Halftime Analysis: Second quarter offense helps Clemson regain control over Wake Forest

WINSTON SALEM – Wake Forest threw the first punch.

Clemson wiped away the blood and threw out its own version of tornadoes.

Not only that, Peter Woods I had to line up in the new version of the jumbo package and put a Wake Forest defender in a blender.

The Tigers led 28-14 at halftime and established an offensive strategy in the second quarter.

Wake Forest has struggled but still has some work to do if an upset is possible.

Here's what we observed.

Player of the half: Phil Mafah picked up right where he left off in Tallahassee.

Mafah continued to be a force in the ground game, rushing for 91 yards and averaging over 6.5 yards per carry.

In several cases, he bullied his way into running, taking demon deacons with him.

He also found the end zone twice, one of them on Clemson's famous jumbo package. As the Tigers find their rhythm offensively, Mafah will continue to be counted on to stop Wake Forest on the road.

Halftime statistics: Two interceptions made the difference for the Tigers.

Kylon Griffin And Khalil Barnes were the recipients of Bachmeier's rash throws, giving the Clemson offense a short field to work with.

The Demon Deacons appeared to be in control and quickly jumped out to a seven-point lead, but turnovers quickly ruined the game.

What works for Clemson: The Tigers found a way to move the sticks down significantly on third down.

At the start of the half, Clemson was on third down 4-7, kept its offense on the field and maintained the lead until halftime.

Two of them come from Cade Klubnikwhere the junior was rolled out and found Troy Stellato for an important conversion. Already in the next third and longer, Klubnik found Antonio Williams for his first touchdown of the day.

Wake Forest kept the Tigers close, but Clemson made the big plays when needed.

What doesn't work at Clemson: Contested balls at the catch point were a slight problem for the Tigers in the beginning.

The Demon Deacons have a significant height advantage at receiver and have certainly tried to attack the smaller ones Avieon Terrell.

Defensive penalties were also an issue. The Tigers gave up pass interference calls, which extended several Wake Forest drives.

The physicality between the Demon Deacons wideouts and the Tigers defensive backs will be a matchup to watch closely in the second half.

What the Tigers need to do to win: With a two-point lead, the Tigers need an early score and a stop to open the third quarter.

Clemson deferred to the second half, so the first few minutes of the third quarter will be paramount to their success on the road.

The Tigers excelled in their stops in the first quarter and will need to repeat that success after a breather in the locker room.