CLEMSON — Clemson center Ryan Linthicum heard Memorial Stadium roar during the Tigers’ victory over Virginia last week and knew immediately what had happened.

Phil Mafah ran another defender over.

“I’m just blocking, but then I hear the crowd,” Linthicum said. “Then I look at the jumbotron and I see Phil truck a dude.”

Through the first seven games of the season, Clemson (6-1, 5-0 ACC) has relied heavily on the talents of both the Mafah, a running back, and the offensive line.

Mafah has 682 rushing yards and five touchdowns for the Tigers, which ranks third in the ACC.

Up front, Linthicum and the offensive line have just two charged sacks in seven games, as opposed to 29 last season. The O-line’s production so far earned them a spot on Joe Moore’s midseason honor roll, a prestigious award for the best collegiate offensive line.

But Mafah and the offensive line’s relative successes are not isolated. Linthicum believes the communication between his group and the running backs has propelled improvement in both groups.

“Especially in pass protection, the quarterback, the o-line, the running back all got to be on the same page, so there’s definitely a connection,” Linthicum said. “You guys got to communicate well. I’d say the best word to put is communicate with the running backs.”

Linthicum also expressed his trust in reserve backs Keith Adams and Jay Haynes, who have added 235 rushing yards and two touchdowns of their own for Clemson. 

“Phil, Jay, Keith, you know those backs will get it done,” Linthicum said. “We just got to do our part.”

The Tigers will have their next chance to do their part against the Louisville Cardinals on Nov. 2, following their second bye week of the season.

According to Linthicum, “This isn’t an off-week. This is a week to improve.”