Woods says Goal-Line Package was ‘Dope’

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Earlier this week, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was asked if Clemson had a goal-line package, like it has had used in the past.

Swinney said everyone will have to wait and see.

Everyone saw it during No. 10 Clemson’s 49-14 win over Wake Forest at Allegacy Stadium.

“There you go! You got it,” Swinney said after the game.

With about seven minutes to play in the second quarter, the Tigers faced a fourth-and-goal situation from the Demon Deacons 2-yard line. Though Clemson had just a 14-7 lead, Swinney wasted no time in his decision to go for it.

And when he did, he called on his jumbo set – defensive tackle Payton Page at offensive tackle, defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart at tight end and defensive linemen Peter Woods at fullback. Wake Forest’s defensive line and defense had no chance.

Clemson lined up in a Power-I set. Quarterback Cade Klubnik, under center, handed the football to running back Phil Mafah, who scored perhaps the easiest touchdown of his career, as he went untouched into the end zone.

“I already knew whoever I was going to block, was going to shrivel up,” Woods said.

He was right.

Capehart blew open the left side, leaving Woods one-on-one with a defensive back, who wanted nothing to do the 315-pound defensive lineman.

The Mafah touchdown gave the Tigers a 21-7 lead with 6:46 to play in the first half.

“Those are tough calls as a head coach when you have a chance to make it a (two) score game right there,” Swinney said. “Those are kind of tough calls. It’s not fourth-and-one, its fourth-and-two and they bailed me out right there. They did a heck of a job executing. I was happy to see them get in there.”

Woods was happy about it, too.

“That was dope,” he said. “My Coach has been telling me all week we are going to call it if we need it.”

They Tigers needed it. And they called it.