After scoring 31 points in the first half, Clemson’s offense had gone stagnant in the second half of Saturday’s eventual 45-10 victory over Furman at Memorial Stadium.

That is, until true freshman quarterback Chris Denson – an electric dual-threat quarterback from the Sunshine State — entered the game and breathed life into the Tigers’ attack.

Denson came into the game in the fourth quarter, and on his second carry, he broke off a 50-yard run — Clemson’s longest run of the season. Two plays later, he threw his first career touchdown on a 4-yard pass to tight end Logan Brooking, extending Clemson’s lead to 38-10 with 7:45 left in the game.

Denson continued to shine on Clemson’s next drive, adding the first rushing touchdown of his career on a 10-yard run with nine seconds remaining.

Overall, Denson rushed six times for a team-high 106 yards and completed all four of his passes for 22 yards while accounting for his two total touchdowns.

“To really get Denson some significant [playing] time was awesome,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said after the game. “That’s what he does in practice. That’s what we’ve seen. He showed up really raw, but he’s developing, and he’s had a great spring and summer. There’s been a lot of growth you don’t see, but it’s going to pay dividends. I’m really proud of him.”

Denson’s 106 rushing yards represented the first 100-yard rushing game by a Clemson quarterback since Trevor Lawrence’s 107 yards against Ohio State in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl.

His six carries tied for the fifth-fewest needed to record a 100-yard rushing performance in school history.

Denson’s 17.7-yards-per-carry average was the highest by a Clemson quarterback in a game with at least five attempts since Bobby Gage’s 30.3-yard average against Presbyterian in 1947 (182 yards on six carries).

Swinney said Denson will “absolutely” play a big role in game prep this week as the Tigers (6-5) prepare to face South Carolina (4-7) and quarterback LaNorris Sellers on Saturday in Columbia (noon, SEC Network).

“As y’all saw, he can give a look,” Swinney said. “And he’s done that a couple times this year for us. So, will definitely be a part of our prep.”

Prior to Saturday’s game vs. Furman, Denson had appeared in one game this season. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder made his college debut on a 2-yard keeper vs. SMU on Oct. 18.

Denson, who enrolled at Clemson in January, was ranked among the top 25 dual-threat quarterbacks in the country for the 2025 recruiting class by Rivals (No. 14) and ESPN (No. 25).

A two-year starter for Plant City (Fla.) High School, Denson completed 63.6 percent of his career passes for 4,813 yards and 55 touchdowns with just 13 interceptions. He added 1,940 career rushing yards on 207 carries (9.4-yard average) and collected 16 rushing touchdowns with eight 100-yard rushing games over his career.

Denson is a natural leader, according to Swinney, who says Denson has worked really hard in his development.

Swinney credited assistant quarterbacks coach Tajh Boyd for the job he’s done in working with Denson.

“He’s kind of been Tajh’s project,” Swinney said. “Tajh has really kind of had his hands on him. Every day, they work. They do a lot of post-practice stuff.”

“The kid’s a grinder,” Swinney added. “He’s a very committed guy. He’s a natural leader. That’s been fun to see. It’s not something that he has to work at. He is just a natural leader. He’s got a great presence to him, a great demeanor, and so it’s been fun to see his confidence grow.”

–Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story