Snap judgments as fast start lifts Clemson to win over Miami

CLEMSON — For 20 minutes it appeared as though Clemson was going to have its way with Miami.

The Tigers led 21-0 with 10:22 left in the second quarter, and a blowout seemed imminent.

But as it has done for much of the season, Clemson struggled to put a team away. The Tigers turned the ball over on three consecutive possessions in the second half and allowed Miami to hang around.

Clemson eventually pulled away for a 40-10 win, but not until the Hurricanes cut the lead to two scores in the fourth quarter.

Still, the game was never in doubt as Wes Goodwin’s unit held Miami to under 100 total yards of offense. All in all, it was a successful Senior Night for the Tigers.

“Really proud of our team. A fun day in the Valley. Just proud of our guys. It was a dominant win but still left a lot out there,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Defensively just an awesome day – 98 total yards in modern day football, that’s hard to do.”

Here are some quick takeaways from Saturday’s win:

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. becoming a star

Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. continues to take his game to another level. The sophomore had a team-high nine tackles, a sack and a pass breakup. Clemson’s defense played well, holding Miami to only eight yards in the first half. Miami finished the game with just 98 yards.

Trotter was a big part of the strong defensive effort. Seven of his nine tackles were solo stops. He was the leading tackler by six tackles.

“I thought Trotter was outstanding once again,” Swinney said. “Trotter’s starting to really settle in. He’s just kind of starting to come into his own and be that quarterback we need.”

Turnovers officially a problem

Clemson turned the ball over three times and put the ball on the ground five times — all in the second half. Clemson has multiple turnovers in four consecutive games.

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw a pick and fumbled, while Jake Briningstool, Will Shipley, Davis Allen and Antonio Williams also fumbled.

Miami’s only touchdown of the game came after a Clemson turnover.

“It was just sloppy. I mean we’re just stopping ourselves. It’s frustrating,” Swinney said.

Impressive consistency

While it wasn’t always pretty, Clemson earned 10 wins for the 12th consecutive season. Dabo Swinney has built a program that is as consistent as any in college football.

Only two other programs all time — Alabama and Florida State — have ever had this many 10-win seasons in a row.

“It’s historic. It’s just incredible,” Swinney said. “There’s a lot of teams out there that will win every now and then, but to be able to do something like that over and over and over again is just incredible.”