No. 10 NC State falls at No. 5 Clemson
Posted October 1, 2022
Updated October 2, 2022
Clemson, S.C. — Clemson didn’t win the Atlantic Division last year.
The Tigers took a big step to getting their ACC crown back on Saturday night in a matchup of top-10 teams.
Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to lead the fifth-ranked Tigers to a 30-20 home win over No. 10 NC State.
The Clemson quarterback struggled last year as the Tigers didn’t win the division or the ACC title for the first time since 2014. But the Tigers (5-0, 3-0 ACC) are in the driver’s seat now with consecutive wins over top 25 teams from the state of North Carolina.
Last week, it was a wild 51-45 overtime win at Wake Forest. The Tigers came back home, and under the lights, in front of a raucous crowd eager to forget last year’s blip under coach Dabo Swinney.
Pittsburgh won the ACC last year after a seven-year run by Clemson. The Tigers are doing their best to take it back. A 37-game home winning streak has helped the cause. Clemson's last home loss came in 2016.
It was the first time in school history that NC State (4-1, 0-1 ACC) was involved in a game between top 10 teams. The Wolfpack jumped into the top 10 for the first time since 2002 after its 4-0 start.
The Wolfpack couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity in front of them. Uiagalelei led an important 2-minute drive before the end of the first half after State took a 10-6 lead.
Uiagalelei’s pass to Will Shipley looked like it could have been either a touchdown or a touchback. The officials initially ruled a touchdown, then on review ruled his knee was down at the 1 before he fumbled the ball out of the end zone.
Uiagalelei scored from 1-yard out on the next play to give the Tigers a 13-10 lead at the break. Clemson turned around and scored on its first possession of the second half. Uiagalelei found tight end Jake Briningstool for a 7-yard touchdown and a 20-10 lead.
Uiagalelei finished 21 of 30 for 209 passing yards and ran for 73 yards. NC State quarterback Devin Leary threw for 245 yards with a touchdown and one interception. Leary also ran for a touchdown.
A would-be turnover by NC State’s defense and then a bad turnover caused by NC State’s offense, proved to be costly for the Wolfpack in the third quarter.
Cornerback Aydan White dropped an interception that would have helped State’s cause. On the Wolfpack’s next possession, tight end Chris Toudle had a pass bounce off of his hands and up in the air into a Clemson’s defenders arms like a wrapped gift.
The Tigers used the extra possession to cash in a 44-yard field goal by B.T. Potter and take a 23-13 lead at 14:16 in the fourth quarter. They didn't score again until 3:04 left on a 9-yard run by Uiagalelei.