Clemson’s 24-10 win over Cal on Friday night didn’t just keep the Tigers perfect in ACC play. It also showed exactly where this team can take over a game.
After a slow first quarter, Clemson ripped off 24 of the final 27 points and controlled the night with defense, a bruising run game and a special teams unit that keeps finding ways to swing momentum. The Tigers finished their first month at 3-1, and the pieces that mattered most showed up in a big way.
The secondary set the tone early and never really let Cal breathe. When Ashton Hampton and Elliot Washington II are working on opposite sides of the field, opposing quarterbacks have had a hard time moving the ball lately, and Friday was no different.
Washington came up with the biggest splash plays, intercepting Golden Bears quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele twice and accounting for both Clemson turnovers forced in the game. Hampton added three pass breakups and three tackles, helping shut down Cal’s passing attack and put a lid on any real momentum the Golden Bears tried to build.
Even with Clemson trailing for much of the first half, the defense kept the Golden Bears from landing an offensive touchdown. That kind of resistance gave the Tigers room to settle in, and by the end of the night Cal had been held to just 10 points.
On offense, Gideon Davidson was the hammer. The sophomore followed up last week’s breakthrough against North Carolina with another huge night, piling up 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He became the engine that powered Clemson through the fourth quarter, and his 75-yard touchdown run on 3rd-and-8 was the kind of burst that changes the feel of a game instantly.
That play also marked the first time Clemson converted a third down longer than five yards in the game.
Davidson’s performance only added to what he said he felt after his first touchdown and 100-yard game last week: that he could be even better. Against Cal, he looked every bit like the Tigers’ clear No. 1 back.
Special teams delivered its own highlight, too. Clemson got its first punt return touchdown in eight years when Bryant Wesco Jr. broke free for a 65-yard catch-and-run that pushed the Tigers ahead late.
That unit has been sharp since Rich Bisaccia took over as special teams coordinator this offseason, and Friday was another example. Nolan Hauser missed a field goal, but he has started his junior season 10 of 11 on field goals. Jack Smith was steady again as punter and also placed one inside the 20.
For a Clemson team trying to stack momentum, the details mattered as much as the final score. The defense smothered Cal’s offense, Davidson provided the knockout runs, and special teams delivered a game-changing spark.
Clemson returns home next Saturday to face Miami at an undetermined time.
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