Clemson Football

The No. 5 Clemson Tigers defeated the No. 21 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 51-45 on Saturday in double overtime, but head coach Dabo Swinney isn't too happy with his defense.

Swinney's defense didn't force a single turnover and allowed Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman to complete 20-of-29 passes for 337 yards and a whopping six touchdowns.

Demon Deacons wide receiver Jahmal Banks also torched the Clemson defense, catching six passes for 141 yards and two scores, and the team's rushing offense managed 110 yards for a total of 447 yards of offense.

However, Clemson was without some key defensive pieces in the secondary on Saturday, including safety Andrew Mukuba and cornerbacks Sheridan Jones and Malcolm Greene, due to injury.

So, it's safe to say at least some of the team's struggles on defense were due to those losses in the secondary.

The Tigers are back in action next weekend against No. 12 NC State.

DJ Uiagalelei's five passing touchdowns allowed No. 5 Clemson to survive No. 21 Wake Forest's upset bid Saturday.

The Tigers held on for a 51-45 double-overtime victory over their ACC rival thanks to Davis Allen's 21-yard touchdown catch from Uiagalelei to start the extra frame.

Wake Forest got the ball last with an opportunity to win the game, but the offense only managed to gain four yards, and Sam Hartman's pass to A.T. Perry on fourth-and-6 was incomplete.

Despite being ranked No. 4 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, Clemson had a lot to prove this season.

Uiagalelei, in particular, was going to be under the microscope after a disappointing sophomore campaign in 2021 when he had more interceptions (10) than passing touchdowns (nine). The California native arrived at Clemson with a lot of hype as a 5-star prospect and top-ranked pro-style quarterback in the 2020 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

Through four games, it certainly looks like Uiagalelei has taken a huge step forward. His five touchdowns Saturday gave him 10 for the season. He went 26-of-41 for 371 yards against Wake. The 21-year-old has only thrown one interception on 129 attempts so far.

The Tigers defense did get challenged in its first major test of the season. Clemson allowed 447 yards of offense to Wake Forest. Hartman was terrific in the loss, completing 20 of 29 attempts for 337 yards with six scores and no interceptions.

The Demon Deacons put up 21 points in the third quarter and took a 38-35 lead with 8:07 remaining in the fourth quarter on Matthew Dennis' 29-yard field goal.

Antonio Williams set his team up with good field position thanks to a 26-yard kickoff return that got the Tigers out to their own 48-yard line. Their drive stalled after seven plays, but B.T. Potter drilled a 52-yard field goal to tie the score.

After trading touchdowns in the first overtime period, Uiagalelei hit Allen on 3rd-and-6 from Wake's 21-yard line for the game-winning score.

The loss drops Wake Forest to 3-1 on the season, but head coach Dave Clawson's squad continues to play well coming off an 11-win campaign in 2021.

Clemson is off to a 4-0 start with possibly its most difficult regular-season opponent looming. Head coach Dabo Swinney's squad will host No. 12 North Carolina State on Oct. 1. No. 25 Miami is the only other currently ranked team still on the schedule (Nov. 19).

Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee will not play in Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech following the death of his younger sister, Ella Bresee, who was just 15 years old, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

Ella Bresee died Thursday after being diagnosed with brain cancer 17 months ago.

Bresee played in Clemson's win over Furman last week before returning home to be with his family. A service for Ella Bresee will be held Tuesday in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said that he learned a lot from Ella Bresee.

"I am stronger today for having experienced Ella's strength and courage," he said.

Bresee committed to Clemson in April 2019 out of Damascus High School in Maryland. In two games this season, he has posted 0.5 sacks, 6.0 tackles and 2.0 tackles for a loss.

Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee announced Thursday his 15-year-old sister, Ella, died from cancer.

