on two catches and hauled in his first career touchdown reception on a beautifully thrown 19-yard pass from Uiagalelei. Sophomore Beaux Collins had two grabs for 47 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown reception from Uiagalelei, while senior Joseph Ngata notched three receptions for 54 yards, highlighted by a spectacular, diving 41-yard snag in the first quarter.
“Some of those deep balls, they brought in with one hand, two hands going up, catching those 50-50 passes,” Manuel said. “Against a team like Wake Forest next week, they’re going to have to do that. So, I thought this was a step in the right direction.”
Fifth-ranked Clemson’s game at No. 21 Wake Forest (3-0, 0-0 ACC) on Saturday will kick off at noon ET on ABC.
“Clemson hasn’t really been challenged yet,” Manuel said. “I think the first big challenge comes from a veteran quarterback in Sam Hartman at Wake Forest, a team that can run the football and then a team that does pretty good defensively as well. They’ve got some miscues, too, where they can’t tackle guys in the open field. But I think next week’s going to be a really good matchup to see which team is going to be who.”
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