Clemson running back Will Shipley is a star. But does he need more touches?
Will Shipley, the reigning ACC running back of the week, is averaging 7.8 yards per carry and scoring touchdowns at a historic pace this season for Clemson football.
His usage numbers, though, don’t exactly scream top option.
Shipley has been the Tigers’ most efficient rusher by a long shot in 2022, rushing 32 times for 249 yards and six touchdowns in wins against Georgia Tech, Furman and Louisiana Tech.
But the sophomore starter has only played on 38% of Clemson’s offensive snaps and taken 43% of Clemson’s running back carries through three games.
That’s not a mistake but rather an intentional plan to keep Shipley fresh while capitalizing on the talents of backups Kobe Pace and Phil Mafah, according to head coach Dabo Swinney and offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter.
“Shipley is a tough son of a gun and he’d run the ball 45 times if we wanted him to,” Streeter said. “But it’s not just Will. We’ve got Mafah and Kobe Pace and plenty of guys that are very, very talented to where we really don’t skip a beat when those guys are in.”
Clemson named Shipley its starting running back ahead of the season opener, which wasn’t a surprise given his tangible success during a 783-yard, 11-touchdown true freshman campaign.
That starting nod came with the understanding that Clemson would rotate in its two backups — the junior Pace and the sophomore Mafah, both of whom flashed their own rushing talents in 2021 — while following a “ride the hot hand’‘ philosophy. Swinney said it’s a luxury not every program has.
“He’s an explosive player,” Swinney said of Shipley. “But being able to keep him fresh for the totality of the season, it’s hard to do that if you feel like there’s a big drop off, right? … We’re really fortunate and really blessed with those three guys.”
What the numbers say
Shipley played 53% of Clemson’s snaps and took 51% of Clemson’s carries in six games last season when he, Pace and Mafah were all healthy, according to research from William Qualkinbush of 105.5 The Roar. Pace was second at a 32% snap share and 33% carry share, and Mafah was third at a 15% snap share and 16% carry share.
So far this season, Shipley has played 38% of Clemson’s offensive snaps and taken 43% of the team’s running back carries, while Pace is at a 29% snap share and 20% carry share and Mafah is at a 27% snap share and 27% carry share.
And when the former five-star recruit from Weddington High School outside Charlotte gets the ball, he’s been nothing short of excellent.
Shipley ran 12 times for a career-high 139 yards against Louisiana Tech last week, providing a key second-half spark and becoming the first player in Clemson records dating back to 1950 to rush for multiple touchdowns in each of the first three games of a season.
At 11.6 yards per carry, he also became the first Clemson player to average 10 or more per tote on 10 or more attempts since Travis Etienne against Notre Dame in the 2020 ACC championship game (12.4). His season-long 7.8 yards per carry metric far exceeds that of Mafah (3.9 ypc) and Pace (3.2 ypc).
So, are more touches imminent?
“Shipley, there’s no doubt, is a guy we can hang our hat on when we need to because we know he’s going to bring it every time,” Streeter said. “But the other guys are very deserving to play a lot of ball as well.”
Game flow has also dictated usage rates to date, coaches said.
A trimmer D.J. Uiagalelei has been a far more effective rushing quarterback this year (27 carries); Clemson’s had its share of short fields and one-play touchdown drives; and all three of the Tigers’ wins have come in blowout fashion, allowing them to play backup running backs Domonique Thomas and Keith Adams Jr.
Still, Swinney acknowledged the importance of occasionally “forcing the ball where it needs to go.” That dates back to his seven-game stint as Clemson’s interim coach in 2008, when he felt like the team hadn’t been using running back C.J. Spiller enough and wanted to change that.
“I remember one game back in the day, I came in at half and we were struggling and C.J. Spiller had two touches,” he said, laughing. “I didn’t even have a touch chart. I’m like, ‘What is wrong with us? Have we lost our minds?’”
He assigned a staffer to chart touches play by play the following week, a practice Clemson has maintained ever since and, topically, used to its advantage last week against Louisiana Tech when the Tigers had an uninspiring 13-6 halftime lead and Shipley had five carries.
Streeter said the staff — which includes the aforementioned Spiller as running backs coach — “absolutely” made an effort to get Shipley more involved. It paid off as he racked up 104 of his 139 yards in a second half that saw Clemson outscore LA Tech 28-14.
“Players make plays,” Swinney said. “If you don’t give them an opportunity to make plays, how are they going to do it? (We’re) always trying to create one-on-one matchups and take shots.”
At the same time, Swinney said, Clemson’s running back by committee approach isn’t changing — and he fully expects to be getting usage questions about Pace and Mafah when they have their own standout individual performances at some point later this season.
“Shipley is different for sure,” he said. “He just brings a passion and an energy that I think lifts everybody and is tremendous. But all of those guys will have opportunities down the stretch.”
Clemson running back snaps through 3 games
Will Shipley: 31 of 78, 21 of 59, 29 of 74 (81 of 211 total)
Kobe Pace: 21 of 78, 23 of 59, 18 of 74 (62 of 211 total)
Phil Mafah: 20 of 78, 14 of 59, 22 of 74 (56 of 211 total)
Clemson running back stats through 3 games
Will Shipley: 32 carries for 249 yards (7.8 ypc) and six TDs
Phil Mafah: 20 carries for 78 yards (3.9 ypc) and one TD
Kobe Pace: 15 carries for 48 yards (3.2 ypc) and two TDs
How to watch
Who: No. 5 Clemson (3-0, 1-0 ACC) at No. 21 Wake Forest (3-0, 0-0 ACC)
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Truist Field, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
TV: ABC
This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Clemson running back Will Shipley is a star. But does he need more touches?."
