No. 5 Clemson Survives Wake Forest's Upset Bid with 51-45 Win in 2OT Thriller

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).