It was a dominant afternoon for Clemson’s defense as the unit made things miserable for one of the ACC’s top offenses and especially one of the league’s leading passers.

The Tigers (6-4, 3-4 ACC) shut down Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King and the Yellow Jackets’ attack during Clemson’s 42-21 victory on Saturday at Death Valley.

Clemson’s stifling defense suffocated Georgia Tech (5-5, 4-3) to the tune of just 254 total yards and 13 first downs (including 100 total yards and five first downs through three quarters).

The Yellow Jackets were unable to do much of anything in the passing game, as King was picked off four times and finished 13-of-31 passing for 129 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the fourth quarter with the game already well decided.

Freshmen defensive backs Khalil Barnes, Avieon Terrell, Kylon Griffin and Shelton Lewis all intercepted King in impressive fashion — highlighted by Terrell’s one-handed pick, the first interception of his career that halted a potential Tech scoring drive, and Lewis’ pick-six in the fourth quarter, also the first interception of his career, which put the finishing touches on the Tigers’ rout.

The effort from Clemson’s D against King is especially impressive considering the Texas A&M transfer came into the game ranked fourth among league passers (2,330 yards) with an ACC-leading 22 passing touchdowns.

King, who was averaging 319 total yards per game, had -8 yards of total offense in the first half. Over the first two quarters, he was 2-of-7 for 1 yard through the air with one interception.

Georgia Tech had 496 yards through the air over its previous two games, while its offense entered the game ranked third in the ACC in scoring (33.2 points per game).

Clemson got after King relentlessly, sacking him four times while putting him under constant pressure. The Tigers also posted 11 tackles for loss in the contest.

Not only was King ineffective as a passer for nearly the entire game, he wasn’t able to get going as a runner, either. He has over 500 rushing yards this season but recorded -3 yards on the ground against Clemson with his longest run being 7 yards.

After back-to-back wins, Clemson will finish up its ACC schedule and conclude a three-game November homestand next Saturday when the Tigers host North Carolina. Kickoff at Memorial Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m.

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