TCI handed out a few helmet stickers from third-ranked Clemson’s 26-7 victory at Georgia Tech on Thursday…
Ray-Ray McCloud
McCloud was the catalyst for Clemson’s offense in the first half. For the game, he caught eight passes for 101 yards on 11 targets. All of those numbers were best on the team on a night that continued the sophomore’s surge to prominence from relative obscurity. In the first half, McCloud received a heavy workload, catching seven balls for 90 yards. When the Tigers chose not to push the envelope in the second half, McCloud shrank into the shadows, but not before putting his stamp on Thursday’s game. Counting rushing and punt return yards, McCloud totaled 135 all-purpose yards—the only Clemson player to surpass 100 yards in the game.
Jordan Leggett
Fifteen players caught a pass against South Carolina State last week, but Leggett wasn’t one of them. The tight end atoned for his goose egg (and generally lackluster production over the season’s first three games) with four catches for 31 yards and a touchdown. He was a prominent fixture in the first half, snagging a nine-yard toss in the back of the end zone for Clemson’s final touchdown that occurred mere seconds before the conclusion of the half.
Mike Williams
Williams was a prime target for Watson once again. The Clemson passing attack took advantage of Georgia Tech’s aggression, tossing the ball to the lanky Williams in man-to-man coverage. He was targeted nine times in the game, hauling in six balls for 61 yards, including a four-yard touchdown toss on the game’s first drive. All of Williams’ action came early, as he didn’t see a single football thrown in his direction after halftime.
Ben Boulware
One week after he missed the entire South Carolina State game with an ankle injury, Boulware led the Tigers in tackles during Thursday’s conference win. He had ten tackles in the game, including six solo hits. His presence is a calming force as one of the few players on a young defensive unit that have played several games against the unique offense Georgia Tech threw at him and his teammates.
Dorian O’Daniel
A year after he established himself as a critical piece of the Georgia Tech gameplan, O’Daniel performed well in an encore performance. He had nine tackles in Thursday’s win and was one of two players with multiple tackles for loss. He also sacked Justin Thomas and consistently harassed both the quarterback and any ball carriers involved in the Yellow Jackets’ offense.
Andy Teasdall
Clemson’s punter had his best game of the season against the Yellow Jackets. He punted six times on the night, averaging a pedestrian 38.7 yards per kick. Despite his relatively unimpressive average, Teasdall pinned Tech inside its own 20-yard line on four occasions. As long as Teasdall is doing that, his job will be secure.