The Associated Press reported Ella was "battling an aggressive form of brain cancer." Bryan posted a statement on Instagram alongside pictures with his sister:

"My beautiful sister Ella you amazed me every single day with the fight that you put up and how joyful you were constantly through this battle. Never did I think I would be sitting here today saying bye to you. I want to thank you for bringing happiness to not only me but so many people. You are the best sister a brother could ask for and I know for a fact heaven has gained a beautiful angel today, Love you forever and always Ella bear."

The Tigers honored Bresee's sister by wearing "Ella Strong" shirts before Saturday's win over Furman after she returned to the family's home state of Maryland for treatment following a visit with the team early last week:

Bresee traveled back to Maryland following the game, and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said football was not relevant when asked about the standout lineman's availability for this Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech.

"I don't know and really don't care," Swinney told reporters Wednesday.

He added: "As I said, yesterday there are bigger things than football. He needs to focus on what he's doing, and when he's ready to be back and ready to play, we'll be here. But right now, he's right where he needs to be."

Bresee is a redshirt sophomore who joined the Tigers program in 2020.

Clemson linebacker Trenton Simpson could be one of the top defenders in the country next season after standing out among his teammates in 2021.

"The Clemson defense was trash last year, but Simpson is that dude," an NFL general manager told ESPN's Matt Miller. "He's going to crush the combine and should be the ACC DPOY. Hopefully they unleash him a little more this year because he can really do it all."

The Tigers did rank second in the nation with 14.9 points allowed per game while finishing eighth in yards allowed per contest last year. Inconsistency was an issue as the squad finished 10-3, with its most losses since 2014.

Simpson finished the season with 64 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss, with six sacks and two passes defended.

The 5-star recruit was the top outside linebacker and No. 26 overall player in the 2020 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He appeared in 12 games as a freshman, tallying four sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss mostly coming off the bench.

Simpson showed his potential as a starter last season, and he is now ready to make an even bigger impact in 2022.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. listed Simpson as the No. 25 overall player in the 2023 NFL draft class, noting the linebacker's "explosion at the snap."

With another productive season, he could end up being drafted even earlier next April.

Pressuring the quarterback has never been more imperative than in today's pass-happy climate. To that end, Clemson added a key piece to its defensive line for 2023 with a commitment from Peter Woods.

The Alabaster, Alabama, native is the No. 3 defensive lineman in 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also the 23rd-best player in the country.

In March 2021, Gabe Brooks of 247Sports compared Woods to former Michigan standout Rashan Gary, who was the No. 12 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft:

Stout defensive line prospect with potential for personnel flexibility across multiple schemes. Good height and enough frame space to add more mass. ... Flashes impressive suddenness and functional athleticism relative to size and age. Displays consistent disengaging ability to shed vs. run. Flashes some pass-rush nuance beyond his years. Athletic enough to be a threat from the backside. Strong at the point of attack and arrives at the ball with conviction. Seems like an extremely high-floor prospect with plenty of long-term potential as well.

A leg injury cost Woods all but six games of the 2020 season with Thompson High School. The squad still reached the state title game, where he had five tackles.

The Warriors were back in the state championship again in 2021. Getting to enjoy a full season, Woods posted 92 total tackles, 11 sacks and 26 tackles for loss. He was a terror for opposing players.

Thompson boasted another 5-star talent on defense in Jeremiah Alexander. Alexander, an Alabama commit, was the top edge defender in 247Sports' 2022 composite rankings. Pairing Alexander and Woods together almost wasn't fair.

With the former moving on to the Crimson Tide, the latter has the opportunity to showcase himself in an even bigger way. Tigers fans will be eager to see what he does in 2022 before arriving in Clemson.

As much as Clemson has benefited from stellar quarterback play to become a perennial College Football Playoff contender, the front seven has often set the tone for the Tigers.

The program didn't have a single defensive lineman selected in the 2020, 2021 or 2022 NFL drafts, though. It's not entirely a coincidence Clemson has had slowly diminishing returns since winning a national championship in 2018.

Perhaps Woods can help the Tigers return to the point where they boast one of the most fearsome front sevens in FBS.