Written by Garin Turner
The No. 2 Clemson Tigers were the only team from the Carolinas and Virginia that didn’t call off its game because of Hurricane Florence. They didn’t disappoint in front of a sold-out crowd, defeating Georgia Southern 38-7.
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Travis Etieene rushed for a career high 162 yards and had two touchdowns to help the Tigers improve to 3-0 on the season. Trevor Lawrence continued his ascension throwing for 194 yards, including a 57-yard score to Justyn Ross in the second quarter that brought the game to 14-0. Kelly Bryant got the start for the Tigers but couldn’t get in a rhythm throwing for an interception. The Tigers also missed a 39-yard field goal and turned the ball over on a fumble.
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Etienne’s first touchdown came with 8:43 left in the first quarter when he punched it in from a yard out that capped off a 13 play, 93-yard drive. His second score came on a 40-yard run to bring the game to 31-7. “Travis Etienne played well; he had a career-high 162 rushing yards. All of our running backs did good things. We ran the ball like we needed to,” Clemson Tiger head coach Dabo Swinney said.
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Despite the blowout, there were two missed field goals and three turnovers by the Tigers. Bryant left in the second quarter after scrambling to his left and took a hard hit. He returned to the sideline but was kept out of the rest of the game. “With the first quarter of the season coming to an end, we couldn’t be any better than 3-0. We’re where we hoped to be, but we’ve still got a lot of improving to do as a football team. I like how we finished today, but I didn’t like how we started. I’m disappointed in the three turnovers. We also had some missed opportunities that we’ve got to take advantage of,” Swinney said.
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The Tigers defense showed once again why they rank among the best in the nation. Georgia Southern only had seven first downs and were 4/14 on third down efficiency. They only managed 140 yards. Their lone score came on a 6-yard run from Shai Werts.
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In addition to Etienne’s big day, Adam Choice and Tavien Feaster both scored on the ground for the Tigers. Ross had three receptions for 103 yards and the touchdown. 14 different receivers caught a pass for the Tigers. “There were lots of positives, offensively. Eighteen different guys touched ball for us,” Swinney said. With the win, the Tigers have now won 46 out of its last 50 games, dating back to 2014.
