Grading the Tigers: The Wake Forest Game
Here are our position grades for the Tigers, in their 52-3 win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Quarterbacks: A+
With five passing touchdowns in the game, Clemson has now thrown three or more touchdowns in six straight games for the first time in school history.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence completed 21-of-27 passes for 272 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. His 211.3 pass efficiency rating marks his fourth game this season -- and the sixth of his career -- with a 200.0 or better passer rating.
"Trevor [Lawrence] was amazing. He threw for a career-high four touchdowns," head coach Dabo Swinney said.
Running Backs: A+
Clemson has now rushed for multiple touchdowns in 12 consecutive games for the first time since a 15-game streak across the 2016-17 seasons.
Etienne rushed 16 times for 121 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 37 yards. With another 100-yard performance, Etienne took sole possession of the school record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games by reaching the mark in a sixth straight game, surpassing five-game streaks by Kenny Flowers (1985) and Raymond Priester (1996-97).
Lyn-J Dixon gained 96 all-purpose yards, rushing six times for 34 yards and a touchdown and catching two passes for 62 yards. Dixon recorded a career-long 55-yard reception in the third quarter. On the following play, he rushed nine yards into the end zone for his fifth rushing touchdown of the season.
"Travis [Etienne] is the first Clemson rusher to have six 100-plus-yard games in a row," Swinney said. "That’s a pretty special accomplishment. Lyn-J [Dixon] played well, too.
Wide Receivers: A+
The receivers, as a whole, caught the ball thrown to them.
"A lot of guys did a really good job," co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott said. "Tee Higgins [got] three touchdowns. I’m really proud of him. He’s done a good job attacking the ball; he’s been playing well and finally got some good opportunities today. Also, a senior, Diondre Overton, made some really big plays in his last game. And then, it was pretty neat on senior day to have two true freshmen make some really big plays.
"They’ve made some plays this year but that was really the first time Frank Ladson-with Justyn Ross being out for a bit, getting checked out-Frank was in there rolling with the ones. That was a critical play down there at the goal line and that was big to seen him be able to finish that play. Then, Joseph Ngata - it was really good to see him finish that play. We keep bringing those guys along. So, [I’m] really pleased with how we played.
Tight End: C+
After weeks of spending time grading as a C, the tight ends get a small bump as they caught four passes for a total of 26 yards. While it is not a ton of production, the fact that they were at least a thought in the passing game is encouraging
Offensive Line: B+
The Tiger offensive line earned the game ball from head coach Dabo Swinney, and even though it appeared to many that they struggled at times to protect Lawrence, the fact is they were dominant for the majority of the game.
"There was one [play] they did a little different look that caused a little bit of confusion and miscommunication there," co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said. "Sean Pollard had a guy that he was on and the guy spun off and made a play but I was really proud [that] we started off very fast and we kind of got out of rhythm a little bit but we were able to kick it back in there late in the first half, and then we were able to carry that into the beginning of the first half. That’s what you want to see out of a championship caliber team is that they can respond to adversity and I thought we responded to adversity well and finished on a positive note.”
Defensive: A+
The entire defense earned their supper, as they held the Eagles to only 106 total yards of offense.
“It was a great performance," defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "First of all, I’m just thankful for our players and their dedication and their commitment. There’s been 150 years of college football and what they’ve accomplished through 11 games is pretty special. Hopefully they'll get a game ball out of it. That's probably my favorite thing of victory is the opportunity to get a game ball. I’m super proud of them and their coaches.
"It’s hard to sustain success and the mindset it takes to not only win but to play well against a really well-coached and talented group, a very tough system to defend. For the seniors to be able to go out, they’ll never forget that last game at home, 22 in a row now, it’s pretty special to sit back and witness now so I’m thankful for each and every guy in that locker room.”
