For Clemson Offense, All it Takes is a Little Time
ORLANDO — When you look at the final numbers from Clemson’s 20-13 victory over Iowa State on Wednesday, there isn’t much that jumps off the page.
The 19th-ranked Tigers had just 315 total yards. They ran for 128 and had just one offensive touchdown. But there is one thing they did that helped them beat the Cyclones at the Cheez-It Bowl from Camping World Stadium in Orlando.
Clemson possessed the football for 32 minutes and 10 seconds, including two scoring drives that combined for 31 plays and took 15:47 off the clock.
“It is hard to do when you are marching down the field like that for 14 (plays). I think one of them was 17 plays. So, I am really proud of our guys for putting some of those drives together,” new offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter said after the game.
The Tigers (10-3) took the game’s first possession and subsequently took eight minutes and eight seconds off the clock while covering 69 yards in 15 plays before it finally bogged down at the Iowa State six. The long drive to open the game resulted in a 23-yard B.T. Potter field goal for a 3-0 lead with 6:52 to play in the first quarter.
“We were able to kind of come out and get two good drives at the start of the game and at the start of the second half,” said running back Will Shipley. “It just creates momentum for the rest of the half. It was huge to start off with that especially with it being Coach Streeters first game calling plays. It was big for our offense.”
The second long drive of the night took place on Clemson’s opening possession of the second half. This time the Tigers needed 16 plays and seven minutes and 39 seconds to drive 79 yards. However, this time, they found paydirt.
Running back Will Shipley capped the long drive with a 12-yard touchdown run, which increased the Tigers’ lead to 13-3 with 4:54 to play in the third quarter.
“Coach (Dabo) Swinney did a great job of helping call that play right there,” Streeter said. “We put that particular play in for (Iowa State). It is a little bit of a wrinkle off our two-running backs package. We just felt like we could get some extra flow by the way that we did it.
“Shipley just did a great job of reading it. That thing can kinda of hit anywhere. It could hit frontside, sometimes middle and sometimes backside and he found it.”
Shipley finished the night with 61 yards on 18 carries, while also catching five passes for 53 yards.
