The fans celebrate as Clemson's youth is learning how to win

Clemson fans celebrate on the field.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Nov 20 17:56:51 GMT-04:00 2021

CLEMSON – Maybe, just maybe, Clemson’s bevy of younger players are finally learning how to win.

Clemson started two juniors or seniors on offense against Wake Forest Saturday – the rest were freshmen and sophomores – and had a wide receiving corps depleted by injury as five scholarship receivers missed the game. That includes the top four receivers on the preseason depth chart in Justyn Ross, Frank Ladson, Joseph Ngata, and EJ Williams.

It didn’t matter as the Tigers relied on perhaps the best game from the offensive line this season and outstanding efforts from running backs Kobe Pace and Will Shipley in a dominating 48-27 victory over the Demon Deacons on Senior Day in Death Valley Saturday afternoon.

Clemson put up 543 total yards and rushed for 333 yards, the most since gained 419 against Wofford in November of 2019. Pace had a career-high 191 yards on 24 carries, while Shipley had 19 carries for 112 yards. Beaux Collins had four catches for a career-high 137 yards. DJ Uiagalelei was 11-for-19 for 208 yards.

It was the fewest number of points scored by the Demon Deacons this season, who scored 35 against Florida St. earlier in the season. In fact, Wake Forest had scored 215 points over the last four weeks, and the 27 points scored against the Tigers were aided by two touchdowns scored against a bevy of Clemson reserves in the fourth quarter.

Wake’s 406 total yards ranked as the second-lowest output of the season.

As the fans gathered at the paw – it was more like a mad dash to midfield – there were arms upraised in triumph and thousands of voices raised in unison to sing along with the music being played over the loudspeakers. After almost two years of not being able to take the field after the game, and an entire season of questions and offensive ineptitude, it was the kind of game that everyone needed, from the coaches to the players to the fans.

Despite the game not really being in doubt, most of the fans stayed in their seats until the final whistle, and a few minutes after the game was over, it looked almost like the entire stadium had moved from their seats to the middle of the field. No one waited for the alma mater to be sung or for Wake Forest to leave the field – it started with a few people hopping the wall in the West End Zone in a minor trickle, and then that trickle turned into a flood when the students went over the barriers on the hill and ran onto the field.

Clemson players caught up in the tumult didn’t seem to mind and celebrated with their peers. The biggest days were reserved for the younger players – Pace is a sophomore, Shipley is a true freshman, Beaux and Dacari Collins are true freshmen, sophomore Sage Ennis and freshman Jake Briningstool are the future at tight end, and the good news is that an offensive line that found itself should all return next season.

A team and a program that has dealt with injuries and adversity and transfers all season finally let loose, and it might, might, be a turning point for these younger players.

For one day, however, fans kept off the field for two seasons and a Clemson team kept pent up by adversity all converged at midfield to celebrate. And then thoughts will quickly turn to next week’s rivalry game at South Carolina. If Wake or NC State manage to win the Atlantic, then the Tigers still have a chance at finishing 9-3 and earning a nice bowl trip. If those teams stumble, the Tigers will represent the Atlantic in Charlotte. The team that showed up Saturday showed it can still be the class of the ACC.