College football Week 4 winners and losers: Clemson, Tennessee triumph
Under heavy scrutiny since the start of last season, No. 5 Clemson’s offense drove a 51-45 win against No. 16 Wake Forest that may represent a major turning point as the Tigers attempt to return to the top of the ACC and the College Football Playoff.
The face of Clemson’s struggles on offense, junior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns to keep pace with Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman, who finished with 337 yards and a school-record six scores.
Asked to lead the Tigers to a must-have win, this offense delivered a second 500-yard game in a row — doing so for the first time since 2020 — and a resounding response to the questions and doubts that had been gathering for more than a year.
Uiagalelei’s performance was his best since his freshman year, when he had two superb starts as the replacement for an injured Trevor Lawrence. Sophomore running back Will Shipley ran for 104 bruising yards and a touchdown, his seventh.
Talk about a shift in the conversation: Clemson now might face more issues on defense than on offense after failing to keep Hartman and the Demon Deacons under wraps.
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An inexperienced and thin secondary is the Tigers’ weakest link after giving up at least 250 passing yards for the third game in a row. Wake is the third team to throw for at least four touchdowns without an interception against Dabo Swinney-coached Clemson and the second with six scores, joining Ohio State in the 2021 Sugar Bowl.
Even a defensive front loaded with talent was mostly held in check by Wake’s veteran offensive line, though this group stepped up late in the fourth quarter and in overtime.
Next week pits Clemson against No. 11 North Carolina State, which has a potent passing game of its own behind quarterback Devin Leary. If the offense puts together another strong performance and the defense rebounds against an elite opponent, the Tigers will have earned a seat among the top four teams in the country.
Clemson, Wake Forest and others make the cut for this week’s list of winners and losers:
Winners
Tennessee
This is a team and a program quickly on the rise in the SEC East. No. 12 Tennessee reversed years of futility in the rivalry and beat No. 22 Florida 38-33, putting even more wind into the Volunteers’ sails in what is shaping up to be a breakout second season under coach Josh Heupel. His work with Hendon Hooker is what really stands out: After failing to get off the ground at Virginia Tech, he’s thrown 39 touchdowns and just three interceptions since arriving in Knoxville, including 349 yards and two scores against the Gators. Tennessee had topped Florida just once since 2005.
Ohio State
If not key an outright upset, Wisconsin’s defense was supposed to test the No. 3 Buckeyes and quarterback C.J. Stroud. There may be a team out there capable of doing just that — it just won’t be the Badgers, who didn’t even force a punt until midway through the third quarter. Stroud had 281 passing yards, TreVeyon Henderson ran for 121 yards, tight end Cade Stover had two touchdowns and the Buckeyes stormed out to a 28-0 lead and romped over Wisconsin 52-21. This offense is scary.
Kansas
The best story in college football continues: Kansas stayed unbeaten by beating Duke 35-27 behind another red-hot Saturday from quarterback Jalon Daniels, who has played his way into early Heisman Trophy contention. Daniels completed 19 of 23 throws for 324 yards, ran a team-leading 83 yards and had five touchdowns, giving him 15 scores and just one turnover on the year. Picked to improve in coach Lance Leipold’s second year but still top out around four wins, the Jayhawks are now headed for bowl eligibility and Leipold becomes one of the hottest coaches on the market.
Texas A&M
Facing very early elimination from the SEC and playoff race, A&M salvaged an acceptable September by barely sneaking past No. 10 Arkansas 23-21. It was easy to imagine what would’ve happened with a second loss, beginning with louder calls for Jimbo Fisher to hand over play-calling duties for his sputtering offense. While the offense is still stuck in neutral, the Aggies have been sparked by a turn to quarterback Max Johnson, who has done well protecting the football and making plays with his legs. A&M also has one of the top backs in the SEC in Devon Achane, who had 159 yards against the Razorbacks’ tough defense.
Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish are beginning to right the ship after a rough start under coach Marcus Freeman. Like Clemson, a stumbling offense sparked a key win: Notre Dame gained 576 yards, 287 on the ground, and beat North Carolina 45-32 for a second victory in a row after losing to Ohio State and Marshall to open the year. Behind a great game plan from coordinator Tommy Rees, quarterback Drew Pyne threw for 289 yards and three scores.
Baylor
Beating previously unbeaten Iowa State 31-24 asserts…
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