CLEMSON – The competitor in running back Will Shipley is a very visable thing for the Clemson Tigers. Not everyone may see it from the outside looking in, but it’s how he communicates.

This was on full display on the first drive of the third quarter. Clemson had marched down the field after an ugly first half of offense and stood three yards from the endzone on 2nd-and-goal. This opportunity turned to be a blunder with a false start, and Shipley got animated with quarterback Cade Klubnik.

That’s not something new, and Shipley talked about the moment after the game. Turns out it was on him, and the frustration came from wanting to  better himself and his communication with Klubnik. This doesn’t change their relationship, and that’s the key.

“It’s really easy for Cade and I just because the great relationship that we have. I think kind of how it’s viewed is not where it goes. On the next play we’ve already forgot about it but that was 100% on me. Just got the wrong call. Just communication there between Cade and I, but at the end of the day, I gotta know my stuff a little bit better,” Shipley said.

Earlier in the game, the communication between the two became a bit foggy but not verbally. This was on a run-pass option, where Klubnik wanted to pull the ball and it ended in Shipley fumbling.

Shipley broke it down, and said that it was “entirely on me,” not giving his quarterback the option to pull the ball and rushing the play. He laughed a little, knowing its his competitive nature that sometimes gets the best of him.

“I tend to just want the ball and go, especially when I’m feeling pressure from that defensive end…still a really tough ready on Cade…I didn’t really give him that opportunity,” Shipley said.

For a team with no room for error, accountability is crucial and Shipley’s words postgame are a great sign. Clemson needs he and Klubnik to be on the same page, and this is a moment they’re planning to learn from going forward.