In Clemson’s 45-10 victory over Virginia Tech last Saturday, Lyn-J Dixon was finally rewarded for his hard work and dedication this season.

It has not been an easy year for the junior running back.

Dixon, who has missed some playing time this season due to a knee injury sustained in fall camp, has made up for it with a pair of touchdowns in Clemson’s last two games.

“Really I’m just coming off of a little knee injury,” the running back said. “So, it’s like my knee came back to a hundred percent, so I was able to perform well.”

Now that he is back to feeling his best, Dixon is already seeing his hard work pay off on the field. Against the Hokies, Dixon ran the ball three times for 38 yards. His back-to-back 19-yard runs in the second quarter were his two best of the season.

“I’m thinking that the hard work has paid off,” Dixon said. “We work hard every day, each and every day we have each other’s backs, push each other hard every day and then we came here, and it paid off.”

For Dixon, having a front row seat to seeing guys like Cornell Powell wait their turn and finally have their moment is something that encourages him to continue trusting the process. And thanks to his 19-yard touchdown on Saturday, this could be just a glimpse of what is to come for Dixon.

“It shows that you gotta believe in the process and put trust into it,” he said. “Just keep working, keep grinding, and just know one day it’ll all pay off.”

Clemson returns to action Dec.19 at Bank of America Stadium with a rematch with No. 2 Notre Dame in pursuit of another ACC Championship in Charlotte. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m.