Sometimes the stat sheet does not tell the story. Sometimes the game itself includes pivotal moments where performance is not about the result of plays but what caused those results. In those cases, you had to be there to recognize the greatness of the action.

Then there are times when the answer is obvious, when the flow of the game and those that most prominently caused it are readily apparent to all whose eyes are fixed upon that game.

In a game of mostly “meh” offense from both Clemson and Louisville, Wayne Gallman’s stat line stood out from the rest of the crowd: 24 carries, 139 yards. There were no touchdowns. There were no outrageously long runs. There were no Sportscenter highlights. There was simply good running, which the Tigers desperately needed in Thursday night’s 20-17 win at Louisville.

Clemson could hardly muster anything of consequence in the passing game, so Gallman’s presence was vital to the structure of effective drives. His carries were scattered evenly throughout the game, with an almost even split of touches peppering all four quarters.

Gallman took the ball on first down the majority of the time, and he never went backwards—not even once. This allowed Clemson’s offense to keep the playbook wide open in manageable down-and-distance situations. It also grew Gallman’s confidence as the game wore onward.

Besides Gallman, Clemson’s runners gained 63 yards on 16 carries—just under four yards per carry, as opposed to Gallman’s nearly six yards per carry. Gallman accounted for 140 of Clemson’s 401 offensive yards on 25 touches, essentially 35 percent of the yardage on 35 percent of the snaps.

It was not a banner day for the Tiger attack, but Gallman did something with regularity on Thursday he had previously only done in spurts. He accumulated yards after contact, eating up a larger chunk of the field than what was offered by the simple execution of the play. The best running backs do this on play after play, and Gallman is learning what it means to perform at that level.

Without him, it is likely Clemson loses on Thursday. Without his yeoman’s effort, the Tigers might continue to struggle on the ground, further exasperating an already dysfunctional passing attack. Without him eating up a large workload, other inferior backs would be called upon to perform in a tight game.

Gallman responded to the call. He may not have scored himself, but Clemson almost certainly would not have scored more than once or twice without him. That’s what a Player of the Game does.