Clemson RB Will Shipley Gets Redemption From Turnover With TD Run
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Will Shipley is admittingly an extremely emotional guy when the pads are on.
The emotion he was feeling in the third quarter of Saturday's game was frustration. The Clemson running back had just turned the ball over on a fumble when his team was trying to mount a comeback from a 21-10 halftime deficit.
"I was very frustrated," Shipley said. "I don't put the ball on the ground like that. It's something I take pride in."
Shipley didn't have to wait long to get his redemption. The sophomore took a fourth-quarter handoff to his right and right past a Syracuse safety on his way to a 50-yard touchdown run that completed the Clemson rally in a 27-21 victory that kept the No. 5 Tigers unbeaten.
"It was awesome," Shipley said about the big play with 11:26 to play that put the Tigers up 22-21 before a successful two-point conversion. "That's every running back's dream to make a big play like that in a crucial time.
"Those are the moments that I live for as a player and as a person."
Shipley celebrated that score with a leap into the student section at Memorial Stadium.
"I was finally able to put on the burners a little bit, get past that safety angle and get into the end zone," Shipley said. "And then I could I can't tell you what happened during the celebration. You know kind of like the crazy eyes earlier from the season. It's just the inner Will Shipley, kind of just going crazy and having fun out there."
Shipley helped out freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik, who took over for the benched DJ Uiagalelei in the second half, and had his second monster game in as many weeks. He finished with 172 rushing yards and two touchdowns while also adding 53 yards in the kick return game.
And he credited his teammates for not letting him sulk after a fumble that Syracuse ended up not scoring on. So it was no harm, no foul and it spurred a big run by the clutch running back.
"I was down on myself...but I get to the sideline and I've got four or five of my teammates coming up to me, really just pumping me up, helping me keep a positive attitude," Shipley said. "That's why this team is so special."
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