No. 10 Wake Forest Upset by DJ Uiagalelei, Unranked Clemson 48-27

The Clemson Tigers scored their biggest victory of the season Saturday, beating the 10th-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons 48-27 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina.

Clemson was a slight favorite despite being unranked, and it essentially led from wire to wire in handing Wake Forest its second loss of the season.

The Tigers dominated Wake Forest on the ground with 333 rushing yards and four touchdowns as a team, while quarterback DJ Uiagalelei went 11-of-19 for 208 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the victory.

Running back Kobe Pace was the primary star for Clemson, rushing for 191 yards and two scores on 24 carries, while Will Shipley contributed 112 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

The Clemson defense also turned in an impressive performance, holding Wake to a season-low 27 points and especially shutting down the Demon Deacons in the first half:

Wake Forest managed only 36 rushing yards on 31 carries in the game, and quarterback Sam Hartman threw for 312 yards with one touchdown and one pick.

The 2021 season has been a disappointing one for Clemson, as it entered the year expected to contend for a spot in the College Football Playoff and a national championship despite losing several key players to the NFL draft, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne.

Clemson found itself unranked after losses to Georgia, NC State and Pittsburgh, but thanks to Saturday's win, the Tigers are 8-3 on the season and likely to find themselves back in the Top 25.

Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons are now 9-2 overall and 6-1 in the ACC, although they control their own destiny, as a win over Boston College next week will still land them in the ACC Championship Game.

Clemson now owns 13 consecutive wins over Wake Forest dating back to 2008. The Demon Deacons' last win over the Tigers came in October 2008 by a 12-7 score.

It was after that game that Tommy Bowden was fired as head coach at Clemson and replaced by Dabo Swinney, who is now one of the top coaches in the nation.

Clemson will look to close its regular season in strong fashion next week in a rivalry game against South Carolina, while Wake Forest will attempt to bounce back and clinch an ACC Championship Game berth against Boston College.