The biggest ACC game of the season up to that point, set the stage for a tremendous statement from No. 5 Clemson as the Tigers led No. 10 NC State 30-20 in Death Valley on Saturday. Star quarterback DJ Uiagalelei made a great contribution to coach Dabo Swinney’s team, completing 21 of 30 passes for 209 yards with a touchdown and zero interceptions. He also added 73 rushing yards and two more points on the ground.
The game started as a field-goal fest, but Uiagalelei took control as he led the Tigers on a furious two-minute drive to end the first half, giving Clemson some much-needed momentum after a very sloppy 30 minutes. He had great protection on a 26-yard pass to push Will Shipley back out of the backfield to set the Tigers up at the 1-yard line, and Uiagalelei took it from there to give Clemson a 13-10 lead .
The offensive line maintained that momentum in the second half as the Tigers scored quickly to make it a two-point game and demoralize a Wolfpack team that couldn’t get off the ground. They were held to just 34 rushing yards, which allowed the Clemson front seven to tee off on quarterback Devin Leary in the second half. Leary finished the game 28 of 47 for 245 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The win puts Clemson 3-0 in the ACC, with two of those wins coming over ranked opponents. Does that mean Clemson is “back” as a national power? That remains to be seen. But there’s no doubt that two wins over division and conference title contenders will not only give Swinney’s crew confidence, but also pave the way for the Tigers’ return to the ACC championship game.
CBS Sports will update this story shortly with takeaways from Clemson’s big win over NC State.